Thursday, December 22, 2016

December 2016 Stitch-In

Roxana F.: Boro Crazy Quilt style

We just had the last Stitch-In of 2016. It was great to get together for stitching and sharing.

Roxana brought in a piece that started with some of her Boro and Beyond workshop samplers. I think it's still going to be a purse...but has now morphed into a Crazy Quilt style. So fun! During the Stitch-In, Roxana worked on a set of fabric cuffs that she'd stenciled and cut (reverse applique).

Roxana F.: Reverse applique cuff.

Helen brought in a piece that she's been stitching off and on (sort of a meditation cloth).

Helen B.: Meditation cloth

She also sent along a photo of her finished hanging.

Helen B.

Susan continues to add to her collection of black and white and red squares (love that spot of red from the pin!).

Susan P.
Barbara brought in some of her little house patterns and almost completed one during the Stitch-In.

Barbara C.

Barbara C.: House

She sent along some photos of the little village she's created of cloth houses.

Barbara C.
Barbara C.: Village

She also shocked us with her fearlessness.... Remember this piece?

Barbara C.: India piece.

Well, Barbara cut it apart to make the clothing for a series of little dolls!

Barbara C.: Dolls.

Cheryl completed her safety pin piece started in the previous Stitch-In.

Cheryl C.

I forgot to bring an envelope for the cash we bring to rent the room. So I decided to stitch one using an upholstery fabric swatch donated by Helen. That was actually fun!

Julie B.

It was a great year of Stitch-Ins! Looking forward to more in 2017.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Scarves...Scarves....Scarves!!!



 So what have I been doing....?


...Printing lots of scarves for the upcoming Artistic Artifacts Holiday Market! The Market is this Saturday, December 3 from 10 AM - 5 PM at Artistic Artifacts.


I'll have 41 scarves...and 21 of them are brand new!


I'll also have copies of Fabric Printing at Home for sale.


If you live in the area...I hope that you'll stop by!


Sunday, November 20, 2016

Stitch-In October and November


Ann Z working on a Boro piece.
Last weekend we had a meeting of the Stitch-In. We all needed a place to come together, to get centered after a long week. I also realized that I never posted about the October Stitch-In so I'm going to post about both.


In October, Barbara C. continued to work on her India piece and also brought along one of her fox dolls (which I just loved!).


Alice A. worked on her Hand Stitching class homework. If you go to this post, you can see the finished piece. The background fabric is hand-dyed using walnuts.


Susan P. continues to add to her portfolio of black and white pieces (started in the Spring Hand Stitching class). She also worked on some of these at the November Stitch-In.


Carol R. brought in a finished bag in October and showed us the beginnings of her newest bag using ice dyed fabric that she'd created.



In November, Carol brought in the finished bag.


Ann Z. worked on her Irish landscape piece in October and then switched gears this month to work on completing a Boro sampler started in the Boro and Beyond workshop.



This month, Helen B. came to the Stitch-In. She had recently returned from a trip to Japan. Her trip was centered around textiles and in particular a search for Boro pieces. She brought back an amazing pair of Boro repaired pants and she let me purchase them from her to use an example in my classes and workshops (I was ecstatic!).



Helen had the opportunity to see a museum exhibit of Boro and bought the catalog from the show along with the Boro book (she also got me a copy!). I'm hoping that she'll bring the catalog and the other books she bought to the next Stitch-In so I can take another look.


She also bought some printed fabrics that she plans to turn into wall hangings.



Helen is working on a bright and bold wall hanging using hand-dyed fabrics and hand applique. She asked me to hold off from showing it right now.

Holly C. (who happens to be sister with Carol R.) is stitching lots of colorful spirals on a soft linen. She is thinking of turning the finished piece into a hand bag.

An old stitch book that Holly brought in to share.
Creating bags must be in the air! Roxana F. who also took the Boro and Beyond workshop is turning some of her Boro samples into a bag. She's weaving some sections from recycled men's ties.


Jan B. is continuing to work on a piece she started in the Fall Hand Stitching class. She was working out how she wanted to stitch the figures in the foreground.



Cheryl C. is back at the Stitch-In after many months away...but she had a great excuse...she was writing a book! She brought in a copy for us to look at...Congrats Cheryl!


Cheryl also started a safety pin piece. I only photographed the beginnings...


I continued to work on a Boro sampler...another one I can show to the next group that takes the Boro and Beyond workshop in January.


On the way to my car I saw the rising of the Super Moon! What a great way to end a great afternoon!




Sunday, November 13, 2016

Fall Hand Stitching: Layers

Kerstin W.

The fourth session of my fall Hand Stitching class focused on Layers. We experimented with applique, reverse applique, weaving fabric strips, couching and connecting stitches. Enjoy the variety!

Alice A.: Folded and stitched.
Alice A.
Alissa W.
Grace M.: Grace designed a new stitch! The Fish Hook Stitch.
Grace M.: Mountains.
Grace M.
Gretchen K.
Gretchen K.
Gretchen K.
Gretchen K.
Judy M.
Judy M.
Judy M.
Maria S.
Maria S.
Maria S.
Maria S.
Maria S.
Marine W.
Marine W.
Marine W.: Front
Marine W.: Back
Marine W.: Front.
Marine W.: Back.
Marine W.
Marine W.
Returning student, Ann Z. stitched this Ireland landscape. In the end she did a bit of  "editing" by being brave and cutting the piece apart. This decision seemed to work quite well. I do not have a photo though!
Jan B. another continuing student completed this landscape of the Three Sisters.
Jan also completed this piece started in the spring Story Cloth class.
Jan started this beach piece in class.

In the last class (fifth class session), students had the option of turning their samplers into an accordion style book or a portfolio. Some students decided that they wanted to do a wall hanging. We focused on how to create covers and also page spreads (which, if turned 90 degrees, could become a wall hanging!).

Alissa W. decided to make a wall hanging.
A page spread by Grace M.
Gretchen K.: Portfolio cover.

Judy M.: Book cover.
Judy M.: Book cover.

 Fantastic work students!!!

If you live in the Washington D.C. area....or would like to visit for a weekend...I'll be giving a weekend "Jumpstart" version of this class on January 7 and 8, 2017. Hand Stitching Continued: Surface and Structure is a 5-session continuing version of the Hand Stitching class that will focus on moving into more textured, 3-D stitched work. The class starts on January 18. Registration is now open for both classes. Feel free to leave a comment if you'd like more information.