Social Butterflies - Project Quilting

"Social Butterflies," 14" x 12", made by Pam Geisel for Project Quilting, Season 10, Challenge 1: Hope Springs Eternal, Jan. 2019 in Yellow Springs, Ohio

Challenge recap for "Hope Springs Eternal":

Your project should be about hope. It doesn’t have to be obvious, but you do have to be able to explain how it relates to the theme.

Funny note, my project for the first challenge of season 8 was titled "Hope."

For my challenge I decided to use the image of butterflies and how the caterpillar goes into the cocoon and emerges as a butterfly. Does the caterpillar know that it's going to emerge as a butterfly? And if it does know that, does it hope that everything works correctly? I know when I start a new project I always hope that everything works correctly.

For this piece I worked backwards. I found a piece of tie dyed blue and purple fabric to use as the backing. I sandwiched it with the batting and backing then did some free-motion quilting. My tip for free motion quilting is to use thread made for machine quilting. I finished the edges with a knife-edge binding. (Photo at left)

The butterflies: the back (left) and front (right)

I had fabric with butterflies printed on it and I cut out two, fused some interfacing on the back of them then fused a redish purple fabric to the back. I used black thread to sew around the outside to hold the fabrics and interfacing together.

I sewed them onto the backing but just along the middle and not around the edges so the butterflies still have some movement with their wings.

More about Social Butterflies.

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Click on any of the photos to see larger images.

To read more about Project Quilting, go here.

To see other entries for this challenge, visit the Hope Springs Eternal challenge page.

TWO art receptions THIS WEEKEND!

I have art in two exhibits that will both have receptions this weekend.

This Sat. Jan. 12 from 2-4 pm is the closing reception of the 12th Annual Ohio Online Visual Artist Registry Juried Exhibition at the Carnegie Gallery in the Columbus Metropolitan Main Library. This year's theme is "My Treasures are Within." "Life is Like a Box of Chocolates" is in this exhibit.

Then on Sun. Jan. 13 from 2-4 is the opening reception of MVAQN: Still in Stitches! at the Troy Hayner Cultural Center, 301 W. Main St., Troy, Ohio. The show runs from Jan. 11-Feb. 18. She Paints With Fabric, Morning Glories for Georgia, and Standing Tall are in this exhibit. All of the pieces in this exhibit are created with fabric.

One of the things that I like about both of these venues is that the exhibit spaces is in an architecturally interesting space.

The Columbus Metropolitan Main Library was built in 1907 with money donated by Andrew Carnegie. When they expanded in 1991 they kept part of the original building which is where the Carnegie Gallery is located. I find it interesting to see how the old and new parts of the building interact.

The Troy-Hayner Cultural Center used to be a private residence. Mrs. Hayner left her mansion to the Troy City Schools and it had been used as the Troy public library for 33 years but is now a cultural center. It's beautifully restored and is worth the trip just to see the building.