Tag Archives: terial arts

This Time of Year…

I was almost a Halloween baby having been born the day before and have always enjoyed the end of October. When our kids were little I loved making their costumes and painting their faces. My daughter is an artist and draws original cards for most special occasions around here and they usually feature a cat. The design on this little art quilt was from a birthday card she gave me a few years ago, which I enlarged, traced onto fabric, painted, layered with batik, batting and felt, then quilted. It was fun to make… I may even quilt it some more!

This tiny pumpkin is my fiber art contribution to the Halloween/Autumn festivities this year. I will be making a short video on just how I made it and later share some other projects it could be added to (Here it is on a greeting card with free-motion stitching).

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!

A Little Fiber Fun

I’m finally getting back into the swings of things now that my studio has been relocated (yes, again!), maybe for the last time. Being settled in (and the time of year) gave me an itch to make something different. It’s still fiber and fabric, just not in an art quilt sort of way. If you read my blog you know I love exploring ways to use Terial Magic spray stabilizer and though I have made cheesecloth ghosts for years, using Terial Magic was so much easier than using glue or other gel medium type products.

The following tutorial is for a Halloween Ghost Candy Bowl. It is a simple and depending on your weather (it’s been in the nineties here!) a quick project. The instructions and supplies may be found here.

If you are adventurous; stitching, spiders and webbing could embellish the bowl.

Stripping

I just figured out a new way to cut my quilling strips! In a few of my online lesson videos I have demonstrated how I cut strips using two rules and a rotary cutter. Yesterday, a couple days after my Mister said in passing “You need a paper cutter” (while acting out the motion of the old time ones with the big guillotine style handle – that give me nightmares!), it dawned on me; I own a rotary flat bed paper cutter. I figured out how to add a stopper and now I can cut my treated fabric strips a little faster and easier!

I’m working on some all white pieces (think bridal) right now but I’m sharing some color today. Making coils is one of my favorite things to do with my hand painted fabric and something simple to do when I have to sit still. This same technique may be used to make napkin rings, bracelets, and more.

Someone asked why I coil fabric when I could just use paper and one of my answers is that because I cut the strips by hand they are imperfect and so each coil has a more textured surface than paper and I love that.

Fiber Designs by Ann

Fiber art Design, Instruction, Sales

Tag Archives: terial arts

This Time of Year…

Painting Fabric Pinwheels

A Little Fiber Fun

Stripping