heathers3stars

Ocean Colors Palette - A new Journal / Photo Album Cover

2011-06-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

I was asked to create a cover for a photo album, sized 8" x 8" square. Instead of using my regular silk sari ribbon style textile art for the cover, I decided to get creative and try something new. In preparation for this project, I had rummaged through all of my fabrics and built up a huge pile of batiks in the "blue/green/teal" colorway. Because I just couldn't choose, I decided to use about 15 of my favorites!
Here is the resulting design:

This journal cover is embellished with tiny shell beads, swavorski crystals, and beaded elastic bands around the spine - plus, a few of my favorite fibers. If you look at a close-up photo of the far right-hand side of the cover, there is a little metal tag which reads "love" nestled among some of my favorite beads:

Art Quilt: "French Country Cottage Window Box"

2011-06-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is a new art quilt for my friend Linda in Australia. She requested a quilt to hang in her guest bedroom, which is decorated in stylish black and red with scrollwork linens and "French" accessories. When she mentioned that she'd love it to have a "French" feel, I knew this was a project I'd love to work on! I've always been drawn to the language and imagery of France, for both its natural beauty and the connection it has to my own heritage. Linda helped push me artistically with this piece, encouraging me to try a new style and feel, and to use an image which featured an angled background. I hadn't incorporated any architectural elements into my landscape quilts before this piece, and it was a delightful challenge! It is always a GOOD thing to try new things and expand my repertoire of fiber art skills : )

"French Country Cottage Window"

Imagery selected by: Linda Ellis

Constructed & Quilted by: Heather J. Reid

June, 2011

The finished piece measures 31" tall by 27" wide, and features a "French Country Cottage Window" filled with red flowers and trailing foliage. Fussy-cut leaves, flowers, and birds, all cut individually from commercially printed fabrics, are layered to create the scene. I selected Stonehenge "Cement" for the background wall, as it seemed perfect for the pale gray bricks in the background. I also used other Stonehenge fabrics for window, as the texture of these prints reminded me of distressed, peeling paint. Once the composition was complete, I outline stitched every single piece in place, then embellished with additional thread-sketching and decorative embroidery. I particularly loved stitching the little curly green tendrils of the trailing vines! Fabric dye markers and fabric paints were used to add highlights and shadows. Also, I used additional layers of batting to help create a very three-dimensional effect with the window and shutters, so these are raised on the surface of the quilt.

Last, I tried a new construction element - a double border edging. I read some tutorials and looked at several books to learn how to create this type of edging, and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I would have thought! I guess the words "Mitered Corners" sound more scary than they really are! : ) The effect it gives is definitely worth the trouble - the ivy overlapping the bottom and side inner borders creates a new level of depth in this piece. I'm very pleased with how it turned out!! : )

Foliage overlaps the bottom inner borders of the quilt, creating new dimension:

Fussy-cut leaves and flowers, all cut out by hand and stitched individually onto the surface of the quilt, then embellished with additional overstitching.

Also, you can see the stippling work on the inner border of the quilt, in variegated thread:

Lantern cut from a black batik, then masked and painted with luminous white fabric paint for a "shimmering" glass effect:

Little feathered friends come to visit the cottage! : )

Orange & Yellow "OWL" Composition Book Cover

2011-05-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last night I completed a little gift for my middle daughter - she LOVES orange and yellow, and she absolutely LOVES anything featuring owls. : ) I know she's going to be thrilled!!

This is a standard composition notebook cover (so it is easily refillable), with five special fabrics - three on the front, the lining, and the pockets which the notebook slips into. I chose some vivid orange and yellow batiks, and decided to feature this sweet multi-colored owl print fabric - it was just too adorable!! : )

It's all tied up with a pretty little satin ribbon with owls printed on it - seemed to be the perfect finishing touch!

A couple of things I did differently from my "usual" quilted notebook covers:
The spine is a fancy fabric trim sewn vertically along the halfway point between the two sides. Makes a nice finished look on the "bound" edge of the notebook when closed. (Just have to have something like this that matches the color of your fabrics!! Mental note...find more wide fabric trims...)

Also - this time instead of wrapping fibers and couching them down, I used some special orange metallic ric-rac, some yellow and gold braided trim, and some very fancy ribbon-embroidered trim along the wavy edges of the fabric seamlines.

I can't wait for my daughter to see this!! : ) I'm making several of these to have personalized gifts on hand, and for listing on etsy - it's really fun to coordinate the fabrics and trims - instant gratification type projects : )

If you'd like a personalized notebook cover featuring YOUR favorite colors, theme, or size of notebook - just contact me at heather3stars@yahoo.com - I'm always happy to help : )

~ Enjoy!! ~

Betsy Tacy Tib - Childrens' Books as Inspiration

2011-05-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

I'm finding more and more that childrens' books offer the BEST inspiration - don't we all have those few special books which hold a huge amount of sentimental value? We can remember snuggling up with someone we love, spending hours listening and gazing, being captivated and mesmerized by the possibilities of imagination...having different worlds revealed to us with the simple opening of a book - enveloping us more and more with the turn of each page - teaching us morals, culture, history, and so much more... ("Read to your children or grandchildren!!!")

I have recently discovered "Betsy Tacy Tib," after receiving a request via etsy to create a custom art quilt featuring an illustration from one of the books in the series. The woman who requested this piece has a particular fondess for these sweet stories. : ) They were published between 1940 and 1955, and were written by Maud Hart Lovelace. They follow the adventures of Betsy Ray (a character based on the author herself) and her friends and family, and they take place in the very late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the incidents in the books actually happened to Lovelace, and the other characters are based on the author's actual friends and family.

Here is the illustration which my artwork was based on:

I was particularly inspired by this illustration for a couple of reasons. First, because the image of three little girls reminded me of my own three daughters - and second, because I love to include large trees in my "illustrated" type art quilts - somehow trees often make their way into childrens' stories (The Little Prince's Baobab trees, for example) and sometimes are even the *center* of the story...ie "The Giving Tree."

As additional inspiration, the owner of this piece also provided me with a quote she chose from one of the books when she originally asked me to create this piece:

"It was June, and the world smelled of roses.

The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside."

Here are some photos of how the project turned out - it was delightful to get to work on!! : )

I chose a frame for this piece that looked both "vintage" and "girly" - and which complements the color of the tree. I left the glass off of the frame, so that the detailed texture can be seen more clearly.

Here is one close-up shot - I added some lace to the bodice of one's dress, and did a lot of overstitching - plus added a few more flowers and ground foliage than shown in the original illustration.

Here is a closeup shot of the foliage at the bottom of the tree - it is difficult to tell from the above photos, but each individual fern was cut out and placed with tweezers!! : )

This piece, measuring only 8" x 10", was created using 35+ different fabrics and fibers, either chopped up or fussy cut - plus at least 15 different colors of thread. It was really fun to get to choose the fabrics for their dresses - I shopped at several places to find some "period" style fabrics, with prints in a small enough scale. I found some "reproduction vintage prints" which I really think added to the overall feel of the scene - I think these prints give it a sense of time.

(Plus, it was just plain fun for me to get to shop around and pick them out ; )

In researching the Betsy-Tacy books for this piece, I found out that there is an active "Betsy-Tacy Society!" They were so helpful and gracious, and replied immediately to my questions via email from their website:

http://www.betsy-tacysociety.org/

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Here is a link to an etsy listing I have created, in case someone would like for me to create a similar piece, or a piece inspired by a different children's book:

heathers3stars Betsy Tacy Tib Art Quilt Listing

If you're unable to view that link, please feel free to email me at: heather3stars@yahoo.com

I'm always delighted to create custom items - especially those which will be treasured for sentimental reasons - it's my favorite sort of project to get to work on : )

~ Thank you for looking! ~

California Mountain Garden Art Quilt

2011-05-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I completed a project I've been working on for MONTHS!

This is a 32" tall x 60" wide piece called "California Mountain Garden Art Quilt."

This piece is based on a photograph of a woman's personal garden - with gorgeous apple trees, ferns, lush foliage and flower gardens - and an amazing stone path trailing through it all. I fell in love with the original photograph, and was so pleased to get to work on a piece of this size - created all in one huge piece!

This qult features a combination of pieced together fabrics, fussy cut commercial print fabrics, and some of my own floral designs printed on fabric - plus "confetti fabric." I built this quilt up in layers by section, and did lots of stitching and overstitching - and used several different fibers for the background trees, plus some Angelia fibers for sparkle and a "sunlit" effect over the entire quilt that is not really captured by these photographs.

Here is one of the original photograph from which I worked - taken by Lynn Shannon of her personal garden. Additional photographs of the garden areas in full bloom were also supplied by Lynn; I superimposed and combined several images to create the final piece.

It was an absolute delight to get to translate her photograph into a huge fiber arts piece - it is my hope that every time she looks at this art quilt, it "feels" like looking at her own garden in full bloom!

Also - I hope my respect for all of her hard work and artistic vision to create such an amazing garden is conveyed in this art quilt. : )

California Mountain Garden Art Quilt

by Heather J. Reid

32" tall x 60" wide

Original Photography & Inspiration by Lynn Shannon

May, 2011

Ground cover & florals with overstitching:

Pieced together floral fabrics & fussy cut fabrics with quilting and thread painting:

Apple tree with white fussy cut blossoms (all cut individually) with confetti background:

Ground Cover at the base of the Apple Trees - fussy cut ferns:

A snapshot of the back of the quilt on the lower left corner - lots of stitching!!

~ ENJOY!! ~

Monet's Waterlillies inspired Art Quilt - version 2

2011-04-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend I finished up a little project - this one was a 10x12.5" art quilt, inspired by Monet's Waterlillies. On this piece I tried a few different things - in preparation for the stitching I'll be doing on a 30x60" art quilt - I wanted to try some different overstitching and cutting techniques to create shapes for flowers and foliage. I think it worked out pretty well - I was getting a little tired of the same old "confetti" quilts with just "squares" - with this piece I created the Lilly pads with cut sections of a really neat sheer textured fabric - cut into oval shapes instead of tiny squares. Also with the "weeping willows" I tried cutting the fabrics in longer sort of elongated tear-drop shapes - it worked out really well!

Also - after taking a class awhile back with Lenore Crawford, I've been trying really hard to focus more on lights and darks in my work - so in this piece I took a "leap of faith" and actually added WHITE to the background with the blues - I was really afraid to do it - I covered it up with blue and then uncovered it again - I'm just not quite used to the extreme contrast - but it turned out really well!! So I also added much darker blues in the bottom section beneath the lillies in the water - I like the depth this gives as well. I think it will take a lot more practice to really blend it the way Lenore does - but I'm starting to get the general idea - and stepping outside my "comfort zone" really seemed to work this time! : )

Here are some photographs to see my newest version of this image - one of my all-time favorite Monet paintings. How can a person NOT be inspired by his work?? : )

The "binding" is just a simple silk sari ribbon "frame" - the vibrant colors in the silk really brings out the colors in the art quilt. This was my mom's idea - brilliant!! : )

Close up of the flowers, and Lily Pads - with overstitching:

Vertical closeup shot - how I cut the fabric into long curved strips for the willow trees, and the use of WHITE for contrast in the background:

PS - One last thng I changed in this version - I've started using more Kreinik threads and "Rainbow Blending filament" vs. just the Angelina Fibers. I unravel a whole mess of these sparkly threads, wad them into a loose ball, then start chopping it apart with scissors or a rotary cutter then sprinkle it on. Since I'm not using the heat properties of Angelina, I thought I'd try to find more - and less expensive ways to get the "sparkle" or "sunlight" effect that the Angelina gives. I used 4 colors of Angelina threads - very sparsely - but I'm also really happy with the variety of sparkling threads vs. only Angelina - also gives it more depth.

Enjoy!! : )

FREE DRAWING!!

2011-04-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

In honor of warmer weather coming - I'm hosting a fun little drawing for some GOODIES, in hopes of inspiring everyone to include a little more GREEN in their projects : )

Win one of my specialty fiber bundles,

in the colorway "GREEN!"

These fiber bundles are also available in my etsy store (and in MANY different colors!!) at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heathers3stars?section_id=7784573

This batch of fibers contains 2 generous yards each of 15+ different fibers.

HERE'S HOW TO WIN!!

Create a new project - big or small, featuring the color GREEN!

***Please email your NAME and EMAIL along with ONE (1) photograph of your project to: heather3stars@yahoo.com

I will post ALL entries on my blog using FIRST NAME and photograph (unless you specify in your email that you would NOT like me to share your project on my blog). If you'd like additional contact information (such as your etsy store, blog, etc) added, please indicate that as well - I'm happy to post it for you : )

The winner of the drawing will receive notification from me on May 5th, 2011, at which point I'll need the shipping address to send the fibers to.

Be creative - have fun -

think "GREEN" -

and share your photographs with all of us!!

~ GOOD LUCK!! ~

Hydrangea Pillow - version 2

2011-04-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

The other day I finished up an art pillow, using the "confetti" technique - this one features hydrangeas which is similar to one I created before, with a new twist: FOLIAGE!!
I decided that hydrangeas really do have leaves, contrary to MOST depictions -
and it was really fun to see the colors come alive when the green was added!

Before: (version 1)

After: (version 2!)

Closeup of one of the leaves:

Also on this version #2, I added a little flower adornment - it features a vintage-style metal and rhinestone bloom-shaped center, with layers of the different fabrics I used in the actual pillow cover - plus, a very special hand-dyed vintage lace piece (variegated greens).

I kind of like the green! That could be because the warmer weather is finally coming - I think I have "Spring Fever!" We just moved to a new house (after living in a 3rd floor apartment for years and years!), and there are baby sprouts of green coming up everywhere in the gardens - I'm so excited to see them popping out of the ground!! I can't wait to see what kind of plants they really are!! I feel a bit like the "Little Prince" waiting for his rose to be revealed - I'm so lucky to have plants and flowers again - it's great, great fun : )

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So, my "tip of the day" is:

Add a little bit of GREEN to your next project!

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Mini Fabric Art Collage - "Wildflowers in the Forest"

2011-02-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I got to go to 2 days of classes with Lenore Crawford. It was amazing!!! This was a Christmas present from my mom - (she's the best) - and I learned SO MUCH!! I would encourage EVERYONE to take one of Lenore's classes sometime - here is a link to her website:

http://www.lenorecrawford.com/

I have been very busy working on a large art quilt, which I will post soon - however I wanted to share this little piece I started in Lenore's class, and finished up just today. This technique is so FUN!!

This piece is created from tiny little squares of several different fabrics - all overlapped to create a "forest scene" with wildflowers. There is also a bit of hand painting detail on this piece.

I'm already thinking of ways to adapt this - my head is literally spinning with ideas - I'm inspired and motivated all over again!! Sometimes a little art class is all you need : ) *NEED* I say!!!

I'll be posting more again soon! In the meantime here are a few more photos of this piece, including some close-ups which show the technique and detail a little more clearly. Enjoy!!!

