Making the first cut….

I had set aside several days this week to work on my challenge quilt and had 6 hours on Sunday to get started on it.  But, unfortunately, I just couldn’t get going with it!!

I knew that I needed to do some additional shading on the hand dyes that I was using so started out by testing several different products…

I decided that I was happiest with a Peach colored Tsukineko pen.

Next, I knew that I wanted mountains in the background and had the “great” idea of painting them with more pastels.  I was not particularly happy with the result…..

After about an hour more, I realized that I was just moving fabrics from pile to pile and wasn’t accomplishing anything, so I went back downstairs and accomplished some of the mundane tasks of life!!

I woke up on Monday morning determined that I was going to get started this time. 

First step was to draw the overall design onto freezer paper and get it cut out…..wow…that is one big blob of fabric!!!

I then started drawing in some of the lines and shading……

I added a few doors and windows, but it still wasn’t floating my boat……

But, once I added the foreground, you could really see the perspective and I started to get excited…..

As I started to fuse on the ladder, I realized that the fabric was already starting to fray so I cut another one out of a tightly woven hand-dye.

As I added more and more detail, the Pueblo seemed to jump off of the wall.

I tried my painted mountains, but wasn’t happy with them, although they look better in this photo than they did on the wall…..

I had a wonderful time going thru my fabrics and searching for the best ones for mountains.  This was my original design……

But after I put it on the board, I realized that the blue and purple were too much….

So, I peeled them back off again and went for the lower, tree covered mountains…

That is where it stands this morning.  

I am thinking that I want to add some flowers or bushes or something scattered around the base of the building….knowing me, I will add Sunflowers!!!

I will also add a lot of thread work but will save that for later in the week.

Now, on to the second panel.  MAYBE it wont be so hard for me to make a start this time!!!

If you need me…..I will be in my studio!!!!