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Archive for September, 2014

Urban Surfaces – The Printed Fabric Bee

Tuesday, September 30th, 2014

 

urbansurfacedetail

This is a detail shot of the printing I did for The Printed Fabric Bee. Leslie Jenison chose urban surfaces as her theme. In my last post, I told you that I started with a cotton scarf on which the dye job was pretty sad.

whatwasithinkingscarf

I painted it with diluted DynaFlow paint to dirty it up and gray the colors.

dynaflowpaintedurbansurface

Then, I went at it with construction fence under a silkscreen and black paint.

constfenceprinting

 

 

urbansurfaceconstfenceprint

I went home and let it dry over night. The next day, I used a white beeswax crayon and a rubbing plate to make marks on the piece.

beeswaxmarksurbansurface

Next, I went at it with a syringe and lime green paint to make graffiti like marks. I was quite worried when I left it because the paint was a lot puffier than I had planned, but when I came back the next day, it was dry and flat.

syringegraffitiurbansurface

Leslie asked for a 6″ x 18″ piece. I had enough for two. So, it was easy to get a nice 6″ piece for the giveaway.

finishedurbansurfaces

urbansurfacescollage

Click on the collage to go to our FaceBook page to leave a comment and go to The Printed Fabric Bee Blog to leave a comment for a chance to win the fabric collection.

 

 

SAQA Benefit Auction

Monday, September 29th, 2014

skybluepink

It is the third week of the annual SAQA  auction of 12 X 12 quilts. The funds raised help support SAQA exhibitions, publications and education. This is my donation this year. it is created from my snow dyed fabric – cotton and cheese cloth with lots of hand stitching. I named it Sky Blue Pink.

Bidding starts at 2 pm eastern time today. There are many beautiful pieces by some luminaries in the art quilt world. Here is a link to take a look at them: 2014 SAQA Auction. The price is $750 today and goes down each day until Saturday, when you can pick up one for $75. I have always been fortunate to have mine purchased early in the bidding. But every year, I worry that mine will sit there until the end.

Hope you will go take a look and consider making a bid. I purchased this piece by Viviana Lombrozo in the first week of the auction. I can’t wait to receive it and check it out in person.

Lombrozo

No Rest for the Weary

Saturday, September 27th, 2014

GECatNWExpo

Well, I am not that weary, but fortunately, I recovered from my sinus infection and taking care of M & M so that I could keep up with my busy schedule this past week. On Tuesday, I went out to the Expo Center to help hang the SAQA Oregon Show, Exploring Layers. On Wednesday, I was busy, busy doing my left brain SDA work. On Thursday, I went back out to the opening of NW Quilt Expo. I spent a couple of hours at the Columbia FiberArts Guild table, showing some member’s work and promoting the guild. Then, I gave a docent talk for the SAQA show. That is me with my quilt, Walking With Scooter and Mr. C. That quilt has really been getting around.

On Friday, I finally got to my studio to start some clean up and to work on my latest Printed Fabric Bee piece. The queen this month is Leslie Jennison who has asked for Urban Surfaces -think about layered textures of old walls, peeling paint, graffiti, etc., on building walls. I was trying to decide what piece of fabric to use as my base for printing and had an epiphany as I was falling asleep or waking up. (Always get my best ideas, then.) I had done some shibori folds on some cotton scarves that I bought from Darma. They looked horrible – what was I thinking horrible. Here is one of them, dampened and ready to be tortured some more. I will only say that my first step was to paint over the whole thing with diluted black Jacquard DynaFlow paint. I will show the final result in a few days.

 

whatwasithinkingscarf

Intermission: Time to stop, make dinner and go to the symphony.

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg played a violin concerto by Shostakovich. Fantastic concert.

And, I am back!

While at the quilt show, I found my favorite booth with hand-dyes from Maureen Schmidt – a friend from Sonoma County. I bought two packs of neutrals – one, warm and one, cool. High Fiber Diet has neutral as the theme for next year.

neutralfabrics1

neutralfabrics2

And I also found some Radiance (cotton/silk blend) in colors that will be perfect for the commission I am working on.

 

radiancefabrics

This is the gorgeous nuno felted backdrop that my friend, Maris Cavanaugh, made for the guild fashion show.

marisfeltedbackgroundLast, but not least, I finally got to use my new studio tool – an Oliso Smart Iron.

olisoiron

When it is plugged in, it pops up on it’s legs. When you hold it to iron, the legs disappear, but as soon as you let go of it, up it pops. It has a long cord and it goes off after 30 minutes when not in use, unlike most irons, which last for only 7 -8 minutes. I love its bright sunny color.

Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

WW 9-24-14

Falling Leaves

Sunday, September 21st, 2014

falllingleaves

In my quest to re-energize my creative life, I decided to start by rehabilitating a couple of quilts that didn’t make the cut.

seamripperleaves

I made Taking Leaf of My Seasons for the SAQA Oregon Layers show and it did not get in. I was not surprised.

takingleafpreview

There were too many leaves, and they were too realistic for the abstract background. It was one of those last minute things and I didn’t have time to redo it for the show. So I am now removing them. It is really quite relazing and cathartic. Then, I have to figure out what to do. I really love the painted organza background so I want to do something that will work with it. Maybe fewer organza leaves that are fused or maybe thermofax prints. To be decided.

At any rate, I am still feeling under the weather and I have my two teen-age grandchildren here for a few days while Mom and Dad are in Portland, Maine. They are such great kids – so quiet and polite. We took them to the Farmer’s Market yesterday. Here they are walking back – notice the baguette of French Bread that Mia asked me to buy. It did not last long.

m&m9-14

Tomorrow will be a test for Mr C and I. We have to roust Mia at 6 am – get her breakfast, make lunch and walk her to the street car by 7 am. Her highschool is right on the streetcar line. Then, we have to get Miles moving and drive him back across the river to his neighborhood school by 8:45.  Wish us luck!!