From Edge 2 Edge Blog

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Arizona Understated II Done!

10/26/2020

I use Misty Fuse for my applique so I always have a non-stick sheet under my work. I mark the edges that will be under the piece in front with arrows so I don't forget to add a little bit for the overlap. That also gives me a little leeway when doing the final placement for adjustments.

I generally work from the top down but it really just depends on the design.

If you have any questions or comments about my workflow, I will try to answer them.

A Dry Spell - Arizona Understated II

10/8/2020

I hadn't realized I had skipped so many weeks of blogging. I guess if anyone had really been concerned about it, they would have commented or said 'where are you?' I have been having fun finishing up projects, getting out on the bicycle and trying to get more fit.

SAQA Arizona extended the deadline (November 10th, 2020) for Arizona Understated (12W x 16L) and also said that artists are now allowed to submit more than one. I have decided to create another one and am actually going to do two based on my sketch and see which one I will be submitting as my second piece.

I will be sharing a bit of my process over the next few posts and if you reside in Arizona and are a SAQA member I hope it will inspire you to participate.

Double Hanging System

6/12/2020

I had to figure out a hanging system for two different situations for some of my new pieces. I am targeting galleries as well as shows with these new pieces. The problem comes in because shows typically hang on rods and galleries typically hang from picture hangers or 'nail' type systems.

I came up with a way to have a versatile hanging system that would work for either situation. I used double sided Velcro in a size that is in scale with the piece. This allows it to be opened up to accommodate a bar or rod (the standard for quilt shows is 4" opening), or tightened down to allow the ring to be mounted at the gallery. The ability to tighten down means the ring will not show above the piece.

I am extremely happy with the function of this hanging system and will use it on some of my other gallery bound pieces that are narrow at the top.

Still Painting After All These Years

4/17/2020

I decided on a limited color palette for my first official pieces. I wanted something that would read 'Arizona' for a piece I have in mind. I mixed an orange, a deeper red orange and a turquoise blue. I started out lighter and added additional pigment to my mixing cups part way through. Since the paints are in a transparent base the lighter under colors will be overlapped in areas by the darker colors. Since orange and blue are compliments, I have a fourth, greyed color that works well in the piece.

I use several different tools to get my textures. I have different sizes of scrapers, toothed tools and brushes. I also used soft pastels on the lightweight cotton fabric. That gives a different texture as the pastel is dragged across the wet fabric surface. I used similar colors of chalk as my paint colors for subtle shifts.

Now to wait for everything to dry. Since I live in Arizona, that doesn't really take too long with the low humidity. I will be working on a full size pattern from one of my sketches I have done recently.

Are you experimenting with new techniques or renewing your acquaintance with old ones? If so, which ones?

Back in the Painting Saddle Again

4/10/2020

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be told by my governor that I should shelter in place. That means that I can play and I don't have to listen to that inner nag that tells me 'You have to get all your work and errands done before you can have fun creating art'. Now I can tell her to shut up, I am not allowed outside where other people are.

I haven't worked with my ProChem PROfab paints in a LONG time so I thought that I would do a couple of practice pieces and try to get back in the swing of things. The longest part was actually getting all my supplies together and the setup to start!

Lucky for me, when I took the class from Elizabeth Busch in San Diego, I also took videos as well as photos. I am able to review my notes and videos and figure out what I need to do in which order. Good thing I had the videos as it enabled me to get up and going without too much angst.

I had tons of fun working with these again and I can tell that I am going to be doing a lot more in the near future. The weather is warming up, the garage no longer feels like and icebox and I am motivated.

What are you working on while you are sequestered?

Wendy Richardson - Hand dyed Bamboo Socks Repurposed

5/27/2016

Finger-less gloves from hand dyed socks

I don't know about you, but I have been buying Wendy Richardson's hand dyed fabrics and bamboo socks for years. I love her colors and her fabric choices on the over dyes that she does.

I always visit her booth first at Road to California in January as that is the only place I can see her.

I have several pairs of her bamboo socks that have gotten worn at the heels and are no longer good to wear but I was unable to throw them out because they are so beautiful. This morning I had the brilliant idea to turn them into finger-less gloves.

I cut a little below the ribbing with my pinking shears so that I would have some thinner sock for the turn under. I tried them on to make sure there was enough stretch to go around my hand.

After turning them under I used a zig-zag stitch and slightly stretched as I sewed to make sure I will have enough circumference after I was done. I then turned them inside out, put them on and pinched between my thumb and forefinger to get the sizing for the thumb hole. I sewed up about 1/2 inch, over about 3 stitches into the hand side, then back down to the edge. I repeated this another 1-2 times to make sure I had a secure seam. A sharp pair of scissors to clip between the two stitch lines and then turn those gloves back to the right side. I am thinking I can probably do the same or similar with the foot area that is still good.

