String Series #1

Awhile back Debra Lacativa and I did some fabric dying. She found a spool of an interesting string of her fathers and we dyed all of it. I put some of it in the piece below. It has a very loose weave and you can pull it apart for some interesting effects. This is the first of a series playing with the string.

I used Wonder Under on the background fabric and then laid down tons of thread and the string. I tried to fuse it all to the background and when that didn't work I added a layer of tule. Next time I would like to try to tack it down without the tule as it detracts from the interest of the string.

Simple Still Life Challenge

My three entries for the These are my three entries for the "Simple Still Life Challenge" (Click on the pear at the right see the challenge blog."Simple Still Life Challenge" (Click on the pear at the right see the challenge blog."Simple Still Life Challenge" (Click on the pear at the right see the challenge blog. I chose to manipulate the photo this time around. I am having thumb surgery in a week and know I wouldn't be able to make the deadline of a quilt. It was fun playing with the photo. I used a Corel Photo Paint's effect called Terrazo to create these three photos. I could have gone on forever but stopped at three.

As you may have noticed I was able to get the icons to upload today. Blogger emailed me to say that they recognized there was a bug that needed to be fixed. Either they fixed it or I found a work around by clearing my cache. (As you can see I'm not great at getting the pictures where I want them but they are there!)

Still no icons

How disappointing that I still have no icons. I have sent emails to Blogger with no response. I have so many pictures to share. Lots of hand dyed fabric and it all wants to be cut up and put back together. Today was a work day so I wasn't able to comply with their requests. Wednesday will be the day. I've played with all the different tecniques of sewing together curves of fabric but the one that I like the best is simply fusing them down. Anything else is too slow for the creativity. So, for now I create in my head. Back to work tomorrow.

No pictures

Well, I guess I'm not going to get the icons for posting a picture tonight so you will just have to imagine the great fabrics we dyed last weekend. Tonight I lay here high on anti-inflamitories. Hip bursitus has popped back up and I can't do anything but lay here and let it recover. No playing in the studio. I can, however, use Corel Draw to record my ideas ande put some color and form to them. The faster I get them out of my head the faster I can get to sleep at night.

Dreamin an Schemin

As it is on work day. Sitting at working dreaming about what I want to do in the studio when I get there. With three years until retirement you have to know that I really appreciate the time I get to spend in my studio. For now I plan and scheme. I have a large blue piece on the wall, it is half quilted awaiting my arrival. I promise a picture tomorrow before I leave for work.

The ideas they come

I took this picture one day right after it had rained. The reflcetion of the window on the wall with the drops was really interesting and I wanted to capture it. There is a piece in here somewhere.

Second stamped and painted fabric

I discovered only too late that the ink I got for stamping is not permanent. I tested it and it washed out. Sooooo....I used fabric paints to stamp with and really like the look.

As an after thought I realize that most of my art quilts most likely won't be washed anyway. When I sell a piece I give the purchaser a large piece of tule that is the same size as the piece and tell them how to put it over the top and vacuum the piece. Just a simple dusting through the tule usually freshens the piece up.

Stamping and Painting continued....

Finally got some photos taken of the fabric that I stamped and painted over the weekend.

No time for fun today, the dogs need attention and so does the house. Such is life, sometimes we just have to put off playing. And while I am cleaning and scrubing I can dream and scheme about the next journey I will take.

Finally the icons

I am so excited to see that I finally have icons. I can post photos and change text and everything. Funny how the simple things excite us.

Ok, down to business. This last weekend I played with stamping and painting on fabric. I had a couple of piece of hand dyed fabric that I wanted to overdye because they had come out lighter than I wanted. I decided to use them to play with prior to overdying them. When I got done painting and stamping them I fell in love with them. Not sure how to use them but I sure like the texture of painting and stamping. More stamps more paint..... now.
Above are two of the pieces that I cut up and did some simple strip pieceing with. The stamping adds such depth to the fabric. I"m afraid that this is going to become an obsession that will cut into my time. I will have tons of hand dyed, painted and stamped fabric and not want to cut into any of it.

Along the Journey

This weekend has been a study in painting and stamping fabric. Cutting it up was the hardest part.