Stories Starting and Getting into Stitching

Amy P.: Liquid soap resist.

Okay...so that post title may sound a bit confusing...but I am trying to have an easy-ish day after teaching back-to-back classes yesterday!

The great thing is ...I have two wonderful groups of students. In the morning, I'm teaching, To Tell a Story with Cloth and in the evening, Hand Stitching. I'm so glad that I set up the classes up that way. The morning class is very active and full of color and the evening class is a slower pace with thoughtful stitching.

So here's what went on yesterday...

In Story Cloth, we started by painting backgrounds and creating our first print blocks. The premise of the class is for the story to unfold...that we set the scene and the characters start to show up. Some colorful beginnings, that's for sure!

Kathy F.: Liquid soap resist.

Marine L.: Foam brush painting.

Kathy B.: Stamping with craft foam.

Jan B. salted fabric.

Jan B.: Moldable foam block prints over liquid soap resist.

Karen M.: Detail using craft foam blocks.

Hattie B.: Hot glue, craft foam and moldable foam block prints.

A pile of print blocks I brought to share with the class.

In Hand Stitching, we started stitching, focusing on line stitches. This time round, I had the students do the first Journal Prompt in class...A Line Can Be... then we started with the stitches. I think that this was a good change to the format. The students got into playing/doodling lines and I know that they will be applying this playful attitude to their stitching!

My Journal Prompt drawings for lines.

Christina H.'s Journal Prompt drawings.

Christina H.: Line stitch sampler beginnings.

Claudia E.'s Journal Prompt.

Claudia E.: Line stitch sampler beginnings.

Kate G: Line Stitch sampler.

Kate G.: Stem stitch challenge.

Susan P.: Journal Prompt.

Susan P.: Line stitch sampler beginnings.

Apologies to Lee and Peggy...who both had lovely painted backgrounds that I somehow missed photographing. I'll be sure to include you in the next post.

Hand Stitching ...A Fresh Start to a New Semester!

Love the multiple layers in this background by Claudia E.!

Students are off to a great start this spring session. This time Hand Stitching is an evening class and instead of five 5-hour daytime sessions we'll be doing seven 3-hour sessions. That called for a bit of re-jiggering with the class lessons. This first class focused entirely on painting backgrounds...still keeping within my imposed limitations of black, white and gray (though some brown unintentionally...and then intentionally sneaked in!). I also made a point this time to remind students to paint and print more than just the white cotton...including silk, linen, wool and cheesecloth that I made available.

Fabrics drying.

Such enthusiasm...we ran out of table space so resorted to the ironing board and shelves. This background by Christina H.

Claudia E.

Christina H.

I got into the act too! the piece on the right is cheesecloth with a piece of cotton fabric underneath.

Great motion in these lines by Kate G.

What great stitching potential I see in these backgrounds! Can't wait until next week when we start stitching...stay tuned!

 A beauty by Susan P. !

Rubbings by Susan P.

The Printed Fabric Bee Science Giveaway

My contribution this month: Petri dishes!

I'm a few days late in completing the fabric for the Printed Fabric Bee this month. The Queen this month was Jackie Lams and her theme was science.

I had to ponder the theme for a while. I finally settled on the idea of petri dishes.

Here's how I made the fabric:

I started out by using the interior diameter of a masking tape roll as a template for the petri dishes. I first drew the circles with a disappearing marker and then went back over the circles with a Pigma pen.

 I painted the interiors of the circles with diluted fuchsia Pebeo Setacolor Transparent fabric paint.

I then painted the areas surrounding the circles with a combination of violet and ultramarine Pebeo Setacolor Transparen fabric paints.

While the paint was still wet, I sprinkled kosher salt and ice melt into the fuchsia circles.

After the fabric dried, I brushed off the salt (which textured the paint) and heat set the fabric paint. I then washed and dried the fabric, before printing the cardboard block designs.

The print blocks were made out of circular pieces of cardboard. I created the designs with a hot glue gun. I wanted them to look like the bacteria and molds that might be grown in a petri dish.

I printed with black Pebeo Setacolor Opaque fabric paint.

After the printed designs dried, I decided that I wanted the background color to be darker so I ended up painting it a couple of more times.

Each month, in addition to making a fabric for the Queen, each member of the bee also makes a 6" version to be part of a fabric giveaway. Here's my contribution.

And here are the rest of the fabrics for the giveaway.

You may have noticed that we have some new members! Now you can win eleven fabric squares!

To enter the giveaway leave a comment at The Printed Fabric Bee blog. The winner will be chosen on November 17. Good luck!

Here are the blogs of other Bee members. Check them out and learn how each member made her fabric:
Deborah Boschert
Lisa Chin
Gerrie Congdon 
Jane Davila
Carol R. Eaton
Judy Gula
Lynda Heines
Leslie Tucker Jenison
Lynn Krawczyk
Jackie Lams
Susan Purney Mark

Free Fabric is Coming!

Wonky Lines fabric for Gerrie

Here's a teaser for this month's Printed Fabric Bee give away...

Wonky lines was the theme for Gerrie Congdon's fabric set. This is my 6" square that will join 8 others for the give away.

My fabric includes layers of salt and liquid soap resist followed by block printing and hand drawn details.

More info about the drawing to come. I can't wait to see the fabric set!

Fat Quarters and Roy Reminder

In preparation for a collaboration with a fellow gallery member for the September show at Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery, I've been busy painting and printing fat quarters.

I'm continuing to play around with my Confectioner's sugar resist recipe but playing around with salt as well.

And...even a little bit of printing with flour paste.

All those ingredients sound like they could make something yummy!

This is also your one week reminder that Roy is just a week away! Where did the time go? Next Thursday, August 15 features VIOLET. If you're new to the Search for Roy G Biv (the colors of the rainbow), click here for more info.

Tomorrow I'm off to Virginia Beach to visit with my friend, Laura and her family. I'm so excited! I'm looking forward to walks on the beach, kayaking and eating fresh produce from Brian's garden. We also plan to do some fabric printing with veggies. Stay tuned!

Exploring Surface Design Spring 2012 Wrap Up Part 2

Keith Ryder: Shiva Paintstiks over wipe-up cloth

Below are fabrics completed in the spring session of Exploring Surface Design by Keith Ryder and Sheryle Yount.

The work of Keith Ryder:

Salt resist

Torn freezer paper masks with transparent paint

Folded resist

Brayer rubbings and stenciling over blue glue resist

Block printing over printed wheat flour resist

Wheat flour "crackle" over knotted resist

Block printing over cut freezer paper mask

 
The work of Sheryle Yount:

Stenciling with doily over sun printed fabric

Multiple layers of printing and painting over blue glue gel resist

Multiple layers of printing and stenciling over blue glue gel resist

T-shirt detail: Block printing over wheat flour resist "crackle"

Block printing over brayer rubbing

Block printing and stenciling

Blue glue gel with cut freezer paper mask