Picking up the Pieces

For a moment there my design work table was cleaned off, but no more.

Making cards and masks just seems to generate more scraps. I have been able to share small pieces of fabric with a few other people and that feels good – To move it out while giving to someone who may have no other way to get fabric right now.

Because I primarily work small I don’t have many long yards of fabric but I have a lot in smaller pieces. In fact I didn’t realize how much until I started picking pieces for friends.

Speaking of pieces here are my sample/suggestion pieces for the Visions Art Museum member challenge week three. My theme: Special Delivery, you are the chef, what would you plate up?

I made one piece in fabric and the other in paper. If I ever make paper collage again I’ll be cutting the pieces with scissors. I did discover if I use a cotton swab to dampen the paper it tears much easier, but still I think cutting would be more fun and would for sure be easier on the fingers.

Using pieces from magazines was much more limiting (and challenging!) for me than fabric. That’s one reason the plate in the paper collage is made from my – fabric painting mop-up paper towels; much easier to tear.

I had to let go of the shadows and light not being quite right… It’s not a master piece, it’s just for fun and I hope encouraging for the participants. I’m pretty happy with the results.

I hope you are staying safe and healthy. From a distance – thanks for stopping by.

By Ann Scott

I started sewing and designing using fabric, thread, and paper when I was a child. I taught myself to make quilts, at first not following the "rules," then watched some experts, learned the rules, and made many hand quilted and appliqued quilts. I spent years focusing on miniature landscape quilts. Now I am a fiber and mixed media artist and that encompasses everything I have a passion for. I have taught, lectured, and my work have show nationally and internationally, some pieces have been published.

4 comments

  3. I confess I like the paper one better than the fabric plate, though the hankie(?) in the fabric piece is charming. You must have been using thick magazine pages. I rarely have trouble tearing paper, but then my scissor cutting skills are abysmal. I have a hard time getting smooth edges. What did you use to attach your paper collage?

  4. A friend recently gave me fabric, one piece was a panel with white eyelet, probably for a window curtain. The napkin is made from the lower edge of the curtain style fabric and the table cloth (which I stamped white flowers on) was the main part of the panel. The fabric plate was painted (using Neocolor two wax pastels) on a very silky, silk, and I wasn’t happy with it but had to just move on!

    Some of the paper was from a calendar and yes it was thick. You make a good point about cut edges being more difficult to smooth. I used artist gel medium to apply the papers.

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