Still at Work

March 30, 2013

 Two small projects from a morning in my studio.

Free-motion stitched plant forms on patterned organza over batting. Fun!

A pale printed border made from a photo with mirror imaging designed for an old project. I printed the original photo with some images of plants that grew near this beaver dam. I am playing with placement, repeating images, and other fabric for a quilted fiber collage.

Fiber Collage from Fragments

March 28, 2013

A new fabric paper collage, made with scraps of paper from past projects. I love these bean seedling printed on sumi paper from an old botany book. All stuck together with matte medium on another fragment of the old handkerchief.
















March 29, 2013

Stitching added to the collage. The woven lines on the handkerchief edge make a wonderful border.

Making and Stitching Fabric Paper

March 26, 2013

Using my waterbrush to prepare paper for tearing

Papers layered and collaged to fabric

Today, I made some fabric paper by attaching sumi-e paper and colored Canson paper to a well-worn  handkerchief with acrylic matte medium.

March 27, 2013

I am remembering that stitching mistakes on paper are very conspicous! The needle makes an irreversible hole.

 The curvy lines I added were made with my little old Singer, in free-motion mode. I left the feed dogs exposed (they won't lower) and loosened the presser foot pressure as much as possible. I didn't think it would work so well!

Strip Quilt #2

March 23, 2013

I am making another view of the pond lilies into a strip quilt, this time with vertical strips and stitching.

March 24, 2013

Lining up the strips and fusing to the batting.

March 25, 2013

Stitching down the strips.

Friday's Little Task

fused strips

March 22, 2013

 This morning, I set up my little Singer and sewed the strips together. I like it! When I get to my studio later, I will find a good way to frame it.

sewing across the top of each strip with black thread

all strips sewn down

Next Steps

March 21, 2013

Today I assembled a white cotton backing, thin cotton batting, a layer of MistyFuse, and - one-by-one - the strips of the pond lily fabric. I covered the fabric with baking parchment as I ironed and fused the strips, overlapping one edge of the strips.

fabric strips laid over backings

fusing the fabric strips

lifting parchment paper from fused fabric strips

Back to the Daily Practice

March 20, 2013

October Pond Lily Leaves printed on muslin

October Pond Lily Leaves in slivers

Since we moved into our new home in June, I haven't had a good place to play with my art the minute (almost) I wake up. So I haven't returned to my rewarding Daily Practice that took me so far a few other times in the recent past.

Enough excuses! I receive regular posts from the blog "Zen Habits" by Leo Barbauta. Always interesting, but the one that came yesterday really grabbed my attention. It was all about making changes, a.k.a. changing habits, and I wrote out the most important change I want to make Right Now and how I plan to do it. That would be "making more and better art, especially more and better fiber art." And that means a Daily Practice. And showing you makes me accountable to you. I hope you will let me know what you think and keep me going!

The list of options is long, but I was interested in a technique I read about in the April/May issue of Quilting Arts magazine - tearing fabric into strips that are then fused to a backing and stitched along the tears. I spent about 10 minutes tearing this piece I fabric I printed from my photo awhile ago. Tomorrow I'll fuse it. And onward.

Thank you, Leo and Quilting Arts. And thank YOU!