See? It looks like a bunch of jumbled squares close-up, however from a distance they all blend together into one cohesive piece. It is really interesting to think about fabric prints in this way - almost like putting a puzzle together. And best of all - a whole project can fit into ONE ziploc baggie - I'll be bringing projects like this with me everywhere from now on!! : )

Silk Sari Ribbon Owl Pillow

2011-01-14T03:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight I finished up a previous project - a little Owl, which I made into a pillow tonight. I made the owl using silk sari ribbon textile art, leftover from creating pillows, along with bits of colorful fabric, vintage lace, and vintage jewelry pieces.
I layered the owl on a broze hand-dyed fabric, trimmed the edges with brown velvety ric-rac style trim, and made an overlapping style back for ease of putting in a pillow form.
I'm really happy with this little pillow! Maybe I should make one for myself!! : )

Starter Art Journal Pages

2011-01-13T02:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a long while, as I've been VERY busy with several different projects - one HUGE one which I'm extremely excited about - and several other smaller ones.
It's about time for me to post something new!!

Here are a few things I've done over the past couple of weeks:

First, I created a "Starter Art Journal" for a friend on etsy. She had previously purchased one of my silk sari ribbon album covers, and wanted an "artsy" inside for it as well : ) So - I tore, layered, stitched, ripped, assembled, and even pre-painted a few pages - adding edgings here and there, hidden pockets here and there - it was a pretty fun project, and made me miss my art journaling - I'm inspired to get going on that again for myself now! : )

Here are a few of my favorite pages - I ended up making three separate "books" which were about 10 pages each. I included all sorts of different papers - ephemera, graph paper, maps, brown paper bags, and of course all the specialty papers I can't resist - mulberry, lace paper, handmade papers, textured vellum, transparencies, botanical inclusion paper, etc.

Lots of texture, ripped edges, layered pages, and a "variety pack" of cool papers!

Most of the pages were stitched by machine to create "blocks" - pre-prepared for art journaling - just add paint, stamps, writing, photos, ephemera, calligraphy, embellishments....when do you STOP, really??!

Some of the silk sari ribbon projects I've done lately - pillows, journal covers, and wall pieces - end up with nice little edges that get trimmed off. I love to recycle these onto journal pages - it looks as if I spent hours creating a special border for this page! Really, it's just a "trimming" from a previous project - it's great to NOT waste anything!!

Mmmmmm, handpainted papers - botanical papers...combined with brown craft paper, bits of black, and a sponged edge - ink through sequin waste ribbon creates the dots...woudln't this be a fun journal to begin working in? WAY better than starting with a blank page! : )

Sew around three sides of a commercially printed transparency, and you have an instant "pocket" for photos or other little goodies like love notes, ticket stubs, etc.

Aside from these little "starter journals" I also made a few more sheets of "Confetti Fabric" - Purple, Red, and Aqua this time. The red piece actually includes pieces of red holiday tinsel - the kind sold in the big packages to use as gift basket fillers. I really liked the festive effect it gave - and I'm considering some Christmas cards next year using more pieces like this! Very sparkly and shiny : ) Maybe even Valentine's Day cards!! Then I'd get to use them much sooner...

(One of my earlier posts shows a step-by-step TUTORIAL on how to make this!)

My last little project to report for today - I finished up a quilted & embellished art journal/calendar cover. This one was to be "Light Blues" - but somehow evolved into an "Ocean" theme - mainly because I bought these adorable fish beads and *needed* to use them on something!! : ) The fish looked a little lonely though - and sort of out of place - so then I gave them a habitat. What was fresh on my mind, but confetti fabric! I've found a new use for it - tear a chunk off and place it at the bottom of a journal cover. Instant glorious underwater scene! I'm really happy with how this turned out! This was a piece of confetti fabric I made a few months ago, featuring aqua, teal, and yellow. I did quite a bit of overstitiching to add more greens and blues to it - to help it blend in with the fabric colors. I've never featured a piece of my own original textile art on the front of one of my journals before - but I think this might end up being a new trend of mine now!

I probably won't be posting much over the next couple of weeks, becuase I'm working on a HUGE 60" wide by 33" tall art quilt, featuring a gorgeous garden in Colorado. I'm just THRILLED about this project - however I will need to focus almost all of my creative energy on it for awhile -

I'll post photos of that project soon!

Fabric Art Pillows - "Mrs. Hoot!"

2010-12-03T01:31:00.000-08:00

My mom had the cutest idea - creating a little owl art quilt pillow. It began with the fabric which you see on the eyes of this whimsical little owl - she looked at it and said "This fabric would make perfect owl eyes!!" So, she just began free-cutting shapes and fused them together - then added bits of dainty vintage lace, and vintage jewelry pieces - and look how sweet it turned out!!

Mrs. Hoot has dressed herself up for a little party, making her own "Altered Couture" style of vintage clothing - (she's obviously been reading Belle Armoire magazine) - all dressed up in her finest pretties and jewels. Wonder what kind of party she'll attend? : )

This owl pillow features silk sari ribbon textile art remnants (leftover from my art pillows on etsy), bright printed fabrics, vintage lace and jewels, rose-shaped acrylic cabochon eyes, free-motion embroidery, and 3d layering for a really unique little pillow on green damask weave fabric.

This pillow sold the very day I listed it on etsy, so I created another -

this might end up being a very fun series!! : )

Sometimes leftover scraps from old projects make the *best* embellishments for new projects!

~ Enjoy!! ~

Wire Cookie Rack - Whimsical Mixed Media House

2010-11-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

My girls and I just LOVED the cover art on Cloth Paper Scissors latest issue - (November/December 2010). It shows Andrea Ockey Parr's "Quirky Cookie Houses" made from wire cookie cooling racks!
They are so whimsical and adorable - and my girls love to get messy in the art room, so we had a great time making these! They are very easy to do - just go thrift-store shopping for a few wire racks to cut up (we discovered that the thinner ones work best) and prepare to get a little messy!

Bryanne's is finished - her favorite colors are yellow and orange, as you can see! She wants to add a bit more embellishment later - but I couldn't resist sharing her latest creation : )

I hope you adore her little creation as much as I do!

~ Enjoy! ~

Holiday Art Quilt - Little Red Cardinal

2010-11-21T15:23:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite back issues - "Quilting Arts" Issue #34 - In this issue, there is a wonderful article by Karin Winter called "Quilted Pet Portraits" - I decided to try creating a bird from several different layered scraps of fabric combined with thread painting, as her how-to article describes.

Here are some photographs of how my little red cardinals came out! : )

And so - I had to create a little "home" for this particular bird, as he was so sweet!
I used the "Impressionistic" style art quilting to create a background for him, with greens and bits of red and white and yellow for contrast - I also used some pre-cut felt snowflakes, the kind you find in a craft store for making kids' crafts! They were perfect trapped under the tulle - added a little bit of wintery effect to the sky, especially when overstitched with metallic silver thread!

I chose to bind this little 16.5" x 15" quilt with forest green binding strips - added an even more festive effect than my usual black binding - reds and greens and blues are great for a holiday feel.

~ Enjoy! ~

Little Prince Art Quilt #3

2010-11-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

This is my newest "Little Prince" art quilt, version #3. I'm so happy with it! I took some of the best components of the previous two quilts, added fur-type fabric for the sheep, and added an additional character to this quilt - the fox! He was a bit of a challenge - but LOTS of fun, and I love how he looks : ) I might have to make a few more little foxes on different backgrounds for fun!

I'd love to share (with permission) what my friend Sheri said about this quilt when she first saw the photographs. It was the most amazing "review" of my work - I've never heard things described in this way - she is a brilliant writer about art - just chatting with her on etsy gave me such inspiration and clear definition of my own styles. She wrote this and had it sent back to me within 15 minutes of me sending her the link to the photographs - so I know it was an instant response, honest and heartfelt - pure emotion after viewing this piece - she called it "spontaneous combustion" in another note! ; ) Pretty amazing writing for a "combustion!" Anyway, I just had to share this - because it isn't every day you receive a response like this to your work, where you realize someone else in this world TRULY "GETS" your message!!

Here was her response:

"I love the how you've selected fully saturated colors, mixed with pops of bright and vivid jewel tones. Even the hematite grey of the planet is so rich! The green, red, and yellow primaries are an eye magnet, but there's so much energy and movement all around, that my eyes bounce back and forth from the main focal elements (prince and rose), then to the sheep, the fox; then to the glittering background sky, the dense foliage, down the trunk of the tree, and back to the little prince again!

I am still in awe of how you've incorporated all of our best loved characters, and married them with your ingenious interpretation of that enormously majestic baobab tree emerging boldly from its floral textured planet, fantastical shimmering multihued sky, twinkling golden stars, and splendid swirls (which remind me of other galaxies)! The fox is perfect and so pretty. He looks proud, wise, and oh so proper in his sitting posture! Maybe his big fluffy tail makes him just a tinge vain. hehe ;) Your sweet little conflicted sheep, has a such a stressed out expression, as if he has doubts about being bad (nibbling on the rose). The little guy is also so soft visually (and probably more so in person) that I want to gently touch him with my index finger, through the monitor, just to feel the bounce of the cushy fabric.

Last, but the most special is our hero, the little prince in reclined pose, with his ever concerned thoughts of caring for his vulnerable, yet surly precious rose . . . extending one arm tenderly as if to hug and protect her. Very, very, sweet!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much, Sheri - for sharing with me your response

to seeing this quilt for the first time - it was so touching and inspiring to me : )

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Here is a link to the "Photobucket" slide show - feel free to visit the link

to see even more photographs of this new quilt! : )

Link to Slide Show

~ Enjoy! ~

Purple, Silver & Gold - Sari Ribbon Baby Album

2010-11-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

This is a special album cover I created for an etsy order - featuring the layered silk sari ribbons and loopy spine trim. The purchaser wanted this album cover for a 12" x 12" album, for her first baby, and requested purple since she didn't know the gender of the baby yet.
Donna at Field's Fabrics helped me out quite a bit with selecting coordinating fabrics, as I was a little stumped on how to include silver and gold - as I haven't ever really combined the two colors together! She was a huge help to me (I love shopping there!) - and I'm so grateful!!

Here is how it turned out! : )

~ Thank you for looking! ~

"The Little Prince" Customized Art Quilt

2010-10-27T01:06:00.000-07:00

I have been in communication with a new friend via etsy - and all I can say is that it has been SO fun and inspiring!! I was asked to create a special, large wall-hanging style art quilt featuring "The Little Prince" and his Rose, in a similar style to the quilt I had published in Quilting Arts Magazine - except much, much larger! Whimsical images paired with textured fabrics and an "Impressionistic" style background make this piece unique and delightful - reminiscent of the original book's illustrations (the inspiration for this piece).
On this piece I experimented with some new background surface design - building up layers of fibers and stitching mixed with Shiva paintsticks and hand-stitching. The combination of even machine stitching against the scattered, uneven hand stitching creates even more surface interest than in some of my previous pieces.
I also played with some hand-dyed lace, used as appliqued leaves for the Rose - which is also extra-special, created from special silk ribbon in variegated reds using ribbon-embroidery (classic spider-web rose).
I pulled out "all the stops" on this piece, because I knew it would be a treasured keepsake - a very special gift - and I wanted it to be worthy of the occasion it commemorates for its new owner.
In the photos you'll see so many different techniques - those mentioned above, plus many more embellishment and surface design and art quilting techniques - this was truly one of those pieces for me that was difficult to stop - as I realllly enjoyed this theme and the creative freedom I was given - this is truly "my style" art quilting : )

Finished piece measures aprox 30" wide:

The Little Prince is tending to his Rose....

Ribbon-Embroidered Rose with hand-dyed lace leaf applqiues:

"Falling Star" - Fairy Frost Fabric appliqued and surface-embellished with Shiva Paintstiks, with trailing tendrils of metallic mesh - outline stitched by machine and by hand,

with hand-sewn twisted gold bugle beads:

Left: Extensive overstitching on sunrays, in variegated threads, then overpainted with fabric dye.

Right: "Orbits" and background planets created using fussy-cut swirly motifs from Van Gogh's "Starry Nights" commercially printed cotton fabric (purchased at Field's Fabrics!):

"Impressionistic" style background in variegated blues created

a perfect "Celestial" background for this "Little Prince" planet scene:

~ Thank you for veiwing my latest project!! ~

Latest etsy project - French/Parisian Inspired Journal Cover

2010-10-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Recently I got an order for a custom journal cover which was so fun, I just had to share.
It is "French Inspired" - and I was given a specific color palette to work with: pale pink, black, and silver.
It was a LOT of fun to work in this range! And I love how "Diva" the results are - which is exactly the kind of effect she was going for!
(Here is a link to her website - where you can see her GORGEOUS hand-painted furniture - it's amazing!)
http://www.trulyscrumptiouss.com/

This customized cover is made to cover a 12"x12" journal/photo album, and features layered/textured sari ribbon fiber art for the main background. In the center a wavy-edged inner "frame" is created using pink textured silk, with glitzy silver metallic ric rac edging - all around the central embroidery, which is "The Family Of" - then the family's name - all free-motion embroidered in a fancy swirling script text. The cover is also adorned with large, trailing black rose appliques, which have satin-stitched vines/leaves, and large organza petals with ribbon-embroidered centers for the roses. It is all topped off with small pink swavorski hot-fix crystals to add some sparkle and glitz, and a dozen different coordinating ribbons adorn the spine to add a romantic feminine touch as well as tactile interaction.
The result is a truly gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, completely customized piece of art to grace the cover of a very special photograph album, art journal, or book.

Here are a few photos of the finished cover:

I am happy to create another custom art journal cover,

either in a similar theme/color selection, or in your own colors!

Please email me at heather3stars@yahoo.com for details,

or visit my etsy store at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heathers3stars.

Wildflowers - Mini Art Quilt

2010-10-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

"Wildflowers" is a frameable small art quilt featuring lustrous silk sari ribbon flowers, with batik fabrics for the sky and foliage. A sweet floral scene with variegated overstitching embellishment. It is mounted on heavy white matboard and is titled and signed. Art quilt piece measures 4.5" wide by 6.25" tall, and the matboard measures 8.5" x 11" (standard size).
My mom and I actually collaborated on this piece as well - we had a LOT of fun picking out fabrics and layering the backgrounds!! : ) I'm in the process of making several of these, in different variations. I really love combining all of these little pieces of fabric - it's so fun!! I've started researching different flower types, especially wildflowers, and began a journal to draw outlines of the flowers - repetitively - to help me get the feel for their different shapes. I think this will help a lot when I cut them out - I'd like to be able to say I free-cut them instead of drawing the outlines first. I'm looking for a couple of good books that might have the vintage-style, very simple coloring and outlining, with the common names for various wildflowers - it should be a fun hunt!! A few I'd like to try so far are Coneflowers and Iris (which I'm trying to perfect) - and Lily of the Valley, Aster, Bachelor Buttons, Crocus, and Forget-Me-Not - and maybe some violets. Oh! And Pansies - for my grandmother : )

"Wildflowers" Matted Art Quilt by Heather J. Reid

A close-up view of the flower and stitching detail:

Last, here is a quick snapshot of the back, to see how much stitching there is on this one tiny piece!

(You can see why I use "Bottom Line" thread for the backs of pieces like this!!)

This piece is available in my etsy store at:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/58923138/wildflowers-frameable-art-quilt-perfect

(If you don't see this piece available anymore for purchase, let me know - I can create something especially for you or reproduce this particular piece.)

