Breakfast

Sourdough bread, cream cheese, tea.

:)

Discover Magazine

Working on the characters:

I colored the first pic using Illustrator,

while the second one was done in PhotoShop.

It's interesting to see the differences in effect.

Which one do YOU prefer?

New project!

So, my textile piece for the Niagara Region is all done - whew!

Meanwhile, our house is still in a shambles from the move,

but it's slowly starting to become somewhat organized.

Thank goodness I don't have a deadline for THAT!

While I was still busy with the textile project,

I was offered the opportunity to work with

and upcoming children's magazine, out of the U.K.

All I could think was WOW!!!

Also, does it have to be NOW???

With my hands full of paints and beads and a looming deadline???

Luckily, the editor gave me time,

and with the textile project all done and submitted,

I'm ready for this new challenge!

There will be four main characters

who will appear in every issue.

This is my first sketch based on the

character briefs they gave me.

The magazine will be called Discover.

Isn't that a lovely name?

All pieced together

My deadline is only a couple days away!

Here's what my piece is looking like now.

I've laid it out on our dining table - 

the two layers are stitched together

and all the beading done.

The tree branches are paper cloth.

I painted it in greens and browns,

then coated it with ModPodge for a lovely sheen.

Then I went over it with free-motion stitching 

in gray and brown for texture.

I think I'm done!

Skipping ahead

Actually, skipping a LOT ahead,

since I forgot to take pics of some steps in between.

To fill you in, I finished painting my flowers,cut them out,

and then stitched them on to batting to create a quilted cutout.

Now I'm adding all the beads.

The dense brown center of the flower is yarn

that bunched up and machined down.

The twirly pink things are paper,

twisted, twirled and stitched down.

I used the beads in different ways:

as random scatterings,

in long lines,

and in clusters.

This was very fun to do!

Getting there!

A few quick pics:

Beads coming soon!

Painting the flowers

OK!!!  Time for color!

I started painting the flowers on white muslin.

I'm using plain ol' acrylic paints, and it was easier than I thought.

The flowers layer will be a separate layer altogether.

Once I finish it, I'll stitch it on to the green background.

At least, that's the plan :)

Meanwhile, the background is coming along as well.

The base was muslin that I painted in greens and browns,

on which I had layered the cheese cloth I dyed in the same colors.

Now I'm adding circle cutouts from my paper cloth that

I created earlier - just to add interest.

Notice how wonderfully stiff the paper cloth is?

This was a really good thing to try!

It cuts like paper and doesn't fray,

but is pliable and sew-easy, like medium weight fabric.

To add even more texture, I'm making large,

random stitches with embroider floss.

And then, to jazz it up, my lovely water soluble crayons 

are adding color to the stitches.  It's like I used 

variegated thread, when it's actually only solid green.

More next time!

Textile Project: Backups and tryouts

Things are heating up for our house purchase

and impending move - two days to go!

I have some work done which I haven't yet taken

pictures of but meanwhile I want to share

a few things I'm doing...

When I decided to do the paper cloth idea,

I also made sure I had back up with familiar material,

meaning just fabric, since I wasn't sure how

the paper cloth would turn out.

So while I made the paper cloth,

I also painted two more pieces of fabric,

one with glue and paint,

one with only paint.

This way I have three green backgrounds

to choose from.  Also, the background I don't choose 

would still be painted over for the flowers,

which I would applique on to the background.

I'm going with the just-paint fabric background,

using the glue/paint material for the flowers

and the paper cloth for the tree.

Here are some things I was trying out:

Cheesecloth - dyed and painted
(fun)

I made this to give the background an out-of focus look.

This was the trial piece; the actual piece is already on the background.

Dyed, glued, sewn - another tryout.

Free-motion stitching on a trial piece.

Fabric leaf on fabric background.

Paper cloth leaf on paper cloth background.

Next: pics of what I'm finally going with...

Stay tuned!

Color - Textile Project

Continuing on, I've covered the green tissue 

with yellows, browns and more green.

The texture of the paper has given the paints a wonderful depth.

The paints blended beautifully,

but they have left the fabric paper/paper cloth

stiffer than before.

After everything is painted,
I will be adding hand and machine stitching 
as well as bead embellishments.

