I’m happy to let you know that my video – “How to Make a Painted and Quilted Poinsettia Wall Hanging” is up on YouTube! It is three videos that include thirteen sections from how to stiffen the fabric, to painting and quilting, to attaching the branch for hanging. I used the quilled fabric beads from my previous video lesson for the poinsettia center.
I hope you will check out my YouTube channel and take a look at my new and older videos. And if you do – Thanks for watching and thanks too for visiting my blog.
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 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.
The Snarky Quilter’s paint set-up
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!
Paint washes and then stitched. “Beauty on the Trail” by Ann
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.
Here border was quilted and then painted over. “Beyond Lake Cuyamaca” by Ann
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!
I’m excited to have two new lessons on Curious.com/fiberdesignsbyann. One is How to Create Hand Painted Fabric and the other is How to Make a Fabric Hurricane! The hurricanes are made using my hand painted fabric that was treated with Terial Magic (TM). I’m working on more project lessons using my hand painted fabric and TM.
If you take my lessons and make any of the projects I would love to see your results!
Quick, easy, and fun hand painted fabric
Hurricane for flameless candles. The hand painted fabric makes them look like gem stone.
If you haven’t check out Curious.com I would suggest you do… There is so much to learn!
I thought I would take a little break from my deadline work and play a bit. I’m not usually a heart art kind of person but this was fast and fun. I’ll leave it to you to think up ideas of where the finished heart could be used… maybe a tiny art quilt, on a fabric purse or tote, or simply framed? If you try it, I hope you’ll let me know what you did with the finished heart. (I apologize for the blurry photos but I’m sure you will be able to get the just of the process). I love Neocolor ll wax pastels and that is what I used.
Start with four pieces of freezer paper the exact same size.
Iron three of the pieces together so that the paper side is out (like a freezer paper sandwich), then iron the fourth piece of freezer paper to the other three. Be sure they are lined up well so the freezer paper doesn’t melt onto the iron.
Next fold regular paper and cut out a heart shape pattern. Then place the pattern on the freezer paper and draw around the heart.
Use a black marker to draw around the heart and then draw a free-style design inside.
I removed thread, bobbin and presser foot. You may want to use a free-motion/darning foot but I prefer an open/bare needle. Be very careful if doing it this way.
Use a needle that will not be used on fabric ever again. Place the freezer paper heart under the needle and start stitching on the lines. I like to go fast and as you can see I didn’t follow the lines very well and that is just fine. If you go slowly it is easier to stay on the lines but for this project it doesn’t matter.
Cut the freezer paper heart out. This doesn’t need to be perfect unless you would like an even edge.
After all the stitching is done flip the heart over, notice this side is more textured than the other so this is the side to do the rubbing on. Place a piece of cotton fabric over the heart.
Neocolor ll wax pastels may be used on fabric with water and other liquids and then heat set.
Hold the fabric while using the wax pastels and rub across the fabric over the heart. I used one color inside and another around the outside edge.
When the rubbing is finished (there will be another rubbing later) removed the heart (this freezer paper heart could be colored and used in another piece of art). Place the fabric on a protected surface.
Water and a soft brush used around the outside edge.
Start with only a little water and see how it bleeds before adding more. Notice how bright the pastel becomes.
Next do the same with rubbing alcohol on the center design. While water really causes the wax to bleed into the fabric, alcohol brightens it without causing it to move as much,
After the center is done I wadded a piece of foil then opened it out. Placed the foil under the fabric and used another wax pastel color for another rubbing.
Wadded foil
Another color.
A little more water wash on the blue and then air dry and heat set using an iron. I think it is calling for some quilting!
Giving an art quilt a title is often a challenge for me and this one was no different. I asked the guys here to tell me what they saw when they looked at it and for any title ideas. Each shared his thoughts and ideas and though it was fun to hear what the piece “said” to them, their ideas were nothing like what the piece meant to me. So after much deliberation (probably too much) I have dubbed this little piece “Drift”.
