Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Gift, Shopping

Look at the beautiful roving a friend gave me. I'll use it as one of my backgrounds for the Bead Journal Project.We went to a bead store, and here are the additions to my stash. I have lots of seed beads, so I try to find other sizes and shapes.Next to Craft Warehouse where they were having their pearls on sale-great colors and styles. We ended up with lunch and then went in our opposite directions to get home before too much traffic. Nice day.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Postcard, Lace

http://www.threecreativestudios.com/ has a Technique of the month that they give directions to and then draw for a prize from the people who submit photos of something they have done with that technique. I found this lovely postcard from Vicki for the painted fabric technique. It has fuzzy places, smooth ones and is fun to touch. Thank you Vicki. Not only that, but I've salvaged some ugly fabric by painting over it and creating something usuable.

This month's technique was painted lace that is fused to Tintex. I made a cuff and decorated it with antique buttons. Beads always appear on my work, but I didn't want them to detract from the buttons, so they just echo the path the buttons take.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Gift, Knitting

One of the ladies at quilt group had been to a bead show and bought us each a necklace. It matched my outfit perfectly, so I put it on immediately. Mine is actually violet, but the computer refused to show the real color no matter how I tried to manipulate it.I've just finished knitting a chemo cap. I knit at night when my mind is tired and doesn't create. The caps I do between other projects. The fur kind my son's Mother-in-law liked, because they give fullness and the illusion of bangs. Hopefully, now of you need one, but if you do, let me know.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

TAST, Technique of the Month

This week Sharonb at http://www.pintangle.com/ introduced us to the Portuguese Border Stitch. It's worked on a foundation row of straight stitches and goes wherever you take those stitches. First I worked it traditionally, then curved it and used different colors for the two sides. Next I tried it in a circle to create a flower shape. Then I did just one half of the stitching reversing sides in the middle. I like the curved one best. The technique of the month is painted lace at http://www.threecreativestudios.com/ It's bonded to Tintex to create a piece stiff enough for a cuff which I'm now working on. I used Dynaflow paints and like the effect. I was ambitious and have lots of it left to make a book.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Quilt, Felt

Here's the next quilt block I'm using with the motif from Friday's post. By stretching it, the look changed completely. The fabrics are a commercial batik and cotton.I'm taking a Whisper Felting class at Electric Quilt University and learned to dye roving with food color and vinegar. All the food color I had in the cupboard was 2 bottles of red plus dried up green and yellow. Putting water in the green and yellow gave me enough dye to make it work. It was fun and safe for the heat setting in the microwave, since food products were what I used. When it is first washed out, it looks like matted dog hair, but after carding, it is nice.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Quilt

Here are 4 black and white blocks of a motif I'm playing with. I think it has possibilities.I made it up in black and 2 African fabrics. The one with the gold is so dominant that it is almost hard to look at.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Take A Stitch Tuesday

I've been doing the stitches that Sharonb has had on her blog http://www.pintangle.com/ She posts a new one each Tuesday. The first is last week's and is Loop Stitch.
This one is Beaded Hebedo Edge. I did it in quite a small scale but didn't have any trouble.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Fiberactions

This time the challenge word was communications. There is very little direct communication anymore. Most involves a device that has a circuit board, so here is my circuits. The photos were taken by my husband of a board he built for his train set. I transferred them to fabric and fused them to a background.To cover the edges I used antique ribbon to recall the time when we actually talked face to face. Ultrasuede shapes convey the idea to and and nan gates-used in designing circuits. Hanging from below the photos are parts from a circuit board.

I can't fault having that kind of communication-without it I wouldn't have all my cyber friends. Thanks to everyone who reads my blogs and those who take the time to comment. Visit http://fiberactions.blogspot.com/ to see other examples.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Bead Journal Project

Here is March for the Bead Journal Project. The background is felted rovings on felted wool. Then I machined the circles. I had the glass circle and was deciding what to do to accent it, when I spilled the beads accidentally. They fell into the stitched circles and looked like that was where they belong, so that's where I put them.The glass circle is attached with a heavy metallic thread, then the center was filled with beads.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Hanging

The tree is one I drew and have used for a big quilt and as part of a grief series. I really like trees and leaves and wanted to use it again. The background is painted on white pimatex using Jacquard paints.
I've machined the background and stitched running stitch by hand on the tree. I think I'd like to use it as the focal point in a larger quilt but will probably have to paint the fabric which means waiting for warmer weather.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Quilt

Vicki at http://vickiwelsh.typepad.com/ has been posting directions for a quilt using a large print as a focus fabric. I had a nice floral and decided to use that. The number of blocks I cut and framed was determined by the amount of fabric I had. I think it will be a cheerful quilt.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Wall Hanging

Several years ago I decided to make a hanging on wool yardage I'd felted in the washer and dryer. First I put Misty Fuse on the background, then long triangles of blue green fabrics in a radiating pattern. Talk about ugly. It sat for at least a year with me thinking I should just throw it out.

I thought maybe it needed a flower and sewed down petals shapes in pink netting-didn't show enough. Maybe Lame would work-bond it to a synthetic. That sat for months. Then I straight stitched petals shapes and used a metallic pen along the stitching to help with the possible fraying.Those were stitched down in two layers. The center was beaded-not even too hard with all the layers and fusible.

Finally, the edging. Traditional binding would be too thick in the wool and look wrong in cotton. I had the lumpy yarn in my stash and used two rows of it zigzagged to the edge. That works.

The piece was a difficult birthing but I think worth the pains.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Challenges

This year I've been doing a lot of challenges-probably to counteract winter. Sharon at
http://www.pintangle.com/ has started Take a Stitch Tuesday again. I didn't officially join but will do most of the stitches. I love to hand stitch. This week's stitch is Diamond stitch. On the right is the traditional way to work it. The other I prefer-random and freer.
This is some fabric painted with metallic paints. It saved an ugly piece and shimmers nicely in person. It is the Technique of the month on http://www.threecreativestudios.com/

All year Shelagh at http://shelaghfolgate.blogspot.com/ will be giving us directions for a piece using unusual techniques. The is a detail of February's work. The granite stitch on the machine was one I hadn't worked, but it gives great texture.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Quilt

I've just finished a quilt top to take with me and use as a hostess gift this summer when I visit family.It will be quilted in a very basic manner. It's a quilt to be used and will be by grandchildren and granddogs. It's fun to do something that has no pressure involved.