crazy quilt class

I know, this picture is really dark, the lighting in this room can be pretty dim sometimes. Anyway, here is the beginning of my project for my other Sharon B class on encrusted crazy quiting. I look forward to embellishing it, because it doesn't do much for me right now.

sharon b's class

I am taking a class from Joggles by Sharon B -- Personal Library of Stitches. Only problem is, I am also taking another class by her, Encrusted Crazy Quilting, and got some of my materials mixed up! The above sampler is done on calico rather than the linen that I purchased for this class. No wonder I couldn't figure out how everyone could do such straight lines! Ah well, at least I got practice with new stitches.

One more

Ok, these should be the last ones for today. The top two are experiements with model magic being pressed into stamps and then drying for 24 hours. After that, I painted them with Koh-I-Noor watercolors and Twinkling H2Os watercolors. I think I liked the twinkling ones better because the Koh-I-Noor were very intense in color and hard to tone down. I spread Treasure Gold over each of them to bring out the texture. Its funny, I used to hate Treasure Gold, because I had such a hard time getting enough on my finger to rub on a project. Recently, I realized that the Treasure Gold I was using was dried out and that it worked much better when it was still soft! The bottom picture are fragments of handmade paper I made back in January. I used Stewart Gill paints for most of them and embossed them. After that, I rubbed Treasure Gold on most of them. On one, I did a layer of black patinating wax, let it sit before wiping most of it off, and then added the gold.
All little experiements I hope to turn into something bigger one day!

Energy coming back

Ok, I made it through the last post, so time to push myself some more.



Ok, first pic is my attempt at following ideas from a book by Jenny Rolfe on machine embroidered bags. Now, I didn't want to make a bag, but rather a book cover for a blank journal I have. However, when I laid the pieces on the backing and Wunderunder, they did not come out as straight as Jenny's. I have to finish embroidering it, but this was my first attempt at free machine and unfortunately, I had to take a lot of breaks because the needle and thread were not making friends with each other.
Second pic is what was supposed to be the beginning of an awesome piece inspired by Maggie Grey, but looks no where near what I wanted. Maggie showed a technique in one of her books in which she spread Xpandaprint on a piece of chiffon and pulled a tool through it designed to leave lines (like taking a credit card and cutting notches in the end and dragging it through). I did it for two pieces and I am not even showing the first one, because I dislike it so much. The lines are too defined and look juvenile. The second piece was more of a mop up from the leftover Xpandaprint and I liked that one better. When the paint it dried and you heat it, it it supposed to contort into these lovely valleys and hills, but mine looked nowhere near as good as Maggie's. I painted them with Dye-Na-Flow paints and I admit, they did look better once painted, I just have to think of how I will use them.
The last one was my playing with light copper ArtEmboss sheets. I heated most of the pieces, but did try painting a few with Adriondack alcohol inks first and then after they were heated. I thought I would really like the painting on the metal, because I had never been able to find the spirit soluble dyes that Maggie suggested to use in Paper Metal Stitch and when I saw her do an article on the technique with the inks, I thought now I would have results like hers. But the colors were too bold and brash for me, so I wiped down many of those and went with just the rainbow heated look. I embossed some and am thinking of using some of the strips in some type of weaving.

Creative Funk

I have been in such a funk lately, I can't seem to snap out of it. I was all excited to post some photos of work that I did while I had a week off, but then the blog site wouldn't let me post anything that day and I haven't had any ambition since. Anyway, here are some photos of one project I was working on back in the beginning of October:



I have most of Maggie Grey's books and I wanted to actually try using some of her techniques rather than just drooling over them as eye candy. So, I took a piece of cotton velvet and painted with with greens, blues and violets in Dye-Na-Flow paints and let it dry overnight. Unfortunately, I didn't have the best quality fabric, because the thing continues to shed all over, but I digress. Anyway, I bonded Wunderunder to it and put a lilac chiffon scarf on top, which I then distressed with a heat gun to make a lacy texture. Then I added some silver transfoil to it. It was pretty, but I was afraid the thing was going to fall apart on me. I embellished with my babylock and that made me feel like it was a little more attached. I also embellished some green and purple scraps of wool for a different texture. Also, I saw a technique about crocheting single crochet strands and couching them to fabric. I used some odds and ends yarn I had to make different colors strands and added them to the piece. Now, the strands were just sticking up from the piece. So, I started doing free motion embroidery around it. Now, this was only my second attempt doing free motion, so I know it looks like a beginner did it. I haven't finished the piece yet, but I am feeling good about the way it is starting to look more cohesive. I plan to add some handstitching, but I am signed up to take two classes on stitches from Joggles.com, so I want to practice before I put it on the piece. Now, what wil I do with the fabric piece once its done? I have no idea, but at least I had fun experimenting with new techniques.

Evil Toys

Article A: Examine the current bane of my existence in these two toys:




Now, I know I shouldn't complain. I'm very lucky to have a rigid hettle loom and a new drum carder. But these things are seriously trying every ounce of my patience. The first time I warped my loom, I had the help of Bob and Patrick, my friends at Winderwood Farm. So I thought I'd take 45 minutes on Friday night and whip that together and be well on my way weaving by Saturday morning. But the loom decided to teach me humility by having the warping peg fly off the windowsill I had it attached to and then refusing to have any even tension. Needless to say, my loving boyfriend Joe was not happy at being woken up late Friday night to hold my warp threads as I slowly wound them on. Then, in my cranky mood, he thought it would be good for him to give me advice on how to do it. Ah, men.
And then there's the drum carder. Sunday was going to be an easy morning of playing with some scrap fibers and making beautiful bats like my friends at Winderwood make. And of course, the drum carder laughed at me when I cranked it too fast and fibers refused to blend.
So now you know why I have not posted anything lately. Lots of creative ideas, but the tools and I are still getting used to each other. I'm thinking of buying them chocolate to appease them--that usually works for me.

Response to post on transfer paints

I kept meaning to do this, but forgot. Someone asked me when I posted my transfer paint pieces if I had a source for the paints in the U.S. I did get mine from Ario, but I found that even though they are overseas, they were very fast in delivery and the currency exchange was not a big deal. If anyone does know of a U.S. source, please leave me a comment so others can know!