Fresh Picked, from a bare pantry

Earlier this year, Quilting Arts magazine held the Fresh Picked challenge. I wanted to enter, but I never came up with an idea I really loved. Naturally, two days before the deadline, inspiration struck and I had to try it even though I knew I'd never make the deadline.

My original idea was a field full of purple allium, because repetition of the shape is so striking. Although I know how I'd do it now, I just couldn't figure out the right proportions for the required 12x12 format. Instead, I focused on only one and decided to create repetition within the flower head itself, using the graduated circles to represent the flower head. (So far, so good!) I would use green thread to fill in the ground and blue to fill in the sky and the whole background would be very subtle. (Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!)



Being short on time, I had to use what was on hand and it highlighted several deficiencies in my thread stash. I only had the one green thread, which was variegated green/yellow and it blended into my background fabric (too subtle). I used all my blue greys for the sky, but they are rather dark (this is what subtle looks like when it screams). Although the picture doesn't really show it off, my poor single flower seems to have a Wile E. Coyote style cloud hanging over him. The combination is a hot mess, and makes the whole thing feel top-heavy, like it's just going to lean over and drown. (Too bad there isn't a Wilted and Weird challenge.)

Since I've had a few months to think about it, I've come up with several different and more complex ways I could have tackled this project, given more time (and nowadays, $) for shopping and execution. If any of the materials for my new ideas ever end up in my stash, then I'll probably revisit my purple allium idea. Until then I'm just going to go thread shopping and wait for that Wilted and Weird Call for Entries.

Bind Me Up, Bind Me Down - The Best of Quilt Bondage

Dirty monkey! Don't worry. This article and all associated links are RATED G.

My first FO down and I wanted to talk about binding and the wonderful resources I found on the net. To my own critical eye, the binding is the best part of this quilt and the resources I found made this dreaded task super easy and painless (not what you'd expect from bondage).

My first recommendation is Sharon Schamber's website. While she has some videos and classes for paying members, she also offers a free area, which contained the binding tutorial that I needed. Sharon's instructions are extremely thorough and cover every aspect of the binding process, including blocking and squaring your quilt, and preparing your binding strips.

One thing to note is that she uses Elmer's glue to temporarily hold the binding to the back. I've seen discussions where others have been concerned about using glue in their quilts, but the instructions state to use very thin lines. Having used Roxanne's Glue Baste-It for applique, I wasn't concerned about glue. I also was going to be washing my quilt so long-term effects didn't really concern me either. Lastly, if award winning quilters like Sharon Schamber and Roxanne McElroy feel comfortable using glue, I'm willing to at least try it.

I absolutely loved it. This method allows you to see exactly where you are laying down your binding on the back so that it is always even. It held wonderfully and since I didn't need pins, I stayed off the "bleeding edge" (For goodness sake! This is about bondage not masochism.)
Note: I used Glue Baste-It rather than Elmer's because it is what I had on hand, but the concept (and the smell) of the two products is exactly the same.

My second recommendation came to me courtesy of the QuiltArt mailing list. Linda Teddlie Minton announced she had posted an article on her blog about joining binding ends, called Beautiful, Bumpless Binding. This came at the perfect time because I had managed to sew my binding in a twist...twice. Although Sharon Schamber's tutorial covers this as well, the binding in her presentation is very dark and I had trouble distinguishing one end piece from another (Hence, my helix shaped binding). Linda's pictures and instructions are very clear and the lighter color and the ability to distinguish the front from the back of her printed binding fabric made it easier for me to see what I needed to do. My binding came out beautiful and bumpless and dare I say, "Sexy?". Yeah I thought I was pushing it too far too.

Raven Challenge - What I Learned

The Raven Challenge for QuiltArt list members was my first challenge and I learned a lot of things. The most important is how my vision of what I wanted to create changed over time and is nothing like what I initially imagined. Having been struck by the words, "On the pallid bust of Pallas...", my vision was a bust of Athena from the front, with the raven on the shoulder. As you can see from the photo of the final product, I ended up going a completely different direction.
Needing a reference to draw a bust, I searched the Internet and found some photos of Mourning Athena. Since it is a relief sculpture, I realized that I could sketch a profile of both the raven and the bust reducing the detail that I wasn't sure I knew how to carry off anyway.

The second is that I need to remember to look at the whole picture when laying out my design. The fabric I had chosen for my raven is a blue and black batik fabric with bubble-eyed goldfish on it. I thought the pattern in the batik could be used to stylize the raven (scales become feathers, etc...), but it was too close in value to the blue background. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this until the raven was already fused down. It looked like I had carved a raven silhouette out of the back of Athena's head and neck, rather than put a shape in front of her. The overall effect was funky and distorted (and I wish I had a picture so you could see). So I grabbed my blue metallic Shiva paintstick to lighten the raven fabric, covering the batik design in the process. I count myself very lucky that heat setting the paint did not melt the fusible and I was able to recover from this mistake.

