As I stated earlier in a blog post here, I've always loved images of mermaids and wanted to someday create one. Well you also saw in that post my initial drawings and I must say I really enjoyed creating this quilt and adding the embellishments.
I have been a fan of Nellie from the Nellie's Needles blog for a long time. She creates awesome water (lake series) quilts, and while I don't exactly know how she creates her quilts, I tried mimicking the look to create my water. I dyed white on white fabric for the skin using fabric paints. I drew her facial features on with a marker and then added further color with Tsukineko inks and fabric markers.
I embellished her lower body with sequins and beads and they really look great in the right lighting. I added teardrop-shaped beads to give the look of water spraying from her tail. I had the most trouble with her hair. I, at first, thought I'd create it with just yarns/fibers, but I wasn't happy with the control over the placement of them, so I sketched out some shapes for fabric and then added some fibers to enhance it once the fabric was stitched down.
I have created all of my 12x12 quilts on heavy interfacing, like Timtex, as I like the support it offers on these small quilts. I have also zigzagged around the edges of all my 12x12 quilts and on this particular quilt, I also added a fiber around the edge.
13 comments:
She's so much fun! This much texture and embellishment is a bit different for you, yes? Nicely done.
I also noticed the sand fabric which fits perfectly in this picture. I think the water is great, and of course you're classic Terri figure is perfect
Terri, this piece has such charm! It fascinates me that you're pieces always include faces (which you do so well!) while I avoid faces and people like the plague. Go figure. You are able to capture a sweet simplicity that is not sticky sweet/cutsie, which makes your pieces very appealing to me. I wonder -- as you create your female images, do you have names for them? Do you think of them as personalities?
I love the water effect -- colors and lines are so effective, as are the drops she is staking off her tail! This whole piece just makes me smile.
Anyway,
Kristin - I guess I don't normally embellish to this degree but have done some in the past.
Diane - sometimes they tell me their names and sometimes not. I do feel that each image has its own personality and they seem to tell me what I need to do to portray that.
I love the embellishments in this piece. Just right. They can so easily be overdone. And the mermaid is a wonderful example of your lovely faces. Great job.
The whole piece is wonderful and your water reads perfectly.
Terri, I love mermaids and yours is wonderful. The water looks great. I like the splashes that could also be read as pearls from the sea. Well done!
Very charming! This could be a children's book illustration. I love how this piece is "cropped" so that the figure really fills the space.
What a magical creature. Mermaids are always a popular topic around our house. I love the sparkle to her tail and the water droplets from her tail. And your wonderful, rich sea is beautiful!
I love your sea. And your mermaid looks so gentle! Lovely work!
She has such a sweet face! I also love the fabric you chose for the skin. (You can see it better if you click for an enlarged picture.) The tone on tone print shows through the skin color and makes me think she is covered with delicate seaweed. Great job!
I also greatly admire Nellie's water works but the addition of the mermaid makes this unmistakably a Terri piece. I especially like the splish splash beading.
Such a modest mermaid! I think she is kind- not a siren drawing me to destruction in shipwrecks! how did you do the water in the end?
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