A quilt finished and a day in the garden

I finally finished the first quilt of a series (I hope!) inspired by seeing the steel mills in Hamilton, Ontario from across the lake. I saw them first from the highway and thought "that looks interesting...hmmm" but you can't stop on a fast highway that's also a bridge! We got off the bridge and under the highway, but even from the roof of the car...couldn't get the right shot. So then my brother joined a yacht club, and studied for "skipper status" so he could take out a boat and FINALLY we got the picture!!
Sometimes it takes a while.
I've got two more "in process". and several ideas in my head. I always like to work in a series because I've found I've too many ideas for one piece. Having made a number of kitchen sink quilts already, I don't need any more.
So this first one is finished:


There's a bigger picture on the website.

The second one is square and a night sky with shibori water...it's about to be quilted - I'm hoping the machine will let me use silver!
The third piece has 3 months worth of handstitched water that has great texture, and just needs marrying to the steel mill!
I'm working on sketches for the 4th piece. I have my basic sketch and am now going to do a number of value studies (i.e. shading in different value patterns to see which is the most interesting) before I even look at fabric. However, since the first one is blue and red, the second purple, grey and rust, and the third blue and orange....I'm leaning towards a soft pink and a dark green...sounds luscious!! of course I love the strange oxymoron of a steel mill and beauty. There is some visually fascinating about the dark satanic mills, you know.



Meanwhile the garden continues to draw me...how can one not love to be part of the stunning glowing autumn colour provided by She Almighty ( Hoeg fans will recognise the reference - and if you don't! you must read The Quiet Girl).


I've been out today planting more pansies, pinks and daffodil bulbs looking forward to seeing them all in the spring. I've done a test pot of daffodil bulbs to see if the raccoons dig them up overnight, though hopefully the bulbs are as poisonous as the rest of the plant!!


When I get the value sketches done, I'll post them - the important thing really is to take your time!
And, if you have been, thanks for reading!! Elizabeth
PS Dave Hickey's opinion piece Revision in this month's Art in America is a must read!! we are more of a pagan society than we know!