NEW GROWTH

This post will be added to Nina-Marie Sayre's "Off the Wall Friday" feature...click here to see what other adventurous artists are doing.  

For those of you reading this post via Nina's blog....you may wish to backtrack to my 2 previous posts to see more process views of this piece....or enjoy the tail end of my efforts. 

 Once all the applique and machine embroidery was completed, batting was basted to the wrong side.....but NOT the backing yet.....

 Because....I have one more addition.  Dragon flies have a very special meaning for my niece, therefore.....I'm going to add one.  

Again, digging deep into my stash of hand-dyed treasures (the results of fun dye days with one of my small groups, the Fiber Junkies.)  Here's a piece of poly. netting that I tried to marbleize.  The pattern is subtle, but I think it will work.

 Drawing is not a skill I have, so copyright free images are so helpful!!  After printing several sizes, this one was chosen for the wings.

 It's been retraced on freezer paper and pressed to a sandwich of the netting (two layers secured with Wonder-Under) and cut out. 

 Now I'm auditioning not only the wing shapes/sizes, but the placement and bead colors.

 Though my collection of the bronze beads were more suitable in shape, I felt they blended into the background too much.  Back to the bead bins and more auditioning....

 Adding and subtracting shapes and sizes of beads takes time but is worth the time spent to get it right!  The dragon fly was beaded through two layers...top and batting which helps to support the weight of the beads.  

Next, the backing was basted in place and....gulp.....I secured the embroidery foot, lowered the feed dogs and machine quilted the background.  This is NOT a skill I have conquered but it seemed like the right choice for the piece....and gosh...eventually I must learn and there's no time like the present!

NEW GROWTH

18.5" X 21.5"

My plan had been to face the quilt to provide a nice clean edge as my niece's wall are painted in a dark tan.....but now I'm having second thoughts...and would love to hear from any of you if you have strong feelings about this.  I'm thinking instead that perhaps a very narrow traditional paler brown binding might set the design off better......but then again...maybe not..... sigh....