Category Archives: fiber art

More Painted Leaves

Back in June I had the pleasure of teaching my How to Paint Fabric Leaves class at Visions Art Museum .

The class was full, with fifteen willing participants, who surprised the heck out of me. They were so enthusiastic and by the end of the class were experimenting and coming up with their own original leaf designs.

Leaves in every color!

Besides the leaf earrings I was wearing… near the end of the class I shared several projects that began with the painted leaves. I’ll share more about those projects in future posts.

One of my favorite projects is beading the leaves and applying pin backs or magnets. Here are just a few works in progress… They’re additive!

I’m looking forward to teaching the class again as well as other leaf project classes. The online lesson for How to Paint Leaves on Fabric is at Curious.com.

Painting Mottled Fabric Video

I’ve come up with a new technique and posted a video for a fun hand painted fabric using Terial Magic, the spray stabilizer I’ve written about in the past.

I like to have a variety of different painted fabrics to use (don’t we all!) as backgrounds for stamping, stenciling, embroidery, and/or machine stitching or just patchwork. I’m looking forward to painting more and using these mottled pieces!

If you are interested and get a chance to watch the video, I appreciate it! Thumbs up on the video and questions are always welcome.

I’m working on all kinds of things getting ready for the San Diego Quilt Show (I’m Lead for the Quilt Sales booth again), but I’ll be posting more videos as I can.

Thanks for stopping by!

The All White Landscape

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m making a series of lessons showing how I make different elements for a mini fabric landscapes. What I neglected to mention is that I would be starting with white fabric (Thank you, Snarky Quilter!). Here is the piece in progress, which means these pieces are not attached and there may be changes. I find looking at a photo of the piece, using a mirror or walking away for a while, can be helpful in figuring out what may need to be tweaked. I have some ideas for change already. There will be thread play and quilting over the entire piece, so if it appears to be lacking that may just be where I plan to stitch more colors and nature bits.

I used different techniques for each of these elements – Rocks (as mentioned in previous post), the most forward foreground, second foreground, water & sky, tiny hills/mountains, and tree trunks. I hope you will stay tuned and thanks for stopping by!  

Always learning…

I’m working up a new Curious.com lesson and I thought I knew exactly where I was headed but the gel print plate disagreed! I did end up getting a mono print on paper that I’ll use somewhere but it’s useless for the lesson. Maybe I’ll do some MeAnndering in the white areas or some stamping for note cards, or you know, put it in a drawer and not think about it right now!

I’m happy with the background fabric, it is an easier technique than I teach in my older video, at least for a mini art piece. I’ll share more, even the whoopsies, as I go along… Always learning!

Fabric Play

I was thinking about making some winter cards so I was playing, with sun-printing (again) using leatherleaf ferns and Setasilk and then painting with Neo Color wax pastels. The first three are from the same large piece, I’m floating a card stock “window” over it to find an area I like.

I’m not sure where I’m going with those but I know the Neo Color pastel poinsettia is crying for some thread play. The pine cone was really an experiment and it’s just okay. I may have to fix the stem because the branch looks like a stem shadow (more pine needles?). I should have done a wash around it too; I don’t like the white area on the right. Maybe that would be a place for some white (tone on tone) embroidery or maybe free motion quilting.

      

And below is a poinsettia card I made for my aunt. I posted a card similar to this in the past but this one is a little different in that the leave/petals hang beyond the edge. I like this one better and I think my fabric quilled beads with French Knots make the perfect flowers.

As I was writing this post my daughter gave a little holler saying “Sky!” and if you know anything about my family you know that is the signal to go upstairs and out on our bedroom deck. It was to see this…

Always makes me want to paint fabric!

When a Yarn is More Than a Yarn

Not too long ago after spending some time (quality time!) walking through the wonderful exhibits at Visions Art Museum, I went for a stroll through the verandas at Liberty Station and noticed a light and airy shop that had yarn, beautiful yarn. I walked in and was greeted by Sara, the owner of Apricot Yarn. I told her I had just been down the walkway to VAM, she asked if I was a quilter and I said that is where I started but then I had to confess; I’m a fiber artist who can’t knit and can only crochet a chain! Then I asked Sara if she carried roving. She said “No, but maybe they would in the future.” As I was drooling over a skein of thick, rich multi-colored wool and a beautiful knitted cowl neck warmer made from it, she added… “Some people use that to do felting.” I said “I do felting!” I’m now the happy owner of that gorgeous skein and YES, it can be used for felting!

I’m remembering that my grandparent had spinning wheels and probably card brushes as well, but I never thought anything about it when I was growing up. I think my cousins have the spinning wheels now.

Anyway, it occurred to me that in my dusty dancing shoe box there was a suede brush… So I cut several, approximately, 8″ lengths of the yarn in the colors I wanted. Laying them on my design table, I raked the suede brush over the yarn. Combing one piece at a time worked best because there wasn’t a card brush or carding surface underneath. Now you may be thinking that’s a lot of work when a person could just buy roving, but I enjoyed every second of touching the yarn.

I must note here that, of course, this project is not for anyone with wool allergies. Also, using the proper carding brushes would be a plus because I think there would be fewer tiny fibers escaping and proper carding would have made the fibers felt together even better. I made one felted soap and love how it turned out. They make a very fast project and nice gift and if you are planning an art bazaar type sale they may be a good item for that. When I have the proper equipment I plan to make more and try some needle felting too. If you’re a yarn lover I would encourage you to check out the Apricot Yarn shop; Oh, and if you are or will be in San Diego, they have classes too!

This Time of Year…

I was almost a Halloween baby having been born the day before and have always enjoyed the end of October. When our kids were little I loved making their costumes and painting their faces. My daughter is an artist and draws original cards for most special occasions around here and they usually feature a cat. The design on this little art quilt was from a birthday card she gave me a few years ago, which I enlarged, traced onto fabric, painted, layered with batik, batting and felt, then quilted. It was fun to make… I may even quilt it some more!

This tiny pumpkin is my fiber art contribution to the Halloween/Autumn festivities this year. I will be making a short video on just how I made it and later share some other projects it could be added to (Here it is on a greeting card with free-motion stitching).

Painting Fabric Pinwheels

I rarely make patriotic art but I wanted to make pinwheels using fabric and paint and since the 4th of July is approaching this turned out to be one of those rare occasions.

I reached for the Terial Magic spray stabilizer. It worked great, making the fabric behave like paper. Here is the finished piece and the step I took to make the pinwheels…

I like how the pinwheels seem to be lifting the pot off the ground like a hot air balloon!

I started by treating white fabric with Terial Magic and cutting three inch squares.

Apply star stickers (I made these) to treated white fabric.
Use a sponge and acrylic paint, dab over the entire surface.
Let dry (it dries quickly) and remove stars (if the stars are still sticky save for other projects).
Cut a wavy line through card stock to make the stencil.
Flip the square over and use another color paint and a sponge to dab just to one side of the stencil (for a less formal stripe).
For a more formal stripe – after cutting a curvy line in the card stock, tape the two pieces together leaving a 1/4″ gap.
Once the piece is dry fold it in half diagonally, open out and fold the other direction corner to corner again.
Now cut from the outside corners to a little past half way up on each creased line.
Bring every other corner up to the center.
I apply a piece of tape to hold while I get the thread and needle ready.
Use a needle with a double length of thread and remove the tape.
Start on the back side in the center and push the needle and thread through to the front. I like to use a thimble to help push.
Catch each point in a clockwise fashion and pull thread tight. Stitch through to the back and come up again to secure.
Grab the button and stitch it on, then flip to the back and tie off the thread.
And we have made a pinwheel!

I can imagine these being painted for many occasions or used to decorate a room. They would be fun to make with kids and glue could be used instead of needle and thread.

If you make fabric pinwheels I love to see your creations!

Fabric Postcards!

For those of you who will be in San Diego, I will be teaching a class on Thursday, June 29, 2017 at Rosie’s Calico Cupboard quilt shop. The class title is “How to Make a Fabric Postcard.” We’ll use commercial fabric to make a basic postcard card and we’ll play with some surface design techniques to make our own fabric for another postcard.

Class cost: $45

TIME:  9 AM to 4 PM

You will need to bring a sewing machine in working order and the know-how to operate it. The machine needs to be able to make a straight stitch, zig-zag and/or decorative stitches, and free-motion quilting (i.e. feed dogs drop (or covered) and darning/hopping foot)

Complete supply list will be emailed after confirmation of payment. Payment must be made via PayPal (PP account or credit card). NOTE: If the link doesn’t work it probably means the class is full. If you would like to be added to the waiting list for a future class, please email me.

Payment must be made by June 25, 2017. If for any reason you cannot attend the class I must be notified via email on or before June 26, 2017 in order to receive a refund. After June 26, no matter the reason, no refund will be given. I reserve the right to cancel the class due to illness or personal emergency. If I have to cancel the class you would receive a full refund (or the option to be added to a waiting list for a future class).

Though this class is not affiliated with San Diego Quilt Show, their theme this year is Postcards from San Diego.  If participating in the class encourages you to make and enter a fabric postcard in the challenge – that would be great!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.