Gunnr........Mr. February

Meet Mr. February

Click Images to Enlarge:

" Gunnr "

by LuAnn Kessi

We just found out Gunnr is February in the

2012 Quilting Arts Calendar

Theme: Feeling Pet-ty

Our son, Nicholas, brought Gunnr home 4 years ago on his birthday.

It is extra fun that Gunnr is Mr. February as

Nicholas was born in February.

Gunnr's portrait quilt was colored and painted on white fabric,

then machine quilted.

Gunnr does not seem to be overly impressed with his quilt,

but I am just tickled .

Check out the cover of the

2012 Quilting Arts Calendar:

Jill Packer created the Iguana

This is a gorgeous piece

The 2012 Quilting Arts Calendar is now for sale

at the Quilting Arts Website

Gunnr plans to hand them out at Christmas !

Better get yours before he buys them all out...

Featured artists are:

Faith Cleary

Nancy Brown

Sue Clayton

Susan Brubaker Knapp

Susan E. Connor

Lisa Encabo

Nancy Hayes

Loreen Leedy

Amber McIntosh

Joan Sowada

Nanette Zeller

Jill Packer

LuAnn Kessi

Enjoy the Slideshow:

Make your own free photo slideshow

Portrait Quilt........Completed

This Portrait is going under the needle today...

Click Images to Enlarge:

I pulled out some of my favorite quilting threads:

Bottom Line by Superior Threads

Variations by YLI

The Thread Section of this blog

will explain more about these threads.

I have narrowed the thread choices down to these...

Bottom Line Black for her eyes.

Variations Teddy Brown for her hair.

Bottom Line Tan for her face and hands.

Robinson Anton 24 KT Gold Rayon

for the birds and flowers

YLI Variations Meadow Green for the background.

The portrait in the center of the quilt is sewn on top of the backing fabric.

It is not pieced into the green fabric.

I didn't want seams to distract from the thermofax printing on the green fabric.

To sew the portrait down on top of the green background,

I used a decorative stitch and green thread.

I am pleased with the quilting on the face...

I matched the thread colors as much as possible to the portrait.

From a distance the thread work is subtle.

As you get closer, you can appreciate the quilting stitches.

They create lots of texture and movement in the background.

I will finish this off with a Cord Bound Edge Treatment.

" Day Dreaming"

Portrait in Fabric

19 x 25 inches

If you are interested in learning to work with

Neocolor II Crayons and Inktense Pencils

SIGN UP NOW:

Adventures in Portrait Quilts

Saturday, June 18, 2011

JanniLou Creations Quilt Shop

1243 Main Street

Philomath, OR 97343

541-929-3795

Call to Register for Class

CLICK HERE to view Beginner Portrait Quilt Class Information

CLICK HERE to view the earlier work done on this portrait

CLICK HERE to view Learning to Fly Portrait

CLICK HERE to view Cord Bound Edge Treatment Tutorial

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

Neocolor II Crayons & Inktense Pencils......Combined

I have been wondering how compatible

Neocolor II Crayons

and

Inktense Pencils

would be in the same portrait...

Click Images to Enlarge:

I am working with this portrait today.

I altered the image in Photoshop Elements 4.

Then printed it out on fabric backed with freezer paper.

My Epson Work Force Wide Format Printer utilizes

Durabrite Pigment based inks

which are water resistant.

The face and hands are Neocolor II Crayons

The hair and lips are Inktense Pencils

The shirt and background are Neocolor II Crayons

Both products worked together beautifully.

After this image dried, I went back over the hair, which was done with Inktense Pencils, and added Neocolor II Crayons on top.

The products combined nicely.

I plan to use both products together in the future.

As time allows, I will quilt this and post the images.

CLICK HERE to watch my progress on this piece

CLICK HERE for a Review of these products

CLICK HERE to view Neocolor II Portrait Tutorial

CLICK HERE to view my Art Quilts

CLICK HERE to view Alzheimer's Priority Quilts

CLICK HERE to view Apple Core Quilt.....in progress

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

Neocolor II Portrait........Double Take

It is 3:30 and I have time to get started on one more

Portrait Quilt...

Click Images to Enlarge:

We were herding cattle last year.

Moving cow and calf pairs to new pasture.

I came around the corner of the barn and these two turned their heads in unison to look at me.

I was so glad I had my camera in my hands.

At this point the calf has been quilted.

I also quilted the gray, dormant blackberry vines.

Mama Cow is also quilted.

She hates the camera, so I was overjoyed she stood still long enough for the shutter to go off.

I quilted leaves in the green background to give it a bit of texture.

My favorite guy came into the Thread Shed

while I was finishing up this portrait...

He looked at this image and said...

" Double Take "

13 x 19 inches

Neocolor II Portrait Quilt

These are the most recent portraits I have completed.

I will bring them with me to:

Adventures in Portrait Quilts Class

JanniLou Creations Quilt Shop

Philomath, Oregon

June 18, 2011

CLICK HERE to watch me work on Double Take

CLICK HERE to view Neocolor II Portrait Tutorial

CLICK HERE to view Cord Bound Edge Tutorial

CLICK HERE to view Learning to Fly

CLICK HERE to view Full Curl

CLICK HERE to view my Slideshows

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn

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 view this class

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