Spring Fling

Materials

Hand painted with inks on high quality cotton fabric in beautiful vibrant colors using a negative painting technique. The quote in also on cotton fabric printed with archival inks and sewn onto the quilt in a slightly whimsical stitching style just as I like it. The entire piece is machine quilted in a fun and whimsey freestyle to show off it's beauty. Butterfly is archival ink printed on cotton fabric and has a 3D look as it's not completely sewn down.

What was your inspiration?

My white coneflowers from the garden and the masses of migrating butterflies returning home in the spring. I chose the quote to represent my feeling that morning as I sat there in the garden wishing I could just hold that beautiful moment forever. "Follow your heart, believe in your dreams, and Create your own reality." I recreate that reality each time I look at it.

What are you most proud of?

Love how the inks kept so vibrant on the fabric and the 3D effect I got with the butterfly and outlining the flowers with a "puffy paint" type acrylic paint.

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

Always test your mediums together first. Sketch your art with pencil first and plan your colors. When you go to quilt the piece, think of how you can meld the themes. I used a whimsical loopy stitching path on my background to represent the butterfly's flight path and wind. I was inspired to do that from when I was sitting in my garden that day sketching the flowers as I felt the breeze swirling around and the butterflies did this whimsical dance from flower to flower. Every time I look at this I get that wonderful feeling again.