Tag Archives: fiberdesignsbyann

Finishes and Fish

Two pieces that I finished are Three Hearts (art quilt) and Cloth, Paper, Fiber (Mixed media).

Three Hearts is mounted on a 8″ x 10″ canvas that I painted. I hadn’t planned to mount the piece but it fit perfectly on the canvas just at the edge of the binding so that’s what I did.

Cloth, Paper, Fiber – I really like this piece, it was a fun one to make. The frame (not wooden) had damaged glass, which I removed, and some scratches on it; I fixed that and I’m working on a video showing what I did… Editing it is on the to-do list too!

It looks a little washed out here as I’m typing. I hope it shows better on your screen.
Approximately 10″ square.

Below is the teaser for another small piece I’m working on. I paint printed fabric using an unusual method (for me anyway). I drew a simple fish on paper, scanned and then manipulated it in photoshop. I’ll be applying the fish to the fabric using a water soluble stabilizer and quilting it.

Have you used fish in your quilts or other art?

Reminder: In the next blog post I’ll announce the winner of the Five Little Hearts.

Until then, I hope we all find time to make art!

A Fix and Giveaway

This little piece has been on my design wall unfinished for a while. It was a cut of a larger piece of hand painted fabric that I free motion quilted just for fun. I can’t even remember if I filmed while I was quilting it. I couldn’t figure out how to finish it, to fix it until a few days ago.

I’m happy to say I fixed it and you can see what I did here…

The November giveaway, sweepstakes item is this little leaf decorated box. It’s hard pressed paper and only the top is decorated. I used painted (mop-up) fabric leaves, a couple papers, burned matches, grave vine, and gold paint spatters. It measures 6 1/2″ x 4″ x 2 5/8″ tall. It could be used as is or it could be painted, papered, or embellished in a multitude of other ways. But there’s more… I’ll be putting a little something extra inside the box.

If you are interested in a chance to win the leaf box with surprise inside just follow the rules below. The winner’s name will be announced on my December 1, 2021 blog post.

Sweepstakes/giveaway begins November 10, 2021 and ends at 9pm (Pacific Time) November 28, 2021.

To enter: You must live in the US only (no international entries). One entry per person. Leave a comment that you would like to win the leaf box with surprise, and include your first and last name (or last initial).

I’ll use a random drawer and announce the winner on my Dec 1 blog post. Winner will email me their mailing information and I will mail the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­leaf box with surprise ASAP. If I don’t hear from the winner within five days of drawing date, I will run another random draw. Good luck!

Looking Up, Birds, and Winners

Things are looking up around here, for one reason, we are finally having our ancient furnace, it’s in the attic, replaced. We haven’t used it in several years and though we don’t have horribly cold winters, I’m cold if it’s below 75° and the hands don’t work well with they’re chilly. Space heaters have helped but our old kitty and I are ready for the warmth!

You may remember the cut collage bird I made a while ago using my daughter’s (dry) wet palette papers (mostly). The green wing needed help so I used some of my painted papers. I like it better now and it will probably end up on a notecard.

I started celebrating my birthday early; my (adult) kids surprised me with this box of Aurifil thread. It’s so pretty I haven’t even opened the plastic wrap yet!

I’m working on a project for a private class I’ve been asked to teach. I’m planning on including a stamp in the project so I’ve cut more rubber stamps and one is a little hummingbird. I decided to use this stamp in another project made especially for this giveaway announcement post.

I filmed some of the free-motion quilting for this hummingbird project but haven’t had time to edit it yet. Here are some images of the process and the almost finished piece. I haven’t decided exactly how I’ll finish it for hanging.

The photos are taken with my phone so sorry they’re not the best.

I started with a piece of Timtex cut to about 6″ x 7″ and “mop-up” painted paper towels I’ve been saving.

I placed a whole piece (one ply) of paper towel over the Timtex and tore other paper towel up then arranged it in an abstract floral design.

I set that aside and used black textile paint for the hummingbird on a piece of silk organza. Stamping outline stamps on silk organza is a hit or miss… without stabilizer organza wiggles! I knew I’d be quilting over it so it was no big deal that it didn’t turn out the best.

So that the hummer would be about where I wanted it, I center and laid the organza on top of the paper towel pieces and placed silk pins at the tip of the wing, tail, and the beak. Then I removed the Timtex/paper towel piece and dabbed paint on the stamp, lined up the silk pins with the stamp and laid the organza on top, and sort of burnished it with a little piece of parchment. Hindsight – press organza to freezer paper and then stamp down onto the fabric as usual. Sorry if that is difficult to understand, I think I’ll have to video it if I do it again.

I let the paint dry for a few minutes, then clipped the organza to the Timtex so I could free-motion quilt, starting with the hummingbird. Below is the free-motion quilting finished.

I put black felt behind it and didn’t like it at all so changed to blue (it’s actually more turquoise than it looks in photo). I tried to straighten and trim up the organza but since I’m still not sure where this is going I left it longer on the side. This felt didn’t look good without the organza over it (too bright).

I added a little embroidery around the edge of the Timtex with French knots at each corner. I think I want to add more. I’ll take better photos when it is finished.

