Operation Renovation

Gertrude, Art Piece # 57 Renovation

| Cindy Anderson

Exhilarating:

Creating an art piece from scratch is an exhilarating experience; choosing to reinvent it is even more stimulating. A project I once called  Courthouse Friends # 12 of 14 was the latest item to be transformed. Today’s journal entry will address her butterfly moment.

Original Appearance:

I have a tub filled with ugly quilt blocks; this item was created from one of those blocks. Typically the first step in reclaiming a block is to slice it into strips or sections. The strips are then reorganized until a pleasing arrangement is achieved.

To these reinvented strips a white border was added. Surrounding that border is a batik with leopard-like spots. The spots mimicked the design of the small lilac strip in the center of the quilt. The spots almost appear to dance around the perimeter.

The Beginning:

Early in 2020 I decided to reinvent a number of my art pieces and this was one of the specimens I tackled. To begin the task I removed the facings surrounding the outer edges. Next I added two new borders using a light grey and a multi-colored print fabric.

Embellishments:

With the functional tasks complete I turned my focus to the embellishments. The previous version, of this art quilt, had been assigned an identity that recognized its origin…a court house square block. Since I had decided to refurbish the fiber art piece I saw no reason to maintain that existence. As I studied the composition I discovered the image of a bird. This revelation paved the path for my next steps.

Let’s Make That Happen:

To turn the pieced center into a bird I began by stitching a row of dark blue thread around the perimeter. Next I added feathers using one of my favorite stitches, the drizzle stitch. A variety of thread colors, many of which were already incorporated in the fabrics, were used to create the spiral-like protrusions; their presence gives the bird a playful appearance.

Continuing on with the embellishments I echoed around the edges of the white fabric with thread. The leopard-like border was given rows of wonky x’s and sporadically placed grey French knots. In the grey, I added a single row of running stitch. The very last embellishment this lady received was her beautiful, two-tone blue eye.

New Name:

With the amazing renovation just completed it seemed only natural to assign the lovely lady a new name. Her playful nature inspired me to call her Gertrude. I have a second project with similar elements which will be shared in a future post. These two snazzy birds, when lined up correctly will face each other. Gertrude’s sister is known as Trudy. Keep an eye out for Trudy’s debut.

This is Gertrude.

Gertrude, AP 57
Gertrude, Art Piece # 57

Isn’t she sweet!

Thank You:

I would love to hear your thoughts! Thank you for stopping by! I look forward to our next adventure.

Esmerelda, Art Piece 55 Renovation

Court House Friends, AP 55
| Cindy Anderson

Operation Renovation:

Very early this year I challenged myself to update a number of my fiber art pieces. My goal was to improve their curb appeal and adjust their measurements to make them suitable for mounting on a stretched canvas frame.

Humble Beginnings:

The teeny tiny center, of this art specimen, could very easily have been tossed into the trash; the remnant was leftover from one of my earlier projects. Not wanting to waste a speck of color I challenged myself to turn it into something spectacular. In its original format, this small art piece was surrounded by a blue border and measured only 5” x 6 1/4”.

Court House Friends, AP 55
Court House Friends 10 of 14, AP # 55

Upsizing:

To elevate the status of this small art piece I sought out a combination of fabrics that would create an eye-catching ensemble. The first to be selected was a multi-colored batik. The colors included in the batik provided lots of inspiration for other companions. Pulled to accompany the batik was a beautiful lilac and a lively chartreuse.

A Wonderful Surprise:

After adding the three new borders I studied my composition to establish my next move. As I focused on the tiny fabric scraps I began to notice the image of a long-necked bird with a small purple beak. Once I identified that vision it was full speed ahead. The first change to take place was the orientation. In its original state the bird would have been positioned upside down. I solved that dilemma by simply turning the composition 180°. To fully outfit my stately bird I added a blue bead for an eye and spiraled locks of hair. Her coiffed hair is her most striking feature. The colors chosen for her locks were inspired by the three added borders.

