Stitch-In April 2017

Beautiful shibori-dyed and hand stitch cloth that Ann Z. purchased in Massachusetts.

Still in catch-up mode. Here's what folks were working on at the April Stitch-In...such a variety!

We had two doll makers at the Stitch-In this month, Erika C. and Sandra O.
Erika is continuing work on her Conant Grant project: Re-Imagining Flip Dolls. She brought in a number of dolls, including these beautiful subtle ones in neutrals and white.

Flip dolls by Erika C.

Flip dolls by Erika C.

She also brought in the prototype for her Flip Doll Challenge using sticks as an armature. Erika is looking for people to take part in the Challenge which will become part of a gallery exhibit in early 2018. For more information about taking part go here.

Erika C.: Flip Doll Challenge prototype side one.

Erika C.: Flip Doll Challenge prototype side two.

Sandra brought in a "bottle" doll...worked around an empty soda bottle. Sorry that I didn't get a great photo of the face...it was exquisite!

Sandra O.: Bottle doll.

Here is a detail that will be appliqued to the doll.

Sandra and I met almost 20 years ago when she took my Fiber Sculpture workshop. Here is the doll that she made during that workshop (now owned by a student in my Hand Stitching Continued class...small world!).

Sandra O.: Wire armature doll.

And here is a chair piece that she started in the same class.

Sandra O.: Wire armature chair

Ann Z. brought in a book that she made in a class...combining paper, cloth, printing, and stitching.

Ann Z.

Ann Z.

She also brought in a few of her healing cloths...that she is making with Peggy G. as part of a church project. You can see some of  Peggy's cloths in this post.

Ann Z.

Ann Z.

Ann Z.

Cheryl C.was working on a piece for the Jumpstart in Hand Stitching workshop (The Art League School). You can see the final piece here.

Cheryl C.

Diana G. brought along some of her pieces started in the Boro and Beyond workshop that I taught at Artistic Artifacts this spring. I just love the subtle palette!

Diana G.: From Boro and Beyond workshop

Diana G.: From Boro and Beyond workshop

Holly C. was working on a large piece using a black table runner that she purchased at Ikea (she's found linen yardage there too!). Great experimenting with simple stitches!

Holly C.

Some amazing purchased textiles made there way to the Stitch-In. Ann Z brought the piece at the top of this post (I'm coveting this!!)...it's shibori-dyed and then completely stitched with Running stitch.

Cheryl brought in two embroidered pieces that caught her eye at an auction.

Cheryl C.: Purchased stitched piece

Cheryl C.: Purchased stitch piece.

Detail.

As usual...lots of great discussions and sharing! I so enjoy this get together every month!

Hand Stitching Continued: Surface and Structure...Beginnings Recap

Annie G.: Detail from Muse-inspired piece. Annie's Muse was a flowering cactus.

The Hand Stitching Continued: Surface and Structure evening class (The Art League School in Alexandria, VA) is now in it's fifth week...time for a recap!

This class picked up where the Jumpstart in Hand Stitching left off. Hand Stitching Continued shifted into working in color, playing with more dimensional stitches, fabric manipulation and finally the creation of a free-standing sculpture.

This post covers work from the first three sessions: Combining and layering stitches from Jumpstart; Color Backgrounds and Choose Your Muse; and Dimensional Stitches.

The first night we played a little game...sticking the names of stitches covered in Jumpstart into a cup and pulling out pairs of stitches. Each student had there own stitch combinations to work with.

Mary M.: Combining stitches from Jumpstart.

Melanie H.: Combining stitches from Jumpstart.

Susan S.: Combining stitches from Jumpstart.

Susan S.: Combining stitches from Jumpstart

The second class focused on Color. For homework students were asked to Choose a Muse from Nature and answer a number of questions. Color choices were based on those found in each student's Muse.

Mary M.: Journal page about Muse. Mary's Muse was a photo of tree bark.

Mary M. Journal page about Muse.

Susan S.: Journal page about Muse. Susan's Muse was colorful stone.

After painting and printing a selection of fabrics, students then had the chance to create work inspired by their Muse.

Annie G. : Piece inspired by her flowering cactus Muse. With the exception of the burlap, all of these fabrics were painted and printed by Annie.

Annie G.: Edging detail.

Annie G.: Additional pieces inspired by the hand painted fabrics and stitch combinations.

Annie G.: Stitch details.

Susan S.: Susan's Muse and Muse-inspired piece.

In the third class, students learned a selection of dimensional stitches and had the opportunity to play and combine them.

Kate M.: Dimensional stitches sampler.

Mary M.: Dimensional stitches sampler

Susan S.: Dimensional stitches sampler.

The next post will focus on fabric manipulation techniques using stitch.

Jumpstart in Hand Stitching Review

Mary M.: Couching fabric strips with a variety of stitches.

For those of you who don't know, I've been juggling a number of classes over the past month or so. I've been teaching the To Tell a Story with Cloth: Impressions, Connections and Memories class during the daytime on Wednesdays and classes in hand stitching on Wednesday evenings (at The Art League School in Alexandria, VA). Now that the daytime class is over, I'm getting caught up with blog posts starting with Jumpstart in Hand Stitching. This was a three 3-hour session workshop that was basically an accelerated (you might call it a "crash" course) version of my 25 hour class. We covered some fabric painting and printing techniques, followed by assignments in Line, Pattern, Texture, and Layers. This class was considered preparation for the Hand Stitching Continued: Surface and Structure class (seven 3-hr evening classes) that is still ongoing. Here is a selection of work by students in the workshop...

Some of the hand painted and printed fabrics created in class.

Painted and printed fabrics.

Freezer paper masks.

Kate M.: Line sampler.

Mary M.: Line sampler

Cheryl C.: Line Challenge

Kate M.: Line Challenge in progress. Kate based this on bacteria in a petri dish.

Cheryl C.: Line, Pattern and Texture sampler.

Mary M.: Pattern and Texture sampler.

Cheryl C.: Texture Challenge.

Cheryl C.: Pattern and Texture Challenge.

Mary M.: Texture and Layers Challenge.

Kate M.: Layers Sampler

Kate M.: Layers Challenge.

Cheryl C.: Layers Challenge.

Annie G.: Layers Challenge.