And there you have them. A pair of finger-less gloves to wear on a cool morning walk. What have you done with your 'Wendy socks'?

Major Remodel Done!

4/24/2016

OK, up until seven weeks ago, I never understood why people said that it was hard to work on their art when something was being remodeled. NOW I understand. David and I had our master bath remodeled/updated. This hadn't been done since we moved into the house, decades ago. We were saving our pennies for it but what a difference a bunch of money makes (and new fixtures, tile, etc). Gone is the original carpeting, tile, fixtures, and lighting. I still have some baseboards, etc to paint, but the major areas are done. Our contractor, Bill Barber Construction, was great, and as tidy as any contractor can be while still tearing things out and putting things back in. The best part, totally trustworthy so we didn't have to be home during most of the rebuild.

This weekend "decor" items are making it back into the space. David was able to put one of our pieces back up. I purchased a rod a week ago so now we will be able to swap out the art easily. We will decide on where and how many other pieces we will hang. I went through five swatches of paint color before I settled on this barely there aqua. Looks so fresh, I just love it.

I haven't been totally non creative. I found that when you are forced into a hiatus, your brain goes into creative mode in other areas. I have identified some new series topics and some techniques that I think will be interesting to explore. For those who have, or are going through, a remodel of any size, my prayers are with you. Just know it will be worth it. We love our new space.

Test Swatch Comparision: Spoonflower

9/20/2015

I have not always followed this rule because most of the time the printed fabric outcome has not been critical to my final project. I tend to do more color manipulation of my pieces either before the quilting or after. My recommendation is that if the final color output is critical to your design, you take advantage of the test swatch option. It is money well spent as I will demonstrate.

The original piece I printed for this design was on cotton. I did some 'after Spoonflower' manipulation, but not an extensive amount. The below samples were printed on Poly Crepe de Chine and Silk Crepe de Chine. The design was created in Photoshop from my original photographs.

As you can see, there are two very different results and neither of them wrong, just different. The poly fabric is very true to color on the original design. The silk would have to have the saturation pumped up if I wanted the same results. The original cotton printed piece is closer in color to the silk. The poly is smooth, so the edges of the design are crisp. The silk has a sandy texture so the edges are softer. If you wanted a softer, more watercolor effect, the silk would definitely give you that result.

Poly Crepe de Chine / Silk Crepe de Chine

So here's my recommendation: decide on the look you want, decide on one or more fabric choices that would be suitable for your project, and get your test swatches printed. If you want just one fabric, consider uploading different saturation levels of your design and get your swatch samples made. I promise that you will be happy you did the test prints.

I found a piece of the cotton to show the comparison. The silk and cotton are similar in both color and edge quality of the design. Both are less saturated and have more of a watercolor effect. The polyester is sharper in edge quality and brighter in color.

From left clockwise: Silk (white border 2 sides), Cotton, Poly (bottom)

The Birth of A Quilt - Canyon de Chelly

10/26/2014

I am asked a lot about the design process of my quilts. I put together a short slide show on one of my latest pieces that I designed for the Textures Fiber Arts show that is hanging at the Merc in Temecula until November 2, 2014.

The small center piece was designed several years previous to the final piece. David and I were inspired by a trip to Morro Bay and I thought it would end up being an ocean or beach piece. The final design turned out to have more of an oasis in the desert feeling.

What do you think? Have you had a design go a total different way than when you first started? I would love to hear about it.

Elizabeth Busch Workshop - Awesome!

10/19/2014

I had an incredible and exhausting time in the workshop I took from Elizabeth Busch. There were a lot of my fellow artists from several of the groups I belong to (Textures Fiber Arts, Quilts on the Wall and Visions Art Museum members) and it was great to see them and their work in progress.

Elizabeth had us do several exercises during the five day workshop. We discussed our current work and how our new work was different or similar after the workshop. Elizabeth stressed composition both by using black and white paper exercises and by quick fabric scrap postcards. Elizabeth talked about her design process both for her fabric and large sculpture designs using acrylic painted and woven UV acetate.

We all enjoyed the three days we had to paint our fabrics and having Elizabeth demonstrate her different techniques for mark making and blending of colors. The last two days were spent cutting into our fabric and working with it to compose our new designs. Because this fabric is so different from commercial designs we were given many tips and design considerations for using it effectively.

Del Thomas was in the class and did a fabulous job of documenting the daily events. I had the pleasure of Del sitting in front of me and we got to chat a bit during the few times we were not feverishly working on our fabric. Check out Del's blog for more details and pictures for the day to day happenings.

I love the fabric and the techniques used in this class. I will be working more in the future with these products and experimenting with others.