Biggified - Quilted

Last weeks Diva Challenge was to “Biggify” your tangles. The challenge was to use your preferred paper size and draw the tangles bigger. This was my favorite biggified tangle. I use the standard 3 ½” square Zentangle® tiles.

I like to translate Zentangle style into quilting. I took the biggified tangle enlarged it a little more and then made a mini-wholecloth quilt. The quilted piece measures 5 ½” square. It is made from fabric, Signature 100% cotton thread – in rust and variegated rust, and two layers of batting. This is the finished piece.

Anyone with a sewing machine can learn how to quilt in the Zentangle style. If you'd like to learn how check out the class I'm teaching at Machine Quilter's Exposition in April! - for more information click here. No prior Zentangle(r) or quilting experience required.

Here are some pictures of it the biggifed little quilt being quilted. I use a 12 foot long  Gammill longarm  machine and I’m working on little 5 ½” pieces! This type of quilting can also be done on a home "domestic" sewing machine!

Here's a picture of the whole Gammil machine set up - this picture was taken to show the traditional style trapunto pieces that are displayed in the foreground. The picture was taken on a day when my studio was clean!

Biggify

Go Big or “Biggify”

This weeks Diva Challenge is to take your regular sized tangle paper and draw the actual tangle on it BIGGER than usual! I use the standard Zentangle ® 3 ½ inch square paper tiles. I did the challenge a couple of times before coming up with something I liked. On one of my earlier attempts I used a Pigma Graphic 1 instead of my usual Pigma Micron 01. I thought that since the tangles would be bigger that the pen should be bigger also….wrong. (So wrong that I tossed the tile!)

On this tile I used three tangles, Poke-root, Shattuck, and Flux. I like how bold it looks. I think that perhaps I draw my tangles on the larger side anyway but drawing them very large required a steady hand and deeper concentration!

On this tile I decide to be brave and draw those large “orbs” – I’m being careful not to call them circles because – they are drawn freehand and not meant to be perfect circles. But none-the-less I did try to concentrate and get them pretty round….. Then perhaps I made a mistake. I started coloring with Prismacolor Water Color pencils. I guess this wasn’t totally a bad idea but when I added brushstrokes with water, the color became brighter than expected. I’m going to experiment more with the water color pencils – I am starting to like a little color with my Zentangle ®.

If you're wondering where to get supplies for Zentangle(r) art. I get my pens and pencils from Dick Blick and I have the official Zentangle(r) supplies availble on my website.

Red Thread Challenge and Thankgiving

Tangles

I promised myself to start doing the DIVA challenges and here is the first one. This challenge was presented by a guest tangler Cris Letourneau CZT.  Her challenge supports  The Red Thread Promise organization. The challenge is to create a black and white tile  with a red thread running through it. Tiles can be donated to an auction to benefit The Red Thread Promise.

I used one of my favorite tangles - Cadent (left side) then I added two tangles that I had never done before. The red thread is Vega - I think it looks more like a rock climbing rope or fancy drapery trim! I enjoyed using the red but thought it needed black too. Then I couldn't decide if I should shade with regular pencil or use colored pencil. I used regular pencil and I think it looks good! The third tangle is Jetties. I did that one with black Pigma pen and with white Gel pen. I like how the orbs look like they are going to roll right off the tile!

Thankgiving

I had a great Thanksgiving with good friends – not without challenges though. We woke up to no heat or hot water! My husband and a buddy “jump started” the furnace and got it working but not fixed. So I did have heat and hot water for the day but it was a stressful way to begin!

I had decided to cook the turkey a different way. This year I brined the turkey.  Here’s how it worked. That darn turkey bird is sat in a spa bath of cider and spices for 2 days and had to be turned over periodically. After it was done in the brine I had to, rinse it, pat it dry and then let it rest for an hour before cooking! Really!  The bird needs to rest after sitting around in a spa bath for 2 days?  Well I had to get up real early to allow enough time for the bird to rest!  I have to say – that was the best turkey I’ve ever had! All of that work was worth it and I’ll cook my turkey this way from now on!

quilted zentangle

Here's a small quilted ZIA piece. it's about 5" square. It made from batik fabric, thread, and colored pencil. I enjoy making this little pieces. There's something nice about starting and finishing project!

I'm going to start doing the DIVA challenges - Since I'm writing it here I'll have to do it! Here's a link http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2011/11/weekly-challenge-48.html she's also holding a great giveaway! I'll attempt to post the official link to that! But if that fails, it's also on the page you get to with the link above.



Nantasket Beach - me and a rainbow!



Here' my blog - Sew Tangled –  where sewing, quilting, and tangling meet! And were sewers, quilters, and tanglers meet there is laughter, fun, creativity, energy, life, and family.

Oh yea, I’m also a wife, mother, dog owner, housekeeper, shopper, collector, beach loving, bike riding, gardening enthusiast, foodie….if I forgot something I’ll add it to my next post!!