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Try making some mini art quilts for yourself!!

They are super fun - if there is anybody out there who would like to trade with me some batik fabrics or cotton printed fabrics (ones which might be suitable for this kind of scene) - I'm especially short on beiges and ivory...I'd be happy to do a "swap" with you! Just email me (heather3stars@yahoo.com).

Sailboat on Lake Michigan - A Fiber Art Quilt Collaboration

2010-10-01T02:58:00.000-07:00

"Sailboat on Lake Michigan"

by Carole Nyenhuis & Heather Reid

September, 2010

This is a collaborative art piece, created by me and my mother. She tossed me this magnificent art quilt and said "I'm just sick of it." Ha! Have a look - and marvel with me at why she was frustrated ????! All it needed was a sailboat - and a little "thread painting."

This quilt is created using over 40 different types of fabrics, and 20+ types of threads. Texture....texture.

Pieced together textured fabrics create a base for confetti art quilting, fiber art, and thread stitching and painting. And then there is MORE thread painting...I simply couldn't stop!

The foliage and beach is reminiscent of Lake Michigan in the summertime, complete with a sailboat meandering along the water.

Detail Photographs:

This quilt is available for sale on etsy at:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57807081/sailboat-on-lake-michigan-art-quilt

Please feel free to leave comments -

I really want my mom to know what a wonderful job she did!! : )

Color Palette Challenge - Cream, Olive, and Rust

2010-09-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

My friend Rosanna asked me to create a special art journal for her friend's birthday. Rosanna already had an art journal I had made using the silk sari ribbon, frayed and sewn in rows in layers with beading - for her friend she wanted something similar but with a completely different color scheme. I gravitate towards bright colors - and a lot of them! - so it was a real creative challenge for me to use a specified set of colors, but it really inspired me to begin thinking more about the colors I don't normally use. The more I worked with this color set, the more I liked it! Plus, it feels very "fall" - and fall is definitely here in Michigan. I'm happy with how this turned out - and I'm already thinking of ways to incorporate these colors into my other pieces - I love the sophisticated effect they have!

I rummaged through my fabrics and supplies, and discovered that I didn't really have very many materials to work with in this color range - I had a LOT of of fun shopping and picking up some fresh new fabrics and beads - here are the supplies I ended up working from. I share these photos because maybe now this color palette will inspire someone else as well! : )

Last but not least, the silk sari ribbons! : )

Here is the finished art journal:

Front Cover - Layered Silk Sari Ribbon stitched in rows, embellished with beading, along with black stamped letters on canvas - all layered onto a colorful batik, then candlelight silk dupioni, and an olive/cream foliage themed batik background.

Ribbons on spine laced through grommets inset in the spine, which not only looks pretty but is functional too as it anchors the inner rings which hold the inside pages.

Close-up view of the silk sari ribbon panel - it was difficult to choose which beads to use, because I love them all! : )

Inside front cover - customized label.

Inside pages - a "variety pack" of special papers, including handmade, vellum, metallic inclusion, botanical inclusion, foiled, stamped, glassine envelopes, and handmade paper.

My art journals are available for custom order at:

Heathers3stars shop on etsy

~ Embrace the colors of fall! ~

Final Photographs - "Enchanted Forest"

2010-09-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

My past few posts have been about an art quilt I have been making for the past couple of months. It is a HUGE triptych form art quilt, with a midnight blue swirly tree (silhouette effect), a sunrise sky, and lots of little "characters" including birds, butterflies, dragonflies, flowers, and even a little frog. It has been an absolute joy to work on this quilt, for my friend in Australia. She is so wonderful - and I wanted this quilt to be amazing for her. A couple of months in the making - this quilt has evolved from a rough crayon sketch to my best piece of work ever - I'm so proud!!
My whole family got involved in the final photography of this quilt - we wanted to capture it fully before I sent it overseas. (Thank you to everyone who helped!!)

Here are the final photographs:

First, here is a photo of the piece hanging above a queen-sized bed, to help see the scale of this quilt - it is very large, measuring a total of 58" wide by 30" tall (divided into two smaller outside pieces and one larger middle piece).

Here is a view of the entire quilt, with a black background:

Last, here are a few detail shots:

(see my previous postings to see how I created the birds!)

(I love how the bottom bird seems to be looking up at the bird on the top branch - reminds me of my daughters somehow ; )

Ground cluster work - created with bits and pieces of green variegated boucle yarn, confetti fabric, fussy-cut commercially printed fabrics (VanGogh's Iris Flowers), all stitched beneath water soluble stabilizer. Once the stabilizer was washed away, I did additional stitching and overstitching, and also used fabric dye pens to highlight and shade areas of color. Very fun technique!!

I'm really pleased with how this turned out - and I'm so happy this piece is going to someone as delightful as my friend in Australia. This project really stretched me creatively and provided a wonderful challenge - I learned a LOT and I just can't wait for her to receive her package in the mail!! : )

More progress on an art quilt!

2010-09-08T03:48:00.000-07:00

I have been working on an art quilt for my friend Linda in Australia - as seen in my previous post.
We decided to add a groundline, with clusters of grass and foliage with iris flowers and some small pink flowers - and we've added several more birds, butterflies, and even a little hummingbird and frog!
Becuase the initial layer was already complete, I added this new foreground layer by laying on the small fabric pieces, and the cut out blooms (fussy cut from quilting fabric printed with VanGogh's paintings), and adhered by laying water soluble stabilizer, which was then stitched (extremely densely) with clear thread to make sure all of the little pieces were secure. Then I washed away the stabilizer - let the quilt dry, and begain coloring over this layer with some fabric dye markers and touches of Shiva Paint Sticks. I'm so proud of how it has turned out!!
At this point, we just need to finish up the stitching on the frog, lillypads and water plants, as they are not yet secured to the quilt (I'm waiting to see what Linda thinks of them!) - and then do a bit more stitching for outlining and shading on the additional birds, butterflies, and flowers. How many birds can you count? : )
After those are completed, we can put on the backing fabric with hanging sleeves and binding!
I'm so happy with how this is turning out - Linda's initial vision for an "enchanted forest" is coming true!
The next photos will be the *final* photos - I can't wait to share!

Left Side:

Right Side:

Iris Closeup:

Birds and butterflies in upper left side of the quilts - (still needs more stitching):

Closeup of the flowers, bottom left beneath the birds (this is on a seamline, there will be narrow black binding around all 3 pieces of this quilt):

Final photos coming soon! : )

Progress on an Art Quilt Triptych

2010-08-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report some progress on my latest project - an art quilt in triptych form with three very large panels. This quilt is for a very special friend of mine, and I wanted it to be perfect! So of course I began struggling with the design...I knew she wanted a large tree that swirled and curved which would spread over the three panels. I decided to work on the "main character" of the scene (the tree!) first, since it would be the largest focus of attention. As you see in a previous post, I roughly sketched in my idea for the tree on batting, just to get the scale and size in my mind. I decided it would be easier to work against a wall instead of on a table, so I taped up large pieces of freezer paper to begin sketching the tree again. It was much easier to work this way, because I could stand back and analyze, then go back to the wall and work again. After almost completely rubbing off the paper side of the freezer paper with my drawing and erasing (LOL!) I finally ended up with the large, swirling tree I had envisioned. I traced over it with black sharpie marker to allow for more contrast for a photograph, as this will be my template. I plan to iron these large pieces onto fabric to use as a template for cutting. I have some gorgeous deep blue variegated silk that drapes beautifully and has a lot of texture already with its shading - this might be perfect for the tree, but we'll see! : )

I've also made progress on the background!! I was up all night one night, happily working on this project - cutting, chopping, sprinkling fabrics...but as I grew more and more tired, I grew more and more frustrated. Nothing seemed to be working - the color combinations for the backgrounds just weren't "playing nice" with each other! I kept scraping up the little pieces and rearranging them - (have you ever tried to scoop up little pieces of fabric off of batting? They simply don't *like* to move!) - but nothing was helping. Either everything seemed too choppy or too boring. Finally I was about to give up for the evening to try again the next night, and I looked out my window. I live on a 3rd floor, and my view of the sky is amazing - there was the most *gorgeous* sunrise I had ever seen. Right in front of my very eyes!! It was so colorful, intense, but somehow calming...I quickly grabbed a piece of scratch paper and some crayons, because since I'm not really gifted when it comes to drawing, I knew I had to just capture the colors and their order vertically in the sky and their scale width-wise...I scribbled and scribbled madly for about 15 minutes before the sunrise completely changed. But I managed to document at least something close to that beautiful scene!! (In retrospect, I should have grabbed my digital camera!!) Anyway - the bottom of the sky looked blueish-purplish, then in the middle there was the softest pink which blended up into the most intense bright orange-pink - then almost gold, on up to orange-yellow, finally topped off with a soft pale yellow. It was really beautiful - and felt like a personalized gift from nature - "Here is your inspiration!"

The photo you see here only shows the chopped up fabrics on batting - this is only the beginning. The tulle layer and then the many many layers of stitching and overstitching will blend them all together into one cohesive piece. But - having this part finished is a huge amount of progress - and just seeing it come this far is inspiring me to work even harder!! : )

I'll be posting more progress soon! : )

Stitched & Quilted Bird - Experiment #1

2010-08-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on a very large art quilt - a commisioned piece for a wonderful lady in Australia. This will be another of the "Impressionistic Style" art quilts which I really love to create. She wants a forest type scene, with gorgeous birds, and some other "characters" such as dragonflies, toadstools, happy flowers, and a large swirling tree. This will be an extremely large piece (for me), and will be in the form of a triptych or a series of 3 art quilts which will hang side-by-side. The total width will be around 60" and the height will be around 30", so I will have two smaller rectanges on the sides measuring 17" x 30" and one in the center measuring approximately 22" x 30". It is going to turn out to be absolutely amazing - my Australian friend has such a gift for creative vision!

So far I have done the prep-work for this quilt - researched for possible images, preparing the large pieces of cotton batting fused to backing fabric (for stability), and marking out a 3" x 3" grid on the batting.
Here is a photograph which shows the batting, on which I have sketched out the initial design for the large swirling tree.

I have altered some of the branches since this photo - making them swirl down more on the center panel to allow for a pair of birds to perch. The birds will be Australian Blue Wrens - which are absolutely beautiful!! I haven't come across any images of these birds that I didn't fall in love with, so choosing just one image was pretty difficult - the most difficult part however, was deciding HOW to create the birds for this quilt. I consulted my stack of art quilting books and magazines - and came across my copy of "Quilting Arts" Issue #34. (I *love* Quilting Arts Magazine!!! Here is a link to their website: http://www.quiltingarts.com/ )

In this issue, there is a wonderful article by Karin Winter called "Quilted Pet Portraits" - I decided to try creating a bird from several different layered scraps of fabric combined with thread painting, as her how-to article describes.

Here are my "blues" - fabrics and threads! (You'll see I love to collect fabric and thread!!)

Here are the results of my first try - or "Experiment #1" - I love this style!! : ) You'll see my "inspiration" photograph along with the finished bird. This quilted and stitched bird will be cut out and applied as an applique to the larger art quilt later on - the background fabric showing was only used for stability while stitching, and to serve as a foundation to build up the layers of fabric on during the creation process.

It will look much different when it has been cut out and applied to the planned background scene.

A Close-Up photo of all of the stitching:

This one little bird took about 6 hours of cutting, stitching, layering, and stitching again...and again...and again!! I just kept using different variegated threads, filling in areas and going back over lines - adding texture - it was amazingly fun - I really love this style of art quilting.

This art quilt project is so inspiring - I completely love the colors and the scene, the whimsical style of images my friend selected - it has been a joy to work on so far. : )

I'll be posting more photos of this project soon!

I was published! August/September 2010 Quilting Arts Challenge - "How Entertaining!"

2010-08-02T00:52:00.000-07:00

I was delighted to receive my very own copy of August/September 2010 Quilting Arts in the mail today, along with a letter from Pokey. I'm absolutely thrilled to have one of my pieces published in the magazine!! It has been a long-time dream for me, and I'm especially happy that my first piece was a very sentimental one in honor of my grandmother's 80th birthday. I look forward to having my Poppies piece published as well! : )

I am posting a photograph of the cover of this magazine, along with a link of where to purchase it.

Here is the front cover (beautiful art quilt on the front!!):

Please visit Interweave's Store to purchase this issue of Quilting Arts - it is a *wonderful* magazine!!

Here is another picture of the quilt I had published in this magazine - please visit My Previous Post to read the full description on my blog of how I went about choosing this theme (The Little Prince) and how I went about making this quilt.

I am offering replicas of this quilt (the original is a gift to my grandmother for her 80th birthday) and custom-made art quilts (choose your theme or quote!) on etsy in my store.

Feel free to stop by and have a look!

Here is the link: "heathers3stars" etsy store page

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Thank you so much for visiting - I appreciate your comments very much! : )

Impressionistic Art Quilt - "Poppies with Blue Sky"

2010-07-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

I created another "Impressionistic" style art quilt over the past week. This was a custom art quilt for an order I received via Etsy, and I'm so very happy with the results!! I fussed a bit over the larger poppies, as usually I use fussy-cut fabric from commercially printed fabric for the main in-focus blooms. This stretched me creatively and I tried a few different ideas before finally settling on using the center from the commercially printed fabric and creating my own poppies using large fabric pieces cut into petals, with layers of chopped fabrics on top to help the blooms blend in with the rest of the quilt. On this piece I also did more "thread sketching" than I ever have before - there is an entire spool of black thread in this quilt! I love the effect that the heavy outlining gives and I think I'll do this more in the future.

This piece measures 25" long by 19.5" wide, and is not entirely finished yet - I need to add the binding, hanging sleeve, and a personalized label - but I couldn't wait to post the pictures anyway!! : )

Here is "Poppies with Blue Sky":

Here are some additional detail shots:

The only problem with creating custom orders is having to send them away in the mail!! ; )

Really - I'm so happy I got to create this piece for "Spook" on etsy - it was an absolute delight, and she is so encouraging and has such inspiring ideas. I'm very grateful to have been able to create this for her.

(Thank you!!!)

Another Sari Ribbon Pillow!

2010-07-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the new square-shaped sari ribbon pillow, part 2 of the custom etsy order I'm working on.
This one is to go along with the round one (previous post) and still includes aquas/blues/purples for the sari ribbon colors. I did a lot of extra beading on this one because I had so much fun with the colors!! I like the way the edging around the centerpiece turned out too - I used several different novelty yarns/fibers and twisted them together, and couched them down around the edge with a zig-zag stitch.

Also - on this pillow I added a couple of extra special touches, including sewing another border around the outside edge - although subtle, it gives it better shaping, plus reinforces the overlap on the backside of the pillow a bit more - to allow a bit more tug and pull as it is stuffed with a pillow form. Also, on the overlapping fabric on the back side, I added velcro closure, to make sure that the case will be completely secure.

Here are the photos!! : )

Last, this is how they look together!

