Spring!

Art Cloth: First Process

I'm working on a few pieces for Rockford's Spring Artscene that is coming up mid-April. Emmanuel's Celebration Gallery is once again hosting an exhibit. According to the Rockford Area Arts Council, there will be 41 galleries participating this year! The theme of our exhibit is "Sacred Seeds: Emergence" and we'll have about 15 artists represented. Along with the art, we always have the best food, live music and this year, artists will be demoing.

This is a piece of art cloth that started out as black cotton sateen. I've just finished discharging it in 3 steps. I wanted to see what I could bring to the piece by first scrunching the cloth and painting on Soft Scrub with a brush. 2nd step - masking off areas to represent a bit of nature shooting out of the ground. 3rd step - using a very fine tip from a plastic bottle, I squirted curvy lines to represent growth; finished with lots of tiny droplets. I'm keeping an eye on it, hoping what I've done with the 3rd step will discharge to an off-white before I rinse and de-chlor.

My plans at this point are to add some color with oil pastels, then we'll see how it looks. I want to hang this piece as art cloth, but am unsure of how to hang it properly so it lays nicely. Any thoughts?

Update: the wise ones from Quiltart have given me lots of wonderful ideas - thanks everyone!

Flowers of Yo

Clover has these neat yo-yo makers - easy, yes...but don't get too freaked by their printed instructions. I purchased the small flower one at the store last week and realized that today would be a good day to try them out. Side note: it has been raining for two days and I needed some signs of spring, even if those signs were fabric flowers...my first two are in this photo. Small print cottons, batiks are pretty.

















Here's the package it comes in, with the two parts, disk and plate.
















You start with a circle approximately 4 1/2 inches around. Place the wrong side of the fabric on top of the plate, then snap the disk into place on top of the fabric. As you can see from the photo, there are little notches and what looks like curvy cut-out sections. Knot one end of a piece of strong thread and as you fold the fabric down, you make stitches through the disk and the plate (next photo-back side). Go all the way around, finishing where you started, having your thread next to your knot.












Take another shorter piece of thread, knotted, and stitch through the center, starting from the back side. Finish as above.
















Pop the disk out, then gather the center stitches and secure with a tight knot. Grab the ends of the outer stitches and pull tight, adjusting your gathers as you go around. Pull out the petals when you're done, and again after securing your stitches. It will be small...the finished size is about 2 inches around.













Sorry about the color on this photo, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like. The yo-yo is much prettier, especially with a pearl in the center.

For Krissy's Eyes Only

Since she finally asked how to find my blog when we were at work last night...well, Miss Krissy, this one's for you!

A little greeting from Elsa the tabby!

What is it?

If you can guess what this is, I'll send you a little goodie!

I'll be heading down to the basement late tonight with Jason when he returns home from seeing "Coraline" with friend Ashley. Jeff and I stayed home and watched "Religulous" (liked it, although we thought it dragged a bit after the visit to "Holy Land Adventure."

Midnight class in Dyeing 101...maybe we'll be dunking what's in the photo.

Go ahead, give it a try -

WE HAVE A WINNER!!! Gabriela of Threadheadsanonymous guessed right...it is waffle muslin that we carry at Jo-Ann's (you can find it with the other muslins). I purchased a yard of this to see how it would take procion dyes. After I pre-washed it, all the little waffles disappeared as the weave tightened up. As soon as I put some color into it, I'll post the results...I'm very curious.

Gabriela...send me your address ~

Shisha 4

The evolution of play. A larger mirror. Two colors of perle cotton around the mirror. Other stitches and some french knots. Reddish shell coins. Tropical floral cotton in the hoop.

Starting this coming Sunday, we will be displaying samplers for the upcoming art workshops at Emmanuel. This will be one of mine...it will be attached to something. Maybe a purse?

Bla-gone-jevich

Now we can get this state working again...

Shisha 3 and Art at Emmanuel

Well, I've moved up to a larger embroidery hoop and have started working with larger circle mirrors (like the one that didn't make it in the shot very well), and some small square mirrors. I didn't even think about the fact that those could present a challenge, so I just started with the anchor stitches the same way, then went around all the edges. On the corners, I put the needle in the fabric just to the left of a corner, then did it the same way just to the right of the corner. I finished with a few more fill-in stitches. I could now go back and do more fill-in, but I'm happy with how it looks. More texture, more dimension, yes...

On another note, our "Art at Emmanuel" group met this evening to brainstorm some upcoming events. We do have a trio of workshops already scheduled: encaustic collage, art from digital photography, and the shisha embroidery.

Our current exhibit, which is up until February 15th is called "Inner Passages." We are planning for the next exhibit which opens February 29th, and for our exhibit as part of Rockford's Spring Artscene, which will be in April. We got excited at the prospect of hosting an outdoor arts festival in July...

The First Couple

I can't resist...aren't they cute?

Shisa 2 and the Kid

It's been a challenge photographing the mirrors. If anyone has any thoughts, please let me know...
I've now finished 12 of them for the denim vest, having added beads to these two. I like. The process is fun and easy, so it could make for a nice art workshop at Emmanuel before Lent, and have the participants create a few to be added to a piece that can be displayed at a future exhibit in our Celebration Gallery.


Jason's self-portrait in a 4-part stencil. Very nice and cool.















Did he shoot this himself? I found it on Picasa. I'll ask. I know he was bored yesterday because he cleaned his room. It's been so cold here that school was canceled, so that has put off the rest of his finals until next Tuesday. I think he's okay with that, since he has been rehearsing his monologue for Drama class.
UPDATE: he DID set the camera up himself...



