Friday, February 13, 2015

Day #13: Fabric Printing at Home Blog Tour


It's Day #13 of the Fabric Printing at Home Blog Tour...it could be your lucky day (just had to say that since it's also Friday the 13th!)! Today the Tour heads over to visit Terri Stegmiller's blog. Terri loves to create artwork featuring birds, flowers, cats and girls. She also has a line of stencil and thermofax designs.

Terri is a mixed-media artist and designer from North Dakota, USA. She enjoys creating art quilts that feature layers of design, color and whimsy. Her favorite quilt subjects include girls, cats, flowers and birds. Terri also enjoys creating her own fabrics with original designs and has a line of stencils available through StencilGirl Products (stencilgirlproducts.com).  Terri's work has appeared in several books and publications and her quilts have appeared in several international exhibits. You can see more of Terri's work on the Internet at www.terristegmiller.com and stegart.blogspot.com
  
Be sure to stop by Terri's blog today and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Fabric Printing at Home. Terri also has three gorgeous hand-printed fabrics that she'll be giving away to a second lucky winner!

Reading Texture
I've been contemplating what we "read" as texture when looking at a multi-layered (painted/printed) piece of fabric. I define texture as an overall background effect that sets off the other more dominant elements in the design. Texture can be "obvious" for example, when printing with a block covered with lentils (see Lynda Heines blog post or Texture Squared pp.34-43 in Fabric Printing at Home) or rolling an ear of corn across the fabric (see Lynn Krawczyk's blog post or Creating Background Textures with Vegetables pp.50-53 in Fabric Printing at Home). A combination of repetition of shapes and the small scale of the individual elements contribute to us viewing these prints as texture.

But can other types of blocks "read" as texture and if so, what causes us to see them as texture? Here are some thoughts (and some fabric samples!).

Scale: The typical texture block often has small-scale elements that when printed give an overall textural effect. Larger designs can imitate this small-scale feel if the design is broken up or comprised of a number of smaller elements.

Fabric printed with incised foam block. The concentric circle designs in the large round foam block give an overall effect that "reads" as texture.


Color blending: If the printed design is the same color as the background fabric or slightly lighter, darker, warmer or cooler than the background color, it will blend and "read" as texture.

Fabric printed with incised foam blocks. The larger block is a slightly darker green than the color of the background fabric and "reads" as a texture.


Color contrast: If the focal/dominant elements of the fabric design strongly contrast with the background print, the background print will read as a texture.

Fabric printed with incised foam blocks. The black focal prints contrast sharply with the pale blue prints of the larger block. The block printed in the pale blue "reads" as a texture in this piece.

Repetition: If a print is repeated across a piece of fabric, it can often "read" as texture.

Fabric printed with fruit. The repeating prints with cantaloupe rind "read" as texture.

Overlapping prints: Print designs or parts of designs that overlap can appear as texture (see Cheryl Sleboda's blog post about printing with a carrot).

Fabric printed with a string block. Overlapping prints using a block wrapped with string "read" as texture.

Of course, most of the time, the qualities that make a print appear as a background texture don't appear singly. For example, color contrast and color blending can appear in the same piece of fabric.

How do you use texture in your work? Do you have a favorite method/technique for bringing texture into your work (printing, stitching, beading...?)? How does the addition of texture enhance your work?

Learn about incised foam designs in Chapter 5: Recycled and Repurposed  pp. 90-91
Learn about printing with fruit in Chapter 3: Beyond the Potato Print p. 57.
Learn about printing with string blocks in Chapter 2: Kitchen Textures and Found Object Printing pp. 36-37. All in Fabric Printing at Home!

Today's giveaway is one yard of Kona Prepared for Dyeing Fabric. Leave a comment for a chance to win. I will choose a winner at 11:00 PM Eastern USA time. Check tomorrow's post to see if you are the winner. Your comment also enters you in the final drawing at noon on February 15 for a free copy of Fabric Printing at Home: Quick and Easy Fabric Design Using Fresh Produce and Found Objects.

 And now for the winner of yesterday's giveaway (one yd of Kona PFD)...congratulations to Marcia Coling! Please email me with your contact information (threadborn@cox.net) so I can send off your prize.

Tomorrow is the last day of the tour. Our final stop is  Jackie Lams blog. Jackie is an amazing mixed media and graphic artist.  She finds much inspiration from her growing family (yay Baby Q.!) Find out more about her in tomorrow's post.


Be sure to visit all the stops on the Tour. Please note, I've added the deadlines to enter the giveaways at each stop:
 
February 2 (winner will be chosen on Feb 14): Lisa Chin 

February 3 (winner will be chosen noon Feb 15-book and stencils!): Lynn Krawczyk
February 4 (winner will be chosen end of Feb 13): Jane Davila
 
February 5 (winner will be chosen on Feb 14): Carol R. Eaton
February 6 (winner will be chosen end of Feb 13- 2 book copies!): Judy Gula 
February 7(winner: Deb Clarke): Susan Purney Mark 
February 8 (winner will be chosen on Feb 15): Teri Lucas 
February 9 (winner will be chosen on Feb14): Jennifer Coyne Qudeen 
February 10 (winner will be chosen on Feb 17): Deborah Boschert 
February 11 (winner will be chosen on Feb 14- 2 book copies!): Lynda Heines 
February 12 (winner will be chosen 5PM on Feb 16): Cheryl Sleboda 
February 13 (winner will be chosen on Feb 15- book and fabric!): Terri Stegmiller 
February 14: Jackie Lams






51 comments:

  1. Very impressed with your blog hop - I enjoy how each of your daily posts has been a wealth of information, on top of the samples shared by your daily tour hosts. So much inspiration!

