Tag Archives: orchid

Tree and Bark

This is a reminder that I’ll hold the random draw, then post the winner for my painted tree fabric in next weeks post.

I wasn’t sure how hand embroidering would go but thanks to my hoop stand I was able to finish the piece I wrote about here. I used three strands of black floss and as I stitched I remembered that although this fine cotton is a great surface to paint on, it’s not as much fun to hand embroider. But it was a good hand and thumb exercise and I think the background fabric has been redeemed!

Right now I’m working on a challenge piece that I’m only sharing a sneak peek of. It’s small with simple raw edge applique. Once again one of my drawer treasure fabrics has been given new life in a new little floral art quilt. The fabric was this tree trunk…

I think I painted it when I began working on this Photograph on Fiber series piece. Bark is one of those elements I love painting or at least attempting to paint. It seems to me many other fiber and mixed media artists are as intrigued with tree trunks and bark as I am.

Coexistence (Private Collection)

I finally cut the trunk fabric up and I’ve used it for the table top in the small floral art quilt. I over painted it with a bit of yellow ochre and orange because the gray was too blah and that also pulled some of the flower colors in.

All hand painted or dyed fabrics, this wip will be free motion quilted, I’ll add some words, and a (surprising) vessel to hold the arrangement. There is a deadline so we’ll see if I actually get it finished in time.

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.