Tag Archives: hearts

Answer and the Winner

Asked how I applied the Three Hearts art quilt to the canvas, here is my answer…

I left an area in the center of the canvas unpainted (it was an already gesso primed canvas) and I applied artist gel medium over the entire canvas front and added some to the quilt back, then with the quilt face down on the table, lined the two up and I added some weight for awhile. When it was set but not completely dry I removed the weights and flipped it face up to dry completely. I hope that is clear. Next time I use that method I’ll try to take some photos.

I finished editing the video for the new way I painted fabric (that I mention in my last post), but decided I had to make the second part (applying the fish to the fabric and quilting) a separate video, so hopefully next week I’ll share at least the first if not both. Here is the piece quilted, it’s small and I have an idea for finishing it that’s not binding or facing it, but we’ll see.

Giveaway Winner of the five little hearts is Gayle C. Congratulations! Please email your mailing info to me at fiberdesignsbyann@gmail.com and I’ll send the hearts ASAP.

Stay safe and thanks for stopping by.

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!

Hearts and Giveaway

My husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary this month. We didn’t get married on the 14th and so we don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day, instead we celebrate later, the date that is special to us. The joke around here is that we can buy flowers and chocolates for each other on clearance!

I’m not a cutesy heart kind of person usually, but still I found several hearts in my work so I’m sharing some of them here.

Our first initials and a tiny heart. Hand embroidered.

The little ring around the neck on the altered jar below, was a piece of tatting one of my grandmothers made. This was a gift for my cousin who loves hearts.

I recently finished Three (grungy) Hearts below, but I’m still going to mount it onto a painted canvas for hanging. It’s just a little larger than a 8″ x 10″ canvas.

Quilled fabric
Free motion puffy hearts on silk
Kiss and Hugs Heart. Free motion and painted fabric.
The wrinkled fabric is painted shibori. Hand embroidered.
Starry Hearts, art quilt (61″ x 61″)

If you like to color or know someone who does the below hearts “frame” can be printed out. Go to my website menu, click on “Pattern freebies” and find the PDF link. The designs would be fun to embroider too!

I make and sell MeAnndered fabric panels that can be finished in many ways. They are MeAnndered first on paper, then I laser print them on fabric.

Sometimes I print them on painted fabric…

Now the giveaway/sweepstakes…

These five little fabric hearts, all the same design, were the examples for some of the ways the fabric panel pieces (above) could be finished. After using them in a sales booth display I cut them apart and satin stitched around them. I’m sure there are many ways these little hearts could be used but I’ll leave that up to the one who ends up with them. See all three images below and the rules for entering.

They are top row – colored with marker, hand embroidered, and painted. lower row – Hand quilted and free motion quilted/thread play.

February 2 – 16 Giveaway/sweepstakes – Five little fabric hearts.

To enter: You must live in the US only (no international entries). One entry per person. Sweepstakes/giveaway begins February 2, 2022 and ends at 9pm (Pacific Time) February 14, 2022.

Leave a comment/reply on this blog post that you would like to be entered for a chance to win the five little fabric hearts and include your first and last name (or last initial).

On February 14, 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 five little fabric hearts ASAP. If I don’t hear from the winner within five days of drawing date, I will run another random draw. Good luck!

News and Winner

Well, I was hoping to be able to share a finished piece but gravity changed my plan. I shared this gel plate printed, resisted background fabric with hearts on it ages ago.

Grungy fabric

I can’t even remember all that I did to achieve it but it involved freezer paper and a mesh produce bag. I don’t use hearts much in my art and the fabric is questionable. But it did feels good to (start to) do something with a piece of fabric I just couldn’t seem to part with. Here’s my Grungy & Cute piece not quite finished. After adding some hand embroidery and hand quilting (I’m rusty), I’m starting to like it! I would have liked to have finished it but as I said…

Embroidered hearts surrounded by hand quilting.

… gravity changed my plan… While taking a walk I tripped over a raised sidewalk and fell, on my nose and other body parts, fracturing my wrist in two places and my elbow. I’m not done seeing doctors and I’m not sure how it’s going turn out. Thankfully it’s not my dominant hand so we’ll see what I may be able to do (Next month I’ll show you what I attempted one handed and how it turned out).

Valentine’s Day Splint

Thanks to those of you who entered the February giveaway by leaving a comment. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to get blog posts and giveaway notifications.

I’m happy to announce the winner for the Neocolor II fabric packet giveaway is Cari R. (please email your mailing address to fiberdesignsbyann@gmail.com and I’ll send the fabric ASAP).

Neocolor II coloring fabric packet

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.

I Don’t Do Hearts…

Well, I should say I didn’t do hearts! I’m not much of a heart person though I got married in February (38 years ago and not on Valentine’s Day) but I have a dear one who loves hearts and asked me to make her a small textile heart art piece for her newly renovated home.

Batik hearts on silk background (sorry it’s a little blurred)

So that got me creating hearts. Up in the Patterns and Supply Lists tab is a free printable hearts MeAnnder for you and/or someone you know to color in. I print mine on card stock because I like the smoothness under the markers I use. I think it could make a nice frame for a photograph, a sentiment or even a quilt label. Do you have other ideas?

And as always, if you color my MeAnnder hearts doodle in let me know by sending me a photo and with your permission, I’ll share it here on my blog.

Sideswiped…

Well, I was moving along great, eating better and exercising more, getting the blood pressure and weight back in check, when I got totally sideswiped by shingles. It smacked me in the right side of my head and the swelling in my lip was so bad my husband accused me of getting Botox-ed. This nasty virus is not conducive to being creative but I want to be! I’m still on the mend but I’m so thankful for an awesome doctor and science-based medicine and that is all I will say about that!

cactus apple heart

My Mister and I were enjoying a walk at Lake Murray not too long ago when he noticed this single cactus apple and of course it being February it looked to me like a heart, (the two halves that come together to make one). We were married shortly after Valentine’s Day many moons ago and so that is when we celebrate love’s special day but it seems I always get heart shaped fiber art ideas around this time of year. Not being 100% has caused me to refocus; some ideas just don’t work out when one isn’t feel all there. But here is a little February fiber art anyhow. Have a lovely month!

coiled fabric hearts
Quilled coils from treated fabric