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer. I've enjoyed putting together the posts and have to thank all the other artists, as well, for all their hard work in making this tour such a success.

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  2. Wow, as always, something new to think about. I haven't really thought about this aspect of texture in surface design, although I deal with texture all the time in my collage/shrine work. I'll have to ponder this idea.

    And yippee, fabric to play with! So excited! Thanks! I'll send contact info separately.

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    1. Congrats, Marcia! Can't wait to see what you do with that fabric!

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  3. Very helpful analysis of texture. It's something I respond to, but I never thought about how it can be achieved. This blog hop has been fascinating!

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    1. Hi Nancy- I've been thinking about texture so it was helpful for me to get some of my thoughts about it written down.

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  4. Enjoying every post but particularly like this as I am a color / texture kind of girl.

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    1. Hi Chris- glad you enjoyed this post. It was useful for me to sit down and take a good look at how I use texture in my designs.

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  6. I will definitely get your book. Love this hop and all the ideas. Sunmoongal

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    1. Hi Denise- Happy to hear that! I think that you'll really enjoy it (if you don't win it...good luck!)

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  7. Your generosity of spirit is much appreciated in all of your posts, Julie. I particularly appreciate your analysis of texture. Will set aside a chunk of time to play using everything I've learned very soon.

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    1. I love hearing that, Laura. One of my life goals is to inspire others!

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  8. More great ideas - thanks Julie!

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    1. You're welcome, Gill. Thanks for stopping by throughout the tour with your comments

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  9. This hop has been so much fun. Congrats on your new book! I'm hoping to win a copy, but if I don't, you KNOW it is on my shopping list! :-)

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  10. Hopping over to Terri's blog, but I liked this focus on texture!

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    1. Thanks, Cathy...I put a lot of thought into this post.

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  11. Hopping over to Terrie's blog, but enjoyed the focus on texture!

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  12. Love, love, love all of the possibilities.

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  13. Texture is really important to me. Variety in texture is more important than variety in color much of the time. My fave of the ones you showed us today is the string printed "plaid."

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    1. Thanks, Brenda. I look forward to checking out your work to see how you use texture.

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  14. Am really impressed with all of the techniques you are sharing,

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    1. Thanks, Janice. I love teaching. This blog tour has been like teaching lots of mini-classes for me...great fun!

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  15. I am really impressed with all o the techniques you are sharing

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  16. This has been such a great blog hop-I have learned SO much! Thanks.

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    1. Thanks, Lynne. I've really enjoyed all the creative energy swirling around with the hop. I have to give a big thank you to all the artists helping me out!

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  17. This is a great hop with lots of great info! And I definitely love texture, texture, texture in my printed fabric or mixed media work. You give your work a signature that is pleasing to the eye and yours alone.
    (textilerecycler at yahoo dot com)

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    1. Thanks! I've had lots of help from so many wonderful, creative people. Looking forward to checking out your work.

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  18. Brilliant post. Thanks Julie. Love the "workshop while you're at home" feeling that this blog hop has provided. Can't wait to get this book.

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    1. Thanks, Deb and congrats in winning a copy fr Susan! The blog tour has been all I had hoped...thanks to all the artists that really put the effort in to make it such a success!

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  19. I like using a metallic thread on a skinny needle with tiny eye, and hand-stitching rows and rows of stitching. I especially like this effect on tea bag paper. Norma

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    1. Sound fabulous, Norma! I'll have to pop by for a look.

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  20. This fabric is already pretty! I'm very interested in this process!

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    1. Hope you'll try some of the techniques..fun and easy.

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  21. The more I read these posts the more I want that book. this particular post was an eye-opener re adding texture to your artwork. Thank you for sharing

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    1. Thanks, Renate! Good luck with the drawing. I enjoyed really looking at my fabric and analyzing how I approach texture.

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  22. I have dyed wool before but never fabric. Is it similar?
    kdavis1@centurytel.net

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    1. Hi Kathy- I believe it depends on the type of fabric you're dyeing. I use fabric paint...which is easier to work with for me.

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  23. I love your layers of design and color! Thanks for sharing your ideas and thanks for this great hop!

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    1. Glad you've been enjoying the hop, PK. I do so love to layer texture, pattern and color!

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  24. Thank you for the giveaway! I've never dyed fabric before; it seems very interesting. sarah@forrussia.org

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    1. Hi Sarah- I actually use fabric paint. The type of paint I use is Pebeo Setacolor...which has a lot of pigment in it and often mimics dye with its saturated colors.

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    1. You're welcome, Bonnie...hope you try some of them.

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  26. I love this fabric..Very interesting!

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  27. Love this fabric...Very interesting!

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  28. Good luck, Kristine. Hope you will try some of the techniques.

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