Tag Archives: fabric

Mini Landscape Giveaway

Little announcement – I no longer have a shop or pieces for sale on my website. I’m thinking about life and business and trying to work things out. I still have a lot of art that I would happily sell but for now my website isn’t the place.

Some if not all of you know making and teaching miniature fabric landscapes was how my business really began. My landscapes were featured on Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel, long ago. In many ways I have wandered far from miniature landscapes but they are still a passion for me. If we were in a different (safer) time I would happily teach mini landscapes again. I loved seeing how the students would make my pattern their own little scape just by the fabrics they selected. For example – the two below are the same pattern but have totally different look and feel.

I recently rediscovered this poppy foreground fabric landscape and thought it would make a nice giveaway item. See rules below. It is a top only ( 11 1/4″ x 9″) but could be finished as a quilt or faced and framed, maybe added to a tote bag or larger project.

It is an older piece and it must have had a border attached that I removed (no memory of that!), because there are stitching holes along the outside edge. These photos are from my phone and photoshopped, so that’s why they may look slightly distorted.

One reason I know it is older is because the sky isn’t as good as it should be. Also, I wasn’t using silk thread and I tied knots instead of back-stitching.

Landscape back…

Some fabric landscape making tips – Whenever possible press the landscape on the back/face down because the iron can leave shiny marks and I think, the edges of each piece just look better not hard pressed from the front. Also, check for shadow through as each piece is appliqued and BEFORE adding borders, binding, or facing.

To enter: You must live in the US only (no international entries). One entry per person. Sweepstakes/giveaway begins January 19, 2022 and ends at 9pm (Pacific Time) January 24, 2022.

Leave a comment/reply on this blog post that you would like to be entered for a chance to win the Miniature Landscape (top only) and include your first and last name (or last initial).

On January 25, 2022 I’ll use a random drawer and announce the winner on my next blog post.

Winner will email me their mailing information and I will mail the Miniature Landscape (top only) ASAP. If I don’t hear from the winner within five days of drawing date, I will run another random draw. Good luck!

Brown Paper Bonus

A little glitch has caused my Printed, Painted Background Fabric video, that I mentioned in my previous post, to be delayed. In the video I will demonstrate how I achieved these fabrics and papers. Here are a few ways I’m using the backgrounds. I call them backgrounds but they aren’t only that.

I think this is calling for free motion quilting.

I cut a stencil for the flowers. It’s hard to see but there is part of an unryu paper vase, this piece will be collaged, I think I’ll add some embroidery to the flowers too.

I thought I wanted a purple pumpkin but embroidered the body lines using orange floss so changed the plan. I will be posting a second video for how I painted this work in progress (wip) pumpkin.

This final piece is the brown paper bonus – it had been used to print/paint the trees trunks above. This piece is still a wip and is on a canvas, the moon is a painted coffee filter, and the large rock isn’t glued down yet. It is titled She Rocked Beneath the Full Moon. In honor of the rock climbing women I know.

the large rock and the cliff were from the same piece of brown paper.

I hope these pieces piqued your curiosity and that I’ll be able to actually share a video next time. Maybe you’ll have ideas for pieces that could be made with the printed, painted fabric and the paper too.

Painted Fabric and Giveaway

I’m excited to announce that next week I’ll be posting the Photograph and Fiber pieces. There is a little something for everyone – great ideas and, I think, they’re very inspiring.

I’ll be showing some of the fabrics I’ve been painting lately in futures posts but for now, here is the most recent sky painting video…

I’m happy so many of you entered for a chance to win a piece of hand painted fabric. And the Giveaway/Sweepstakes winners are –

Lynne K.

Chris W.

Christine B.

Naomi M.

Joy Q.

Please email your mailing info to me and I will mail the fabric ASAP.

If you make anything with the fabric I hope you will share photos, I’d love to see what you come up with.

Thanks for stopping by.

Easy Additions

In the past when I presented live lectures to quilt guilds, one of the talks was about making the quilt more our own. We often use one main fabric to help select the other fabrics in a quilt, this is a twist on that. During my recovery ironing is not happening so please excuse any wrinkles.

Here are some examples of commercial fabrics with easy additions.

Above is a pretty floral fabric and nice black on white. With the addition of a stamp the black/white becomes a coordinating fabric and there’s more to quilt around.

The stamp was made by cutting thin craft foam into leaf shapes and gluing them onto scraps of Lauan (Sometimes I use Masonite and even cut-up sturdy box cardboard for stamp base and handle). Then I scored down the center of the leaves for added interest. Next I placed the fabric on a slightly cushy surface. Using a makeup type sponge, I applied craft acrylic paint onto the leaves, then stamped the leaves onto the fabric.

Another floral fabric needed something more vibrant so I used my Sharpie Stained markers. So simple and fun. Notice on the right side, even the addition of just a few orange dots make this fabric more lively.

