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New Art Quilt - Horses?

I like making quilts with patterns and I recently purchased a paper piecing pattern called Paradise in Bloom by Judy Niemeyer. I haven't even selected fabric for that one yet but I will. It's early stages for this quilt but I'm hoping to start it soon.

Lately, I've been feeling the need to start another art quilt. I like the freedom of no pattern. It's mine and I can do what I want with it using whatever technique I want to try out.

I've been thinking that I'd make something to do with horses. I originally thought I'd make a quilt featuring carousel horses using the four seasons as a theme. Then I got to thinking that maybe I'll just use real horses instead but I haven't really decided. A picture in my brain is starting to form and it's looking more and more like real horses that are running. And big. Did I mention that? Like 45x120" big. Like scary big. Then the artist part of my brain scoffs and says, "Go big or go home." Stupid art brain...

Not sure how I would handle such a big project but I'd have to be able to hang it up on the wall and draw and/or paint it. I could probably paint it on my dinning room table like I did when I painted the black rhino (see previous posts from my animal quilt in 2015) but I'd rather not because I have to paint each section half at a time, move the fabric then paint the other half and it's a pain. But I'm still seeing four large horses with a seasonal theme but I obviously have a lot of details to work out. It's not out of the question though.

I also want to try some coloring fabric techniques using crayons. Either using them directly on fabric or melting them first then coloring fabric. I've never used them before so maybe my next post will be all about fabric and crayons.

If I do try painting, I'm not going to use the ink I used for my endangered animal quilt since this will be much larger. I'll need a lot more paint and a much bigger brush. So this is my designing, brain storming, figuring out I'm insane stage regarding this art quilt. It's fun and terrifying all at the same time.


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