A Hat - A Crown - A ????

This is a secret but I am showing you my entry into our LH Wearable Art Challenge.  The challenge was to use upholstery fabric to make an accessory.  First I tried a belt... well it started out okay but then I couldn't get the fabric to stop fraying and I realized I did not want to emphasize my waist!  I then saw a beautiful hat in a new book (I'll tell you about the book and give credit for my inspiration later).  It was only a little picture but I figured out the engineering and used prairie points vs tie folds and changed a bit more.  Lots of fun and I really like the hat.  Now if I don't sell it at the Davis Artery show I'll be able to wear it to the Challenge meeting, otherwise I will have to make another or bring pictures. 
This is another time that I am so glad I can just do what catches my interest.  Sometimes I cause so much stress with the competitions I want to do and gifts I want to make.  I know I am not alone in this habit and wonder if it isn't some left over thing from work!  The things I might have accomplished if I had just stopped to wonder and ponder.  This is something I am going to add to my "Remember This" list.

I'm Showing at the Artery

My friend TC has again extended an invitation for the Davis Artery's guest show titled "8 by 8 Small and Great".  Show dates are April 8 - 19.  The gallery is on 207 G Street, Davis, phone 530.758.8330 web site- .theartery.net   There will be an artist reception on the evening of April 8 between 7 -9pm.  This is the same night as the Davis Downtown "Art About" so there will be many other art venues to visit.  Of course wine, sparkling water, and tasty goodies will be available.  It would be fun to see you there.

Spring- Long view and detail during construction!

I decided to create a pedestal piece.  This is a new area for me and there were lots of engineering issues but I had great fun creating the three dimensional piece.  Does it remind you of Spring?

For those of you with a more professional perspective... I am work on the picture taking skills!

Now that you made it..What do you do with it!

Isn't this always the question after you try a new technique or dye a new piece of fabric?  Well since I needed a Wearable Art Show and Tell, I used the Tie Dye fabric (shown in a previous blog) for a scarf.  It went together in 45 min!  Just a simple tube with a channel down the center for some wired ribbon, plus a cool pin from the Stitches show.  It is comfortable and fun to wear.  Now I just have to figure out what to do with the rest of the fabric!

Tie Dying to Die For...

In the Oct/Nov 2010 Issue of Quilting Arts, Kathy Barinholtz wrote about her adventure with dying silk fabric with silk ties.  So last week, Cassandra, Carolyn, and I set up for our own adventure.  We were surprised with the color that transfers and pattern combinations.  The ties don't transfer exactly but often "bleed" components of the original dye.  Brown would give us orange, reds would go both bright and light, so the best part was unwrapping the bundles.  (I have not included the process here because of ownership concerns but read the article and you will find it is an easy and quick process that leads to beautiful muted shades)   The ties can be re-used so I have a full stock for the next adventures.  One note on the process - we could not find an aluminum pot but a friend's husband (a chemist) told us to line the pot with heavy duty foil.  This proved to be all that we needed.  Hope you can try this.  Let me know in the comment section how your adventure turns out! 

More Sharpie Fun

How does one out of three sound?  Yesterday I was in the mood to play with my Sharpie pens.  I had wanted to do some sun flowers with 3D leaves but I had also found a beautiful water color of a windmill.  The sun flowers did not work out.  Not enough ink but too much alcohol which caused it to wash completely out to mud.  The windmill turned out just fine.  I am going to thread paint and add the "windmill fans" in black fabric.
I am really looking forward to seeing pictures of my friend Carolyn and her friends at their recent discovery day.  Glad you had a good time with the process.  I understand that there are some other pens that have more muted colors and hold up better in the wash.  I'll pass this on when I get the information.  In the mean time, try this fun and easy process.  When is the last time you didn't have to pay a fortune for equipment for a new technique??

SAQA Whisper Quilt Challenge

Here it is, the piece I have been working on for months.  Actually a week before it was due and then another week just before the reveal.  The challenge is set up like the old telephone game, where you start with one story and see how it changes as it move around the circle of friends.  The first person in each of 5 groups was presented  with a photo to inspire a 22 x 24 quilt.  Those quilts were then passed to the next in line to inspire another set of quilts.  Last week was the reveal of over 30 quilts.  How inspiring and how funny to see how a scene of sea rocks and a crab ended up as trees, flowers, and then back to the sea.  Hard to imagine but go to the SAQA NorCal blog and see the show. I have more work to do with my piece.  First I am cutting off 2 inches on the left (as shown)  and then adding a few more leaves.   I needed to have it done, but upon reflection and some very helpful comments... I have decide to work a bit more.
 

The Istanbul Vest

The pattern for this vest is from an article in Threads Magazine  and is designed by Pat Moriarity of Plymouth, Wisconsin.  It is called the Istanbul vest but my shawl came from a wonderful trip in Spain.  These long shawls are everywhere but if you are like me (and Pat) they are hard to wear.  The pattern was simple to make and I have had loads of compliments and "where did you find it" comments.  Find the pattern in the Oct/Nov 2007 Threads Magazine.  At the end of the article is another kind of shawl pattern!  Thanks to Pat for being so generous, my only comment is that I wish I looked as good at the model in the article!!