Sometimes the fabric combinations are unexpected.

Jacquard Textile Color in apple green and a paint brush made specifically for applying paint to fabric.

Here the gingham inspired the squares for the stamp which was made using a thick craft foam. The paint is Jacquard Textile Color in Fluorescent Yellow.

Another floral fabric and a three leaf stamp on gingham.

Below, this beautiful jewel tone design on black fabric has so much potential, both with coordinating and customizing. The blue coordinating fabric inspired this next stamp and I love the look on the polka-dot fabric.

*Again, the stamp is made from craft f*oam.

The last and simplest idea… To softens the dark/jewel tone fabric I pulled in a cream floral and used craft acrylic paint and a new flat pencil eraser.

The orange dots added just enough kick of color to make the subtle fabric work better with the darker.

Hard to tell here but the color of the cream fabric actually is in the dark fabric.

As I revisit these pieces it really gets my creative juices flowing. I hope these examples sparked some ideas in you.

Painted Sky Fabric and Winners!

If you left a comment for the fabric and Oceanscape top giveaway, thank you!

The winners are…

Karen G. won the Woods fabric piece.

Carol in AK won the Sky Over Oceanscape.

Congratulations! Please email your mailing information to me at fiberdesignsbyann@gmail.com

Below is my latest painted sky fabric. I’m editing the How-to paint this sky fabric video now and should post it next week. The hill/mountain pieces are only being auditioned here (not sewn or fused yet), and on the right the pieces have been darkened in Photoshopped.

Which landscape do you prefer?

I hope you will follow along, and remember there will be another giveaway in February.

Stay safe and well.

I remember…

I remember when I got rid of all of my embroidery paraphernalia; when I became a quilter! Before then, for years, I embroidered everything. Then a few years ago I discovered mark making with thread, more specifically, floss. So, off I went to buy all of those embroidery tools and materials, again. But now I approach embroidery differently, not so much flowery, cutesy stuff but more as another layer and bit of interest to add to mixed media works of art. Having said that, this is what I did this week while resting with the flu. It is on a piece of my hand painted pole wrapped cotton (faux Shibori).

Even if the subject is no longer my cup of tea, it was fun to draw and stitching it was really good for my motor skills which have been feeling clumsy lately.

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!

Surprise and Prize

Last month while listening to a podcast at While She Naps with Abby Glassenberg, I learned that Abby would be giving her listeners an opportunity “to recommend great stuff you’re enjoying right now.” Listeners could record a message on the While She Naps website (technology – so cool!) and on Dec. 4th the podcast aired. To my surprise I was one of the people selected for inclusion in the podcast. I talked about Barb Owen, owner of How To Get Creative, who is someone I find inspirational and encouraging. Barb is a multi-talented artist and author who produces fun projects video on YouTube and offers special membership classes on her website.

Abby was joined by guest co-host, Stacey Trock, and the entire podcast was filled with great ideas from suggested reading, tools and notions, websites, blogs… I could go on but instead I’ll encourage you to check While She Naps out for yourself.

During the podcast Abby drew three names to receive prizes and I was one of them! My prize arrive a couple days ago and as you can see by the photo, the prize was a” Welcome pack” from Spoonflower. I have used Spoonflower for fabric printing in the past and I’m looking forward to again (included in the prize – Spoondollar credits).

It was so nice to be able to contribute to Abby’s Community Episode podcast and exciting to have won a prize on top of that! Abby’s entire website is a great resource for anyone interested in sewing, quilting, and so more more.

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.

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 Challenge and Swap

I was happy to learn that the fabric I submitted for the Quilting Art Fabric Challenge/Swap was published in their Dec 2016/Jan2017 magazine. They didn’t publish all of the submissions but I was impression by the variety and would love to be able to ask many of the artists how exactly they achieved their results.

The way the challenge worked was for readers to create a fat quarter of fabric with original surface designs, submit it, and then they would receive a fat quarter made by another entrant. For more information see that QA link above.

I was so excited when I received a fat quarter created by Susan Price. Susan along with her business partner, Elizabeth, create original and custom Thermofax screens and sell their designs on Etsy at – PGFiber2art

Susan explained that the fabric I received was snow dyed, pole-wrapped (Shibori) and then thermofax screen printed using her original photo called Birds on a Branch. I think it is beautiful! Thank you, Susan.

A short time after I received Susan’s fabric I received a “thank you” email from Pat Robertson, who was the recipient of my challenge fabric. As I looked through the magazine again, I discovered that the fabric Pat submitted was also published so I asked Pat to send me photos of her fabric. Pat was kind enough to also send photos of her process too. The steps are – Pre-treated fabric, snow pile, dye applied, processing, fabric accepting the dye, rinse, and beautiful results! Thank you, Pat.

So you can see what wonderful results may come from playing with (and working) surface designs. I hope you will give it a try and if you do please share your results!