So grateful!

Happy almost Thanksgiving! I have such a long list of things to be grateful for this year! A first grand child, Ella Claire! A new daughter (in law)! New friends from new retreats! New fabrics and projects! How about you? My list could go on and on...

I have finally returned to a project that I wanted to start in July 2022! Has that ever happened to you? Sometimes I feel like the proverbial squirrel chasing the shiny object in the yard! My plan got thwarted by the happy villages of Karen Eckmeier and trying my own villages as well as baby quilts. I was cleaning my studio and found the posterized pattern made for me by the amazing Leni Wiener. She uses a program that can make the values of shading show up and it's able to be translated to fabrics. 

This picture of my maternal grandparents was taken in 1912 not long after their wedding. Look at that hat! My grandfather looks about 15! I have wanted to turn this into a fabric portrait for a long time and I have finally begun that journey. 

If you have not tried Leni's methods for translating photos to fabrics, I highly recommend her books. Her techniques can be learned! If I can do it, so can you! There are pictures of her books below: first and second revision as well. They can be found on many sites.

In the books, she gives you tips on how to choose a photograph and how to crop a photograph to create a fabric portrait. For my nana and pop-pop, I have chosen to have a single background fabric that is mottled but all one piece instead of trying to create the mottled background. I have chosen to do all black and white and shades of gray instead of colorizing it which certainly could be done. 

I decided to start at a part that I could do well right away. I had to do that hat! Leni has made it so much easier by giving you a 1-12 value card. One is the absence of color-white and 12 is darkest saturated black. I am able to match fabrics to the swatches and to the posterized pattern. Such a necessary tool. 

I have simplified their clothing a bit by choosing fabric that looked like suiting. The grunge gray for Nana and the black and gray for Pop-Pop. It allowed me to focus on the features faster than I anticipated.  

Can you tell which part I have avoided completely so far? You've got it! Eyes! They are the feature that brings the people to life so I will get to them later. 

I think that the most important thing that I have learned is to be slow in building the portraits. I also invested in a reducing glass which really gives you the best idea of the progress. I also use my cell phone camera to give me feedback. My light table is wonderful but you can use a bright sunny day at the window too. 

If you decide to try this technique, I highly recommend Leni's books. You can order them or probably find them in the library.  She also offers an online class at leniwiener.com/iquilt-online-class/  Very worth the time. Her website offers a fabulous walk through her amazing quilts and art. She is truly a wonderful artist. She is a tremendous teacher as well. You will not be disappointed. Her website is below.

leniwiener.com/ 

Well, that is all from me this time. I hope that I have inspired you to start looking through your photographs for one that might be your first photo to fabric! Have a lovely Thanksgiving! I will leave you with my turkey that I just finished! Gobble! Gobble!

Piecefully,
Trisha

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