Neocolor II Portrait......Learning to Fly

This portrait has been painted for a few months now.

Today is the day it goes under the needle...

Click Images to Enlarge:

I took this photo of my niece.

She came running into the house with this baby bird.

She found it in the backyard and was concerned the dogs or cats would get it.

It was perched on her arm and she would bring it up by her face to gently caress it and bring it some comfort.

I have a ritual before I put anything under the needle:

I remove the throat plate and clean the feed dogs.

I install the straight stitch throat plate for machine quilting.

I put grease-less hand cream on my hands for better grip.

I pop in a minty piece of gum...

I fill a bobbin with Bottom Line Thread.

Then I adjust the screw on the bobbin housing to accommodate the very fine thread.

Then I warm up...

Writing your name is a great way to warm up...

Gets the eye hand coordination going good.

Also, great practice for signing your quilts.

I have completed my ritual and now I begin:

I quilted her hair first.

Why?

Because it was easy and relaxed me.

Then I quilted her shirt because it was fun.

Then I quilted her arm....then her face.

By the time I got to her face...

I was warmed up, confident and into it.

JanniLou Creations Quilt Shop

asked me to test out this new Sulky Thread...

It is a very fine 60 wt polyester variegated thread...

It was perfect for the blue background on this quilt.

I am pleased with this thread.

It is fine and yummy and melts right into the fabric.

The subtle variegation of color is wonderful.

It is so fine that you could do detailed thread work without any build up.

It would be wonderful for bobbin thread too.

Perfect for these portrait quilts.

Similar to Bottom Line by Superior, but a bit thicker.

This new thread will definitely become part of my stash soon!

" Learning to Fly "

13 x 18 inches

Neocolor II Portrait

Cord Bound Edge Treatment

Did I mention this was an old photo?

This 7 year old girl is now almost 22 years of age.

Glad I held onto the photo and the inspiration to

turn this image into a quilted portrait.

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view Neocolor II Portrait Tutorial

CLICK HERE to view Full Curl

CLICK HERE to view a Review of Neocolor II Crayons

CLICK HERE to Watch Me work on projects

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full of Portraits,

LuAnn

Neocolor II Portrait.......Dorset Sheep...Quilted

The Dorset Ram has been Quilted...

Click Images to Enlarge:

In the sheep industry his horns are known as

A Full Curl

Detail of the quilting on his face

" Full Curl "

13 x 19 inches

Neocolor II Portrait

CLICK HERE to watch me create this

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view Neocolor II Portrait Tutorial

CLICK HERE to view the Thread Shed

CLICK HERE to view My Quilting Tips & Techniques

CLICK HERE to view My Tutorials

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

Neocolor II Portrait Class.....June 18, 2011

Adventures in Quilted Portraits

Saturday, June 18, 2011

JanniLou Creations Quilt Shop

Philomath, Oregon

Instructor: LuAnn Kessi

Sign Up Now !

Click Images to Enlarge

Class Sample Quilts:

State Fair Zinnia

13 x 13

Neocolor II Portrait

Baby Goat

13 x 16

Neocolor II Portrait

Lilly

14 x 16

Neocolor II Portrait

Remember Me Rose

14 x 16

Inktense Portrait

Gunnr

14 x 16

Neocolor II Portrait

Iris

13 x 19

Neocolor II Portrait

Sparrow

8.5 x 11

Inktense Portrait

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

Class Description:

Spend the day with coloring crayons, pencils, fabric and your sewing machine. This is a brand new technique developed by LuAnn Kessi to create Fabric Portrait Quilts. The best part is, this is a beginner level class. Yes, you can create a quilted portrait, no experience necessary, and you will have great fun learning how. This process is as simple as coloring in a child's coloring book. Come into JLC and view the portrait quilts on display and sign up for class!

Students will learn:

The use of Neocolor II Crayons and Inktense Watercolor Pencils.

How to Audition Threads and Fabrics to complement the portrait.

Simple Free Motion Quilting.

Cord Bound Edge Treatment.

Fast Fused Binding Treatment.

Hanging Triangles & Fast Fused Label.

Students will create a small journal size portrait in class.

The instructor will provide the portraits pre-printed on fabric.

Hope to see you in class in June!

