Tuesday, March 29, 2016

A Year of Stitch-ins

Ann Z.'s Healing Cloth detail.

This past Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the Stitch-In! It's been such a warm and sharing community and I look forward to getting together each month.

One year of stitching together!

We met on Easter Sunday (because I'd been teaching all the previous weekends)...so we had a small group. But what fun to sit and stitch and share ideas and books.

And what a small world we live in! It turns out that new Stitch-In member, Amy P. created the ketubah (Jewish marriage contract...often a work of art) for Cheryl C.'s wedding! The chat between the two of them revealed lots of connections...including the fact that Cheryl is designing the new playground for Amy's son's school!

Amy brought in an old hand-stitched pillowcase created by her grandmother. The case had a bad stain so Amy is re-purposing it to become an Afikomen (Matzoh) cover. What a great idea for creating a new family heirloom out of an old one!

Amy P. is turning this into a new heirloom.

Amy also brought in a fish mola to share with the group. Aren't those colorful layers wonderful!


Cheryl spent the afternoon practicing her Fly Stitch, she wants to use the stitch to add roots to the tree in her Healing Cloth.

Cheryl practiced Fly Stitch this month.

Cheryl also brought in a special surprise for Ann Z....a sweet little knit (Easter) bunny. The bunny was knit by Cheryl's aunt many years ago...and Cheryl decided to add the special details to give this bunny lots of character!

Happy Easter!

A special congrats to Cheryl for landing a book contract!

Ann Z. continued to work on the Healing Cloth that she started in the workshop I gave the weekend before. I love where this piece is going.

Ann's Healing Cloth in process.

Ann had a number of interesting books to share with us. One of the best parts of getting together is that we all share a love for beautiful art and craft books.



I forgot to take photos of what I was working on..the covers for my stitch sampler book.
Here are some recent shots I took while sitting outside on a gorgeous (but windy) Thursday.

Detail of inside back cover.
Outside back cover.
Looking forward to many more Stitch-Ins!






Sunday, March 20, 2016

Equinox and Healing Cloth

Ann Z.

This weekend I held the spring session of Patching, Stitching, Weaving: Creating Healing Cloth. This session's workshop was full of color and meaning.

Ann Z. is working on a piece that is both sad and hopeful. As the workshop progressed...it became more and more hopeful. Full of love even in the face of sadness represented by a torn heart...one that may be healed with stitches. I'm looking forward to watching it progress.

Ann Z. detail.

Judy B. had fun with bright colors, ribbons, the number three and hearts. This piece reminded me of child's play. I imagined making dolls out of fabric and braiding hair. She is planning to send it to her three-year-old granddaughter.

Judy B.
Judy B. detail

Laurie T's piece is full of lovely little textures and subtle movement. She is planning many more stitched details such as the ribbon flower below. I really can't wait to see where this piece goes!

Laurie T.
Laurie T. detail.
Laurie T. beaded detail.

Alice H. brought along her beautiful shibori pieces. She is adding finishing details including textural stitches to set off the main motifs.

Alice H.
Alice H. detail.
Alice H. detail.

Alice A. is working on a self portrait and is including symbols important to her including a labyrinth and birds (to come). She used bits of fabric inherited from her mother and grandmother including the blue and white embroidered piece (from a larger Mexican embroidery).
Alice A.

Alice A. detail.
What an enjoyable weekend full of stitching and sharing...thanks to you all!


Tuesday, March 15, 2016

A "Kitchen Samper" at Artistic Artifacts

Vegetable prints by Gloria W.

It was a rainy weekend outside, but a colorful and productive weekend at Artistic Artifacts!

Painted fabrics drying.
Playing with color.
Day #1 of Fabric Printing at Home: A Kitchen Sampler, focused on painting, printing and stenciling techniques straight out of my book. We played with plastic wrap, aluminum pans, foam plates, freezer paper, cardboard, found objects and textures, and of course, veggies!

Gloria W. designing a stencil.
Gloria W.: Monoprints with plastic wrap.
Marjie C. stenciling flowers on her fabric.
Marjie C.: Plastic wrap monoprints.
Marjie C.: String block and prints.
Michelle S.: Liquid soap resist.
Michelle S.: Plastic wrap monoprints.

There was some enthusiastic playing with paint!

Susan H. really got "into" veggie printing!
Susan H: String prints.
Susan H.: Veggie prints.
Susan H. cutting a freezer paper stencil.
I even had fun... with this demo piece!

Day #2 focused on taking fabrics painted and printed from Day #1 and turning them into a wall piece.

Susan H. put together this mixed-media piece using fabrics from Day #1.
Gloria W. is working on this piece with beautiful, calming colors.
Detail of Gloria's piece.
Michelle stitching on her piece.
Michelle's piece with subtle stitching.
Marjie had fun fusing fabrics together.
Can't wait to see these finished!

Thanks for a great class!