Spring Surface Design..A Little Review

Lissette V.: Gelatin print.

Since April, I've been juggling back-to-back classes on Wednesdays. I really love teaching both classes...Fabric Painting, Printing and Stitching to Tell a Story with Cloth (aka Story Cloth) and Fabric Painting and Printing: Surface Design. There were moments when I had to think really hard about what each class was working on before packing up my things. There was some overlap in techniques but not necessarily on the same day...a bit of a challenge for my fifty something brain!
I've already posted about the Story Cloth class, but not a peep or a peek about the Surface Design class. So today I'm sharing a bit what's been happening with hopes to have another post about it next week.

Two weeks ago, the class did some "Improvisational Screen Printing" (Jane Dunnewold's phrase) using freezer paper masks and something I've come up with using Lutradur stencils (based on Jane's interfacing stencil technique). Here are some results:

Amy L.: Torn freezer paper mask.

Lissette V.: Cut freezer mask.

Lissette V.: Torn freezer paper mask.

The fun part about using the Lutradur is that the material catches and holds the paint from the previous printing so the open areas and those areas covered with Lutradur print different colors at the same time. The texture of the Lutradur adds another layer of interest.

Sumita S.: Lutradur stencil.

Janelle F.: Lutradur stencil.

Last night, we had one of my favorite sessions...gelatin plate printing! I haven't yet become a convert to the Gelli Plate (though I do want to buy one)...I just love the sensual feeling of that soft, cool gelatin! And...as usual, I was not disappointed by the results! I love how each student's personal style seems to emerge...even if it's just printing leaves and lace!

Janelle F.

Janelle F.

Janelle F.

Lissette V.

Lissette V.

Lissette V.

Sumita S.

Sumita S.

Sumita S.

I hope to get some photos next week of the other techniques we've been covering including block printing and resists.

I have one returning student, Amy L. who is using this class as an independent study. Amy took the fall session of the Story Cloth class and decided to continue working on additional pieces, focusing on her recent trip to Israel. Here is one of her completed pieces.

Camel by Amy L.

She also brought in a sweet, little Meditation Book she printed and stitched between sessions. Here are a selection of pages...

Amy is moving to London this summer...I will miss her! I'm sure that she'll continue to have lots of surface design and stitching adventures there.

Weekly Pattern Wednesday

I'm taking part in week #2 of Lynn Krawcyzk's Weekly Pattern Wednesday. Just post a pattern on your blog and leave a comment on Lynn's blog for a pattern-filled blog hop!

I was hoping to create a brand new pattern this week but between a weekend getaway with my hubby (Frederick, MD) and trying to get caught up on stuff (still doing that!)...I opted for a detail of one of the scarves I created in Issue #25 of my free online newsletter, Julie B Booth Surface Design News. 

In this project, I created a series of Valentine's Day-themed silk scarves using adhesive craft foam (fun foam) shapes and hot glue on cardboard blocks. I like the contrast between the black glue lines with the colorful foam prints. You can read about how to do this project here. Feel free to sign up for the newsletter...the sign up is in the right hand column. A new issue will be out very soon.

On my list of summer projects (catch-up stuff), I have a number of scarves I plan to create to thank some of my fellow surface design folks who helped me with my book blog tour in February....so you may be seeing more patterns using glue and foam!

Spring Stories

This past Wednesday, was the last class of the Spring session of my Fabric Painting, Printing, and Stitching to Tell a Story with Cloth (aka Story Cloth). I wanted to share what students are working on and some of their plans (after all...stitching takes a while!)...

There seemed to be a common theme among a number of students...that theme was family...and maybe even more specifically, motherhood.

Peggy G.'s mother is about to celebrate her 95th birthday. Peggy decided to create a stitched book honoring her mother. She is designing the format so that pages can be added as she completes them.

Judy G.'s mother left a legacy of written journals, poetry and family "sayings". Judy is also working towards creating a book. Her first piece focuses on the places where her mother lived as a girl and young woman...

The second piece is based on a poem her mother wrote about being a "Yellow Dog Democrat".

Ann Z.'s granddaughter is a new foster mother...fostering three young children. Ann decided to create some colorful pieces with animals...to help the children feel more "at home".

Ann is also almost finished with her wonderful Seasons Mandala piece from the Fall 2014 Story Cloth session. She's added a number of additional details and painted the background.

And here is a new piece that Ann is working on for herself...

Judy M. had a great time printing with her Gelli Plate and blocks made from adhesive craft foam (fun foam).

