Day #2: Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt

 
Welcome to Day #2 of the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt. Today is the first Guessing Game and Giveaway Challenge. But first....have you found some kitchen items that will print circles?

Here's some of the items that I found in my kitchen.

I poked my head into the kitchen catchall drawer (we all have one!), the recycling bin and of course, the frig!

Are you curious about why I have a lime and a carrot in the above photo? I just want to remind you that cross-sections of some fruits and veggies will print circles! Chapter 3: Beyond the Potato Print: Using Vegetables and Fruit to Create Fabric Designs in Fabric Printing at Home is devoted to a whole bunch of fun ways to print with veggies and fruit to make awesome fabric designs!

Guessing Game Challenge
Do you know what items I used to make the fabric prints below? Make some guesses and leave a comment.

By leaving a comment, you'll be eligible to win a Testrite dense foam brayer. This is my favorite tool for applying paint to print blocks to create uniform prints. You have until midnight (Eastern USA time) to leave your comment. I'll be choosing a winner tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow is also the day to post your Circle Prints for Challenge #1. Be sure to leave a comment on tomorrow's blog post with a link to your post (see this post for more information on the Scavenger Hunt). If you're not a fabric person...you can print on paper (stamp pad or acrylic paint). Remember...taking part in the printing challenges makes you eligible for the grand prize! Also, remember that I'm happy to post some photos for you (threadborn@gmail.com).

Can't wait to see all those Circles!!!

Day #1: Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to the first day of the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt! Are you ready to jump in and have some fun? I have 12 days of printing challenges and guessing games planned. And "yes" there will be prizes! Read on to find out what you have to do to Join the Hunt!

The Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt
Remember how much fun it was to go on a scavenger hunt? What a rush! Running around trying to find all sorts of odd items and being the first to check all of them off the list and win a prize!

In the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt, I'll challenge you to hunt for particular types of items in your home (more specifically, your kitchen). You'll then print with these items on either fabric or paper, take a photo(s) of your printed designs and on the designated day, post them to your blog, Facebook or Flickr page. After posting, leave a comment on my blog post with a link to your image(s) so I can link back to your post for an inspiring hop!

Every couple of days I'll post the guidelines for a new challenge--that is, for new items to hunt for and print with-- for a total of five challenges. Your participation in any one of these printing challenges makes you eligible for the final prize drawing on May 10th. And it's a really nice prize...in addition to winning a copy of my book, Fabric Printing at Home, you will also win three additional books published by Quarry (for a prize totaling close to $100!). Click on the book captions below to find out more about each book.

Tangle Stitches For Quilters and Fabric Artists

Playing with Surface Design

The Paper Playhouse

On the days between the Hunting/Printing Challenges, I'll feature a Guessing Game Challenge and Giveaway. On those days, I'll post photos of my printed designs, and challenge you to guess what household items I used to create them. Leave a comment and you'll be eligible to win a smaller prize such as a brayer or linoleum cutting tool set.

But what if I don't have a blog, or I'm not on Facebook or I don't have a Flickr page...can I still take part in the Printing Challenges? Yes, of course you can!  I want everyone to have a chance to play! Just send me an email (threadborn@gmail.com) and attach your image. I'll include it in my blog post on the designated "reveal" day.

So gather up some kitchen supplies, grab your friends, your kids, your grandkids and let's get going!


Challenge #1: Find items in your kitchen that will print circle designs.
Please post your Circle Prints on Friday, May 1st. Leave a comment on my blog post on that day with a link to your prints.

If you want to know some fabric printing basics, click here to read the latest issue of Julie B Booth Surface Design News.

HINT: Be sure to check out your catchall drawer for items for printing circles. I had a lot of fun printing all the circular patterns in my Small Scale Items: Nine Patch on page 46 in Chapter 2: Kitchen Textures and Found Object Printing.

Detail of Small Scale Items: Nine Patch showing circle designs, from Chapter 2 of Fabric Printing at Home.

 Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the first Guessing Game Challenge and Giveaway!

Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt Starts Tomorrow, April 29

Just a final reminder that the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt starts tomorrow!

Look at all the cool designs you can print with stuff from your kitchen! Come join me for a great 12-day adventure!