I'm going to try sewing a part of this material
to see how I can work it.

I've roughly painted in one flower.

The paper cloth is still doing great.

Once all the stamens and other details are filled in,

I hope this will come alive!

Paper cloth!!! - Textile Project

I'm so excited!

The paper cloth idea is turning out fab.

It's quick and easy.

It dries faster than I expected.

Even the NanoBot could 'help'!

Before I get into that though,

remember the lovely image I'm working on?

I just want to give a shout out to the photographer.

Olga Piedrahita, if you're reading this,

thank you for the beautiful photo - 

I'm honored to work with it!

I hope my textile version looks half as pretty

as the real thing!

Now back to the paper cloth:

Here's the muslin all laid out and ready.
Ditto garbage bag underneath.


I made a glue-water mixture and sloshed it on.
Then laid down sheets of green tissue.


I had to stop working before I got enough layers down,
but I can pick up and continue later on!

I don't have the pics for when I was laying down the tissue

(having too much fun to remember to take pics)

but it was just that:

Glue on muslin, paper on glue.

I had to stop and leave home for a bit,

but when I got back it was dry!

Nice and leathery-looking.

But soft and pliable.

Next step:

Adding more green layers,

and then adding colors for depth.

Stay tuned!

Textile Project: The "update" post -

Oops - did I say update?  But you see how I 

snuck the word between quotation marks? Ha!

So.

Somewhere between jumping headfirst into the wild world of

milk kefir, water kefir and sourdough starter-making,

and reading up on things like aquaponics (why now???)

and navigating my way through the cardborad cartons 

that DaddyBoy has thoughtfully strewn the apartment with,

I'm working on the project - honest!

Getting the colors together - can you see the yumminess?

See? Progress!!!!

Those four swatches are not fabric, but paper!

Of course, the room I euphemistically, but only in my head,

refer to as my 'studio' is filled with staggering towers

of cardboard cartons, again courtesy the man of the house.

Yes, we're moving.

Yes we need to pack those DVDs we never

watched in the last seven years but desperately need.  

Yes, my sewing machine will survive the intrusion.

White muslin, yellow tissue and cheesecloth.

So, between keeping the apartment spic and span

for showing to prospective new renters

(despite said cardboard carton towers)

who may, and do, drop in at any time,

I've been thinking of HOW I want to approach the fabric.

The paper and cheesecloth will go on top of the muslin.

I had thought all along I'd do what I normally do:

layer lots of fabric and yarn and ribbon 

embellish with embroidery.

and jazz up the whole thing with beads and sequins.

But that's NOT the way I've decided to do this!

I have two words for you - paper cloth!

I think this can be done a few different ways,

but the basic idea is to adhere layers of paper to 

a muslin base, and add texture with stuff like cheesecloth.

You can paint as you go, add ribbon, yarn, foil, whatever.

If you're using glue it will take a while to dry,

but once dry it can be cut and sewn just like fabric,

but a strong, non-fraying type of fabric.

There. That's the technique I'm going with.  I think.

Did I mention I've never done this before?

And that we just began Ramadan?

And that the NanoBot always has her nose in my work,

us being the un-schooly types?

And that we're moving?  Next week?

Now excuse me while I go feed my baby starter.

Sourdough bread, please wait up!

Textile Project: Drawing a picture

OK, so sticking up the image was the easy part,

but what was I to do next?

I debated drawing it out versus tracing.

Of course, tracing sounds easier.

It would also ensure correct placement of parts.

So tracing won out, but it wasn't a simple matter at all!

When I tried to see through the tracing paper,
the image was very faint, barely visible.
Still, I soldiered on!

Of course, I had to first make a tracing paper quilt.

But I realized right away that I should make

the quilt as I trace along, not before,

since I had to constantly lift the tracing paper to 

take peeks at the photo to make sure I was on track.

This is what it looked like.

Can hardly see a thing, right?

I reinforced the ball pen lines with black crayons.
Did some shading.
Much better!

I can see some of the tonal differences now.

How will this tracing help?

I'm hoping it will enable me to see the picture 

in a more two dimensional way.

Break it down to its basics.

That way when I trace it on fabric I can focus

on the main parts first.

At least that's what I'm hoping!

Next: color!