I have been have fun in the studio creating a this new piece. Soon I will be offering the online step by step lessons for creating this pretty poinsettia wall hanging (painting, stitching, and more) . I’ll teach how to make the flower center fabric beads too. The techniques could be used to make any flower or most any design…. For any season!
I have been finishing up some deadline projects and that feels good. There is always a bit of stress that goes with that and I often swear I’m not going to get myself into that situation again. But then the mind starts going and the ideas start flowing and I’m at it again (my own worst enemy!) I love making art and I know that I’m lucky to be able to spend my days creating.
Here are a couple pieces I share in my new course – How to Make a Photo on Fiber Mixed Media Art Quilt, at Curious.com. Here is a discount link if you are interested in my lessons and over 20,000 more on Curious.com.
Garden Path is the main piece in my new course. From developing the design, to the fiber elements, to quilting the heck out of the borders, it was a fun project. I love growing a photo past the edges using fabric and fibers!
I often make landscapes but I think using a wedding or baby photograph would be great subjects to softly surround with fiber. Or maybe not so softly…I can imagine heavy metal too!
The other day I spotted a large bright green spider on the trumpet flowers in our back garden.
At the time I wasn’t sure what type of spider it was so I got my phone to take a photo and just as I did a Skipper butterfly landed near the spider. I was so excited to have captured two little creatures in my shot! Then when I was sharing the photo with my guys we noticed a grasshopper in the picture too… How cool was that!
I was surprised to realize that the spider was a Green Lynx because the artwork below hangs right next to my desk. There on the flowers is a Lynx spider. But in my defense the one in my garden was a lot bigger!
Bark – The sound a dog makes (even though dogs can’t pronounce the letter “b” – or so I’ve been told!), the thin chocolatey confection, the outer covering of a tree. It is curious what we make of words.
It seems to me artists and nature-lovers are interested in, even fascinated with tree bark. I know I am. Is it because it takes on so many different appearances? The last time my Mister and I were in the Giant Redwood forest I took some photos of the bark on downed trees. I could have stayed there and studied bark all day! But I was not alone… and we did not stay.
I like to see if I can recreate bark on fabric… I’m still working at it…
Sometimes I’m especially happy with the results…
What do you think of bark?
Yesterday I delivered and installed (with the help of my handy assistant) my most recent commissioned art quilt. The best part – the client was very pleased!
I’m working on new Curious.com online lessons but I thought it would be fun to take a detour in today’s post and share some cutting up and putting back together that doesn’t involve fabric. Except for the bleeding part I love cutting glass to make mosaic!
And I love designing and cutting up tile!
Do you think most quilters like puzzles? Do you?
I was enjoying the posts over at The Snarky Quilter’s (SQ) blog where SQ and a friend share their steps and early results following Mickey Lawler’s techniques to create some painted fabric.
They made some neat fabric pieces and a little discussion ensued regarding painted fabric. SQ commented that painters working in oil also paint on fabric. Some of us think of painting on fabric as a “newish” technique. I hadn’t really thought of it as she did. I have been painting on fabric for a long time and continue to explore. SQ’s comment got me thinking though… As fiber and quilt artists who paint on fabric, we have a special consideration: we want to create layers but we know that needles are going to penetrate the surface, and that needles through painted fabric leave holes!
That is one of the biggest advantages of dyeing versus painting; dye changes the hand of the fabric very little, if at all, and usually less than paint. Color washes are probably the best way to achieve layers on fabric that will be stitched without causing a thick layer of paint (and big holes!). Another alternative – Stitch or quilt and then paint.
I dye a little and really admire artists who dye their own fabric but I will stick to using paint. I just love it. Some might say it’s a control thing! I’m okay with that!
Paint or dye – Do you have a preference?
I’m working on a commissioned art quilt that is a little larger than anything I have made recently and it has many pastel colors which is a palette I don’t often use. I’m enjoying the process and the challenge! It was requested that the piece have monarch type butterflies and birds, specifically bluebirds. I am painting and then stitching them which I have never done on such a small scale and never using the technique I’m trying… I have stabilized the fabric with Terial Magic spray and I’m not using a hoop when I free motion stitch/embroider. I’ll have more about the in a future post.
One thing I like about this method is that if the painting isn’t quite right (sparrow’s beak e.g.) I can correct it during the stitching.
On the butterflies only the black is stitched and the colors were just left painted. I’m okay with the white fabric being wrinkled because these elements will be cut out and appliqued on to the sky and flowers. But I’m trying a few changes to see if the fabric will always wrinkle when not placed in a hoop. I’ll keep you posted and I’ll post the finished quilt when I get there.
Just for fun and inspiration! Enjoy.