I can't believe how fast time is passing and how long it has been since I've posted...sorry about that! Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging! :) Over the past few weeks I have completed some small projects, not really "artsy," but fun, none the less! Here's what I've been up to: I love Valentine's Day! Over the past year and half, I've taught myself how to tat and I'm experimenting with ways to incorporate what I make into more than just doilies. For this decoration I used fabric scraps, 4 tatted hearts, ribbons, rick rack, beads, decorative threads, and stencils. I made it free standing by using a very stiff, fusible stabilizer in the middle. Fun! A spunky sunflower pincushion! You know the plastic caps from laundry detergent, I used one for the base! It gives the cushion a nice flat bottom and some stability. I first used my pinking shears on a green square of felt and then glued it into the cap. The square folded and twisted a bit during the process which gives the impression of leaves. :) Next, I free cut petals out of scrap lemon yellow and light orange felt. Then I layered and glued them to the inside edges for the petals. For some weight, I poured in some crushed walnut shells to the bottom of the felt lined cap. I made the center by hand stitching a brown felt tube. I gathered one end, turned it right side out and then stuffed it with polyester fiber fill. I stitched it closed and then glued it into the center of the petals and down into the cap. I love how it turned out! It seemed like a "tablet" kind of Christmas at our house!
To protect these little tech gizmos, I started making covers. To begin, I took some measurements, made a freezer paper pattern and used stiff fusible stabilizer in between two pieces of fabric. I free-motioned random squiggle designs and then added elastic straps to hold the tablets in at the corners and across the top. I finished them off by binding them just like quilts and adding a hook and loop tape closure. After I finished the first one, I decided to make quick, coordinating draw-string bags that are large enough to hold the tablet, a stylus and the charger so it would be easy to grab and go! Fun and useful! And I think this might almost be the best part of every project I've shown you.....I didn't have to buy a single thing! Yes! You read that right! Not one thing! I used bits and pieces, scraps and tidbits from my stash and you'd never know it. I even managed a little recycling! :) I'd love to see what you've been up to with your stash of supplies! Send me some pictures! :)
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For my latest fiber art piece, I challenged myself to use some new materials and layering to create some interesting visual texture. After going through my stash of fabrics and ribbons, (which you saw in my previous post) I realized that I didn't have everything I was looking for. Some things I was going to have to create. I pulled out my roll of white kraft-tex and my super speedy circle cutter from Alto's and in a matter of a couple of minutes, I had 3 circles ready to use. Since the kraft-tex is fairly stiff by itself, I didn't need to use any stabilizer! I knew I wanted to experiment with some spray dyeing on the kraft-tex, so I mixed up some honey gold dye in a spray bottle. Next, I grabbed an old towel, a blank piece of PFD (prepared for dyeing) fabric, my three kraft-tex circles and a plastic stencil of gears. I put the old towel down on the counter with the PDF fabric on top. Then I layered the circles and the stencil on top. I decided that the over-spray from the circles would create some neat texture on the fabric and I was right! After I was satisfied with the circles, I put them aside to dry and used the stencil on the fabric. I layered and sprayed, and layered and sprayed. I really like the effect! Not only did I add some interest to the plain white circles, I surface designed a great piece of background fabric at the same time!; nothing is wasted! I bet you're wondering what happened to the circles! :) Well, they did get used as a layer in my latest fiber art piece. You'll have to come back and see it all put together next time! ;)
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About MeFiber artist, wife to a wonderful husband and mom to 2 awesome, grown kids Archives
July 2023
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