10.11
Four lined tree frog
A few years ago I was watering the garden and I suddenly spotted this lovely little tree frog amongst the vegetation. I ran inside, grabbed my camera and took some photos of the little chap. I planned to use these pictures one day to make a small quilt but it was a long time before I could work out how to actually make the pattern.
It was while I was doing a course called Flower Power with Susan Brittingham at Quilt University that I found a good method. She suggested using transparent film to make a line drawing from a photograph. This was a simple and very effective way and once that was done and I scanned the line drawing into EQ5 and then it was reasonably simple to turn it into an applique pattern.
I simplified the background and for the first design used the upside down applique method, but I don’t like the finish of that so much and the next time I made the design I used a satin stitch.
Last week I completed my ninth tree frog wall and yesterday I hosted an open house and coffee morning to sell some of my work, along with some fellow artists and it was the very first thing I sold along with my gecko cushions.
tree frog art quilt
It was a busy morning and I’d been baking several days to make cakes and biscuits to serve with coffee. There were five of us participating: John with his very popular silver jewellery, inspired by local ethnic art, Susanne with hand made cards, Helen with her own design patchwork bags and Violette with some very nice beaded items, plus myself with my wall hangings and cushions.
It was my husband’s day off so he was there to help out with serving teas and coffees but after a while he gave up and let people help themselves, just making sure the coffee jug was kept full.
I sold a number of my wall hangings, and have a few orders too, including another tree frog just like this one, so I’ll be busy for the next few weeks.
tree frog art quilt detail
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The lovely Tree Frog 9 is the first inhabitant of my son’s rainforest bedroom and he is delighted. I particularly like the leaf-form quilting around the frog.
In case you are ever interested in quilting one Anne, I have some photos of a Green Crested Lizard (vivid green, tail about twice as long as its body) taken last week in F2.
Thanks Jackie, I’m so glad your son likes his tree frog. The Green Crested Lizard sounds interesting and might make a good quilt; I haven’t done a lizard before although I have photographed a few.
Jackie you did such a beautiful job. I also just love the leaves. I have tried that method several times and clumsy me I end up with something that looks more like a mess than art. You seem to have perfected it. Very nice indeed.
Thanks for your comments Carol, this is a design that I wanted to do for ages because my husband loves frogs but for a long time it just seemed too complicated. Now, having just completed my 11th one they almost seem easy although they still take a long time to do.