![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BN8N_akv-VarV4GWKCec_oVxQWg30nnSquTAYtIfzcTx8eCtxZeZ-WJwnFbPI5u09tHxcBQHWKv8XkCD4mvb4I2Fkx0HXKg0vXEaTnMYjEWH9__uq2FSLzARYX4SV3gimuwU/s400/cell+image.jpg)
Since I have not been working on anything but packing and getting ready for our trip I thought I would show the process I used to create these cellular themed pieces last year.
First I found an image from the internet of stem cells and printed it out the size I wanted to work. I taped the 8 1/2 x 11 pages together and laid a piece of tracing paper over the top and traced the outline of the stem cells.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkVlPT9McMI6cY189ropuvWhYf240aWHrxnNnZv_RGriiWng_r1JhFraDfDwCFoO8fY-IGPk3SoSmeLwRNqLdUOKseTabW3A665sfBl7BiPk2WranKfs5CXeXgDHkPgLO58Vl/s400/stem+cell1.jpg)
I put my outline drawing on a light box and put the fabric I would use for the back of the piece on top and traced the lines with chalk. Next I put this fabric on a piece of white cotton batting and stitched with the sewing machine over all the chalked lines with a straight stitch.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNSf34s80ZnmKWaoWHdisvqeSYZxCAqbTz3lWBpWb7Zp5j41i5D00XjiIgvJJVb5PXRAtjz_EbBgGOVfrCL4mje0FRsLAW9v9Lri83m-IPWHtMh5Q7q36tPHh0RYs5r9ES5jB/s400/stem+cell2.jpg)
I turned the layers over so the batting was now face up and began to paint the stem cells with textile paint on the batting having my sewn lines as a guide,
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAzn57i7ef4XCSQ652OMu8L5n7yZG-Rg6HcvJZDcN2YOWNINicabb74LTcXIclKYi-VH852o9mWv2SVmRRpIs2_iU6FD08J0l1xj7y5c0iKGClsJAeNemK-CX-rxMSksu-O_E/s400/stem+cell+3.jpg)
I built up the shading with Tsukineko inks. Their transparent color is perfect for that. Then I cut away all the white spaces in the batting around the stem cell painting.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sXn2cownLnZVo2ogfbG2Hp8vrlfDyZlpzX-NJyGigpGT5JAKSx3684GaLRvsxWv05iD3Mmo2t1r0fgFzaBu0A-CLadXv7Eh1I3ASKiaRcLq_rlh3YTgaCAT7cACi7Wqd146M/s400/stem+cell+4.jpg)
Then I layered the lacy painted batting on a blood red colored piece of hand dyed fabric, a piece of wool batting and another piece of fabric for the back.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-jFQrOjf1Y7mD4O2-SQjugStIiVuf_rySR9hOBrlYMBkZWG-vGn2HBCj4BMt5PVS75QIob1UbBJxw-MnHdCYJ6G2i7JjMtqTo3GgRI3H_gmp0eDyELImMCKyRcrZiG3mrmYP/s400/stem+cell+5.jpg)
I satin stitched around the edges of the batting with gold thread and free motion quilted in the dark red spaces to flatten it and make it visually recede.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkzTngCNyONSOPF4aeLvRVdV75Zr7toreuuj_fYVyZnv-s9GUokRllrioHsxMhoKXiTm5096T-ZroyssGekClR1muisFzQAhu_PIu_cUDMWbcxH7UK39tvzGJIDlsCUhVc0wS/s400/stem+cell+6.jpg)
Finished stem cells.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQySxzXJeoE7KLEYR9BPmkWYP99Otyd40BwEmDWAmrURzhyphenhyphenq5Pb8c1eTVcfHGVy_S7bmLnnG0HdCWt0fBHUbvuUDeH5hGa681wMm0BEidK6aWrH5BmvjzM2c0UQq9F4iSdpjV/s400/Qstemcells.jpg)
This is the image I found and used as inspiration for the nerve cells.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofWDJB7PCaHe0yw8V9-G0CimXnEVHy9FHNUvzXkIU5zLPcYFOK0RqZziRrAFfEWm_kvho0SSjsqXaoDXtnrvU-e7CJ0VjaM7ypnMA7FSCmVhpBHe24z05MMBlla03WLgUYbdV/s400/nerve-cells.jpg)
I had a piece of fabric that I had hand dyed a few years ago that looked like nerve cells to me. So half the work was already done. Using Tsukineko inks I drew a few cell shapes on it with white and a dark green with a little shading in purple.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5jPfNLO0gtgtGsBvr0ofytCdhfsFAfy9XQGmYm1BZ-Chv3Pqs8aN5FJes4psr2N0AGRNKsX6iuV0aOZCP0bV7Nv3P21zeSmnE7o3BVE9jc5tM_-H9zrSpCgeJoXb94H8po0U/s400/nerve+cells+painted.jpg)
I quilted it using clear monofilament thread, this gave it dimension and no strong outlines of color. The monofilament catches the light and makes little sparkles which seems very appropriate.