Big History Pieced and Hung

Fabric for the backing and thread for hand quilting.

Labels and Borders

Big History Top Pieced

I'm still working on some of the embroidery in the blocks, but the top is sewn together.

Border Patrol

So every block has some sort of border.  I'll adjust the width as I figure out how to fit them together. Threshold 1--Big Bang

 Threshold 2--Star formation

Threshold 3--Chemical elements

 Threshold 4--The Earth and the Solar System

 Threshold 5--Life

 Threshold 6--How Humans are different

 Threshold 7--Agriculture/Agrarian

 Threshold 8--Modern Era

I want to keep them in order, but they are all so different in size it will be a challenge.

 I finally finished the last block.  It is the tattoo from the left shoulder of the Siberian Ice Princess--a fanciful deer with flowers blooming from the end of it's antlers and its hips twisted and contorted. 

Big History Quilt--Threshold 8: The Modern Revolution

These are the fabrics I'm thinking of using for the Modern Threshold block and making an urban landscape.  Still undecided though.  This is roughly the idea for the pattern for the block.

 I tried out different colors.  I kind of liked this one but I thought the background might not work in thin strips.

 Smoggy city look.

 I liked the background, but the pattern of stars would be lost when I cut it and resewed it.

 I finally settled on this one because it reminded me of rain.

I'm debating windows on the buildings.  Should I or shouldn't I?  I also have to embroider some antennas on tops of buildings.

These are the other blocks in roughly the position they will be in.  I have to figure out borders and fill blocks.  I like that part, the problem solving piece.  I also have to finish the solor system block with embroidery. Hopefully, I'll be finished by the end of the month with piecing the top.

Big History Quilt--Threshold 7: Agriculture

This is the picture I'm using to symbolize agriculture.  I traced it on muslin and am going to use markers or paints and embroidery for this block.

Almost finished with this block.  I still have to finish the bottom strip of plants.  I used fabric paint markers for the inside part of the cows.

These are eight blocks, but I still have some more to go.  I need the solar system block and modern city block.  Then I'll need to do some small filler blocks to make it work out even.  I was thinking of dinosaurs, cave art, plague bacteria, fire, dogs, etc.

Big History Quilt--Threshold 4: The Earth and the Solar System

I've still got the Solar System block to do, and I'm thinking applique, but I got the mood to do Pangea.  I'm not happy with it yet.  Maybe the top part of the landform needs to be browner, not so lime greenish.

So I got out the darning foot for the first time, figured out how to put it on and then machine quilted the whole thing to keep the glued pieces on for good.

Solar system start.

With tulle overlay which I may or may not use.  I left it like this for tonight because I didn't feel like changing the sewing machine foot and threading new bobbins.  I worked on trimming other blocks and deciding on borders.