Starting Work on Sadie

Today I started on Sadie.



I transferred the design to fabric and then outlined it all with soy wax to be as a resist.

Front after wax applied



here you can really see the wax outline



The wax has to dry completely, so I used the time to mix my print paste (which has to sit overnight), chemical water and dye concentrates.  Tomorrow, I start the painting.

Anyway, I had quite a few inquiries after mentioning soy wax in yesterday's post,  so I created a little video on how I use it as a painting resist.  You can see it on my website.

And that's it for today. Have a great night!

Henrietta

I have been painting  the last couple days, and Henrietta is nearly done!  All of the painting, including the background was done with Tsukineko inks.  Thickened for the detail work, and diluted for the background wash.  I still have some outlining to do and bubbles to paint. I'll finish up those things tomorrow and then she'll be ready to quilt.  Here is a look at her drying on the design wall...the freezer paper is still attached to the back of the fabric...that's the line you see near the bottom.



Now I have to work on the appliqué version. But I'll also start painting the next one...I think Sadie will be next!  For her I'm going to use thickened fiber reactive dyes and a soy wax resist, so the resist will be done first since it has to dry completely before the painting begins.

And in other news, one of my quilt designs " Go Garden" was featured in the new EQ newsletter that just came out.  It's about halfway down the page.  Pretty cool!  It is one of the free designs I shared on my website.  The EQ7 project file is there for you to download if you wish.  You do need to have EQ7 though to open it.

And on the weather front, today was just gorgeous!  The humidity is way down as are the temps.  We we able to shut off the AC and open the doors and windows for the morning. The kitties are loving the cooler weather and were quite frisky!  After lunch we had to close back up and put the AC back on, but I'm not complaining...it's an improvement and it means the really nice weather will be here soon!

Have a great night!

Working on the Newest Designs

A few weeks back I shared a tiny peek of one of my newest designs. Terri guessed correctly that it was a fish. Well, that fish is one of a collection of six called "FantaSea Fishees".

They are all  part of a large quilt  that is in progress, but they will also be available as individual patterns after the large quilt has made it's debut. I'm currently painting the first one with Tsukineko inks, but will have appliqué versions available too for those who don't paint. The appliqué versions will utilize Vicki's gorgeous fabrics.

So here is Henrietta



And with painting in progress



and closer



And for a look at Henrietta's fellow" fishees",  here is Harvey



And Cleopatra



And Clyde



And Sadie



And last is Sampson



Hope you enjoyed the look at my fancy finned friends!  Now I guess I'd better get back to work.

Ebb and Flow

Well today is the reveal for the Fiberactions Challenge "Stretch". Mine is called "Ebb and Flow"



Funny how things happen. At the time the word was revealed for this challenge, I was feeling quite "stretched" and overwhelmed in terms of demands on my time. Since then I have  taken steps to exert more control over my time rather than allowing that control to outside influences.  That simple change was very freeing and allowed me to look at "stretch" from a creative viewpoint.

Now one can "stretch" in many ways. You can do it by either expanding or limiting your technique or your color palette;  trying  new materials and mediums; or simply moving from working in a representational form to a more abstract one.  Or any number of other ways that physically or visually stretch you or your work itself.



I did not try a new technique or medium. I used a painted wholecloth...a very familiar technique and medium for me.  Instead, my "stretch" is to depict visually the cycle  of creativity.  In other words, I equate "stretch" with "growth".  And artistic growth has periods of constriction... where you can't seem to find your muse. But when the muse returns, we have this freeing burst of creative energy...much like the ebb and flow of a tidal river.



I started with a piece of 19mm silk charmeuse. The background wash was done with Tsukineko inks and Ink potion #9 to encourage the migration and wicking of the inks.  The "river"  and "bursts of  creativity" were also base coated with Tsukineko inks  and then brushed with a thin layer of  Pearl Ex pigments mixed in GAC 900. Then the elements were outlined with a solution of Sparkle gold Pearl Ex and GAC 900 using a dip pen.

The piece was machine quilted with Superior's Lava thread (Mariana) in the "river" and the background with Superior's Kimono Silk thread (glacier ice) . I used two battings; Quilters Dream cotton on the bottom and Quilters Dream wool on the top.

I also uploaded a short video of the stitching of this piece that you can find on my website, if you are interested.



Be sure to check the Fiberactions blog to see how all the other artists in our group interpreted this challenge. You will be inspired!

So, what does "Stretch" say to you?

August Postcards

I showed you the parts a while back. Now that they gone here are the completed cards.  The August theme was 'fan'.  When I think of the word fan, I see a sea fan!



I hope all you Moms out there are enjoying the kids being back to school!

A Couple of Projects

I have been playing in the studio this holiday weekend. Working on my latest wholecloth, the Seahorse appliqué, and a new design series.  This new series of patterns will be sized to fit perfectly on one of Vicki's gorgeous hand dyed fat quarters. The applique pieces will be large , so it will be a quick and easy project that can become a wall hanging,  a decorative pillow or even mounted on a canvas if you like.

So do you want a peek?  I thought you would, here you go a piece of the pattern.



So look for more about these later in the year.

And another project I've been working on is a small painted piece. A several months back, Irena asked if I would paint another small piece for her upcoming book.  She sent me a small piece already quilted...it is one of her digitized designs.  Well she needs it by the end of the month, so I figured I'd better get busy on it.

This is the piece as she sent it to me...it's all white...that coloration in the photo is from the light.



I added a little more quilting....and yes, I missed a spot, it has since been quilted in



And here with some of the color



Amazing what a little color can do!  Another couple hours of painting and this puppy will be done!

At first I thought the design looked like a flower, sort of. But the more I looked at it, it reminded me of a Ferris wheel, so I'm calling it "Carnival"

Hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend too!

Working on Postcards

Today I worked some on postcards due next week for the latest MQR swap.  The theme this time is "Fan"

The first thing I did was print some fabric. I took white PFD , a rubbing plate from Cedar Canyon Textiles, Portfolio oil pastels, and Jo Sonja's textile medium.





I printed my fabric by rubbing the oil pastels on the fabric placed over the rubbing plate.  Then I used the textile medium instead of water to blend the colors.  After that was dry, I heat set the fabric with a hot iron, then washed, dried and pressed it.  Now the colors are permanently  set and the fabric is ready to be used.





Then I cut  some shapes out of foam, pulled out some of my previously dyed cheesecloth, and the other fabric and embellishments needed.



The cards are all together now and I'm working on the embellishments.  I'll post them in a few days when I'm done.

In the meantime, any guesses on what my interpretation of "Fan" is?