I'm Working on a Project: Ring Around the Ranch: Bloggers Quilt Festival

It's time once again for the Blogger's Quilt Festival! Many thanks to Amy for doing such a great job hosting it! You should definitely check out all the other entries.

This is my entry in the original design category. It was a commission from a couple in Texas who saw my previous mammal mandala quilt at a show in New Mexico. They loved all the circling animals, that had animals that were meaningful to them. The center features the brand for their ranch, and the quilt is called "Ring Around the Ranch." They love it, so I consider it a job well done.

After the central ranch logo comes a ring of cardinals, one of squirrels and rabbits, then one with deer, horses, and longhorns. The deer/horses/cattle interlock with rings of chocolate labs and armadillos, and then each corner is finished with a different bird: the red-tailed hawk, a blue heron, an owl, and a crested caracara. Finally, the border is flanked with catfish.

One feature I really like is the secondary patterns in the quilting. You can see them a little bit in the overall picture, but also in some of the detail shots. Th large nine-pointed star and nonagon in the center (around the robins), and the large arcs that frame each corner.

Ring Around the Ranch, 2014, 57" x 57" c. Shannon Conley

Here are a few detailed shots of the large corner birds. I had a good time with these birds. They're one of my favorite parts of the piece. I think I like the crested caracara (bottom turquoise one) best, but the owls are a close second. I accidentally melted a couple holes in the solid white background piece, which was a total nightmare, but I was able to patch them with the bo-nash powder and quilt over them. In the end you really can't see them at all. They're right above and below the beak on the left heron.

All the animals have beaded eye or face details. On some of the larger animals it's more than one bead (to give some shape) although they're quite hard to see in the photos. My mom said the stray green threads kept catching her eye but when she'd reach up to pluck them off, she'd realize they were catfish whiskers....

Blue Heron Detail, Ring Around the Ranch, 2014, 57" x 57" c. Shannon Conley

Red-tailed hawk detail, Ring Around the Ranch, 2014, 57" x 57" c. Shannon Conley

Crested Caracara detail, Ring Around the Ranch, 2014, 57" x 57" c. Shannon Conley

Great Horned Owl detail, Ring Around the Ranch, 2014, 57" x 57" c. Shannon Conley

Here are a few shots of the areas with most of the overlays.

Detail, Ring Around the Ranch, 2014, 57" x 57" c. Shannon Conley

And finally, a couple of pictures of the center. The logo in the middle is their ranch sign/brand.

Detail, Ring Around the Ranch, 2014, 57" x 57" c. Shannon Conley

And here's a picture they sent me of the quilt hanging in their home. I love the way it looks on the rock wall, and the warm colors in those two brown birds go very well with the bench!