I also learned that working in a smaller scale allows for easier experimentation. I wasn't sure how to best represent the bust of Athena even in my revised profile vision. Knowing thread painting is beyond my skill level right now, I chose to use my Shiva paintsticks. In my first version, I did a freezer paper stencil. I applied metallic bronze using a stencil brush and got a very nice, sort of ghostly effect, which wasn't metallic at all. Definitely pallid...I really liked it. However, I was curious about rubbing plates so I made my own rubbing plate using a transparency page layed over my sketch, some puffy paint, and the bronze metallic Shiva paintstick. Thinking that the lines were too harsh and not exactly "pallid", I grabbed the white pearl painstick, but the fabric was too pale to even see the lines. Since I wanted the bust to be a background element, I chose the stencil for my postcard. I absolutely loved the bronze rubbing, but it just wasn't right for what I wanted to achieve.

Overall, it was a very positive experience. Working in a pictorial form was very different for me and I feared that my drawing ability (read: lack of) would keep me from being able to create something that even closely resembled what I had in my head. Construction was also intimidating for me and I do have some obvious mistakes that you can see in the photos. There are at least 4 that I could name, but that takes all the fun away from you. So I'll leave you to it: What is wrong with that postcard?

If you'd like more information on making postcards, I highly recommend Positively Postcards by Bonnie Sabel and Louis-Philippe O'Donnell. It is an excellent book with clear instructions and gorgeous pictures. Also if you would like more information on creating your own rubbing plates, I found very thorough instructions with pictures at fibreandstitch.com.

The Raven Challenge for QuiltArt - Finished and Entered

I've completed my entry for the Raven Challenge for the QuiltArt mailing list members. The idea was driven by celebrations for Poe's 200th birthday in early January. Lynda Thompson set forth a challenge for a 4" x 6" postcard with "Raven" as the theme. The entries are to be posted in an online gallery on QuiltArt. The original deadline was January 31st, but due to bad weather and the resulting numerous power outages all over the US, the deadline was extended to February 15th.

From the beginning I thought this would be the perfect type of challenge for me. It isn't a contest, so there is little pressure. It would give me experience working to a deadline. I had also never made a postcard before so the technique, as well as working in a small size was a new experience as well. Overall I learned a lot doing this little postcard and I'll cover those lessons later in the week.

If you aren't a member of the QuiltArt mailing list, I highly recommend that you join. It is free, but a donation is welcomed. In the few short months I've been on the list, I've compiled so much helpful information that it is well worth the donation. The members help each other with all kinds of things such as sewing with metallic threads, organizing studios, design advice, and discussions on artistic inspiration.

Fear and Posting - Nowhere Near Las Vegas

It has been almost two months since my last post. “Why?” you ask. It would be easy to blame it on the holidays, kids, or the never-ending silliness that sucks away my joy, soul and energy (Day Job), but I really can’t. I can hear my inside voice, which sometimes sounds like my mom did when she was angry, saying, “You are just being lazy!” Well Me/Mom, you are wrong. The correct accusation is “You are simply not applying yourself.” (We have some lovely parting gifts for you. How do you feel about Rice-A-Roni?)

When I decided that I wanted to be an art quilter it seemed fairly straightforward. Do some quilting, experiment with new things , share it, get feedback. What a glorious plan. “What could possibly go wrong?” you ask. (Thanks for caring.) Well I underestimated my ability to overcome my fear. I’ve always been afraid to share the results of any type of artistic endeavor. I knew it would be a challenge for me, but I thought the virtual anonymity provided by the blog (people I know in real life don’t know about it) would ease that concern. I was wrong. (Me/Mom! Stop laughing!)

At any rate, it didn’t hit me until this morning that my fear is why I haven’t updated my blog. I have been working on my entry for The Raven Challenge for the QuiltArt list. I used the scanner at work this morning to try to get images of it to submit and I kept finding issues with each one and was getting more agitated with each attempt. Too dark, too light, too blurry, no excuse too farfetched. When I reached the point of wanting to call Photoshop stupid, I decided that software wasn’t my problem. Several minutes of soul searching and some alone time with my favorite work-appropriate beverage, a smooth, cold, Dr. Pepper, helped me realize my problem was also not the scanner. I was simply afraid to put it out there.

“So now what? Do we get to see your stuff?” you ask. (Boy you ask a lot of questions.) Well the answer is yes. I’ve done quite a bit of work so there is no shortage of subject matter. All of which I WILL BE SHARING HERE OVER THE NEXT WEEK. (If I type it in all caps does that make it true? Sorry. I’m not yelling at you, but giving myself orders).

And before you ask, I’m not putting up The Raven pictures yet because it turns out there really is something wrong with them. After my revelation, I still thought they looked bad. But to make sure I wasn’t just creating excuses still, I scanned a colorful coaster I keep on my desk to use as a baseline. It couldn’t get it to look right either, so I am going to take pictures at home with my camera. Sometimes Freud a knife is just a knife.

FART Quilts

Unlike most people who enter the art quilting world, I have not quilted for a number of years or been an artist of any kind prior to discovering quilting as a medium. Instead, I've been dancing around both areas, doing a lot of reading and dreaming, but no real progress toward the "art" and only a little toward the "quilt".