Silk Sari Ribbon Pillow - Custom Etsy Order

2010-07-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

I met another wonderful person on etsy, who had the vision of using my silk sari ribbon pillow in a new and challenging way - and I'm so pleased with how it turned out! She had purchased new linens for a bedroom in royal blue, and wanted me to use only aquas/blues/purples for the ribbons, keeping the black background.
This wasn't quite the challenge - as these are my favorite colors as well! : )
The challenge was to create a *round* pillow instead of square - and I love how it turned out, so much that I might have to make one for myself!! I'm so happy she had the creativity to envision this pillow with only those colors being used, and round instead of square - not everyone can look at a photo of something and imagine it as something else entirely!! It was very inspiring.

Here is a shot of the pillow which she looked at originally,

or the "before" shot (which is also in another post on my blog):

Now, here are the photographs of the pillow I created, using her ideas!

(Please note: I have difficulty with my camera (or perhaps it is my monitor which has poor color quality), capturing the aquals/teals in any piece I photograph. To me, in person, this pillow has many more aquas and teals...I hope it is visible on other monitors, as I didn't play with the color balance on these photos at all like I usually do.)

This is created using high quality black cotton as the background, which I layered on top of fusible interfacing to help give the front side some shaping for its final form, as well as some sturdiness for sewing on layers of the silk sari ribbon. I had a lot of fun going through all of my skeins of silk sari ribbon to find all of the aquas/blues/purples - and I *love* how they look all layered together!! We opted for no trim, because I felt it would only detract from the design - it is already very textured and layered - a piece of textile art!

I did quite a bit of additional embellishment with hand-beading, and created a center of layered fibers sewn in swirls around the center, with some purple raw silk ribbon cut into a circle and layered for the centerpiece background. I tried using several different large beautiful buttons for the center - I even tried silk flowers, flowers I created with ribbons, layered fabrics, beading, etc - the center was a very tough decision! I eventually rummaged through all of my embellishments, and found the perfect piece of "bling" - a vintage jewelry piece that was in the shape of a flower, with the beautiful royal blue stones - which would match the color of her bedspread - perfect, if I do say so myself!! : )

Soon I will be posting another pillow similar to this one, except this time square - I'm excited to see how the two pillows will look side by side. I'm sure it's going to be gorgeous!

Custom Creation for Etsy - Silk Sari Ribbon Journal - "Passion" Theme

2010-07-09T02:38:00.000-07:00

A wonderful, very friendly and inspiring artist contacted me via etsy to create a custom order for her - an art journal that would be used for a round-robin style collaborative piece.

For now I am just going to post photos - however soon I will modify this post to include ALL of the details on how I went about this project. : )

I would love for any of my followers to visit the etsy page (at least!) of the artist who commissioned this art journal - she has amazing, whimsical style artwork!! Please visit Rosanna's Etsy Shop - and see her website links also - fabulous work!!

Here are the photographs for now (I'll update soon, I promise!!)

Inside front label page, with contact information for the owner of this new journal:

Heavy Textured Watercolor Paper - Cut in varying sizes to allow overlap and texture within the journal:

Colorful Inside Pages - a variety of different types of papers

A Close-up of the Silk Sari Ribbon Textile Art on the front cover of the journal:

A better view of the spine - and the silk ribbon which holds the inside rings in place:

One last photo - a different view of the front:

~ Thank you for looking!! : ) ~

Dyed Lace Appliques

2010-06-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been using DyeNaFlow dyes with venice lace fabric to create some really beautiful lace appliques. I love the colors!!
I am searching for more venice lace fabric - if anybody knows where to get some please let me know!
I'm looking for the kind that is very heavy, that you can cut apart into appliques.
Any help is appreciated!! : )

Here are some photos of the lace pieces I dyed - I sold several of these on etsy and now would like to make more for myself! I also used a few vintage doilies and other random lace pieces I had on hand - I really love the look of these.

Tutorial - Mixed Media Collage with Kids - "Art Lessons at Home!"

2010-06-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Please note: I started this post as a "Show and Tell" - however it may be used as an "Art Lesson" for children (adults will have just as much fun!!). Scroll down to the numbered section to get straight to the "Lesson Steps" we followed to create a unique, multi media layered collage piece.

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My three daughters and I started having "Art Lessons." It is quite a sight!!

Three beautiful girls sitting at the big new kitchen table (thanks Mom!!) that is covered in plastic, wearing old t-shirts with the sleeves rolled up...we might have a little Bob Marley's "Every Little Thing" playing in the background...(OK let's be honest here, it *might* actually be Justin Beiber's latest...when they are choosing the music!)
Their faces are so different, but in each set of eyes I see a glimpse of my own - anticipation, excitement, determination, and inspiration - and for a split second, it all comes together - I'm "Mama, the greatest artist in the world" and I feel a few twinges of nervousness as I hope I can live up to my title.

"These moments will shape their creative future! I better do a good job here...I hope they end up liking their projects when they're finished...Wait, should I cover the carpet too? What if they use all of the Cerulean Blue?"

This is the side of my brain I constantly have to shush - this kind of doubtful dialogue gets me frustrated and uninspired in a hurry! Glancing again at their little faces, I realize that to them, this is FUN. Plain and simple, it's *FUN*!!! There are no mistakes in art, no messes that can't be cleaned, no supplies that can't be replaced, and there are certainly no moments like these that *can* be relived.

I used the book "Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings" by Kelly Rae Roberts (you can find it here on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Flight-Inspiration-Techniques-Creative/dp/160061082X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275477221&sr=8-1#noop) as my source of inspiration for these art lessons with my daughters. I knew they would admire the whimsical style of Kelly's collage figures, especially since they are female, wear dresses, and have wings - I'm a "big girl" and I still fancy these things! I explained to my girls that we were going to make "Mixed Media Collages" and they LOVED the idea - especially when they each got their own canvas! It makes them *feel* like "real" artists - and I feel in this case, it helped them focus and take more time with their project, as they knew it would be something that would actually hang on the wall later. I told them that they could use whatever colors, shapes, or supplies they wanted, but that they'd have to follow one - and only one single rule: "The only thing you *have* to do is follow the steps I give you, one step at a time." My goal in this "art lesson" was to teach them a variety of techniques to create a layered background - something just as fun for me as it was for them! And a great way to teach them basic skills as we went along, such as how to clean the brushes, how to mix the paints, how to use a brayer...etc.

So here are the "steps" that WE followed:
(alter for your own supplies, time limit, etc - play and have fun! This is just to teach basic techniques and get the creative juices flowing!)

Paint your canvas with gesso.
While the gesso dries, pick out several pieces of "special" paper (vintage book pages, scrapbook paper, handmade paper, tissue paper, decorative napkins, school programs, junk mail, anything goes!) that has a design or text on it. Tear the pieces into smaller pieces (any shape you choose - squares, rectangles, circles), and place randomly on the canvas, leaving some blank spots. Overlapping is OK.
Use gel medium to adhere special paper pieces to the canvas. Coat the canvas, apply the paper, then coat the top of the paper as well. We used matte gel medium.
Step #3 takes awhile to dry, so this is a good time to prep for the next steps: Pick out 3 colors of paint. Cut a piece of bubble wrap into any shape you choose. Pick out one or two brass or plastic stencils. Pick out a piece of sequin waste ribbon. Clean the brayer. Get a paper plate. Pick out 2-3 rubber or foam stamps.
Now the gel medium should be dry! At the bottom of the canvas, squeeze out three big dots of paint side by side. Use the brayer in an up and down motion to spread the paint all over the collaged canvas - this is a really fun step because the kids get to see how the colors react and blend with eachother.
Allow to dry. At this point, we used a heat gun to help speed up the process. In the meantime, also grab a lace doily (paper doily is great) and a spray bottle that has 50% water, 50% acrylic liquid paint mixed together (alternative to canned spray paint).
Because this next step can get a little messy, I recommend going outside (the getting up and moving for a minute will help the little ones focus again!) and trying this next step on a practice piece of paper first, before on the actual collaged/painted canvas. Lay the lace doily over one section of the canvas, on the grass - lay it over the corner, the center, the bottom, a complete half, etc - and spray over the doily. It is like magic when you lift up the doily - a beautiful pattern is revealed! Let dry and go back inside.
Use the piece of bubble wrap as a stamp! Pour some acrylic paint onto a paper plate, and dab the bubble wrap on the plate. Press the bubble wrap down onto the canvas, and voila! You get a really neat dot print! (My girls loved this technique!) Stamp 2-3 times on the canvas.
Use an actual rubber or foam stamp, using ink pads or acrylic ink. Stamp 2-3 times randomly on the canvas. (Now is a great time to teach them how to properly clean a stamp! : )
By now, the piece should be looking very layered with lots of different colors and patterns on it! Now, use a piece of sequin waste ribbon as a stencil. (This is where I asked my daughters - "See? We've used a lace doily, bubble wrap, and now this ribbon to make designs on the canvas...How many other things can you think of that would leave interesting patterns with paint?" I was inspired by their answers!!) Dab paint in an up-and-down motion with a sponge, on top of the sequin waste ribbon. Note how the dots created are different from the dots created by the bubble wrap! (Monoprinting vs. stenciling and the thickness of the ink applied.)
Using a brass or other stencil, apply some texture medium with a palette knife. Smooth out the top, or purposefully texture it! We chose to do two textured stencils on the piece shown below - the star on the upper right, and the leaf pattern on the lower left - to "frame" the piece.
Paint the texture medium, or leave white - your choice!
We finished (for now) at this step - however you could add more paint, cut out words and apply, add a favorite photograph, glue on sequins, glitter, ribbons....be creative!!
The last step - which we will add later as the piece was still wet - and I think one of the most important steps for me as a mother - have your child(ren) sign and date the piece. I happened to have a Monet print hanging in my dining room, and pointed out to my daughters how Monet signed his pieces - they have now been practicing their "Artist Names" and plan to sign them very soon! : )

The result of all this work is not only a beautiful piece of art, but my girls now having familiarity with different techniques and tools that they can hopefully use on their own in the future. Also, they have begun to look at items around the house as possibilities for mark-making in art, which is fantastic - recycling at its finest!! They had the most wonderful hour of being "Master Artists" and they really enjoyed creating. They have beautiful keepsakes that are modern, colorful, cheerful, and creative - and they are so beautiful displayed together! Each of my daughters was given the same instruction and set of supplies - yet their own personalities shined through in their pieces of art. And I even got a couple of comments like "I want to hang this in the living room!" and "Mama look! It looks just as good as the ones in the book!" So - I *know* they were pleased with the results of this process as well.

In conclusion, in their eyes, I might just very well be "Mama, the greatest artist in the world" because to me, they are "Brittaney, Bryanne, and Bryley, the greatest artists in the world!"

One of the finished pieces (minus the signature and date!):

Closeup Views:

PS - Nothing at all spilled on the carpet! : )

"Don't you worry, about a thing....

cuz every little thing....

is gonna be alright!"

- Bob Marley

Monet Waterlillies - Impressionistic Art Quilt

2010-05-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

I found the loveliest little note card at Barnes & Noble, featuring Monet's Waterlillies. I have always loved Monet's work - especially his florals, which I had the great pleasure of seeing in person when my grandmother and I went to France...now about 16 years ago (!!) but I remember being in awe at the beautiful colors right in front of me.

Since I learned this new "Impressionistic" technique, I decided to honor Monet with my own version of the Waterlillies painting I found on this notecard. Here are my results!

Here are a couple of close-up views of my favorite details - I find sometimes I love the zoomed in shots more than the quilts in their entirety!

~~ Enjoy! ~~

Scrappy Little Potholders

2010-05-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

My mom requested potholders for Mother's Day, so I searched far and wide to find the perfect pattern for her. After MUCH searching, I found a neat potholder pattern in this magazine: "Sew It All" - Premiere Issue, (A Sew News Special Interest Publication). It is called "Hot Seat" by Beth Bradley, and the pattern can be found on the following links:

1. Front side pieces: http://www.sewnews.com/content_downloads/TrivetPatternFront.pdf
2. Back side piece: http://www.sewnews.com/content_downloads/TrivetPatternBack.pdf

Although the pattern requires a bit of finessing as far as construction, I like this one because it allowed me to use a variety of fabrics - I'm challenging myself to combine different batiks and colorful cotton prints in my recent projects. I love the "scrappy" look of the combined fabrics, and the shape of the finished piece. I opted for no loops (I don't hang mine anyway) but might do that next time, just so I can hang a couple for display in my kitchen. Also, I used a lot of black overstitching and additional decorative stitching around the octagon in the center, because I like the feel that black stitching gives on colorful pieces of fabric. I dipped into a few of my "favorite stash" pieces of fabric, and love how they look combined together - it has me inspired to work on more scrappy, quilty things! : )

Front and back:

Tutorial - Confetti Fabric

2010-05-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been getting several questions on how I make my "Confetti Fabric." This is fabric I make from a little bit of everything, and it makes a very unique and original piece of fiber art that can be framed as is (embellished or not) or cut up and used as applique pieces for special projects - there are so many uses for this, and it is so beautiful and fun that I just have to share my own technique for making it. I realize there are probably many other ways to go about making this - so experiment and have fun!!

The first step is to gather all the required materials, which is the most time-consuming part of this project, unless you already have your "Confetti" organized in drawers as I do. So clear off a table and a workspace, and start gathering!!

Materials Required:

A little note about materials: One of the BEST ways I have found to organize my studio and not waste *anything* is to have a big set of plastic drawers (shoe boxes would even work, with the ends cut off, anything where you can quickly "stuff" things) - where each drawer is designated to a color or set of colors. For example, my set is organized by Reds & Pinks, Blues & Aquas, Yellows & Oranges, Blacks & Grays, Whites and Purples. I only have 5 drawers, so I sort of divide my piles within the drawers as well. In each of these drawers I have thread snippets, little pieces of fabric from when I cut appliques, remnants of ribbons, loose beads, sequins, cut off pieces of fabric trims, trimmed edges off of other finished quilts...you get the idea. If I make a practice of saving these little bits, it makes me not ever waste these pieces - as soon as the drawer gets filled up, I simply make a piece of confetti fabric and begin stashing again!!

I like to use Super Solvy Water Soluble Stabilizer, the kind that comes on a roll. Weight: Medium Color: Transparent Size: 7-7/8" x 9 yards (Item No. 405-08) (I like the transparent because it allows me to see the confetti underneath as I'm stitching.)
Scissors
Pins
Choice of threads for Machine Stitching (you might prefer clear monofilament thread for a certain project, or I like to use Variegated threads, and several different shades, to highlight the areas of lights and darks in the confetti layer.)
Sewing Machine with regular 90/14 needle (I like to use free motion type embroidery, so a free motion foot is optional - you can do this with straight lines as well.)
Large kitchen sink that has a sprayer nozzle (or pouring from a cup would work fine)
Large flat container at least the width of your piece (in my case, using the 7-7/8" wide Solvy, a 9" wide by 13" long glass dish worked very well)
"Confetti" For this I use any combination of the following items - and get creative!!
Recycled bits of fabric - from old finished projects trimmed edges, extra edges from cutting appliques, Unfinished objects, even ugly fabric that you hate the print of but has a good color can be cut up and used successfully in this project. Note - I sometimes find that ripped or intentionally frayed edges work better for a more cohesive final piece.
Thread trash - as you are sewing and you snip threads from projects, don't throw them away! Keep a container by your machine to later take to your "Color Stash" drawers and sort out. This makes one of the BEST materials for the confetti fabric!!
Cut up bits of Tulle
Cut up bits of dyed or colored Cheesecloth
Fabric Trims, especially Sequin Trims, add a huge burst of texture and color
Yarns - any and all types!! Fuzzy Eyelash works well, and I especially love Boucle yarn in this project.
Ribbons - Silk Ribbon, Satin, Jacquard - any will do - remnants, gift package bows, you name it!
Vintage or new Seam Binding Tape
Organza - cut up in pieces, or a long skinny length laid down in a curving, trailing like fashion
Scrim - used the same as the organza
Dyed Lace Pieces - can be especially effective
Easter Grass!! (I used it in this green piece - it worked wonderfully!!)
Silk flower petals, or other flower petals that won't dissolve in water
Angelina Fibers - laid sparsely on top, adds a sparkliness to your project that is just amazing.

