Quilting Sketch Book.....Background Fill

This is a background fill design:

It is a series of:

 S Curves, Clamshells and Plumes

It works great for compressing the background 

areas around applique

This is how I stitch it out:

I drew this while traveling through

Wyoming last year.

 This version does not have plumes:

We recently added 2 new flowerbeds to the yard:

This new bed along side the guest house will be for

Hollyhocks

Supplementing the soil with rabbit manure...

The new bed tilled up beautifully...

Tilling up the second bed, by the fence

Gunnr is supervising.....as usual

The yearling cattle are fascinated by yard work...

The young cattle find everything we do 

so interesting!

They stood at the fence amazed 

while Brad hosed off the tiller...

They even watched us 

while we took an afternoon nap!

Friends at the Fence

The new flower bed already has visitors:

Evening Grosbeaks

The hollyhock starts are growing FAST!

So are the Sunflowers...

Hard to believe they will be 8 feet tall this summer!

CLICK HERE to view my online Sketch Book

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Quilting Sketch Book.....Swirling Leaves

I date the pages in my sketch book...

I drew this out in January 2013

Swirling Leaves

This design reminds me of leaves floating

on the water, swirling around.

 Here's how I stitch it out:

Very little back tracking, 

other than the leaf veins.

From the Flower Beds

The Violas have come back again this year:

I never planted Violas...but here they are

They are spreading all over the front flower bed...

They grow like a weed...

...a very pretty weed

You are welcome to use these images in your

personal art work if you are inspired!

Gunnr

Tennis Anyone?

CLICK HERE to view my online Sketch Book

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Sketch Book......Spine Designs

Sometimes I just draw lines in the sketch book...

Then challenge myself to fill in the lines:

This one came out rather formal looking

When drawing a feather,

I usually put a big curl at the top...

This time I drew the big curl at the bottom...

I filled in the lines and I like this look too.

 Challenge yourself to draw lines:

Then fill in the lines with a design:

Here is half of the design...

Here it is all drawn out...

very feathery and feminine.

I drew out S shapes and Fish Hooks:

Then filled them in with plumes.

Try it......it's FUN!

A glimpse at the flowerbeds after

morning watering:

Orange Gerber Daisy

Water beads up so beautifully on an IRIS Leaf

I never tire of looking at 

the water drops each morning

This little black bird has a nest in the tree out front...

He dive bombs Gunnr when he goes outside!

CLICK HERE to view my online Sketch Book

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Quilting Sketch Book......Fern Motif

Fiddle Head Ferns are a constant source of 

inspiration here in Western Oregon...

They grow everywhere!

This is my first attempt at drawing out a fern.

I approached the fern the same way I do a feather...

start with a spine and stitch out leaves 

instead of plumes.

I enjoyed drawing the long, slender leaves

of the fern...

Before I went to the machine...

I practiced drawing ferns on the dry erase board.

My favorite tool in my free motion quilting tool box!

Here is how I stitch out the fern...

I start at the bottom and stitch up the spine to the top.

Then I work my way back down 

adding leaves to the left side.

Then I add leaves to the right side, 

working my way back up.

There is no back tracking at all.

Fiddle Head Fern Motif

Here is the Fiddle Head Fern stitched into a Quilt:

Calypso Quilt

I used a wool batting...

which adds so much extra texture!

We have been working out doors in the flower beds:

The climbing rose is responding to 

our tender loving care...

The blooms last for weeks!

This is about as much help as we can get out of

Gunnr when we are working in the flower beds:

Gunnr is a free loader when it comes to yard work...

He's not very good company either...

taking a nap while we work!

CLICK HERE to view Calypso Quilt

CLICK HERE to view my online Sketch Book

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi