What started as a friendship in creativity and motherhood turned into a challenge to expand our horizons and spend some juicy time together. My friend Robin King (@r0bingail on instagram and Robin Gail Art on Facebook) is an amazing artist and our times together are full of painting, needlework, children and dressing up. When the Umbrella Prints Trimmings Challenge (Umbrella Prints: 2015 Umbrella Prints Trimmings Challenge #umbrellaprintstrimmingschallenge) came around again this year, I knew that I wanted to do it together.
To start our project, we had an image in our minds of a child holding something precious and stumbled across a picture of her daughter at a younger age holding one of their ducklings. This picture became the basis for our piece and Robin drew her image on inexpensive painter’s drop cloth. Taking inspiration from the work of Kristin LaFlamme (Musings | Kristin La Flamme | Textile Art), I tried my hand at free motion quilting for the first time and stitch sketched over the image with my sewing machine. Robin and I added some eyelet for a dress and then cut up the beautiful Umbrella Prints scraps into feather shapes that we then glue basted down in the shape of a duckling. There was little more then lint left after using all of the scraps! From there I free motion quilted the feathers and fabric down with invisible polyester thread and backed it all with waterproof oilcloth to make a picnic blanket that we got to test out with our kiddos at Robin’s house.
The best part of this project was spending time with such a special, creative lady and trying out so many new things. I have no doubt we will spend more time together pushing and nurturing each other in our paths as mothers, friends and artists.
Hillary
Entropy Always Wins 
Aww, H, what a super sweet piece of artwork! I’m impressed by your first FMQ too. wowza!
It was fun to learn new skills and had me thinking about the fact that if this were a quilt it would never fit into the “Modern” category? I’m contemplating something along these lines for my NINADC collaboration quilt but wondering if folks would be upset by it being more “art quilt”-hate these designations. We shall see . . .
Holy smokes! This is a gorgeous collaborative piece. You FMQ is fantastic and the piecing on the duck is just wonderful.
Weird to think I’ve entered “art quilt” territory even though this is not a quilt? I’m such a newbie to the formal quilt world, it’s kind of nice just to go wherever my mind takes me rather then worrying about shows or designations.
Hillary
You did it again! Wonderful work of art! Love the image you used and not doing a quilt (which would be the go-to for me) but a pic-nic blanket. Amazing!!!
Aw Sonia, thanks. It was truly therapy more then work. 🙂
Hillary
The final result of your collaboration is extraordinary! I’m guessing the process and sharing are even more meaningful. Bravo!
Thanks so much Michele! It was really a fun project.
Absolutely amazing! This is such an incredible piece of art, you two should be so proud of yourselves. So creative and unique.
Thanks Marci!!
This is wonderful, such a great way to collaborate, and such a beautiful result.
Thanks Leanne! It was truly a labor of love. Hillary
You and Robin create beautiful works of art together 🙂
smooches Doreen. Robin and I had a blast working together on this.
Hillary
This is the sweetest and most special piece of art, I love it!
Hi Katy! Thank you so much. It is hanging up in my bedroom now-definitely a fun piece to work on.
Hillary
What an amazing job you’ve done here! I love all the new techniques (new to you and new to me too) and best of all you got to do it all with a friend. Well done on getting out of your comfort zone and taking a chance, sometimes it’s hard to do when you’re not sure how it’s going to turn out and you know there’s a real time investment involved. I love your use of the trimmings, perfect application for small pieces and they really are the focal point of the piece. Such a great Challenge Entry! Well done ladies!
Completely lost for words. Brilliant.
Oh Carla, thank you!
Love every part of this collaboration! The beautiful women and children, the artists’ skill and their hearts for ” whatever is pure, whatever is true, whatever is admirable.”
Thanks mom! Love you
Such a beautiful idea and so very well executed. I really enjoyed reading the story behind this piece and seeing how much work went into creating such a beautiful piece. You have created a wonderful heirloom that is filled with so many wonderful memories.
Thank you so much
Brilliant!!!Great to see the photos of the process and hear the story behind a truly beautiful picnic blanket.
Thanks Pam!
I’ve been admiring from afar. Beautiful story and such a friendship- one to be celebrated for sure. Congratulations on your win in the Umbrella Fabrics challenge. Deserving for sure!
Thanks so much Stephanie. It filled me up with such happiness even without the win. Feel so lucky
What a wonderful project and celebration of your friendship. And wow… first time FMQ?? You rocked it!
Oh Victoria, thank you so much. It was such a heart thing. Easy and meaningful and full of learning. May all of our makings be this way.
Hillary