Last but not least - ROVING - silk roving or wool roving, any kind of roving that will wet felt.

Materials I used:

Instructions:

Decide what the color scheme of your piece will be. Do you want to make a piece of Confetti Fabric that is all one color? Will you make a piece that is half red and half pink? Will you make a piece that goes from light blue to medium blue to dark blue? Now is a good time to test out the color wheel! When I make my pieces, I try to include areas of lights and darks, no matter what my color scheme is, for example in this green piece I made I included some highlights of yellow and of dark blue. I think this makes the finished piece appear less "flat" and if you cut it up later for applique use, it makes the applique pieces come alive - (think about it as using a flat dyed piece of fabric vs. using a piece of overdyed batik!!)
Gather your materials, set up your workspace, and set up your sewing machine.
Cut two pieces of Solvy in a length you are comfortable working with - for me, any more than 16" was too long, because I don't have an extension table for my machine - and I just prefer to make this size at a time. I would recommend for your first attempt, make a piece that is 12" in length or smaller, just to get used to how the "confetti" might move around or how much you need to pin it, etc.

Lay the first piece of solvy down on a hard work surface (here I used black fabric for photos only - normally I would use a large self-healing mat, for ease of pinning in later steps). We will be making a "Sandwich" with two layers of Solvy, with the Confetti layers between them.

4. Before you go crazy with the fun part, the Confetti, this "Roving step" is very important - gently pull apart some roving, and lay it down onto the first piece of Solvy. You can make it as thick or as thin as you'd like, but the bottom layer MUST consist of the roving. For my techinque, where everything gets "felted" together, this step is very important. I laid my roving down so that the lengths of roving went in opposide directions - from side-to-side AND up-and-down. (I suppose you could say so that the lengths go both vertically and horizontally, but that would be way too simple! ; )

5. Confetti Time!! In this step, you have my permission to get crazy!! Cut up things, shred them with your fingers, cut them with special edged scissors or decorative rotary blades, curve long pieces of yarn all around, have fun unravelling lengths of thread to just bunch up and smoosh down...this is the fun part!! Experiment with different textures and sizes of raw materials - see how a cut up piece of satin or velvet looks next to some shiny sequin trim...that's what makes your piece beautiful! I generally save the Angelina Fibers for the very last layer, for the sparkliness. A little goes a long way - just a few strands here and there add a lot of sparkle - I use it very sparingly. Also I generally don't put Angelina over the entire piece - only in sections, that way if I need a piece of the confetti fabric later and I don't want the sparkle, I have no problem. You can lay confetti down all the way out to the edges of the solvy, but I don't let anything hang off the edges because it will cause problems later with the stitching - you want all of your confetti to fit within the edges of the solvy. You can make this confetti very dense, or very sparse and "lace like" depending on what effect you want to end up with - you can even create shaped areas such as leaves or hearts or other shapes. As I am making a piece in this example for use as appliques later, I create mine pretty thick - I laid down the roving, sprinkled on bits of chopped up fabric, twirled around yarn pieces in meandering lines around the edges and in the center, chopped up more ribbon pieces and sprinkled them on, used some angelina, then added more yarn, threads, metallic sparkly threads, cheesecloth, silk ribbon...I just built up the layers so that I couldn't see any open gaps, but not so thick that it would be difficult to stitch later.

My finished "Confetti Layer"

6. Once you are pleased with your confetti layer, place the other cut piece of solvy on top of your confetti layer. This completes the "sandwich," so you have a bottom layer of solvy, a middle layer of confetti, and a top layer of solvy.

Here I am making the "Sandwich" - adding second layer of Solvy on top of confetti:

7. Pin the layers together. I pinned around the outside edges, to help hold everything in, and then randomly in the center. You might wish to pin yours all in one direction for ease of removing pins as you stitch.

Pinning the layers together:

8. Stitch the layers together. In my example, I used free motion embroidery. If you are not comfortable with free motion, you could simply sew in straight lines around the edges and back and forth across the middle, or make zig-zag lines, or a grid. I chose to use several different shades of variegated thread to stitch my layers together, however you might opt for clear monofilament thread or simply black - just remember, the stitching will add effect to the final piece. I stitch mine very densely, with lots and lots of tiny circles and swirling lines, because I use very small pieces of confetti, and I want them to all be connected together with my stitching so my piece doesn't fall apart once I remove the Solvy. In my example I used a brighter green to highlight brighter areas, and darker greens for darker areas of confetti. The rest I filled in with a medium green. Be creative! Try sparkly or metallic threads, even try contrasting color threads - they all create different effects.

Here I begin my free-motion stitching:

Here is my "sandwich" with all of the stitching completed:

9. Once the stitching is completed, take your piece to the kitchen sink. This is the exciting part!! I've propped up a large glass baking dish on the edges of the sink so I can easily fill and empty it repeatedly. A sprayer nozzle is especially handy - but if you don't have one you could also use a large plastic cup to gently pour water over the piece.

Fill dish with lukewarm water:

Here is how I like to rinse mine, in a way that helps the felting take place. I fill the dish with lukewarm water, and gently set my piece into the dish, squishing it down into the water so it is submerged.

Smoosh the sandwich into the water:

After it soaks for a couple of minutes, I use the sprayer nozzle and spray over the top surface of the piece, NOT on full blast - with medium to light water pressure. You'll see some bubbles as the solvy dissolves and mixes with the water - this is OK!

Lightly spraying the piece:

Then I empty the pan into the sink, and fill with lukewarm water again. Then, I swish the piece back and forth side to side in the pan, which makes sure that the roving sort of moves against itself in the water, which creates the felting. I just repeat this process, on both sides of the piece, until I feel the Solvy is completely washed out. This part is the most fun, because you get to see what your finished piece looks like!! : ) If there are any loose sequins or fibers or anything left in the dish, just throw them back into your color stash drawers for the next time : )

10. To dry, simply empty the dish of the water and let the piece dry right there - or if you're more impatient like me, you can roll it up in a thick towel and gently press the water out.

Rolling finished, washed out piece:

Often the back side of your piece will turn out just as interesting as the front! Because I begin mine with layers of roving, the back side of the piece has a very felted look with bits of the confetti poking through - I like this look as well and will at times use the backside instead of the front!

Photos of my finished "Confetti Fabric!" (Note - the sparklies from the sequins and Angelina fibers didn't show up as well in these photos - much more effective in person!!)

A closer view:

I'd love to see photos of "Confetti Fabric" or similar Solvy projects! : )

Enjoy the tutorial, and please let me know if you have any questions or if anything is unclear. Thank you!

Photos of Tulip Time

2010-05-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Ok - so before I go and have my own little messy paint celebration party, I wanted to just post a few photos! After taking photos of tulips all day at our annual Tulip Time in downtown Holland, MI, I couldn't wait to see what kind of shots I ended up with!

When every single street corner in all of downtown and beyond looks like this, it is difficult to pick and choose which flowers to photograph!!

BUT - somehow I managed to pick out a few favorites from the masses...except I forgot to turn up the resolution on my camera, so I will be going back again to retake some of my favorites.

For now, here are some of my favorite shots:

In this last one, I asked Jason to hold the flower for me so I could get a better view of the center, without hurting the flower - but I actually liked his hand in the shot - very sweet : )

(shhhh, don't tell him it's on here!)

Today is a GOOD day!

2010-05-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today has been a WONDERFUL day - for so many reasons!!

1. It is my middle daughter's (Bryanne's) 10th birthday today - double digits!! (I'm thinking of making a Cinqo de Mayo style art quilt just for her, especially since her favorite colors are orange and yellow...)

2. I got to take the afternoon and stroll around downtown with Jason, and we visited all around downtown during Tulip Time - we had amazing Chicken Fajita Gyros and took tons of photos of Tulips, enjoyed some Dutch Dancing in the streets, listened to several live musicians performing on the streets, and got to stroll leisurely through all of the downtown art galleries - my idea of a *perfect* day!

3. While we were downtown, we saw the Tulip Time quilt show, where one of my art quilts was on display - I was a little disappointed about the placement of my quilt (next to a window with barely any wall space) but that's OK, I was still accepted and it was my first art quilt in a gallery setting - so I still felt proud : ) I got to see a lot of other really beautiful quilts there, including traditional style, art quilt style, and a really neat one that inspired me - it was a 50th Anniversary Quilt made my the children and grandchildren, and included lots of photos printed onto fabric and arranged between traditionally quilted blocks and fabric that had personal messages written all over it - you could tell it was a true labor of love, and just amazing...I could only imagine receiving such a treasure on a 50th wedding anniversary from my entire family - wow!

4. Last but not least, when I got home today, I immediately turned on the computer to check Pokey's (Patricia Bolton, from Quilting Arts) blog - which listed the finalists for the "How Entertaining!" art quilt challenge. There were only 13 finalists listed on her blog, and I was delighted to find my name among them!! This is SOOOO completely exciting - I was literally jumping up and down!! Now not only do I get to give an art quilt loaded with personal meaning to my grandmother for her 80th birthday, I can also tell her it was PUBLISHED, and that the entire world gets to see how her love and the values she has cultivated in our family inspired my gift to her. I'm excited and happy beyond words!!!! : )

Here is the link: Pokey's Blog with "How Entertaining!" Finalist Artists Listed

This is the quilt I submitted for this challenge:

Here is a more detailed blog entry about this art quilt:

Little Prince Inspired Art Quilt - more detailed blog entry

Thank you so much Pokey, and everyone at Quilting Arts, for choosing my quilt!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight is a night for opening up the windows to the warm spring night,

turning on a little music, and creating with messy paint to my heart's content.

CELEBRATION TIME!!!!!!!

Can one single day possibly get ANY better than THIS??? : )

Tulip Time Quilt Show - My Entry!

2010-05-04T03:12:00.000-07:00

Here in Holland, MI, we have an annual "Tulip Time" celebration of Dutch heritage and culture, which includes parades, Dutch Dancing, concerts, theatre, Dutch attractions, Dutch Food, children's events, a carnival, trolley tours, and last but not least to me - wonderful art on display! It is always held in the beginning of May, when the tulips - which are planted everywhere!! - are at full bloom. It is absolutely beautiful and festive, lively and inspiring. (Here is the official link to the Tulip Time Festival website: http://www.tuliptime.com/)

This year, I entered an art quilt into the Quilt Show portion of the festival - and it was accepted!!
I was very fortunate to be granted a "VIP Exhibitor Pass" and will visit this week and see if I may take some photographs of my quilt on display! : ) But for now, I'll just post a quick photo of the quilt I chose, which I've already previously blogged (Impressionistic Style Art Quilt).

I'm very excited about visiting the show, and seeing the other local talent - and perhaps get a little inspiration for next year's entry! I plan to take lots of photos downtown to share on my blog, and I'm planning on taking lots of photos of Tulips - which I'll digitally alter and print out for layers of my future quilts. There will be more to share again soon! : )

Quilting Arts Challenge "How Entertaining!" - The Little Prince

2010-05-02T02:24:00.000-07:00

"One sees clearly only with the heart."

Quilting Arts announced a challenge in their February/March 2010 issue called "How Entertaining!"
Because my grandmother's 80th birthday is coming up, I decided to combine this challenge with a gift for her. She introduced me to my favorite book when I was very young, and gave me my own special copy on my 11th birthday, along with a French version (which inside held a paper bill from France which features artwork based on the book!) which I still have - it is among my most treasured posessions. The book is called "The Little Prince" and is a children's book filled with adult messages. (Here is a link to the book: The Little Prince on Amazon) There are SO MANY lessons and truths in this one little book - it is so wonderfully written, and just absolutely amazing. I encourage anyone and everyone to read it!! At least once ; )

I chose this book as my inspiration because of the personal meaning as well as the many fun characters and elements in the book that would translate well to an art quilt. I was a bit limited by the size of the quilt which could only be 8.5" x 11" (and had to have vertical orientation) - but I managed to include most of my favorite elements of the book. The quote I chose, which reads "One sees clearly only with the heart" is one of the many, many morales tucked inside this little 96-page children's book - but one of my favorites, and the one I wanted to show grandmother that it had made a big impression on me. (That quote is immediately followed in the book by "Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.")

Without giving away *too* much of the story - I just want to give a brief overview of the book, to help explain the style I chose for the art quilt:

In the book, there is a "Little Prince" who cares for a beautiful flower on his tiny planet way far away. He leaves her to explore the world, and on his many travels meets several characters which signify some futile aspect of adult existence - clearly showing readers the absurdity of adulthood through a child's eyes. He meets a pilot who has crashed in the desert (the narrator voice in this story) and immediately asks him to make him a drawing, although the pilot had given up drawing when he was a child. Back then, he had drawn a picture of a boa constrictor swallowing an elephant, which on the surface, appeared to the majority of people as simply a "hat." From that point on, the pilot had used this single drawing to "judge" people on whether to talk about inconsequential things or "things that matter." (I love that part of the book - you know how you can talk to some people about art stuff and they just "get it?" - with others you talk about the weather!!) The Little Prince immediately recognized the pilot's drawing as a boa constrictor swallowing an elephant, much to the pilot's surprise, and from there, their relationship progresses throughout the rest of the book as the little prince reveals to the pilot little by little his circumstances and life lessons.

Because of the references in the book about the pilot having limited drawing ability (as I myself do!) I wanted to create the elements in this quilt to look hand-drawn by an unexperienced artist. Especially the sheep, because it was the very first thing that the Little Prince demanded of the pilot to draw for him - which was his first drawing since childhood. I chose to use heavy black outlining on the figures to give a more "illustrated" sort of "cartoon" appearance.

The background of this quilt is created using tiny little bits of chopped up fabric, basically the "Impressionistic Art Quilt" style I have been experimenting with lately. This is the first time I've used this style in conjunction with elements besides landscape features, but I definitely enjoyed the challenge!!
My work on this quilt was divided up into a few different "phases" or stages of work, only after many drawings and additional readings of the book, several lists, time spent reminiscing about the portions of the book my grandmother had emphasized the meaning of...until I finally had a rough sketch of the quilt and a chosen quote. (It was very difficult for me to choose just one!!)