CLICK HERE to view this class in the JLC Newsletter Page 4

CLICK HERE to view Adventures in Mixed Media Class

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

Compare......Neocolor II Crayons & Intense Pencils

I have received questions from a few of you

about the difference between:

Inktense Watercolor Pencils

and

Neocolor II Watersoluble Crayons

Inktense Watercolor Pencils

Neocolor II Watersoluble Crayons

Here is what I have experienced in the last few months with these products:

Both Neocolor II and Inktense Pencils are highly pigmented products and I consider them a great value.

Both products go on pale, then after wetting them

they become incredibly VIBRANT.

I am able to do much more detailed work with the Inktense Pencils, especially human faces and getting into tight areas, where the Neocolor II Crayons seem a bit big and bulky in smaller spaces.

The Inktense Pencils have a good firm lead, it does not break when sharpened and the color goes a long way.

The Neocolor II glide nicely across fabric, which is my substrate.

The Inktense Pencils can drag a bit across fabric.

I always work on fabric that has been ironed to freezer paper, so the dragging issue is not a factor for me really.

The Neocolor II can cover a big area with color very quickly.

The Inktense Pencils are more suited for smaller work and take a lot longer to cover larger areas with color.

The Inktense Pencils probably leave the hand of the fabric a bit softer than the Neocolor II Crayons.

The Inktense Pencils, when wet, are truly like working with paint, but in a very controlled manner, which is great for detail work.

The Neocolor II Crayons are more likely to bleed on fabric than the Inktense Pencils.

I can somewhat control the bleeding of both products by using a solution of 1 part water and 1 part textile/fabric medium while painting over them.

The Neocolor II Crayons are better when you need to change a color...

For instance, you painted an area red and it dries,

then you decide you need to lighten that area with white,

you can cover a dark area with a light color very successfully.

I create quilted textiles and have noticed that I have a few tension problems with my sewing machine when quilting over the Neocolor II Crayons, that I don't experience when quilting over the Inktense Pencils.

I like both Neocolor II Crayons and Intense Pencils equally well.

My next experiment is to use both products in one quilted piece and see if they are compatible as far as color hues, texture, etc.

I am hoping to use the Inktense Pencils in the areas of high detail and

use the Neocolor II Crayons in the larger areas to fill in color.

I hope this review helps those of you who have been interested in trying both of these great products.

I find the most competitive price on these products at:

Dick Blick Art Supplies

I purchase my own art supplies and this is an independent review of the products from my own experience using them.

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view my Neocolor II Portraits

CLICK HERE to view my Inktense Portraits

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

Inktense.......Grape Leaf

I am still testing out the new pack of

Inktense Pencils

This is an image I took last year of our Grape Arbor

Let's see how the Inktense works:

Click Images to Enlarge

Grape Leaf

The grape leaf image was altered in Photoshop Elements 4

then printed out on white fabric.

My favorite fabric to print on is White Cotton Sateen

My Epson printer uses Durabrite Inks

They are a pigment based ink and are water resistant,

which means they don't bleed when wet.

I am just beginning to add Inktense Pencils to the leaf.

I have all of the yellow and green color added so far...

The inktense pencils look rather dull at this stage...

Half way done adding red...

The entire grape leaf is colored in...

I decided to be true to the photo and color the background black.

I was tempted to color in a pretty blue sky, but I resisted.

Now to paint the fabric:

The yellow and green areas have been painted

and are much more vibrant now.

I paint over the Inktense Pencils with

half water & half textile medium.

This helps me control the paint.

I have just started painting the red...

you can see how much more vibrant the top left side is.

All of the leaf has been painted...

Next comes the background

The black Inktense Pencil adds so much drama to this leaf.

It is now ready to be basted and quilted.

I will post images as I continue to work on this piece.

I found this video tutorial on You Tube

It will give you an idea of just how to use the Inktense Pencils

CLICK HERE to view

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view a Neocolor II Tutorial

CLICK HERE to view my Traditional Quilts

CLICK HERE to view Sun Dyeing

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

Featured Quilter...

Last year I participated in the

Blogger's Quilt Festival

Amy has posted our interview

CLICK the Link below:

LuAnn Kessi Featured Quilter

Thank You Amy...

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view a Slideshow of my Quilts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn