Tuesday, August 25, 2015

September is Right Around the Corner...Time for Some Classes!

Virginia O.

Summer is coming to an end here in Northern Virginia...and it's just about time for my September workshops and classes to begin...Here is a "sneak peak"! Hope you can join me for a class or two!

Zita S.

September 5 & 6: Patching, Stitching, Weaving: Creating Healing Cloth. This workshop is “near and dear” to my heart! Students create an appliquéd and stitched “healing” cloth. The results from past sessions of this workshop have been very powerful. It’s a great workshop to take if you are in transition, in need of healing or would like to dedicate a piece to someone in need of healing. For more information and to register go here.  

Here is a blog post about the last session of this workshop.
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Wendy S. (Background fabrics made on Day #1 of class)

September 19 & 20: Fabric Printing at Home: A Kitchen Sampler. This 2-day workshop is packed with fabric painting, printing and stitching techniques using materials you can find in your home and in particular your kitchen. On Day #1 we’ll be painting and printing fabrics using techniques from my new book, Fabric Printing at Home. On Day #2 we’ll turn some of those fabrics into a small hand-stitched wall hanging. This is a great workshop whether you are just dipping your toe into the surface design waters or have experience. Lots of great information about recycling and “upcycling” household materials to make print blocks, stencils and fabric resists! For more information and to register go here

Here is a blog post featuring some of the fabrics from Day #1 of the previous session of this workshop.
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Avital O.
September 30 – November 4: Fabric Resists Using Common Household Materials. Come join me for five sessions of exploring fabric resists using materials you can find in your kitchen. Each week I’ll feature a new category of resists…from cooked baking powder to gelatin! Learn different application techniques and discover the different characteristics of each resist. No prior experience is necessary…just a playful attitude and a willingness to get a little messy! For more information and to register go here.

Here is a blog post featuring some of the sampler fabrics from the previous session of this class.
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Susan P.
September 30 – November 18: To Tell a Story with Cloth. Everyone has a story to tell…even if you don’t know what that story is just yet! In this seven session evening class, we’ll cover all sorts of surface design on fabric techniques…painting, relief printing, gelatin monoprinting, found object printing, brayer rubbings, and fabric resists. You’ll design and create your own original fabrics and then add stitching and appliqué to create your story. Your story may take the form of one or many stitched wall hangings, a cloth book…or a brand new form! Past students have raved about how fulfilling and enlightening creating stories with cloth can be. For more information and to register go here

For blog posts featuring stories from past sessions of this class go here, here and here.  



Thursday, August 20, 2015

Searching for Roy G Biv 4: Brown Update #5


We've now ventured beyond Roy G Biv to the first of our remaining colors for 2015...BROWN!

My BROWN photos are from my summer travels to Virginia Beach (and the Eastern Shore of Virginia) and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.








Where did you find your BROWNS this month? Post up to five BROWN photos and leave a comment here or on Jennifer Coyne Qudeen's blog. We'll link to your post for our monthly blog hop. I'll be updating through Saturday, August 22.

 Jennifer has flora and fauna BROWNS this month.

Fiona at Paper Ponderings has some lovely Thursday thoughts about empathy starting with a quote by Brene BROWN. I love all the calligraphy...beautiful words. 

Sharmon Davidson has an astonishing variety of BROWNS this month...that river is pretty impressive!

Susan and Elizabeth at PG Fiber 2 Art have posted some New Hampshire BROWNS. Love those rolling pins!

Fran at At the End of the Day says, "Please NO MORE BROWN!," after a parched and fiery summer.

Linda Stokes has some beautiful textural BROWNS.

Cathy at Bucolic Dreaming has some fine "crafty" BROWNS. Love the thrift store finds and that sewing basket (I have one like it!).

Maya at Take Diversion has some beekeeping and bison BROWNS!

Margaret at Charlton Stitcher has Orkney BROWNS. I'm in love with those crab pots!

Here are the colors for the rest of the year:
September 17: Metallic Gold
October 15: Gray
November 19: Pink
December17: Blogger's Choice

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Roy Reminder...This Thursday it's Brown!

I've been busy in the studio this month...lots of fabric painting happening!

Where has the summer gone?! It seems like I just posted about VIOLET and here we are a month later already! Here is your reminder that the Search for the colors of the rainbow (aka Roy G Biv) is now continuing past the spectrum. This month we search for BROWN.

To play, just post up to five BROWN photos on your blog or Facebook page this Thursday, August 20th and leave a comment on my blog or on Jennifer Coyne Qudeen's blog. We'll link to your post so that others can also see what you found for this month's color.

It's fun...and the more the merrier! Hope to see lots of BROWN on Thursday.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Fantastic and Furry....Fiber Camp!

Guinea pig

Today was my second session teaching at The Art League School's Fiber Camp (see here for session #1). What fun! Lots of different animals...from cute and furry to mythical! Take a look...

Furry blue rabbit
Furry orange cat
Purple giraffe
Rainbow fox
Phoenix in process
Striped giraffe
Turtle 
Horse in process
Pink rabbit

Pink cat in process

Sunday, August 2, 2015

The Printed Fabric Bee Giveaway: Insects!


July's Queen Bee was Jane Davila and she requested that we Worker Bees create fabrics that incorporated insect designs.

I was inspired by my recent trip to Cape Cod. We stayed in a house in the woods...which also happened to have a wonderful ocean view (the best of both worlds). What surprised me the most was the constant fluttering that was going on in that woods...not butterflies...but moths! I'd always thought of moths as being nocturnal creatures...not so, in this case!

My moth design was based on a paper cut design I'd done a number of years ago. I reduced it down and modified it a bit. I made a tracing of the design and then transferred it to a Speedball Speedy Carve block to carve.


For the background, I found some dyed fabric in my stash. I decided to add some more texture with a hot glue block which I slipped under the fabric and then rolled over with two different paint colors. To me, the texture of the rubbings represented the pines and scrub oak.

I slipped a hot glue block under my fabric for brayer rubbings.

I then over-printed with the carved block in three different colors (see fabric at top of post). A fluttering forest design!

Here is my 6" square that is part of the monthly fabric giveaway.


And here are some of the other fabrics you can win.


To be eligible to win, visit Jane Davila's blog or The Printed Fabric Bee blog and leave a comment. Jane will be announcing a winner on August 15. Good luck!

Be sure to stop by the blogs of the other Bee members to find out how they created their fabrics.
Lynn Krawczyk
Judy Gula
Jane Davila
Lynda Heines
Deborah Boschert
Lisa Chin
Gerrie Congdon
Susan Purney Mark
Carol R. Eaton
Jackie Lams
Leslie TuckerJenison