Stay warm if you're cold, you know, cuddle up to someone nice, or the quilt you may be working on.

Shisha Embroidery

Amazed 25 years ago when a co-worker embellished one of her Folkwear garments with shisha embroidery, I can't imagine why I waited so long to give it a try. There's this great tutorial on the process: Tutorial: Indian Shisha (mirror) Embroidery » Joyful Abode

I've done 8 of them so far and like most other hand work it's been very relaxing. Each one gets better looking. When I had the basic technique down, I found that I didn't like when the stitches were too close together and uniform (oh, there's one of those words that bug me). I experimented, still starting out with the basic technique, but letting go of having perfect stitches. If nothing else, I'll say that I love my mistakes, at least with the adventures in shisha embroidery. Fabrics with a looser weave, such as flannel, have worked better for me. My favorite threads, you ask? Laura's Artfabrik: Extraordinary hand dyed fabric and threads,
DMC #5 perle cottons, and I just picked up a couple of the "Watercolours" 3- ply cotton floss by CARON Collection Threads at our local stitchery shop. The mirrors are from Jo-Anns.






















The photo with the striped fabric in the hoop are mirrors that I hope to embellish a denim vest with. Using one strand each of the Watercolous and DMC Perle has worked very well and is giving me the texture that I crave. My plans are to cut around each one, leaving enough fabric to gather to the backs of the mirrors. Plus, it's more fun sometimes, to look at your little creations when they're sitting in a pretty container just waiting to be incorporated into your artwork. Last fall when I altered those denim jackets (and they were popular), I of course, didn't do one for myself. Jason found the vest in his closet of all places, and now that I've lost some weight, it fits me well.

Congratulations, Susan Lenz

CyberFyber is here! What an amazing exhibit that Susan Lenz has put together. You must check out the video...

CYBER FYBER VIDEOS: CYBER FYBER....The Exhibition

Happy Surreal Birthday to Me

I turned 54 today. It has been a most surreal day so far. The doorbell rang this morning and a florist delivered this beautiful floral arrangement that was from my sister Sharon and hubby Bob in Minnesota. What a delight! Then...this afternoon when I went to move it, the container broke in my hand - yes there was a little blood. Jason rushed to mop up the water and pick up the glass and I was scurrying around trying to find a substitute bowl (it was shaped like a small fish bowl). After the mess was cleaned up, then I looked at my finger. Lots of blood, little cut. Whew! I'm sure I'll find some blood on the kitchen floor later. Strange.




Our beloved Heather had died earlier last year and we just hadn't given much thought to getting a new kitty. I was really missing her, so I thought since it was a new year and my birthday was soon approaching, I'd check out the local shelter. I fell in love with this sweetheart after she nuzzled up to my nose and checked my hair out. She's a black and brown tiger tabby with gorgeous markings and the shelter's vet said that she was about 3 years old. A stray who's owner did not come for her after being called. I guess the Avid Microchip is a good thing. When we got her home last night, she hid under the bathroom sink most of the night, coming out a few times to eat, bless the litter box and let us know she was there but still a little skittish. Okay, flash forward to this morning. We couldn't find her. My friend Bobbie said that their Linus hid out for 5 days before she made her presence known all the time. I was trying hard to think of that, but was panicked when I thought she might have sneaked out when Jason ran to get the school bus this morning. We all looked. Before I left the house today, I memorized how the pattern of the food in her bowl looked. Jason looked when he got home. No where to be found. Well, when I got home, I noticed the food in her dish looked different!!! Hurray - she was in the house! And where do you suspect she was hiding? Right where any quilter's cat should be...in the studio! Definately surreal.
11:30 pm. update: We have named her "Elsa" ~

My other sister Barb, who I haven't talked to in a very long time called. It felt good, boy was that needed.

To finish up my birthday story, I found out that 54 years ago, someone famous was born this day...are you ready for this? Mr. Bean. End of story.

Jason and his artwork

I just finished a quilt for my grand-nephew, which was commissioned by his parents, so as soon as I get some photos after it has been hung, I'll share them with you. It's been quite awhile...it's been a challenging few months. Until I get going with my blog again, I'll show you what our son has been up to!

This past October for Rockford's Fall Artscene, he sold his first piece - it was a small collage called "Blue Monday" and had one of his great stencils on it of Kurt Vonnegut. Here's what's new (and a few things I found in one of his photo folders:




Sticker art - Jason's graffiti alphabet.










The "Seamster" - I gave him my old sewing machine and showed him how to make fleece socks.

The Nordic Batman - summer goofing around.














Painted Polaroid print of Jason and a few of his spray colors. Since he's 17 now, he can purchase spray paint without our consent.

















His newest piece with 4 layers of stencils - titled "I Was a Teenage Feminist."

















Collage - a stencil of Max (from the film "Pi") and an image from "Jurassic Park."












Bobby Darin with a side of Woody Allen.

Greenwich 2008

Twice in a month? Here are some shots from the 60th Annual Greenwich Village Art Fair, sponsored by the Rockford Art Museum. It RAINED all weekend, but those die hard art enthusiasts always come out...I made sure to include a photo of the "Copper Passion" altered denim jacket that Carol Dean Sharpe was curious about ~


The last shot is of "Arusha," which I did finish this summer. If you check out a previous post, you can see how this one started out.