I encourage you to join in on the fun! We'll be searching around the kitchen for cool stuff to print with. I'll be giving you "hunting and printing" and "guessing game" challenges. AND there will be prizes!!!!

Tomorrow, I'll give you all the details...but if you want a head start on Challenge #1, then visit my most recent Newsletter and read all about it.

See you all tomorrow! Can't wait!

Questions..? Leave a comment and I'll answer them.

April Stitch-In

We had another Stitch-In yesterday. A couple of students from my fall Story Cloth (Fabric Painting, Printing and Stitching to Tell a Story with Cloth) class joined me. I have to say that they are really colleagues at this point. They have made some incredible pieces over the last year and continue to do so.

Here is what we shared yesterday...

Table runner or meditative wall piece by Barbara M.-C.

Detail of Barbara's piece

A new piece in the Ancients series by Susan P.

Detail of Susan's piece

I worked on my Peace Bird Alphabet (the letter "J")

We also shared some stitching books. Barbara talked about how she uses Pinterest as a springboard and finds images to sketch from...keeping all the sketches in one book for reference. Susan talked about the contrasts between working on her painting and on her stitched pieces. That she doesn't tend to name her paintings but that naming her stitched pieces gives her a closer connection to them. I talked about how to approach the pieces that I want to do about my Dad on the handkerchiefs. Their advice was very helpful.

I'm so glad we are having these get togethers...the discussions are so fulfilling...

Countdown to the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt!

A NEW blog event starts on April 26th...The Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt!

You may have noticed a number of little hints on the sidebars and up above my blog posts for the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt. After the success (and fun!) of the Fabric Printing at Home Blog Tour, I was inspired to put together another blog event. And this time I'm asking you to participate! So I hope you'll gather together a bunch of stuff from your kitchen and maybe grab a few friends, or children or grandchildren and come Join the Hunt!

The Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt starts next Wednesday, April 29th and the Grand Prize will be awarded on May 10...Mother's Day! Other giveaway prizes will be awarded throughout the event.

More details to come....Are you Game?

If you'd like a sneak peak into this event, I'll be featuring An Invitation to Play in the next issue of Julie B Booth Surface Design News which publishes this Sunday, April 26th. Find out about the first Hunt Challenge and some helpful hints. If you're not a subscriber yet, all you have to do is sign up in the right-hand column of my blog.

I can't wait!!

Aha Moment....Handkerchiefs!

I've been pondering for quite a while now how to honor my Dad. In fact, it always seems to be in the back of, if not on, my mind most of the time. Lots of mulling...about what form a series of pieces dedicated to him would take.

I don't know if I subconsciously took in the fact that one of the students in my Patching, Stitching, Weaving: Creating Healing Cloth workshop was using her mother's collection of decorative hankies to honor and explore her relationship with her mom. But...all of a sudden it hit me....handkerchiefs!!!

My Dad always had a handkerchief in his pocket...even in the last days of his life. It was a part of who he was... It became so obvious to me that cotton handkerchiefs could be the format for this series about him.

I asked my Mom, on my most recent visit, if she had saved any of Dad's handkerchiefs. She hadn't, but fortunately Amazon had a packet of nine white cotton ones, which I immediately purchased!

Now to wash them and start stitching. I have a number of ideas and it's great to have a format. I still have to decide if I want them to be colorful stitched pieces or more monochromatic...or I can try both!

I'm looking forward to starting on this personal project...I can see the possibility of it going on for a long time.

Searching for Roy G Biv #4: Green Update #7

I must have a severe case of Spring Fever! I've lost all track of time (read here)! I had great plans to get outside and photograph the new GREEN leaves that are beginning to burst out from the trees. I thought I had another week...ha!

So I'm back to the photo archives...for now. Here are some of my favorite photos from my trip to Virginia Beach last June. My friend, Laura, and I happened upon the Crezia Covington Reed Lotus Garden on our journey out to a state park. Earlier in the day, there was a light rain. The lotus leaves captured and pooled the drops...it just took my breath away...