Drift
About the construction – It started as a painted whole cloth center with a bit of painted fusible, then using free motion quilting I stitched a “net” design and attached the piece on top of a black background. Next I cut up a old painted canvas that I had used under my hand painted fabric as a drop cloth (It was perfect!). I attached three pieces to the whole cloth using artist gel medium and continued the stitching across the canvas, this time using black thread.
I quilted in the border and added the painted gauze with more quilting and thread play. It is mounted to a black canvas that I cropped out of this photo because there was too much grey glare. I rarely mount art quilts on canvas but this was going to a exhibition where it was required (though I decided not to enter). To my surprise I like it on the canvas very much… trouble is I would like quilts to be recognized as art on their own and attaching them to a canvas just seems wrong. Have you ever mounted an art quilt to a canvas, if so tell us about it. I’ll write more about mounting small art quilts on canvas another time. For now I’m off to Quilt and Paint Away! A
You may have read on one of my earlier posts that we have leaves stamped into our patios and that I have used them as inspiration for some of my art. Below are the steps to creating what will be a small art quilt OR a piece that could be incorporated into a larger piece. I used a piece of Pima cotton, watercolor (actually Jacquard Textile paints, thinned), water-soluble wax pastel, and bit of painted gauze.
First lay the fabric on top of the imprint, hold securely or tape, and rub with the wax pastel almost parallel with the surface.
Next heat set it using a hot iron.
Using thinned textile paint, “wash” the paint color over the design.
I was trying to add more depth with the dark but did too much.
Luckily it dried much lighter and presented me with an opportunity to try and alter it by adding another layer – this time using painted gauze.
The gauze covered some of the dark areas and brought in another element and textured layer.
Because I’m pretty sure I’m going to quilt my pieces I like to add dots when painting the background, giving me something to quilt around.
I’m pleased with this piece and will post it again when it is finished.
I hope this gives you some ideas to try and I would love to see what you come up with!
I have received my “not accepted” notice so I can share this now.
Dwell is a landscape Of ancient land and buried fossils, Of old cave homes or modern cliff mansions, Of winds and nature propelling progressive discoveries.
Dwell 42″ x 30″
Dwell Back quilting detail
I enjoyed the challenges of creating this art quilt and I am very happy with the completed piece. It started as a hand painted whole cloth, it also has some painted fusing, hand stitching and a great amount of free-motion machine sketching and quilting (see detail of the fossils). It was fun to try to paint binding fabric that would work well AND succeed! It measures 30″ high by 42″ wide and will be for sale.
Well, I haven’t posted for a while! I have been spending way too much time in the kitchen which I love except that it keeps me from my non-edible artwork. But now it is sunny and I’m happy to be creating more in the studio.
We have had down right hot days here in San Diego so here is a bit of comfort in a fabric piece (a whole cloth) I created in honor of winter…
I have been working on this painted whole cloth for a while now and finding it, with it’s many layers, a challenge. I believe the best paintings have many layers but when I approach a piece of fabric (canvas), I know in the end I’m going to stitch it and that sometimes presents a problem. Many layers of paint make it much more difficult to quilt and especially hand stitch through. A part of me loves this challenge but another part of me wants to avoid it at all costs! As I’m learning more about art and stretching as an artist I’m discovering new ways to create and new materials to use. Layering with finer weave fabrics and even paper can build the layers without hindering the stitch work.
a work in progress
The next quandary… Does combining those materials remove me from the “Art Quilt” category and push me into the “Mixed Media” box? The line seems to be blurring for me but when I enter general art competitions, the submission application always wants me to categorize the work. No matter how much I paint or add materials other than fabric to a piece I want to be called an “Art Quilt” artist. Maybe this is still me shouting “Quilts are ART!” I think, thanks to the fabulous quilt and fiber artists producing and sharing their work, the general public is beginning to see quilts as art (whether utilitarian or for the wall). Let’s keep showing what we’ve got!
