Lots of Stuff Going On!

Some scarf samples for my upcoming workshop in Savannah.

Hi there...I haven't been spending too much time in Blogland recently. But wanted to let you know what's been up!

First...you might want to stop by The Printed Fabric Bee blog for the next installment of my Kitchen Resist tutorials. This one shows how to use two resists--knotted resist and wheat flour paste resist-- to create a festive Valentine's Day gift wrap. Leave a comment on that blog to be eligible to win a giveaway...a copy of my book, Fabric Printing at Home, and one yard of Prepared for Dyeing cotton.

Learn how to make this fabric in a tutorial on The Printed Fabric Bee blog.

Turn your fabric into a gift wrap!

I've been prepping for upcoming classes too! I'm heading off to Savannah next weekend to visit my Mom and to teach a four-hour scarf printing workshop to the Landings Art Association. I'll be giving a lecture too...on Kitchen Resists!

Scarf samples.

I'm also continuing to prep for the upcoming Hand Stitching class. I'm SO excited by the possibilities!!! I've been playing around a little with Buttonhole stitch. I have so many ideas...only wish my hands could stitch faster :)!

Playing around with Buttonhole stitch to create patterns.

More Buttonhole with Running and Back stitches, in process.

Next month, I'll be teaching at A Fibreworks Gathering in Harrisburg, PA. More info about that to come. But here's a link in case you live in the general area and would like to take a class with me!

Hope that your 2016 is off to a creative start!

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.  

Day 31: 2012 in Review

Salt and glue resist

 A review of 2012:
Starting with the presentation of my Conant grant project, Kitchen Resists: Using Common Household Materials as Resists on Fabric. In the end, 64 resist recipes and up to 16 application techniques per recipe! This led to several workshops and presentations throughout the year.

Fabric created by printing with recycled foam containers.

A re-focus on this blog and the birth of my free monthly online newsletter, Julie B Booth Surface Design News. The Newsletter focuses on the kitchen as a resource for surface design on fabric techniques.

Textures from the kitchen.

A year of Searching for Roy G Biv and the creation of monthly Challenge fabrics.

Sampling of some Roy G Biv Challenge fabrics.

Working on a series of weed fabrics for my group F.I.N.E.

Prints and rubbings with weeds.

Crazy about hamsas! Creating them for family members and friends.

Poppy's hamsa

Jean's hamsa

The death of my dear friend, Martha. I am missing her.

Being able to honor Martha's memory using a hamsa I designed for her to create peace flags as part of the Flags for Peace Project.

Peace flags honoring Martha.

Travels to Maine, Virginia Beach and San Francisco.

Queen Anne's Lace in Kittery Point, Maine.

Driftwood, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Looking forward to 2013 and all the creative possibilities it holds!

Monoprint with uncooked wheat flour paste resist.

Hope we can all strive for more Peace this next year.

The Storm Before the Calm

Today starts my crazy week.

Tonight is the first lecture, Playing in the Kitchen: Resists from the Kitchen and More.

This morning I ironed some of the larger resist samples for the show and tell after the Power Point.
I have to say...I am a bundle of nerves. That is usually how it goes with me and lectures. I will probably be running to the bathroom to pee several times before I get up in front of the group.

It's very strange... I don't feel this way about giving a workshop. With workshops, I really feel in my element.

Also strange is that I spend hours and hours studying my lecture notes, trying to memorize the perfect turn of phrase to describe a technique and then... I get up and usually wing it! Of course, after spending all those hours...I'm not sure winging it is exactly the right turn of phrase (tee hee).

I have to do this all over again Wednesday morning, followed by a 4-hour workshop.

Then I'll be out the door at 6 AM on Thursday, heading for the airport and down to Savannah to pick up my folks.

With fingers crossed, I will be heading to Maine on Friday....ah...

Organizing Chaos

Workshop kits in process

You know that feeling...when you have all the elements, all the bits and pieces out there. They are beginning to get into their appropriate piles but aren't quite there yet. That's how the last couple of days have been.

I am about to jump into a busy week in a busy month. As a 54-year-old, I am making another attempt at mastering multi-tasking. I have my Post-It Note list (what did we do before Post-It Notes?!). I finally got two different workshop handouts completed, a magazine article proposal written and sent and am now in the throes of organizing kits for two workshops. The next job is tackling the update to my Power Point program on Kitchen Resists which I will be presenting to two different quilt groups next week.

I have to admit, that despite the nerves (especially about the lectures), and eating too much chocolate, I am getting things accomplished. I even have the kits for a workshop I am giving later in the month (after I return from Maine) just about together. I am really trying to stay on top of things, as I keep anticipating the inevitable monkey wrench.

Two sets of workshop kits, finally organized.

I love what I do, I love creating painted and printed cloth. I love sharing my knowledge with others. I love writing about what I do. But..there are times when I would just like to have nothing going on or in the works...I have this image of laying out on a sunny beach with the soothing repetitive shooshing sound of the waves on the rocks and sand...Oh Maine...I am SO ready!!!

Kittery Point, Maine

Arresting Resists: Student Work Part 2

Susan Prytherch: Sampler of resists with overprinting (before removing resists)

Here are some more samples of student work from my Arresting Resists class which finished up last Wednesday.

Susan Prytherch

Susan Prytherch

Susan Prytherch

Susan Prytherch

Floris Flam: Confectioner's Sugar

Floris Flam: Colored White School Glue

Floris Flam

Floris Flam

As with every class I teach, I notice that each student truly has her (or his) own style that seems to come out over the course of the class. Whether it be recurring motifs, sense of color or bold design elements, by the end of a class, I can pick out each student's work.

Arresting Resists: A Few Fabric Samples

Uncooked Wheat Flour Paste: Block Printing Controlled Breach Technique

Today is the last session of Arresting Resists. The five weeks flew by and were packed with a selection of different resists that you can find in your kitchen. We've been so busy during class that I haven't always been able to pick up my camera and snap photos.

Susan Prytherch let me borrow a few samples to photograph at home this week. She has a nice selection of some of the resists we worked on during the first couple of sessions.

Cooked Wheat Flour Paste: Printed and Rubbing over Painted Fabric Design

Cooked Cornmeal Paste: Sampler on Cotton Fabric

Cooked Cornmeal Paste: Sampler on Silk

Matzoh Paste: Rubbing on Silk

Matzoh Paste: Sampler on Cotton

Cooked Rice Paste: Spread and Draw Designs on Cotton

Cooked Rice Paste: Sampler on Silk

Today I'm determined to take lots of photos. I really want a good record of what we've done...especially if I'm going to get my future book published!

Don't forget: Tomorrow is the first installment of the Searching for Roy G Biv Challenge. We are starting with the color red. You still have time to play with  Jennifer and me. Let us know and we will link to your blog, website or Flickr page. This is going to be fun! Can't wait to see what you all come up with.

Arresting Resists: Some Class Photos

Colored white school glue on glass palette for monoprinting

I thought I'd show you a small sampling of what we've been up to in my Arresting Resists class. Unfortunately, my camera's memory card decided to fill up just as I was taking some class photos on Wednesday. I should have plenty of more photos to share after next week's class (our last).

In the four sessions so far we've worked with different types of flour, cooked cereal, starches, leavening, gelatin, cooked sugars, syrup, glues and dishwashing liquid as fabric resists. Next week, we will be relief printing, stenciling and possibly screen printing with opaque fabric paints to add another layer of interest.

Monoprint with colored white school glue by Avital Oriol

Monoprints with colored white school glue by Avital Oriol

Assorted boards with resists drying

Floris Flam experimenting with dishwashing liquid and thermofaxes

Susan Prytherch hard at work

Cooked oatmeal paste applied with a bristle brush using thickened dye instead of fabric paint by Floris Flam

Blended oatmeal paste applied with lime half on previously dyed fabric. Second color using thickened dye by Floris Flam