Dragon painting with fountain pen ink @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

Little Stories – Fairy Tale Inspired

Dragon painting with fountain pen ink @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Hi Everyone!   Recently I pulled out the blocks for one of  my quilts which had been stashed away for a very long time in the hope of finishing them soon.  I finished this little painting using fountain pen inks, looking forward to  sharing my findings with you.   To wrap it all up, I have a pair of little wild flowers.

 

 


 

Unfinished Garden Path Quilt

 

 

Garden Path Flower Quilt Pattern @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Let’s start with the Garden Path quilt.  I had the quilt layout design done long ago.  It was inspired by the gardens I had visited in the UK.  Some of those gardens really look like fairies live there.

 

 

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures –

 

 

Selenite Clematis,  Olivine Tulip,  Kyanite Iris and Garnet Primrose

 

These are all 12″ flower patterns that I designed with stained glass motifs in mind.

If you are wandering about the names – I love geology and the flowers started looking very much like they were made of crystal. So, I decided to name them after my favourite minerals.

 

 

 

Garden Path Flower Quilt Pattern @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

Here is the full stack of finished blocks.   Only five more to make.  I am hoping to finish at least two more blocks within the next two week.

 

 


 

A Little Experiment – Painting With Fountain Pen Ink

 

 

Fountain Pen Quilt Pattern @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Fountain pens and I go a long way back.  In school, from third year onwards, we were to use fountain pens only.  I still remember the anticipation of getting my very first fountain pen.  Since then, I have only ever used fountain pens for writing.  This is a quilt block I designed based on one of my pens.

 

 

 

Painting with fountain pen ink @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

For my birthday this year, my husband gave me a fountain pen and couple of bottles of beautiful inks.   I was curious to see how fountain pen ink would behave as paint, so I set out to sketch a quick painting with them. 

 

 

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures –

 

 

 

The blue ink is Pilot Iroshizuku Moonlit Night, the red is Diamine Dragon Blood Ink.   Love the names.  He really knows me well!

 

I left the ink on my palette for a few days.  I was afraid that once the ink dried, it may not rewet well.  To my surprise, it was as good as fresh ink with a drop or two of water.

 

I tried sploshing a little ink on wet paper in my little book.  It spread out just like watercolour. 

 

Although these two inks are from different companies, they mixed very well and I was able to create different shades of black, grey and purple.

 

The Dragon Blood ink is infused with gold coloured particles which gives it a slight shimmery effect.  That part is only seen in the undiluted ink.

 

 

 

Dragon painting with fountain pen ink @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

With watercolour, I can lift and move paint easily as long as it has not dried completely.  These inks, however, would not budge at all.

 

I started with extremely diluted paint, and slowly built up the colour intensity by layering.  The inks did not lift off when I applied the next layer.  It was really easy to work with them, and I needed very little ink for this 6″ x 4″ painting.

 

Even the diluted colours dried with a soft but vibrant effect.  I found that to be very unique to these inks.

 

Fountain pen inks can be quite expensive.  Goulet Pen Co. sells ink samples for a very reasonable price.  Jet Pens also has a very good collection. 

 

 


 

Little Book of Dragons

 

 

Handmade watercolour journal @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

This moss green journal was the very first 3″ x 4″ journal I made.   The early editions of  J. R. R. Tolkien’s Hobbit was bound in light green cover.  As soon as I made this book, I wanted to make it a book of dragons.  I am glad I waited.  Now the first painting is special, made with the inks I got for my birthday and inspired by the weather on my birthday at Yosemite Valley.

 

 


 

Dragon And The Little Boy

 

 

Dragon painting with fountain pen ink @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

This little boy can befriend dragons very easily.   Not to control them mind you, but to talk to them.  Dragons always have such fascinating stories to tell.  While everyone else thinks he has special powers of making dragons listen to him, he would tell you that he is simply being nice to them and listening to them.

 

 


 

Little Wild Flowers

 

 

 

Last Sunday, despite my deadly pollen allergies, I hazarded a little outing on a trail.   Although I paid for it dearly afterwards, I found the most beautiful flowers there.  These are Golden Fairy Lanterns.  I found these two tucked away beside an oak tree.  More on the next Wandering Camera.

 

I always get asked – The quilt patterns and the journals, designed and hand made by me are available in my shop.

 

I think we all can use a little helping of fairy tale inspiration every now and then, don’t you?

 

Until next time,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

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Pitmedden Garden – The Quilt

Pinwheel Flower Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I will start with the name of this little quilt.  Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is home to the beautiful Pitmedden Garden.  Since I love to visit gardens while travelling, we had planned on visiting this one. The idea was to have lunch there, spend an hour or so, and then continue on to Aviemore.  Little did we know that we would end up spending most of the day there.  When I finished making the quilt top and showed it to my husband, the first words out of his mouth were “That’s Pitmedden Garden!” Henceforth, Pitmedden became the namesake of this quilt.

 

 

Pitmedden Garden Scotland | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I can see why he thought of Pitmedden Garden.  You can see the four quadrants of the garden and the walking path through them in this photo.  I will share a lot more photos of this garden in one of the monthly Wandering Camera linky party posts.

 

 

Pinwheel Flower Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I drew this pattern after seeing a flower through the window of my little atelier, and then combining it with a pinwheel pattern.   Then, inspired by our travel to England – specially Derybyshire and Yorkshire – I made this mini using the pattern.   The Tale Of Two Shires post has more on this mini.

 

 

Pinwheel Flower Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

Once I finished that one, I wanted to make a quilt for my kitties using the same colours, prints and quilting lines.

 

 

Pinwheel Flower Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

Since I often get asked how I choose colours and prints, I wrote a separate post on that – Pinwheel Flowers – Colours And Prints.

I think the blender fabrics for the flowers make them look like flower-patches, which I like even more than the idea of one flower per block.

 

 

Pinwheel Flower Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I used the same quilting lines as I used for the one-block-mini.  I love using my walking foot, so I try to come up with straight line quilting designs to complement my quilts.

 

 

Pinwheel Flower Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

The parallel lines on the quilting ruler were exceptionally helpful for this.  I drew a line through the middle first, and then made the V-lines from each side meet there.  That was the only way I was able to get a square-shaped diamond in the middle of the sashing instead of a rhombus. 

 

 

Pinwheel Flower Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I used the same acid green thread that I used for the one-block-mini.  Much to my surprise, it worked really well with all four flower colours.

 

 

Pinwheel Flower Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

Finally,  a green binding to mimic a green wall of shrubbery surrounding the garden.

 

 

Pinwheel Flower Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

 

That wraps up my quilt version of Pitmedden Garden.  It is now being used by our little kitties on one of their many beds.

Now I may just have to make one for ourselves!

-Soma

 

This was also my one monthly goal, which I am happy to say I have accomplished.  I am linking up with –

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal Finish

 

Related Links –

The Tale Of Two Shires – Pinwheel Flower One Block Mini
Pinwheel Flowers – Colours And Prints
Wandering Camera

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

 

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