Fancy Stitching:

Continuing on my quest for panache I embellished all four borders. The original blue material was decorated with a running stitch in a matching colored thread. On the lovely lilac, between the rows of machine stitching, I added color coordinated + signs. The bold chartreuse, rather glitzy all on its own, received an extra nudge as well. To this third border I added a simple running stitch. The fourth and final border was embellished with straight lines of machine-stitching.

I Christen Thee:

The regal bird, with her stately attire and her lavish furnishings, was an accomplishment beyond my imagination. In her former life she was known as Court House Friends # 10 of 14. The name recognized her former life as a repurposed ugly quilt block. Given the elevated status this gorgeous lady had achieved I simply couldn’t make her retain that name; that would be unheard of! To find a more appropriate identity I began auditioning names, pausing long enough to consider their suitability. After considering a number of options I decided to christen my feathered friend Esmerelda. The name sounds royal, which suits her perfectly.

Final Details:

Esmerelda sits on top of a 12” x 12” stretched canvas frame. To the back I added a protective layer of paper. The barrier serves as protection from dust and bugs. To make it easy for her to be displayed on a wall two d-rings and a length of wire were attached. Also present is silicone bumpers to provide ventilation and help her with stability.

Time to take a look at my latest triumph!

Esmerelda, AP 55
Esmerelda, Art Piece # 55

Thank You:

I am so happy that you were able to be here and witness the joyful unveiling of my newest accomplishment…Esmerelda!

Thank you for being my audience!

Fiber Art By Cindy Anderson

Up The Ladder, Art Piece # 52’s Renovation

Court House Friends 7 of 16, AP 52
| Cindy Anderson

Renovation:

In April I began retrofitting many of my smaller art pieces to make them suitable for attaching to a stretched canvas frames. I call this adventure Operation Renovation. The topic of today’s journal entry is an item that I first revealed in July, 2018. This specimen was called Court House Friends 7 of 14. Court house friends is a reference to a grouping of court house blocks I received in a block swap. The blocks had colors that I was not particularly fond of. Rather than leaving them as is I opted to turn them into improv art pieces; sixteen different art projects resulted from that experiment. The pieced center, with its surrounding white border, looked like this in July, 2018.

Court House Friends 7 of 16, AP 52 Court House Friends 7 of 14, AP # 52

In The Beginning:

To modify Court House Friends 7 of 14 I began by removing the facings and other components that had been attached to the back. After carefully trimming and pressing my small art piece I went in search of a fabric that would compliment the colors already present in the small quilt. I found a lovely purple and teal batik with accents of rust and burgundy. I chose this one because not only did it match with the colors in the existing art piece but it also added an interesting element that didn’t provide a distraction.

Wrapping It Up:

Court House Friends 7 of 14 originally measured 5 7/8” x 10 7/8”. The target frame size was 11” x 14”. After making a few calculations I cut properly sized strips of fabric to add as borders. With the borders attached I created a quilt sandwich by stacking the renovated art quilt with a layer of batting and backing. The last step, in this renovation process, was quilting. The new borders were the only items that needed quilting; to those I added a zig zag pattern with a multi-colored variegated thread.

New Identity:

Since the visual identity of my fiber art piece had been changed I decided its name should be as well. While viewing the composition I studied the arrangement of the fabrics in the pieced center. The single vertical line with the horizontal protrusions reminded me of the rungs on a ladder. Identifying that image gave me the inspiration to name my art quilt Up The Ladder, Art Piece # 52.

When my new and improved project was finished, this is how it appeared.

Up The Ladder, AP 52 Up The Ladder, Art Piece # 52

Even though the changes were relatively minor I think she looks much prettier now. How about you?

Thank You:

Thank you for being here and for reading until the very end!

Warm Wishes,

Cindy Anderson

Fiber Art By Cindy Anderson