In "Phase 1," I used several different fabrics to create the background (sky with stars, tree trunk and leaves), all chopped up into tiny pieces and carefully arranged, then placed at the bottom a rounded piece of overdyed gray felt for the ground surface to resemble the gray ground on the Little Prince's planet (as depicted in the illustrations in the book). Then I created the figures: the little prince by drawing him on fabric and cutting out the individual pieces (head, clothing, arms, feet, belt, scarf), the sheep by freehand cutting a piece of white cushy felt, the glass dome for the flower freehand cut out of ivory-colored organza. The stars were also cut from different fabrics and placed in this phase. To finish the background, I placed some strands of Angelina fibers to add some sparkle and make the piece come alive - green Angelina fibers in the foliage makes it look like a fairy-tale scene, sparkling and illuminated with color...

In "Phase 2" I covered all of this with fine black tulle, then stitched using clear monofilament thread with free motion embroidery all over. I carefully cut away some of the tulle after the piece had been free motion embroidered, for elements such as the flower's glass dome, the sheep, the Little Prince's face, and a few of the stars. Then I added in details such as facial features with a fine-point sharpie marker for the Little Prince, black cotton floss for the sheep's face, and ribbon embroidery "Spider Web Rose" for the flower.
At this point I also did some additional free-motion embroidery (more green on the foliage, black to outline the figures, yellow to highlight the stars) and some hand-stitching in places.

In "Phase 3," I dyed pre-printed block letters on canvas, using in two-tone green color-scheme to help them blend into the background (but not *too* much), so they could be used as "leaves." I wanted the heart to be the main focal point of the quilt because of it's significance in the quote, as well as the meaning behind the whole story (and my own love for my grandmother), so I appliqued it on top of the rest of the quilt to allow it to pop forward. Last, I added a little gold charm of an airplane in the sky - as I went through my "embellishment" collection (which is entirely too huge!!) I stumbled upon these airplane charms, and who knows where else I would ever use one of them!! I cut the loop off with wire-cutters, and stitched it onto the quilt using clear monofilament thread (doubled for strength).

At this point, to me, it felt "complete" (something I don't always feel about art quilts especially, as I usually want to add more and more and keep on stitching and beading and adding things...). I chose to finish this quilt with a narrow satin stitch in black, because I wanted something simple, and easy, and quite frankly, because I dread having to bind quilts!! As it turned out, it *still* took me about 3 hours just to complete the satin stitching around the edges, so maybe next time I'll rethink that plan... ; ) Last but not least, I made a hanging sleeve and label for the back. I'll post a photo of the finished label at the end of this post, because it also holds a personal message for my grandmother : )

I've titled this quilt "With the Heart."

Now some detail shots:

I feel as if there is so much more I could explain about the book, the storyline, the characters, the lessons I have gleaned from this book - and how and why I created this quilt - I guess that is the feeling you get when a project "hits home" and you want to share it with the world. I hope the meaning behind the quilt translates well to the viewers, and that they too, see it with their hearts. I know that my grandmother will : )

More things that make me happy!

2010-05-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

You know that Silk Sari Ribbon that I keep talking about? I *really* do love it!!
Here is a little peek at the window in my art room - I like to iron out the pieces of ribbon and hang them on the blinds (they were white and boring anyway!) - then I can just reach and grab them anytime I please!
I love having a rainbow of color in the window...some people might think of it as being "messy" but I believe it is pure inspiration! It's especially beautiful when the light shines through the window - the ribbon becomes just illuminated with color.

Bryley's Art Quilt - Artist in Training!

2010-04-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

My YOUNGEST daughter, Bryley - who is now only 8 years old, made an art quilt with me yesterday!!
(I'm just telling everyone out there - ANYBODY can create this type of art quilt!!)
She had so much fun - she LOVED this project and wants to do another one soon.
I had her pick out a photograph as an inspiration/something to work from as we created this quilt, and from there she completely took off on her own - I only had to help with setting up the machine and getting the free-motion work started, otherwise this little quilt is all hers!

Here is the photograph she chose:

Here she is working on her quilt - we chose a very small size as a beginner project for little hands, which worked out very well:

Then I asked her to please look at me and "SMILE!!" and I got a teeth-gritted smile, as she said "hurry up and take this picture- I'm trying to sew here!!" (LOL! She totally gets that from me!! ; )

And.....VOILA!! Her finished piece - her very first art quilt!!

(I did help a little with applying the border - Silk Sari Ribbon)

Beautiful!! She did such an awesome job!!! : )

It's amazing to me what kids can do if you just give them a little instruction, the supplies, and a little encouragement - this would be a *perfect* introductory sewing project for kids of any age.

She is so happy with this little art quilt - she is planning on giving it to her great-grandmother for her 80th Birthday in June : )

My Birthday Present - Inspiration!!

2010-04-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter, Brittaney, made me the most BEAUTIFUL picture for my birthday - it is a garden scene, with lots and lots of flowers and an archway, on a path by a lake with a sunny sky. She painted/colored it herself using Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Aquarelle Artists' Crayons - that I gave to her, as sort of a bribe to finish my gift!! She had been begging me to borrow mine, and loved them so much that finally I bought her a set all for herself. Obviously, she NEEDED them ; ) (She gets that from me!!)
I'm so very very pleased with her gift to me - although I received it in April and my birthday was in February, I completely understand that great works of art take time! (AND the right art supplies!! ; )

This is pure inspiration for my next art quilt - which might be something she will someday receive!

AMAZING, isn't it??! I especially love her signature at the bottom right-hand corner (she *does* practice that!!) The colors are amazing - I can't wait to post my version of this piece as an art quilt.

(Thank you, Baby Girl!!!) *hugggggs*

Art Quilt with Mom

2010-04-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had a lot of fun making art quilts with both my mom, and then later with one of my daughters, using the "Impressionistic Style Art Quilt" method I've been working on lately.
It was so fun! I got to bring all my stashes of special fabric, combine them with my mom's, and put our two creative minds to work as I taught her how to make this type of art quilt.
We made an entire quilt in one afternoon!
Here is the photo she selected as the "inspiration photograph" for making the quilt, which was taken from an old gardening magazine (GREAT source for this!):

Now, here is the photo of the COMPLETED quilt!! : ) (YAY MOM!!!!!!)

BEAUTIFUL, isn't it??!

For the wooden arch, my mom had pre-prepared some pieces of fabric using one of Pokey's techniques, involving painting fusible web and applying to fabric - which made a very nice "weathered wood" structure in this quilt when cut into little strips. We distressed the pieces a little bit (just by scratching them with our fingernails, which was quite fun) to give more weathering - I'm thinking this would probably work out very well for a tree in a future piece as well.

I really love my mom's idea of using Silk Sari Ribbon for the border/faux binding on these quilts - they really frame and add to the overall feel of the quilts - plus I just love the ribbon itself!!

Cupcake pans aren't for CUPCAKES?!!

2010-04-24T01:14:00.000-07:00

A whole BUNCH of cupcake pans, filled with chopped bits of fabric in all my favorite colors - just wanted to post something that makes me very happy! Forget the sweets - I'll take pretty fabrics instead any day!! (Ok, maybe I'll have both. But since I don't actually BAKE - this was the perfect use for these pans!)
This is a great way to store and display (even if only for myself, in my own studio) chopped up fabrics for the "Impressionistic Style Art Quilts" - and helps me to use the fabric as if it is "paint" - my version of a painter's tray for making these quilts.

Pretty colors, see??! : )

And now that all the "chopping" is done, I can "paint" quilts more freely.

~ Things that make me happy! ~

Wearable Art ~ Little "Cuff" Fiber Art Bracelets

2010-04-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have been admiring the work on "Bonheur" on etsy for a long time - fabulous, vintage bits of lace and beads and textiles all gathered into little wearable bundles of art - who couldn't resist such a treat??
So I decided to try it out - a SUPER fun, easy project!! With gorgeous results...

This particular bracelet is nice because it is adjustable, with eyelet and ribbon closure, which also adds another feminine detail - the bow! You can make this as "blingy" as you'd like, or opt for a simpler effect with less beads and/or vintage jewelry pieces. Adjust the size and number of focal flowers, adjust the width of the bracelet to make more of a "glove" effect, or change the color scheme to something more playful - a great way to use up little precious scraps into something wearable! : )

All you need is:

Satin or Silk, 2 pieces measuring about 2" x 7" (adjust for the width of bracelet you'd like or length for your own wrist)
Vintage bits of lace (in this case, I made it super simple and used lace that was already embroidered and beaded!)
If your lace isn't beaded and embellished already, you might want to add little beads and some embroidery thread, even silk ribbon embroidery would work beautifully - whatever embellishing you are comfortable with!
For the focal flower - Several circles of fabric that get smaller and smaller in size, largest measuring 2" in diameter, suggested fabrics: tulle, organza, silk, or satin
Vintage Jewelry Piece, for adorning the center of the focal flower (or even just some pretty beads would work here)
Eyelets and eyelet setting tool (I used 3/16" flower eyelets)
Thread (I used ultra strong "Silamide" thread)
Needle

Instructions:

Make your "base" bracelet. Simply sew the long sides of your fabric, right sides together, and then sew one short end. Turn inside out, then tuck in the raw edges of the other short end, and whipstitch closed for a finished edge. Following directions on eyelet package, add eyelets to each end.
Embellish the base of your bracelet - get creative! Use bits of lace, beading, hand-embroidery, ribbon embroidery, small appliques, or go for a "tattered" look and apply all sorts of fabric scraps in an artful arrangement onto your base. I like to use silamide thread, because I know it won't ever fall apart once I'm wearing the bracelet.
Create focal flowers - starting with the largest of your circles, start stacking them on top of each other, from largest size down to smallest size, until you have the desired "poofiness" in your flower. A *great* way to seal the edges and create curl and texture on the edges of your petals is to lightly "kiss" a candle flame with the very edges of the fabric - ***Please be extremely careful while doing this - please have adult supervision if you are not an adult*** - this works especially well with polyester tulle and organza layers. It singes and sears the edges closed for a no-fray flower, and adds texture, almost like a real flower!
Tack your layers of fabrics together with a few anchoring stitches at the center of the stacked circles.
Sew your focal flower(s) onto the bracelet, adding extra stitches around the edge of the bottom most layer, so it stays flat against the bracelet while the bracelet is curved around your wrist.
Add some "bling" to the centers of your flowers, adorn them! They need to be "crowned!" Use antique jewelry parts and pieces, or a cluster of hand-sewn beads.
Finish your bracelet off with some satin or organza ribbon through the eyelets, and tie it on, and be admired!! : )

Back of the bracelet, with ribbon tied:

A better view of the eyelets:

I will be posting more variations on this bracelet soon - there are all sorts of ways to create these, for all sorts of different effects - enjoy!! : )

Foundation Pieced Quilt Block Journal

2010-03-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to try using some leftover fabric scraps AND try a "real" quilting technique. I've been browsing through an old crazy quilting book again and again, admiring the embellishment stitching, but I've never put much thought into the construction of my own quilts - just fused and layered things without any special construction or techniques otherwise. So I chose to try "foundation piecing" - my block turned out a bit wonky and not exactly like the book showed, but I'm still happy with the end result! Since I only made one block to start, I turned it into a journal. I think it would be neater if I could make the lines on the "flower petals" a little wavy, and combine 4 blocks to complete the flower - I might give that a try someday.
But for now, I have a beautiful new journal!! The edges of the block are trimmed with silk sari ribbon (again, I *love* the stuff...) and the journal cover fits a standard size composition book, so it's refillable.

"Crayons, Candles, and Heat - oh my!!"

2010-03-24T03:36:00.000-07:00

Aside from the Wallpaper medallions (previous post), I also used the crayons/hot wax to create a few other interesting things.

You can also use the hot crayon wax on FABRIC!! Just follow the directions for the medallions, replacing the wallpaper with a piece of muslin or other fabric, and color randomly (or in your own designs). The fabric turns out just a little bit stiff - but still easily workable for an art quilt!

I'm going to be making a BUNCH more melted-crayon fabric pieces - I just love how the gold crayon worked as a blender in this piece.

I would recommend for fabric pieces, to finish and before use, sandwiching with newspaper layers, then ironing, to remove some of the extra wax (it will soak into the newspaper) and give it a lighter "hand" for sewing.

I also got out a stack of my hand-painted papers, and started adding more layers, using the crayons-on-griddle method - nothing is safe now!!! (mhua-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!)

This paper started as a very unsuccessful - rather sorry, uncolorful, boring painted piece of paper - I hated the design that I had stamped, and really considered throwing it away - so I just went crazy coloring over it with the melty crayons, randomly adding lines and squiggles, and now if I cut it out into shapes, I think it could work into something definitely not boring !! : )

On this last piece, I colored long curved horizontal bands of color across a piece of thick textured watercolor paper, with the paper on the electric skillet, letting the crayon melt as I colored. Once I had the bands of color, then I grabbed a WHITE CANDLE, rubbed it over the page (as if it were a crayon) in squiggly rows vertically, then grabbed the page with the tongs and held it up over the skillet (holding the paper vertically), to allow the extra wax to drizzle and run down the page. It made a VERY neat effect - the colors swirl into one another and make a beautiful texture with the wax all at the same time.

So - a plain white candle can act as a "blender" for crayon wax...now I'm off to see what else I can do with that new discovery!!

Coloring with melting crayons is fun, fun, fun!!! : )

Tutorial - Encaustic Wallpaper Medallions

2010-03-24T02:45:00.000-07:00

So tonight I was experimenting with melting crayons together, to make new, random-color crayons (in an effort to help myself use more colors that I never use). I didn't quite get as far as making the actual crayons for myself, but I *did* have a heck of a lot of fun making "Encaustic Wallpaper Medallions."

I have long admired the look of the "encaustic" pieces, wonderful paintings with melted layers of beeswax - however I don't have all of the equipment that goes along with that type of artwork, so here is a low-cost, very easy, and super fun method of creating wonderfully sophisticated and artsy-looking pieces.