I hope that you will join in and share your GREEN photos. Leave a comment here (and starting over the weekend, you can also leave a comment over at Jennifer Coyne Qudeen's blog) and I'll link to your blog post. Since we're getting a late start this month, I'll continue to update through Sunday, April 19th.

Fiona at Paper Ponderings has a wonderful quote about the balance between happiness and sadness. Here's a bit of it: "Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That’s its balance.” She includes for her GREEN a forest full of trees. I can just imagine their roots...

Lisa at arzigogolare has photos of her "encounter" with the GREEN rosettes of the cicorino verde. 

ELFI has some delightful GREENS...from a closeup of a leaf to some crazy chameleon graffiti!


Sue and Elizabeth of PGFiber2Art alternate GREEN finds with some of their lovely GREEN screened fabrics. Love that frog!

Fran at At the End of the Day, says, "I don't have to search"! GREEN is around her every season of the year! 

Mary Ann at Blue Sky Dreaming is, "Dreaming in Green", this month! She has a selection of her cloth and mixed media works...love all those different GREENS!

Roxanne at Ideas in Cloth is inspired by the GREEN (Greenspiration!) items in her home. Love the pug quilt! 

Linda at Linda Stokes Textile Artist has some lush Australian GREENS. 

Sharmon Davidson has some transformative GREENS.

Eric at CERULEAN has some leafy GREENS. 

Margaret at Charlton Stitcher has some English country GREENS.

Maya at Take Diversion has some yummy GREENS. 

Jennifer has finally made it to the party (YAY!)! Back from Jamaica (with a tan, no doubt). Enjoy her eclectic selection of GREENS!



Here are the dates for Searching for ROY G BIV Round #4 -2015 (the colors of the rainbow and beyond!):
May 21: Blue
June 18: Indigo
July 16: Violet
August 20: Brown
September 17: Metallic Gold
October 15: Gray
November 19: Pink
December17: Blogger's Choice

Roy Reminder....Green...TOMORROW!!!

How can it possible be that tomorrow is the third Thursday of April! Here I thought I had another week but no it IS in fact tomorrow. So...here is your very late reminder that tomorrow's color is GREEN.

For those of you scratching your heads going...huh?...Jennifer Coyne Qudeen and I have a monthly blog hop searching for the colors of the rainbow (and beyond). Each month focuses on a color. We ask that you post some photos on your blog that highlight GREEN this month and either leave a comment here or on Jennifer's blog. We'll link to yours and others so you can see all the amazing varieties of GREEN. It's always a colorful treat so hope that you join in.

I may be a bit late myself...I teach a class this evening... and Jennifer is away with spotty internet (she won't be posting until the weekend) so we'll be extending the time to receive your entries to at least Sunday, April 19th at midnight (Eastern USA time). Let's hope we can all get caught up by then :)!

Looking forward to seeing lots of GREEN tomorrow.

And the Winner is...

...Barbara Woods!

Congrats, Barbara! Please email me with your mailing address (threadborn@cox.net) and I'll send off the mola-inspired fabric collection from The Printed Fabric Bee.

Hope that these fabrics inspire you and that you let us know what you end up creating with them.

Mola-licious! Last chance to enter to win the giveaway!

What a treat to receive packages full of mola-licious fabrics! In case you are scratching your head, I was Queen of The Printed Fabric Bee for the month of March. My theme was molas...the colorful layered reverse applique designs created by the Kuna women of the San Blas Islands (Panama).

I've been drooling over the results! I love how the fabrics seem to complement each other...Great job Bee members!

Today is the last chance for you to leave a comment on my April 2nd post or on The Printed Fabric Bee blog, in order to have your name included in the giveaway drawing for 6" versions of these and additional fabrics. I'll be announcing the winner tomorrow. Good luck!

Just Gelatin and Cherry Blossoms

Malou's work table...great goodies for printing with gelatin!

Yesterday was a very full day...

The first half of the day, I had fun teaching my Just Gelatin class. It's impossible not to have a great time when it comes to monoprinting with gelatin! Here's what my two students, Marou and Suzanne, created in class...

Marou Q.: Silhouette print of string.

Marou Q.: Ghost print of string

Marou Q.

Marou Q.

Marou Q.: Lace print.

Suzanne B.: Goodies from her garden.