I took out all my "work" the other day and reviewed what I have done so far. They all are rather traditional. I have an applique piece from Fabled Flowers, a Blooming Nine Patch, a One Block Wonder, and something I bought as a kit at a local quilt store. Although not the kind of work I ultimately want to put my name on and say, "Art! Quilt! Both for your viewing pleasure!!", I have learned a great deal that I hope to someday put into what I can call an Art Quilt.

But what to call these early works? Technically, once I actually quilt them they can be called "quilts", but that doesn't seem to capture the essence of what I feel they truly are. How about FART Quilts? It could mean any or all of the following:

1. Quilt that I made while farting around
2. Far from ART Quilt
3. Flirting Around with Routine Techniques Quilt
4. Quilt I made but wouldn't want to admit to a crowd that I did it

Plus as juvenile as bathroom humor can be, it makes me laugh. I think if I can laugh at my work, I can review my work more objectively and make my own criticisms more constructive. It sure beats the heck out of beating myself up for not being perfect. And for those of you that don't like the name, I guess you just don't understand the FART-istic process.

Instructions!?! I know how to dye fabric, I don't need no stinking...oh wait!

When I get interested in a subject, I normally research it thoroughly. I am an avid reader, so when something catches my fancy (catches my fancy! who says that?) I tend to buy several books on the subject, read about it until I not only feel confident that I know exactly what to do, but have researched what the best materials are for the job. Only then do I move forward drawing up my plans, carefully comparing prices, shipping, deadlines and materials in a spreadsheet. Once fully analyzed then I place any orders, gather all my materials and carefully follow all instructions. For some reason though, I went completely outside my process when it came to fabric dyeing.

Although I had been interested in fabric dyeing for at least 10 years, I had never gotten around to trying it. Spurred on by the luscious fabrics I saw at Quilt Festival, I finally decided it was time. I no longer had my old book, so I headed over to my favorite virtual kingdom, Amazon.com to figure out which books would work best. I quickly chose Vimala McClure's Fabric Dyeing for Beginners and Robbi Joy Eklow's Free Expression. Perhaps it was false confidence from having read on the subject over 10 years ago, but with my Amazon order pending shipment, I tapped over to Dharma Trading (which I remembered from my old book) and bought 10 yds of Kona Cotton and one of their Procion MX beginner kits, with an additional small jar of deep orange (Hook 'em Horns!). Two days later, my secret hero (Mr. UPS-man, what can brown do for you?), delivered my Amazon box. I ripped open my package, sat down with my Dr.Pepper (finest of all caffeinated, carbonated, cola-based beverages), and immediately began reading and basking in the warm runny glow that follows an Amazon delivery.

"Mercerized fabric takes dye 25% better than non-mercerized fabric."

But...um...tsk...hmmm...er...what? I didn't buy mercerized fabric. I don't want 75% color. I want 100% color. I bought 10 yards of the wrong thing. My mellow had been harshed. The warm runny glow felt more like sticky goo and Dr. Pepper couldn't save the mood. I continued reading, finishing my Dr. Pepper and still feeling sour, popped open one of New Belgium's finest seasonal beers, Skinny Dip.

A few days later, the Dharma shipment arrived. I skipped the Dr. Pepper, went straight for the Skinny Dip and proceeded to cut the fabric in 2 yd lengths. I pre-washed them, dried them, and folded them with more care than I felt they deserved. "Not mercerized. Who knows what pale shade of nothingness you'll turn out to be", I muttered. Deciding that I wasn't emotionally prepared to begin dyeing my fabric (I was being mean to inanimate objects after all) I put the fabric away for a couple of days.

Once I was finally able to cope, I grabbed all of my stuff and sat down for one last quick summary. After taking a quick look at my books and the instructions that came with my dye kit, I chose to try tub dyeing, which was described in the Dharma kit instructions. I figured that if the color wasn't going to be bold it would at least be consistent. The instructions were for more yardage than I was going to dye, so I decided not to really follow the measurements and guess-timated what I thought was an appropriate amount of dye, soda ash and water. The instructions also said to use salt, but I didn't have enough so I decided to leave it out. I figured that if Robbi Joy Eklow says she can't see much of a difference, neither will I and I'm already not going to get what I wanted in the first place. So no big hairy deal to leave out the salt.

Ok. So I don't remember instructions as well as I used to, and I messed this thing all up. I'm not sure what I thought I read, but I only let it soak in the dye bath for half the time required. I also didn't add the soda ash slowly over time. Of course, I realized all of this after I had already started rinsing. But, I was already pretty happy with the color. It wasn't the deep orange I envisioned, but initially I just thought it was because my fabric wasn't mercerized. After I put my fabric in the wash I sat down with pen and paper and did all of the math and also discovered that I didn't add enough dye to the dye bath.

As soon as my fabric dried I ran outside to look at it in the sun. It is more vibrant than what I had convinced myself that it would be.
I do wish the color were deeper, but given the carefree (hap-hazard) methods I used, I really couldn't ask for better. True that it wasn't what I wanted, but it is unlike any color in my stash and will make a great addition.