ArtFire

"Garden Play" Mixed Media Art Quilt with Button and Bead Embellishments- 10.5"x13.5" in size. This piece is a bit of a diversion from my usual style of work. With a degree in horticulture, I usually keep things mostly "Botanically Correct", but with this one, I took a more child-like direction with lots of flowers, butterflies, and button like flowers with pearl bead centers.

This Art Quilt combines various die cut flower shapes combined to make various bright flowers that "grow" in a fantasy garden. There is even a sparkly pink ladybug climbing a leaf, and dragonflies and butterflies flying overhead. The flowers and background are freemotion quilted using clear thread to secure the flowers and add swirls in the sky to represent the flitting about of the butterflies and dragonflies. Leaves have been quilted into the lower border.

A number of single hole flower shaped buttons were added to make the garden even more abundantly filled with flowers. Each button flower has a pearl bead in the center as well as pearl beads added to the centers of some of the fully fabric flowers. The edges are bound with a variegated blue yarn.

This was a really fun piece to create! It would look great decorating a child's room or any room that needs a bit of whimsy added.

After purchasing a die cutting machine which is made for cutting paper, I have been experimenting to see what fabrics I can cut using the dies I got with it. With a little practice, I am able to cut a number of pieces that are becoming harder for me to hand cut do to arthritis. It has been fun to see just how many different ways I can use the shapes that I have cut to make them look different from each other.

This piece is the first in what I believe will become a series of child-like fantasy gardens... With a dreary muddy winter with no snow, I really need to do some gardening in my studio.

cotton fabrics, fuseable web, yarn, thread, buttons, pearlescent beads, die cutting machine

See more Art Quilts and other items at my website- http://www.andrusgardensquilts.com/, or see works in progress and inspirations on my blog- http://andrusgardensquilts.com/blog