Quilted Bird and Teaching in Mexico

I knew I had been away from blogging too long when I had to look for the password to access my account! I just couldn't remember it! Needless to say it has been one crazy summer, and that is without even leaving home because except for a quick trip to Galveston, TX in late May I didn't go anywhere this summer.
 I have been busy quilting other people's quilts, going to pool parties and entertaining friends! Lots of visitors this summer, one of the perks of being so close to Mexico!

 But life is about to get serious now that child has gone back to university and I'm wrapping up quilting jobs before my trip. I have a few weeks left before I leave for my teaching and judging engagement in Puebla, Mexico.
Mexico is having its Cuarta (IV) Expo de Quilt and Patchwork and I'm honored to be the guest teacher as well as judging the quilt exhibit. I will be spending a few days surrounded by Mexican quilters and eating delicious food and visiting a city I have never been to. So I have reasons for being EXCITED!
But, I still have a million things to do before heading south of the border. I'm trying to keep to the schedule and not to procrastinate as I usually do.

Since by now you are probably yawning, I'm posting a few pictures of the last quilt I quilted. I hope Lori doesn't mind me posting the quilt but I would like to show you the process I used to quilt this beautiful quilt made with Japanese designed fabrics. Originally, it was going to be entered in the Austin Area Quilt Guild Quilt Fest but its owner changed her mind. It will be entered in other shows though.


This is the image that Lori's daughter selected to be quilted on the quilt (8"  x 11" approx)

  



I traced the bird onto matte acetate using a .01 Micron Pigma pen, once done I  took it to a copy center to be enlarged.

  


The copy center made to copies of about  4 ft x 4 ft each to be able to fit the bird in and reduce the cost. I taped the 2 sheets of paper before cutting the bird.  I outlined  the bird's body, legs,  feathers and small details onto the quilt to get it ready  to quilt.  

 


This is the quilted bird. On each square adjacent to the bird, I quilted Japanese crests and, on the green borders, I quilted free motion designs

  

Finished quilt!