Here are the instructions:

You will need:

Electric Griddle (Check your local thrift store if you don't already have one! It's good to have one dedicated to crafting.)
Vintage (or new) deeply embossed wallpaper, NOT prepasted, white or off-white (I have some for sale at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42406479 in my etsy store.) You want the designs to have a nice frame within them, or border, and you'll want the designs to be embossed deeply enough so that it acts as a reservoir for the melted wax.
Twinkling H2O's or Pearl-Ex watercolor paints (optional)
aluminum foil or non-stick craft sheet
Crayons - LOTS of them, with the wrappers peeled off
Old paint brush
Tongs, or something to hold the paper in place as you work on it, and to lift it off the griddle with when you are finished

Directions:

Cut out sections of vintage wallpaper to paint. My wallpaper has both circle medallions and squares, so I cut out a few of each.
Optional - Paint your wallpaper with Twinkling H2O's or Pearl Ex watercolor paint - using however many colors you'd like. This makes a shiny, sparkling, yet translucent layer of color, which is nice in areas that show through where any wax isn't applied. Allow to dry thoroughly.
Set up your electric griddle in an area where there is circulation, either on a deck or on the stove where you can turn on the fan directly above the griddle (to prevent breathing fumes).
Pre-heat electric griddle to about 260 degrees.
Line your worksurface on the griddle with a non-stick craft sheet, or a large piece of aluminum foil.
Place your piece on the lined griddle, and allow it to heat up for a few seconds.
Select a few colors of crayons for the piece you will be working on, and organize them from light to medium to dark.
With the lightest colors, begin coloring on your medallion with crayons (it helps to have the wrappers already peeled off), filling in background areas. Gently push against your piece with the crayon, and you will see the wax melt down onto your piece - after some practicing, you'll get the hang of how quickly to move your crayons around and still allow nice layers of colored wax to form. Don't worry about any imperfections - they add to the charm! And resist the urge to "fix" any lumpy or unfilled spots with your fingers - it will be hot!! Remove from heat, and turn down temperature setting on griddle if you see any smoking of the wax or your wallpaper. This means the temperature is TOO HOT for the wax - just turn down, allow to cool for a little bit, then try again.
You'll notice the wax will melt and spread out on your piece, filling in the flat bottom (embossed) areas of the design with a thin, liquid wax. Apply more color to fill in all of the flat areas, or purposefully leave some of this "white space" - if you painted beforehand with Twinkling H2Os or Pearl Ex watercolor paints, these painted areas can show through and add a really neat dimensional effect.
With the medium colors, start outlining embossed shapes. Go around them, right on top of the lightest colors, close to the shapes. The shapes that are raised will work like a template, allowing you to quickly trace around them. Allow the colors to mix and swirl together in places, and in spots hold the crayon down in one spot for a couple of seconds to "pool" the wax in areas and spill into the background areas.
With the darkest colors, hold the crayons sideways above the piece, using tongs or tweezers if needed, and rub the crayon horizontally down across the piece - as if you were making a crayon rubbing. This allows the very tops of the raised images to touch the crayon, and draw the wax down on top of them, without interfering with the color you've already applied in the previous steps.
Add more color in areas, or add accent colors wherever you feel it is appropriate - I found myself going around shapes 2-3 times and coloring over the raised images again and again - it can be addicting!!
My FAVORITE last step is to use one of the metallics, gold/copper/silver, and highlight various areas of the design. You could also use white or black for this.
Keeping the piece as flat as possible, remove from heat and set on a solid surface covered with a non-stick craft sheet to dry (deli paper would work as well).
Watch as your piece cools - the wax will become a little more opaque and solid before your very eyes!!

For the more adventerous - you could sprinkle some embossing powders, mica flakes, pearl-ex, or mini-beads into the wax as you work - these would all make really neat effects as well.

Once you have allowed your piece to cool, you can do SO MANY cool things with it. Add stitching, add additional layers of color, cut out sections, piece them together, attach to cards, journals, ATCs, decos, art quilts.... show me what you make!! I'd LOVE to see what you create!! : )

Here are a few photos of my own medallions, ready for further embellishing:

Please contact me with any questions! ; )

Crazy Fabric

2010-03-24T01:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a lot of fun in the art room! I came up with something I'm calling "Crazy Fabric" - lots and lots of rows of layered pieces of fabric, fibers, sequin strands, and silk ribbons - all applied to a raw silk base on top of Warm & Natural batting, and quilted - in many, many, many rows.
After it was all quilted together (hours and hours of time!) I went crazy with the Shiva Paint Sticks and some liquid acrylic paint, plus a little sharpie scribbling. Great fun!!
Now....what to use it for?

Another Impressionistic Style Art Quilt

2010-03-17T03:54:00.000-07:00

Still using the technique for "Impressionistic Art Quilts" with tiny cut up bits of fabric, I began another art quilt yesterday. I'm not as pleased with the composition/arrangement of elements as in the other one I made, but I AM pleased with this wonderful fabric - it is "Vincent Van Gogh's Irises" fabric that I purchased from Field's Fabrics here in Holland, which was the most wonderful fabric for fussy cutting the foreground flowers. It is difficult to find floral commerically printed fabric to use with this technique, because it has to have all of three characteristics - a good size, good coloring and shading, and good outlining. This fabric happens to have all three!! There were also some other wonderful fabrics from his "Starry Night" that inspired me - but for this quilt I used the Irises. It's my mom's favorite flower, so I wanted to include lots of them : )

I think the whole view is not nearly as exciting as the photos I took of the parts and pieces - so I think I'm going to deconstruct this and make it into some smaller quilts.

See? Just look at these floral closeups - they're so much better than the entire quilt!!

(I love how the irises stand out in this one!!)

And another closeup view (bottom left of quilt) which features the VanGogh Iris Print fabric:

(possibly my favorite!!)

My next evil plan is to cut this apart, into these 3 sections, then use the background pieces that are leftover - such as the large piece of sky - and build a second layer on top of it, to see how a dimensional effect would look - or with a ground section maybe do some ribbon embroidery work and add some beading to the centers of the flowers. I'm so excited about this technique!! More to follow, soon!! : )

Woops, almost forgot to attach the photo of the backside of the quilt - to show how much free-motion embroidery goes into one of these art quilts...is definitely giving me good practice!!

Art Cards using leftovers from Silk Sari Ribbon Pillow

2010-03-17T03:26:00.000-07:00

Today I also had a little look on etsy and saw some fabulous handmade greeting cards, of all sorts - the very "scrapbook-y" style, the handmade cross stitch style, the printed style, some with calligraphy, and some very very artsy - I was inspired to create a couple of my own, using leftover pieces of the center panel of the art pillow (previous post) - the only problem was, how do I complement these silk ribbon panels with ANYTHING that doesn't TAKE AWAY from the beauty of just the ribbon? I think I auditioned every color of every little thing I have in my entire art room that could've fit onto a card (that is a LOT of things...) and nothing seemed quite right. So I tried a couple of hand-painted backgrounds, but it really just looked better on plain white. So I only added simple stamped text...for now. But the ideas are flowing : )

One of the handpainted backgrounds for these cards ended up turning itself into this card:

I love cards because they are small, quick projects that can definitely help you use up leftover pieces and scraps, try new techniques, and hey...you ALWAYS need to have some cards on hand!! : )

Silk Sari Ribbon Pillow

2010-03-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

Today I finished up a little project using more of my WONDERFUL silk sari ribbon - ( get it at http://www.etsy.com/shop/NorthcottWilson) - delightful stuff!!

This is a black cotton broadcloth base with a squared center panel of rows and rows of layered silk sari ribbons machine-stitched and then quilted into the pillow. The edges of the square are trimmed out in more silk sari ribbon combined with fancy fibers, twisted and couched down with zig-zag stitching.

I love the "painterly" effect that this ribbon gives!!

I put this one on my own etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/heathers3stars

Next time I want to make this same pillow, but with beading in addition to the center panel, plus some silk ribbon rosettes, and loopy fringe - if anybody out there has any ideas on how to create my own loopy fringe, let me know! : )

Art Quilt Finished! Hail vintage jewelry!!!

2010-03-10T04:53:00.000-08:00

This is the art quilt I was working on in an earlier post, where I explained how to make "confetti fabric."
I topped it off with some vintage jewelry pieces, layered burned-edge tulle, and added some more hand-stitching and a sleeve for hanging.
Vintage jewelry makes EVERYTHING better...it's the perfect final touch that makes the piece sparkle - I just have to make sure I don't choose pieces that overpower the rest of the design. Well, unless I want that look. You know, a LOT of "bling." My daughter says "bling, bling on everything!!" as she decorates her digital camera with rhinestone stickers. Vintage jewelry pieces are just "big girl" rhinestone stickers. ; )

Voila! C'est fini.

Now, as for showing the BACK side of the quilt....that feels to me a lot like being walked in on in the dressing room. BUT - I did do a lot of wonderful quilting that I ended up just covering up, so I guess that would be the only place to see it now!! (I'll just close my eyes and hit "upload" and it will all be over!)

I *am* however, going to make the image smaller. That would be like being walked in on in the dressing room, except you haven't actually started changing yet. !!

Anthropologie Statement Bib Necklace with Silk Ribbon Flowers

2010-03-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

I have been inspired by the "Anthropologie" style necklaces, AKA "Bib Necklaces" or "Statement Necklaces" as I've been browsing around on etsy. So I decided to try making my own! It turned out pretty OK for a first attempt - I heart it so much I could barely stand to list it! ; ) I'll post a tutorial soon.

The flowers are made from 100% silk sari ribbon - which I'm completely obsessed with - all except the center flower, which is a layered style flower made from all different types of fabrics stacked on top of each other. The center flower also has a miniature antique/vintage pearl brooch sewn on - I love upcycling vintage jewelry. The necklace portion is made from two different old necklaces that I pieced together and hand-stitched down onto the "bib" portion, so it has a double-strand effect.

Very fun! Very easy! Make one!! (for yourself!)

Find the Silk Sari Ribbon here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NorthcottWilson

Find the necklace at my etsy shop, or something else crafty I've made, here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/heathers3stars

My daughter's pillow!

2010-03-01T18:16:00.000-08:00

My youngest daughter Bryley, who is only 7, REALLLLLY wanted to make a pillow. So, we now have the top finished - she chose all the fabrics and all the ribbons and trims - and did all of the sewing all by herself!! I'm so proud : ) She really chose a delightful color combination - bright and happy. I helped her a little with how to applique the heart in the center and change the machine to the appropriate stitch selection, otherwise this little beauty is all hers!

My Daughter's Art Quilt

2010-03-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

My daughter Bryanne was inspired by my art quilts, and wanted to make one of her own!! How could I possibly tell her "no?" I cringed a little at some of her fabric selections - thinking of how she might just cut into the center of some of my favorite stash pieces - but amazingly she seemed to intuitively know how to cut pieces from the edges to save the rest... and I'm actually quite jealous of her piece!! It's wonderful!! The *only* assistance I gave was to help her change the thread at times...she cut out all these little flowers, arranged everything, and free-motion quilted it all by herself! Then she even went through my stash of vintage buttons and picked out "centers" for her flowers. Sweet little hands : ) She made this for her sister's upcoming birthday - then momentarily decided she would keep it for herself - then decided to give it to her sister again, with the realization that since they share a room, it would be in her own room too - LOL!

Tutorial - Transfer TEXT to FABRIC using a transparency

2010-02-27T00:29:00.000-08:00

You know that wonderful fabric with text that many artists are using now? It is very simple and easy to make your own!! Use this idea with your own text or background fabric, using your own colors, font styles and sizes, etc. and have your own "texty fabric" to use in your projects!

This tutorial is for how to add text, or any other image, to fabric by transfering with a computer-printed transparency.

The materials you will need are:

Fabric - In this example I used plain undyed muslin as my fabric (you could use other types of fabric such as silk, organza, etc).
Image - whatever you want to transfer to your fabric (this could be text, in my transfer I'm using a "Wordle" which is text cloud created at http://www.wordle.net/.
Printer with capability of printing image in reverse/mirror image (some printers call this a "T-Shirt transfer" setting) - otherwise a graphics program that allows you to "flip" the image or "mirror" the image.
Transparency film - I used 3M Transparency Film for Inkjet Printers
Gel Medium - I used Liquitex Matte Medium
Paintbrush - to paint gel medium onto fabric (a cheap foam brush to throw away is great)
Burnishing tool such as a bone folder or the back of a spoon

How to make the transfer:

Print out your mirrored/reversed/flipped image onto transparency film. The film usually comes with two sides, one rough and one smooth and shiny - you'll want to print on the ROUGH side. Also, most printers have a print setting for transparencies - be sure to use that if available because it prints with extra ink on the paper, which gives you more to transfer to your fabric.

2. Cover a work surface, and lay down your chosen fabric.
3. Paint a thin layer of Gel Medium onto your fabric. You don't want it very thick, just enough to make the fabric moist to the touch on top.

4. Place your transparency SHINY SIDE up (right side up, so that the words read correctly from the top), ROUGH SIDE DOWN, on top of the fabric.

5. BURNISH the top of the image with a burnishing tool. I used a bone folder, but you could also use the back of a spoon. You'll be actually rubbing the ink down onto the fabric coated with gel medium - so be careful not to let the transparency slide around or move, unless that is the effect you want. You'll only need to rub for a minute or two for the text to transfer. I started in the middle and rubbed in tiny circles outward toward all the edges of my Wordle.

6. Gently lift the transparency from the fabric, starting on one side, lifting up and away toward the other side. If you find that any words didn't transfer well enough, try rubbing a little more, and if that doesn't work, you know that next time you'll need to use a little more gel medium.

7. Last step - VERY important!! Now that the text is transferred, MOVE your piece of fabric off of your work surface to dry ( I made the mistake of leaving it on a piece of cardboard, which made it very hard to peel off later!! ) Hang it up with a couple of clothespins or paper clips on string or the edge of a box, or whatever you have handy, just so that the wet fabric isn't touching something it will adhere to.

Let your piece dry for a couple of hours, and then you have a text-embellished piece of fabric!!

I plan to do a bit more with mine from this point, such as overdying to add some background color with some Dye-na-flow or watered down acrylic paint, maybe even dye with alcohol inks and then use it in an art quilt. You might choose to do the transfer on your fabric after doing those other steps, however just remember there might be some interaction with the gel medium and the type of dye you used on your fabric.

I'll post a finished project with this piece later! (Once I redo it and NOT leave it to dry on cardboard...yuck!! ; )

Enjoy!!

Hand Carved Rubber Stamp

2010-02-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

Today I carved a Rubber Stamp using Speedball's "Speedy Carve Block." This was an etsy request, and the buyer provided me with the image to carve. It is SO easy to do - and a great way to add custom images to your stamping and art work.

I made a label for it, with sticker paper and the actual stamped image, and mounted it onto a wooden block.

This is the actual carved side:

This technique is SO easy - the "Speedy Carve" material cuts like butter with a set of linoleum cutting tools. I plan to do several more in the near future of my own images, such as birds, swirl motifs, and diamonds as it has been quite awhile since I did any of my own carved rubber stamps - I had forgotten how much fun it was! I plan to do several more carvings of my own images because also that way, the images aren't copyrighted.

For a tutorial on rubber stamp carving, click here: http://www.lawrence.co.uk/fact_sheets/speedball.html

"Impressionistic Style" Art Quilt Pillow

2010-02-25T00:19:00.000-08:00

Using the same "Impressionistic Art Quilting" style, I created a pillow for my fiance. His favorite color is PURPLE - which he refuses to wear - so this was his Valentine's Day present : ) I knew I wanted to use the same sort of style that I learned in the class I took with Ann Loveless, however I wanted to create an image for the front of the pillow that would look less like a landscape and more like - well, just flowers, in all different shades of purple. This is what I came up with!

It was my first real attempt at sewing a piping edge on a pillow, and I was very happy with the results. I looked up some videos on youtube.com for how to sew a piping edge on a decorative pillow, and some women had so kindly shared their tips and how-to videos! For the binding and the back I used a hand-dyed batik cotton which worked out very well. Also on this piece I used a piece of PURPLE tulle instead of black, to add to the overall "purpley" shading on the pillow.

A close-up view of the created pillow top using chopped up bits of fabric:

And last, here is how the back looks:

(I love this batik fabric!!)

