Travels

Traveling in the northwest part of our country is always a grand pleasure.  Below you will find photos from the journey and a peak at a current textile piece, Mrs., that was started in Cynthia Corbin's class.

Clouds Above Willapa Bay, WA

Bridge Underling

Mushroom in Oysterville, WA

Tidal Waters, Wallapa Bay, WA

Weather Spool, WA

As part of a technique to discover design possibilities, Cynthia asked us to choose a favorite photo and create a design inspired by the lines and shapes we saw.  I selected a woman's face, traced a general outline, then over lapped it with an other outlined photo to break up the predictable face shapes.  Choosing non representative fabrics added to my interest in color play.  Fabrics were fused.  Sheers were used to create shadows over existing shapes.

Mrs. line drawing

Mrs. ~ fabric choices

2016 Quilt & Fibers Arts Festival ~ La Conner, WA ~

2016 Quilt & Fibers Arts Festival

The annual Quilt and Fiber Arts Festival in La Conner, WA was wonderful with exceptional work form international fiber artists.  My piece, "Moon Over Bourbon Street," was honored with the award of second place in the category of Fiber Art - Created Textiles.

Moon Over Bourbon Street

  The current exhibit, Beauty of Japan, at the Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum surpassed all of my expectations. The scope, design, and craftsmanship of the work displayed was exceptional. 

"Forty years ago, American patchwork quilts were introduced to many Japanese and the colorful quilts brought much joy to them. When silk was used to make quilts in Japan, it became the Japanese specialty and brought much attention.
The silks we use to make the quilts are from very old kimonos that are taken apart because they could no longer be used as wearables. The pieces of silk are revitalized as patchwork quilts. My students took much time and effort with respect to the fabric to create the quilts.They are original creations with designs, colors, and appliqués of flowers and vegetation."

Sachiko Yoshida, Guest Curator   
 

Colors ~ backside

The Colors of Japanese Fabrics

 

Fall Season in the Great Northwest

We arrived in Portland Oregon the last day of Quilt Expo.  Having two hours to see the show, we dashed through with amazing angility.
A favorite piece for me was "You Can Go Home Again" by artist Karen Burns.  She created an amzing water color look of her childhood home.

From Portland, we traveled to Sisters, Oregon where I took a four day class with Cynthia Corbin.   It was a blessing to have unobstructed time to spend creating, enjoy the company of a good friend, and explore a new place.

My favorite creation is called Simple.  The piece is raw appliqued, fused.

Simple #1

Felting Bowls

Well from roving to felt the ability to construct in layers has me hooked.  On a whim and a challenge, I purchased a bowl felting kit at Quilt Con 2016 in Pasadena, CA.  This summer I packed my bags and textile supplies and spent a week at a friend's cabin in the western Sierra Mountains.  Lo and behold I forgot the bowl felting kit.  Having all the other supplies I ventured forward anyway. The process of felting is fairly basic and with rudimentary skills I was able to create a bowl.  The key is having a foam to felt onto.  Once the bowl is felted, design elements can be added using stitch.

Wool and Silk Roving

Detail of hand stitch

More Details

Felting Materials and Tools can be found at local craft stores or on-line.  A favorite site is Wistyria.com.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR NEEDLE FELTING:
       ·        Always hold the needle at the top just below the bend at the top.

·        NEVER do any punching without keeping your eye on the needle. Ends are sharp and you could cut yourself.

·        Always hold the needle vertically to the surface you are working on to prevent breaking the needle. The needle is more efficiently felting when held vertically.

·        Do not apply pressure with your finger against the side of the needle at an angle or you could break the needle.

·        Place needles back into the plastic sleeves and in the bag they came in.

·        When layering fibers, always alternate the direction of the wool from layer to layer, going opposite directions. First layer vertically, next layer horizontally and repeat if more layers are required.

·        Do not use needles on wet wool. They could rust and they tend to break more easily.

·        Needle felting should always be done on a piece of foam 2” thick by  8" x 6”, a brush matt, or using a Styrofoam form. Always place foam on a firm surface while working.

Teaching Needle Felting at the Desert Quilter's of Nevada Annual Retreat

Joy! Joy! Joy! I taught The Art of Needle Felting and Stitch at our annual quilt guild retreat to phenomenal students. The class presented the basic techniques of hand needle felting. Most the students used felted wool for the foundation, while an other student choose silk with a backing of wool felt.  At the class mid-point, the students displayed their work.  Each piece was unique and we discussed the processes used.  At the close of class, the students were ask to share their work and to talk about what they learned. 

Working in a group using similar techniques and materials creates a common thread of understanding.  The synergy of the whole truly benefits the individual.  While some pieces were further along in the process than others, the resulting work was amazing!  Take a look.

Class Art Work

Felt Art 1

Felt Art 2

Felt Art 3

Felt Art 4

Felt Art 6

Felt Art 7

Felt Art 5 on Silk

Felt Art 8

Samples made for class.

Felt Art Landscape

Sample Class Pattern ~ Passion Flower

Sample Abstract

Sample Abstract ~ Felted Only

Sample, felted with eco-dyed silk organza on wool then stitched