Now the sweepstakes/`giveaway – I’d like to thank all who commented and because only two of you entered the hummingbird notecard set giveaway, I have decided to give Joy and Karen each a set of Hummingbird notecards. Whether you keep them or give them away, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them. Please email your mailing address to me (even if you have in the past).

Painted Tree Fabric Giveaway

I’m learning to use my hand and arm again but I had no idea it would be such a challenge. I’ve always said making art is my therapy but now it is literally my physical therapy!

I enjoyed painting this tree fabric but I wasn’t sure what I would do with it so I decided to give it away. The fabric is 100% cotton and measures approximately 17 3/4″ x 16 3/4″ and it’s been washed (no soap) and pressed dry.

If you are interested in a chance to win this painted tree fabric follow the rules below. If you know anyone you think may be interested in a chance to win this fabric, feel free to share this post and video.

Sweepstakes/giveaway begins April 14, 2021 and ends at 9pm (Pacific Time) April 26, 2021.

To enter: You must live in the US only (no international entries). One entry per person. Leave a comment that you would like to win the Painted Tree fabric and include your first and last name (or last initial).

On April 27, 2021 I’ll use a random drawer and announce the winner/s on my next blog post. Winner will email me their mailing information and I will mail the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Painted Tree fabric ASAP. PLEASE NOTE – If I don’t hear from the winner within five days of drawing date, I will run another random draw. Good luck!

Painted Fabric & Giveaway Winner

One reason my giveaways came about was because I discovered many things I made that had been stashed way. This fabric is a piece I discovered in the dig.

I have no idea what I was thinking! The blue and the yellow look like one of my painted sky fabrics and I think I must have set the dry fabric down on a piece of plastic tarp that had small brown puddles on it. Then for some reason I did a rubbing with a black Neocolor ll wax pastel. Looking at it here it looks like a swarm of bees, LOL.

I hot iron, pressed it to remove as much pastel as possible and scrubbed it in hot water with a little laundry detergent, figuring I had nothing to lose. Then pressed it dry, the above photo is that result. Then I flipped it over to see the softer side.

The spots made me think of bananas, giraffes, and spotted orchids. We have an orchid blooming on our front porch right now so that became my inspiration.

Our porch orchid, not a spotted orchid

I drew a very rough (aka not at all accurate) drawing and traced it onto the back/soft side of the fabric. I’m going to use a simple embroidery stitch and probably black floss as soon as I’m able.

I had to use carbon paper, I couldn’t see the line drawing through the fabric on my light-box.

This is, of course, the not yet able part. I get more x-rays later this week and trade this black one in for a new model.

Thanks to all who entered the hexagon patches giveaway, there were eleven entrants.

And the winner is – Jodi Chrisman. Please email your mailing information to me at fiberdesignsbyann@gmail and I’ll send the box ASAP.

I’m hoping to have some sort of a painted fabric giveaway/s next month. Please subscribe to get notifications.

Painted Fabric Giveaways

I was hoping to share a new fabric painting video but just as I turned on my overhead lights to video the bulbs sizzled out and I had to leave the studio because of the noxious fumes. So here’s an oldie but, I think, a goodie. Read details below for fabric giveaway/sweepstakes.

I plan to have a giveaway each month so if you’d like to get notifications for the giveaways, and other news, simply subscribe to my blog.

Sky Over Oceanscape has my hand painted sky and water fabrics but has already been stitched into a mini landscape quilt top. The grassy border fabric is commercial.

Sky Over Oceanscape

I think it would be a good piece for someone looking to hand or machine quilt a small (22″ x 16 1/2″) but unique project. The second giveaway is a 42″ x 18″ piece of hand painted fabric I titled Woods. I usually paint on a fine, tightly woven fabric (think batik) but this piece was painted on a fabric closer to a quilter’s cotton. There are many ways a piece like this could be used – Tree trunks, leaves, ground, grass, even flowers.

Detail

Sweepstakes/giveaway begins January 13, 2021 and ends January 19, 2021.

To enter: You must live in the US only (no international entries). One entry per person. NOTE: If your name is drawn as the first winner it will be removed for the second drawing. Leave a comment below that you would like to win the Sky Over Oceanscape either/or the Woods fabric and include your first and last name (or last initial).

On Jan 20, 2021 I’ll use a random drawer and post the winners on my blog. Winners will email me their mailing information and I will mail the landscape and fabric pieces ASAP. If I don’t hear from the winner within a week of drawing date, I will run another random draw. Good luck!

Be safe and well.

Redwork Ornaments

My last day of #Needlevember was a free-motion quilted ornament. As I did with many of the November stitched pieces, I sketched or drew a little picture of what I was going to attempt to stitch, then instead of drawing on the fabric I just look at the drawing as I free-motion quilted. It does make the process a bit slower because there is a certain amount of creating on the fly and sometimes I have to just be okay with wonky!

These November stitching pieces ended up being a great way to use painted, gel printed, stamped, and stenciled fabric pieces I had been saving.

Here is the finished ornament on hand painted fabric…

and a video showing the free-motion quilting (I built up more thread off camera).

And here are a couple links to printable pages for you or anyone you know who like to color in ornaments. Have fun and stay safe.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BM22ZRGEDBXEjJmnWtx8JlfqdvJW8TiU/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qLtd8rYm-eUnWwmQL_Vioa-hqXm4mful/view?usp=sharing