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Hick Chick 1 - Hell Bent For Leather - My MQS entry

TracyeQ

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TracyeQ Advanced Member

TracyeQ

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Okay, this isn\'t COMPLETELY done, I\'m going to add a wide brown binding w/trim like\'s on the center circle, but I just couldn\'t stand it anymore I had to show you guys what I\'ve been working on night and day for the past, almost, 3 months. My house is a wreck, my kids are lucky to have gotten taken to school or fed.

I titled it Hick Chick 1 cause I had the idea when I started this that it could become a series. NOW, I\'m changing it\'s name. It may turn out to be like childbirth, you know, you forget about the delivery after you see the sweet baby, but right now I\'m just sick of looking at it.

This quilt is a total tribute to the online quilting community, especially chat boards like this.

I would never, and that\'s not an over statement, have been able to see this idea thru to fruition w/out having been a part of, getting inspired by, and getting advice from, the fantastic quilters I\'ve been so blessed to be in contact with online.

How/why this quilt came about.

After I got my first longarm, and began learning all the quilting staples like feathers and flowers, I began to notice, whenever I walked into my tack room (or my uncles saddle collection ((he has more saddles than I have cones of thread)), the huge similarity and, at the same time, difference between leather carving and quilting patterns. The leather patterns have fronds, flowers, even feathers, but they overlap more, and add extra lines because they are not constrained by trying to be continuous.

I once saw someone post a quilt that they quilted inspired by leather looks and I could see the resemblance, but it still wasn\'t the look that intrigued me because the background was not the same as the leather.

Then a few months ago, Sherry Rogers-Harrison posted an amazing quilt called Tribal Fusion. It was a white wholecloth that she then applied black ink to the background. I knew right then how I could get the leather look I wanted.

She was very gracious and told us on the chat board how she did it. She was, later, very patient and generous with me via email and specified her steps for me (I\'m sometimes a bit dense LOL)

I didn\'t do it exactly as she said, I used contrasting thread instead of matching as she did, mostly for time as I didn\'t have time to ink ALL the stitching.

I had researched leather carving and found a leather picture frame that inspired me, but it needed more flowers. http://www.sbearstradingpost.com/2Shews_Test1.jpg

There was a photograph that I loved called "Bonnie Knows They Let\'r Buck" (owned by the Denver Library and used w/permission) that would look perfect in the center where the indian is in the leather frame.

I got the corners marked and quilted. It took many hours over the period of almost 2 months, but then I was at a loss. Complete quilter\'s block, pun intended.

So once again I turned to my online community.

I turned to the brilliant, and amazingly talented, Ronda Kae Beyer, whom I\'ve been very blessed to get to know after meeting online. She would bail my fat out of the fire not once, BUT TWICE on this quilt!

First, I emailed her pictures of where I was stuck, the space around the picture but inside the leather. I also sent her the stitched out "test" piece that had several of my background ideas stitched out. NONE of them that inspired me. I then I called her on the phone. She studied it for a bit and then suggested the diamonds and sent me a pic that had them in a block so I could see how to do them.

I think they are perfect! As some of you already know from her work, she has a gift.

Then it came to the picture. I was SO uninspired. All I could think of was basic landscape things like back and forth lines top and bottom. I emailed her again and she wrote back with what you see here. I felt like I should have slapped myself in the forehead, it was BRILLIANT! I only wished I\'d a thunk it. But barring that, I cannot say how thankful I am to have had access to her and that she was so amazingly generous with her time and talent.

To be able to communicate with, be taught and inspired by, both of these amazing, award winning, quilters only happened because of these amazing resources we have with these online chat boards and lists. I am so extremely grateful to both of these women for what they did for me.

That being said, I absolutely could NOT have done this without the fabulous "soul sisters" of mine on my email list who put up w/me posting a picture of every new step, and worrying over every decision. They kept me dusted off and thrown back in the ring so this didn\'t become a UFO. I am also more thankful than words can say Longarmed Angels.

I\'m thankful as well to those who provide us with these online places to be enriched, inspired, educated, and befriended. Couldn\'t of, wouldn\'t of, been able to do it without ya.

Angels on your bodies.

Now, after a lot of running off at the keyboard, I give you : Hick Chick 1- Hell Bent For Leather

Here\'s a few stats.

I didn\'t keep a timer but it is more than 300 hours. Listened to 6 complete novels during the non-thinking times (marking, quilting, inking).

It\'s 60x45 in size

It took 45 bobbins for the quilting (L size)

I used 2 batts, QD cotton on bottom w/ QD Puff on top.

Black Brytes for the black thread, Highlights for the brown, and Maderia Mono Poly for the pic.

The inking was done with Identi-pens, pentel gel pens for fabric, and bunches of marvy fabric markers (I liked those the best).

The dark brown is Shiva paint sticks.

post--1346189951688_thumb.jpg

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Mary Beth Advanced Member

Mary Beth

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Tracey,

Girl! I came down to read message without my glasses...if there are typos...sorry...Ihave one eye closed and the other one is squinting...I could run back upstairs to get my glasses, but first I wanted to tell you how awesome this quilt is!! You rock!! You are the master of tooled leather quilting!!

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TinaCollins Advanced Member

TinaCollins

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Tracye,

WOW!!!!! I also spend a lot of time looking at stamped leather patterns on saddles, and have told my DH a million times I would love to put those designs on a quilt- but you have totally outdone my vision!!!! That quilt is soooooo amazing!!

I absolutely ADORE your quilt!!! I\'m actually at a loss for words (and that doesn\'t happen very often!!LOL!!) in trying to describe how much I LOVE what you\'ve done! I can\'t wait to see it in person!! I\'m just floored... completely floored!!! WOW!!!! WOW!!!WOW!!!!:):):)

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TinaCollins Advanced Member

TinaCollins

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Tracye,

Just had to look at pics of your quilt again (and again and again...) Then I had to tell my DH to get online to see it= I can only imagine all the guys in the E&I (electrical & instrumentation) shop at his work gathered around the computer oohing and ahhing over it!! LOL!!:P

Anyway, as I reread your post another time, I was touched by not only the phenominal quilting, but how extremely gracious you are. You are such a great asset to the quilting world!!! It\'s just so wonderful that you have given generous credit and heart-felt sincere thanks to those that helped you, and in such a sweet sweet way. Your quilt is amazing... and so are you!!!

Hope to see you and your quilt in person at MQS!!!!:)

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Guest LA

Guest LA

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Dear Tracye,

You must be on cloud nine & rightly so!!:)

I have never seen anything like this, it is just amazing!!

The depth, detail & color are all perfect for leather, wow girl you nailed it!

As Tina said, you are very gracious as well as talented, giving credit is a big deal!!

Where would we be without the mentoring & support of our incredible quilting teachers?

Sherry & Ronda you are indeed angels & so supportive to others, my hat is off to you!! The quilting world is a beautiful place to be because of YOU!!!

Thanks for sharing your lovely quilt & story with us, it doesn’t get any better than this!!

(I am also trying to figure out how many children that would have equaled to 300 hours of quilting? Whoa!:P)

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SherryRogers Advanced Member

SherryRogers

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Oh my goodness Tracy, look at you! I am floored, flabergasted and flattered all at the same time! You surely met and exceeded your vision here my friend! Congratulations!!!!

I know it was a ton of work, it shows very elegantly. But it was worth it wasn\'t it! Bask in the glory my friend, enjoy your moment and continue to share the passion!!!

Ps, wanna be in my book? Maybe yours should be on the cover!

Xxoo

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