I see the beginnings of many stories and especially love this piece with the net and fish.

Kathy P. also has plans for a book...as the matriarch of her family she is planning a book that will include appliqued hands of all her family members. She is asking them to trace their hands and plans to make a cloth book for each family using cloth that she's painted and printed in class. In the meantime, Kathy designed some colorful fish fabrics that may be turned into cloth napkins.

All in all, an imaginative and productive group of story tellers. I really enjoyed teaching this class and can't wait for another round of Story Cloth...which will be this coming Fall! Hope some of you will join me.

Searching for Roy G Biv 4: "Old Town" Blues Update #7

I took my camera with me on Tuesday, on a trip to one of my favorite color-collecting places....Old Town Alexandria (Virginia).

There were "signs" of BLUE everywhere...

And this interesting flag...I wonder what it represents...

A subtle BLUE...

And a glorious BLUE sky!

Where did you find your BLUES?

Post up to five BLUE photos today and leave a comment here and/or at Jennifer Coyne Qudeen's blog. We'll link to your post for our monthly Roy blog hop! I'll be posting updates through Saturday, May 23.

Jennifer has her usual marvelous collection BLUES! Love the horse, drawing and water reflections.

Lisa at arzigogolare is getting "up close and personal" with Hydrangea BLUES!

Fiona at Paper Ponderings has some Thursday Thoughts on the importance of Play and some BLUE experiments...I want some of those fabrics :)!

Fran at At the End of the Day has some "heavenly" BLUES...love that "sheepish" BLUE!

Susan and Elizabeth at PGFiber2Art were feeling the BLUES today with a wonderful selection...love the yarn bombing!

Mary Ann at Blue Sky Dreaming is "musing" about BLUES. Ooo...love that BLUE bowl too! ...and how it seems to reappear in your art piece.

Lynda at Bloom, Bake & Create is having lots of fun experimenting with BLUE! I love those cloth napkins!

Maya at Take Diversion gives us some Indian BLUES in unexpected places.

Margaret at Charlton Stitcher is featuring some "true" BLUES. Please revisit Margaret's post...I screwed up the link and it is now correct...so sorry!

Cathy at Bucolic Dreaming is joining the Search for the first time...Welcome! She shares some vibrant BLUES from her studio.

Linda Stokes has a selection of rich BLUES. I especially love the hand printed fabrics.

Sharmon Davidson has some wild BLUES! Love the blue jays and the strange (but fabulous) blue head!

Roxanne at Ideas in Cloth is pondering her BLUES.


Want to join in for the rest of the year as we follow the colors of the rainbow...and beyond?

Here are the dates for Searching for ROY G BIV Round #4 -2015
June 18: Indigo
July 16: Violet
August 20: Brown
September 17: Metallic Gold
October 15: Gray
November 19: Pink
December17: Blogger's Choice

Weekly Pattern Wednesday

I've decided to join in this fun blog hop that Lynn Krawczyk will be hosting every Wednesday. It's called Weekly Pattern Wednesday. Post a pattern you've created on Wednesday (today!) and leave a comment on Lynn's blog (or if you're into Instagram she has a hashtag for you!).

Today's pattern is created using a stencil I designed using packing tape. If you'd like to learn how I made the stencil, you can visit this issue of my free monthly online newsletter called Julie B Booth Surface Design News. I had so much fun fiddling around with the stencils I made for this project...I wanted to see how I could add layers of color to fabric using just one stencil.

I'm looking forward to seeing what other folks have posted for their patterns...since I absolutely LOVE patterns!

P.S.: Don't forget that tomorrow we're Searching for Roy G Biv...the color BLUE! See details here.

African (and a little Latin too!) Influences

Detail of fabric by Deborah H.

Today I taught a small group of students. It was a combo of both my African Influences and my Latin American Influences classes. In both those classes, I have students "jump off" from traditional textiles from those parts of the world.

We spent the morning painting fabric backgrounds and then created a number of different types of print blocks. I always have my students print a sampler to test out their block designs before working on some final fabric designs. Here are the samplers:

Sampler by Deborah H.

Sampler by Cynthia B.

Sampler by Wendy R.

And here are some final fabrics.

Fabric by Deborah H.

Fabric by Cynthia B.

Fabric by Cynthia B.

Fabric detail by Cynthia B.

Fabric by Wendy R.

We all agreed that it would have been great to have another hour to print...or maybe even another entire day!!!


Thanks for a great class!