I wasn't going to upload these to my blog, thinking maybe he would want this pillow "all to himself" however tonight he took a look at my blog and said - very disturbed - "why didn't you post my pillow?" So now that I know it won't offend him, I'm happy to share!! : )

"Emo/Punk" Journal

2010-02-23T22:13:00.000-08:00

About - well a few years ago, I started a journal for a friend's daughter, and today I finally finished it!! I was so proud of myself. UFO for only 3-4 years, but it needed to "incubate" I suppose...
The person I made this for was going through a really tough time at the time, and she is so young and sweet and immensely creative - she and her sister both have this wonderful sense of style and have that very cool "edgy" - and I'm told it isn't "Goth," it's "EMO." ; ) So I attempted to make something she would like, with respect to their styles, and here's what I finally came up with!!
It's a version of a curved Journal by Embellishment Village (link here - Embellishment Village's Curved Pieced Journal Cover) and the inside is a mishmash of different types of papers all sewn together art journal style, with stampings, vellum pieces, painted papers, laces and trims to prompt more writing or painting or whatever amazing creative things she'll probably do with this just as a starter. I'm so excited to give this to her - it has been a long time coming!!
I tried to work mostly with a palette of black, white, gray, and pink - only the smallest amounts of pink to give it a feminine feel, and add a bit of color. I also included specialty papers that include images of music - guitars, etc - because not only is this person talented in art, but music as well!

Front Cover:

Includes hand-dyed fabrics, commercially printed skull trim on grosgrain ribbon, free-motion stitching with silver thread, metallic ric-rac, sparkly layer of tulle overlaid one one of the curved sections, and a row of hand-beading.

Inside pages photos:

(Pages are varied in size and shape, so that it creates a "layered" effect and different portions of other pages show no matter which page you turn to - I love this effect!)

Notice mesh pocket, lace trim sewn around the outside edge of the paper so it shows on both sides, overstampings, and use of vellum overlays.

(Includes a piece of paper that I was practicing calligraphy on - a great way to use up "samplers" from calligraphy sessions! Even the imperfect ones look great this way.)

This last photo shows a page I covered completely in black tulle, then stitched and layered around a squared off area, then cut away the tulle to create a "frame" for journaling or a photo.

It is very fun to sew together random papers and use different stitches - a very easy way to create an art journal, and also a great way to use up paper scraps, especially those "special" ones that you don't want to throw away (but you've made way too many cards in your lifetime!) - my only fear is that I have covered the pages with too many special papers and now there isn't much white space for writing...but I hope it's at least a good beginning!! : )

Silk Sari Ribbon Journal

2010-02-23T21:42:00.000-08:00

So last night I was busy ironing and flatting piece upon piece of silk sari ribbon - it is so beautiful, in every way. Colors, vivid...texture...torn edges...how can anything NOT look fabulous if it is made of this wonderful stuff? I decided to start with a smaller piece, so I fused a piece of black cotton to some stiff interfacing then began sewing vertical strips of ribbon, rows of them, then using smaller and smaller pieces, layering and sewing over the original strips. When that piece was finished, I had to decide what to make!! I figured a journal is a good starting point to play with to see where else it might take me. I added "Journal" stamped out on canvas in little sewn blocks and then painted over with acrylic paints and fabric markers. I added a loopy fringe along the border for touching and playing with as I write in the journal. It is very tactile, and I wanted to include some of it in its raw form to be able to touch and pet! The final addition of scattered colorful beads was like adding icing to the cake of lustrous color - I'm hooked on silk sari ribbon now!!!

Wordle - Create a Text Cloud

2010-02-23T00:29:00.000-08:00

Today I found out about a website called "Wordle." Here is the link: http://www.wordle.net/
It is an AMAZING little site that allows you to copy and paste or type in words, then it will arrange them in a "Text Cloud" for you - you can change the font, colors, edit words, etc - just play and experiment!!
This is the first one I've created, and already saved and printed it out in mirror image on transparency to use as a text transfer onto fabric for fabric embellishing. Just print it as "mirror image" so when you lay it down it is backwards, then spread some acrylic matte medium onto the fabric in a thin layer, and while still damp press your transparency onto the medium and burnish. And voila! A text transfer with your own customized design - I could *really* get carried away with this....

Confetti Fabric

2010-02-16T01:09:00.000-08:00

Last night I had some fun in my art room, creating what I like to call "confetti fabric."
So, I'll give instructions in a tutorial later, but for now here's how I created the fabric and petal pieces in this quilt. I chopped up little pieces of fabric, yarn, string, thread, ribbons, fibers, angelina fibers, skeleton leaves, organza flowers, dyed silk roving, and dyed wool roving. I gathered all of these items in different little piles (like a palette) and got out two pieces of "SUPER SOLVY" - water soluble stabilizer. I put one on my work surface (anything will do), then began laying down roving pieces and snippets of thread, sequin trim, angelina fibers for some bling, and then string, fibers, and yarns. I made sure to cover almost the entire base with a super fine layer of roving. Then I sprinkled everything else on, creating areas of lights and darks. I made two of these pieces, one in a pink color scheme and one in a green/blue color scheme. I raided my scrap bin, where I throw all my threads while sewing, extra fabric scraps that I trim away from various projects, etc - ANYTHING will work as long as it is cut down into little pieces. I layered areas with sheer organza ribbon snippets, silk ribbon, dyed cheesecloth, faux flower petals, etc. Then I added another piece of Solvy on top, to make a "confetti sandwich" and pinned it all together with several pins. Then I free-motion stitched all around in loops, swirls, zig-zags, right on top of the water soluble stabilizer. I made sure to alternate thread colors often, and highlight areas with yellow thread. I laid my stitched confetti sandwich in a baking dish in the sink, turned the water onto luke warm, then sprayed with the spray nozzle over the top of the sandwich very gently. The Solvy disappeared, leaving all my beautiful texture and color from all of the different materials I used to make the confetti. Then I turned over the piece, and sprayed the other side. I swished the piece around in the water, then dumped it out of the dish regularly, spraying with new water until it filled again, then dumping it out, and repeating. This process also FELTED the roving I used for a base, which adds a great bottom layer to be able to stitch it down to other fabrics. I laid my piece out to dry on some thick towels, then ironed it between pressing cloths on a warm setting. Voila!! Confetti Fabric.

(flower and leaves in this photo)

I had been working on a base for an art quilt for an upcoming Lakeshore Fiber Artists Show, (LFAW is the group I belong to). I wanted to do something non-traditional, with free sheer edges, so made a base with different shades of dyed organza. The center is a turquoise raw silk with batting behind it, and the "frame" is made with a very cool new fabric which is black with white text all over it - words about music. So I was very happy with the beginning, because it combined everything I love - text, black and white mixed with color, sheer layers, silk and organza...but I didn't quite know where to go from there. I tried doing some traditional quilting designs on the square, to add the background texture - I did this with black thread to juxtopose the traditional design with the rest of the quilt, which is everything BUT traditional. It looked neat, but I didn't feel there was enough to it yet. So, I grabbed up my confetti fabric and started loosely cutting out shapes (I did NOT want to cut into it!!) that the colors suggested...leaves from the greens and large flowers from the pink. I used the lighter areas of the confetti fabric (the highlights of yellow and orange thread) as the centers. I arranged these on the quilt and machine-appliqued with black thread to add some definition to the edges, and to match the black and white text fabric frame. I'm still not finished with it yet - I think it needs some hand-stitching, some beads, something different for the centers of the flowers...maybe vintage jewelry?

A work in progress.....

Impressionistic Art Quilt Class with Ann Loveless

2010-02-16T00:20:00.000-08:00

I am so extremely lucky!! I got to take a class with Ann Loveless. She is amazing - a great artist, a great teacher, and a wonderful person!! We spent a couple of hours "chopping up" fabrics to create "Impressionsitic Art Quilts" - it has made me think of fabric in a whole new way. Ideas are spinning in my head!! Here is the quilt I made during her class.

Now, some detail shots:

I am truly inspired!! I have already been cutting more fabrics for MORE of this style of art quilt - I'm thinking of fabric as "paint" now. Even the ugliest, nastiest prints (the ones you can't believe you still have in your stash, the ones you push to the back and/or bury in hopes that neither you nor your friends will ever see again) turn out to be amazing in this techinque. FUN!!!!!!!! : )

Fabric Dye Day!

2010-02-09T02:25:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to break out the leftover batting pieces from other quilt projects, and start painting. I lined a big cookie sheet with green tablecover plastic (cheap by the roll at party stores), and sprayed water all over the muslin until it was soaked through (but not sopping wet), then began to paint! I simply used Ranger's Alcohol Inks, making sure to work quickly before the ink could dry. I also used some Jacquard Dye-Na-Flow (yellows and whites) and even mixed the two types of ink together at times! I just very loosely filled in splotches of areas with different colors, beginning with the yellow because it was the lightest color, then moved to pink, purple, then the greens and blues. After I was pleased with the "splotches" of color, I began to outline flower shapes with the yellow Dye-Na-Flow. It turned out beautifully! I can't wait until it dries so I can begin doing some free-motion stitching and add some handmade paper beads. I think it will turn out to be a nice vertical art quilt, in spite of its humble beginnings as a scrap piece of batting!!

I also painted a few little crochet doily flowers with the alcohol inks, maybe to use as an embellishment on this quilt, or maybe for another project - I haven't decided yet.

Painted Metal Embellishments

2010-02-09T01:55:00.000-08:00

A few days ago while I was having a "paint a bunch of paper" marathon session, I glanced over and spotted some junk metal that I decided to try painting on with my leftover paint. (Do you notice how when you begin painting things, you never really finish?)

These were all metal junk jewelry or scrapbook elements, which I painted with nail polish, then splashed on some regular old acrylic paint. I think next I might dip them in UTEE and sprinkle on some mica pigments? Anyway, I like where this is going!! And a great way to use leftover paint!!

Fabric & Fiber Art Postcard

2010-02-09T01:46:00.000-08:00

This is a fiber art postcard I made at Cloth, Paper, Scissors "Make It and Take It University" at the Chicago International Quilt Show a couple of years ago. I pulled it back out of a drawer and thought - wow! - I really like this technique - I think I want to try it again!! It is made on Timtek (thick interfacing) with fusible web, with random bits of metallic fiber and foiled fabrics, fancy fibers, wool roving, silk waste, tissue paper, snippets of other various fabrics, tulle, and cheesecloth - all artfully arranged, fused, and then the layers that could not reach the fusible webbing were simply lifted, sprinkled underneath with Bonash, then fused down again. (I need more Bonash!!) The Timtex was layered on the back with thick solid paper (such as watercolor paper), with a piece of double-sided fusible webbing, Then the edges were sewn with a satin stitch, and trimmed down to create a one-of-a-kind fiber art postcard. Very fun and simple - I might try it again!!

Paper Beads with UTEE

2010-02-09T01:29:00.000-08:00

I cut up some strips of paper, rolled them around a skewer gluing along the way with gel medium (thin layer), then rolled around on a clear embossing ink pad, then dipped in UTEE (Ultra-thick embossing enamel - available at Hobby Lobby or Michael's in the scrapbooking section). Then heat with a heat gun, watch them turn glossy and beautiful, then maybe dip them a few more times if you want more of a high-gloss finish - then you can sprinkle on some Pearl-Ex, some fine mica, some tiny beads, wrap with fibers, experiment and have fun with what you have - anything goes!!

These are a few I took a bit further - I plan to use these as charms on journals or jewelry, so I added beads to each end and put them on a metal head pin and wrapped additional wire and created a loop for attaching them more easily to things later.

1,000 Artist Trading Cards: Innovative and Inspired Mixed Media ATCs

2010-02-04T22:49:00.000-08:00

It seemed like so long ago that I made some little ATCs for submission to Cloth, Paper, Scissors - they were having a display at the Chicago International Quilt show, and a couple of mine were chosen from the display for the book:
"1,000 Artist Trading Cards: Innovative and Inspired Mixed Media ATCs" by Patricia Bolton.
I got to meet Pokey very briefly, and it was very inspiring to be included in this book. At that time I was still married and so my last name was "Fillman" but well, I'm proud becuase it is the only thing I've been published for so far. I don't even have images of the cards I submitted for this project - I'm so ashamed to say - as my old blog was wiped away when I quit blogging for a few years. Anyway, as I've been thinking about my connection to the rest of the art world, it's a little bit of inspiration for me to look back and remember the excitement of being included in such a project. So, because I LOVE ATCs and their scale - making for quick projects and a great way to try out new techniques - I wanted to post the book for anyone who might be curious about it. Enjoy!!

1,000 ATCs on Amazon.com

For Mom - Iris Art Quilt

2010-02-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

This is an art quilt I'm working on for my mom. She loves Iris flowers!!
It started with a pattern I found online here:

Sindy Rodenmayer's Pattern

The pattern was only for a 16 1/2" block, but then I added longer stems...and a vase...and a background, and a border...now it is enormous. I appliqued the pieces, then added beaded and silk ribbon embellishment, chose the fabrics for the background, border and backing. Now I just need to do the quilting and the construction - which is where I might seek a little help! I'm too afraid to "mess it up" at the point. But, I wanted to show the quilt so far, the UFO that it is.

Potholders!

2010-02-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

So I searched through about 500 sites to find patterns for potholders - then ended up just making my own versions. I wanted to work with some fabric in bright colors I wouldn't normally use - and need little gifties for people : ) Perfect solution to break in the new sewing machine!

Fabric Paper

2010-02-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

Samples of Fabric Paper that I created - great fun - a couple of years ago. These are long gone...I made them then never did anything with them, then sold them on eBay (now regretful!!) - before I realized they would become a very popular component of art quilts - at least I saved the photos - maybe I'll do something digital with them?

Organize Fibers with Laminate Sample Cards!

2010-02-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

Really quickly, I wanted to post how I made the laminate cards for organizing - or giving - the most special little fibers and lace and beaded trims. You know, the ones you only have a few sparse strands of and you want to keep forever? Your favorite samples of wonderful hand-dyed, sparkly-edged, slightly crinkled ribbons will look perfect on these!! Easy to do, and looks amazing.

Gather some laminate samples - you can buy these on eBay, or visit your local home building shop such as Lowe's or Home Depot and see if they have any old or extras they would allow you to have. They come in a smaller size or a larger size - I used the smaller ones for this project.
Gather some special papers to use as backgrounds on the cards, and cut out some text from old vintage books - anything goes as far as collaging. Text backgrounds work especially well because the effect shows through after you color them.
Paint the cards with some gel medium (my favorite adhesive) in thin layers and collage the fancy papers. Let dry. Then collage little strips of text or book page snippets.
Allow to dry thoroughly, then cut as close to the edges of the cards as possible, or even sand off the edges of the paper for a more distressed effect.
Punch holes in the collaged papers where the hole in the card is - to allow you to string them onto a metal ring later.
Grab your sharpies, watercolors, acrylic paints, watercolor crayons, or even stamp over with ink pads - the more layers of color the better. I outlined some of the paper designs in thin sharpie, then scribbled with watercolor crayons to fill in areas with color. Then, I added a little bit of water with a small paintbrush to create a washed effect.
Edge with a metallic paint pen (Krylon pens work well) around the edges and around the edges of the hole for a finished look.
Wrap with pretty fibers, little pieces of favorite trim, whatever you want to organize on the cards.
Loop through with a large metal ring - I like the colored ones, or you could try using alcohol ink on a plain silver one (I wish I had done that!)

These cards could be the base for an altered style mini journal instead - there are many options. Get creative!! These are a nice small size to work with, great to try out new techniques and an easy way to save and use as a reminder later of the ones you liked.

Here are some photos of the finished cards - I'd love to see some of yours too! : )