Class Tester

Here is the last book I made testing the Creative Book Making Class for Sueb that she's offering this fall at http://www.twocreativestudios.com/

The cover is a brown paper bag that I painted after I crumpled it and used an ink pad on.

The lining is tissue paper bonded to fabric. It is a 3 fold book with the last section opening in the other directions and was a favorite when I showed the books to my quilt group.

Embellisher

After watching the DVD on Feltmaking by Pokey Bolton, I decided to try to make one example from it. On a base of felt, I put strips of cotton fabrics from my scrap pile. First that is felted down, then strips of dyed cheesecloth were added to the surface. The embellisher really likes cheesecloth and eats it up creating weird shapes. The lace motifs were painted with Dynaflow and heat set when dry. They too were embellished down. I was surprised that it worked but was very careful, as some of the spots were thick.

Next I machine embroidered the piece with metallic thread in the circles that I always seem to do. I was going to fold it in half for a book cover but need to use the whole thing as is and just make another for the back.

Here is the reverse side with the unbalanced tension I was using to machine embroider. I like this side better! Now I won't be lining it but letting it show.

Felting

I had made a long, narrow piece of felt on the embellisher and decided to make a purse from it. After it was felted, I did some machine embroidery/quilting in a metallic thread. When is it quilting and when embroidery?

I used the Diva cord maker from http://www.joggles.com/ to make the cord.

I have lots of costume jewelry pins that just sit in a drawer, so this one become the closure.

Here is the back. I love to machine the circles and have to watch that I don't do them all the time and nothing else.

Beading

www.joggles.com offers a nice range of classes. This is the bracelet I made in a class from there taught by Christen Brown. When we were in S. California, the Wearable Art Connection guild had her as a teacher. I took a vest class that was wonderful, so I knew this one would be good.

The web has opened up so many opportuntities for classes that I'm having a lot of fun with them.

Class Tester

The next book in the Creative Book Making class being offered by SueB in the Fall at www.twocreativestudios.com has cutouts in the spine, so you use fancy papers to wrap each signature. I thought this would be harder, but it isn't with Sue's good directions. I used scrapbooking papers in shades of gray to go with the red book cloth binding. It's going to be another excellent class.

Exchanges

This month's theme for Unlimited Textiles is Seasons. I had done a series of Ultrasuede leaves beaded to wool and thought that this one represented Fall-one of my favorite seasons. French Knots attach it to the background fabric that I think is African. There is a running stitch edge.

Beading

This necklace is one I made ages ago but never felt it was right. It never wanted to hang right either. So I've added two Mother of Pearl disks to it.

It looks better on the body than on the scanner and hangs right now, but I'm not sure I'm done. What do you think? That is the good side of what we do. We can change things at any time. Sometimes, though, it's better to just move on.

Class Tester

Here is another book I made testing the new Creative Book Making class offered by Sue Bleiweiss at www.twocreativestudios.com The binding makes it possible to add or remove pages. It's an easy and fun book to make. The center panel is a painted wallpaper sample.

Sue and Terri are also having a give away of wonderful things, so you want to visit the site. They also have free project directions for fun stuff.

Calendar Girls

This is the calendar photo for our inspiration for July in the group http://calendargirls2008.blogspot.com Here is what I did. The background is felted on the embellishing machine. Then I machine embroidered the details with a white metallic thread. It reminds me of Mt. St. Helens which is quite close to me. We lived in Portland for the first eruption and watched it. We were back from California in time for the second one.

Pat sent me her interpretation of the mountain. It's very nicely textured and beaded along the edge.

Bead Journal Project

Here is the next in this year's series for the Bead Journal Project http://www.beadjournalproject.com/ It's a batik that I have added beads to.

Class Tester, gift

Here's the next book in the Creative Book Making class being offered in the fall by SueB at www.twocreativestudios.com It's called a Stab Stitch Binding and is easy to do. Doesn't it look like an impressive way to bind a book? The center is rubber stamped and embossed. I really like to make these books and using good instructions makes it easy.

Look what came in the mail. I ordered Stitching the Textured Surface from England www.d4daisy.com . It's the new book by Carol McFee www.textiletales.blogspot.com and Lynda Monk www.purplemissus.com , and this postcard was in it. The card has such rich texture-very yummy. The book is filled with inspiring photos and directions for the textures.

Quilt, Award

This is a piece I started ages ago and decided I didn't like, so it sat around. I cropped it and like it much better-may finish it by doing a lot of embellishing in the large space. What do you think? It was sewn by layering sheers over a background, machine stitching lines, then cutting back various layers in the different strips. Decorative thread was couched over the stitching lines.

Marie at http://zquilts.blogspot.com gave me the Kreativ Blogger award. Thank you Marie. I'm glad someone is inspired. As usual I couldn't figure out how to get the icon, but I'd rather stitch then argue with the computer. I'd like to nominate all the blogs that inspire me, but the list is huge. When I'm tired, I surf and see wonderful things.

The 7 things that I like are:
1. Dogs
2. Walks in the woods
3. Leaves in all their variety
4. Anything to do with fiber
5. Books
6. Chocolate
7. All my friends both in person and cyber.

I asked for suggestions for the name of the last quilt and was surprised that two people saw broken glass in the piece. I thought that Shattered would fit the piece and how I felt at the time, but PamT mentioned a play on words pane and pain, so it became Shattered Panes/Pains. Other suggestions were:
Stargazing
Fractured Glass
Hopeful Trepidation
Purple Haze
Since several other pieces were waiting to be stitched-not sure how much I thought I was going to do-the names will be used on them. Thank you to everyone who responsed. Naming quilts is hard for me.

Boy, is this a long post-very unusual for me.

Painted fabric

A friend and I got together 2 weeks ago thinking we would do sunprints-the sun didn't come to play. Next plan-Shiva paint sticks. We used rubbing plates-leaves and animal skins and had great fun.

We both decided that we preferred the metallic colors or the iridescent. I think I was heavy handed on some of the ones below, but they will make backgrounds.

Quilt

Here's the finished quilt, but I need a name. Any ideas? The value contast in this one is not at all good but reflects how I felt waiting for the surgery.