Suzanne B.

Suzanne B.: Bubble wrap!

Suzanne B.

During the second half of the day and into the late evening, I got to spend some time with my friend Laura B.-L. from Virginia Beach. It all started with a text message on Friday afternoon... Your book and others on display Mid-Atlantic Play Therapy and Creative Arts Conference Gateway Marriott. What r you doing tomorrow evening? I invite you to see Cherry blossoms...

What an unexpected treat to spend some time with my good friend! If you're from this area (Washington, DC), you know that it's a crazy time of year. People from all over the world come to see the cherry blossoms in bloom on the trees surrounding the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial. And of all the days to go see the cherry blossoms, the day of the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade...is the craziest! Laura and I plopped ourselves right into the middle of all that crazy. Here are a few photos...the blossoms are really quite spectacular...

Laura

Laura and I enjoyed a long walk and talk and then a metro ride to Old Town Alexandria for dinner. A great day all around. I arrived back home at 11:00 PM...and boy were my "dogs" tired!

April Showers Bring....Spring Classes!!

Wood Sorrel #1 by Julie B. Booth: Wheat flour paste resist, freezer paper masks and stencils, block printing.

Today is one of those days that we sing about every April...April Showers Bring May Flowers...
It's dreary out but my mind is racing, thinking about preparations for upcoming classes and workshops.

I'm really excited about these classes! Each time I teach, I get the opportunity to see my students stretch and grow. I love the hum and exchange of ideas in the classroom setting. And... I always learn something new!

I'd like to invite you to join me (if you're within driving distance, of course!) for one or more of the following classes I'm offering this month.

Fabric Printing and Painting: Surface Design (formerly called Exploring Surface Design)
at The Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia

This class focuses on printing, painting, and mark making techniques using pigment based fabric paint, paint sticks, and other marking tools on a variety of fabrics. We will cover relief printing, screen printing, stenciling, gelatin monoprinting, and fabric resist techniques. Each student works towards an individual project of their choice that incorporates the unique multi-layered fabrics created.

Starts on April 15. 8 sessions. Wednesdays 7:00 – 10:00 PM. Tuition: $180. Materials fee: $20. Supply list.

Click here to see work created in this class by former students.

Fabrics by Catherine M. created in Fabric Painting and Printing: Surface Design

Fabric Painting, Printing and Stitching to Tell a Story with Cloth

at the Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia

PLEASE NOTE: I need one more student for this class to go!

Students use a variety of fabric printing and painting techniques along with basic hand stitching to tell a story in cloth. Participants are encouraged to find their stories through a series of surface design exercises and to expand their concept of story. Discussions on the use of color, shapes, size and arrangement aid in the process. Surface design techniques include: gelatin mono printing, found object printing, brayer rubbing and collograph techniques, along with a variety of painting, relief printing and fabric resist techniques. Students will also be introduced to basic hand stitching techniques to add a textural element to their story cloths. Formats for presentation are also discussed. There is a $25 materials fee payable to instructor.

Starts on April 22. 5 sessions. Wednesdays 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Tuition: $220. Materials fee: $25. Supply list.

Click here this link to see samples of past student work.

Midnight's Children by Barbara M.- C.

Circles by Susan P.

Fabric Printing at Home: A Kitchen Sampler

at Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, Virginia

Join Julie B. Booth, author of Fabric Printing at Home, for a weekend full of “kitchen potential”. Play with plastic wrap; design printing plates with recycled aluminum; turn turnips into print blocks; stencil with food wraps and use soap as a resist. These are just some of techniques from Julie’s book we’ll cover on day one to create unique and beautiful fabric designs.

On day two, students will learn a variety of stitching, appliqué and finishing techniques to turn their kitchen-inspired, printed fabrics into decorative wall hangings.

Throughout the weekend, Julie will show you tips and tricks to get great results and open your eyes to the printing potential of everyday items found in your home.

April 18 & 19, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM   Tuition: $135 (includes materials fee). Supply List.

Click here and here to see samples of past student work. 

Two pieces by Lindy M. using fabrics created in Fabric Printing at Home: A Kitchen Sampler.

 Hope to see you in class!