Printing on Fabric

Just when I think I’m getting smarter in PSE, I perform dumb, dumber, and dumbest things.

I’ve printed on fabric many times, but this time nothing goes right. Gets hung up in the printer, smudges of ink on the sides, etc., etc., etc. I had a small piece of hand dyed gray fabric to print on and messed it up.

See the big smudge on the right? And I had no more hand dyed gray. Once I use a hand dyed fabric, a commercial fabric just doesn’t do the job. What to do? Ah-Ha! I turned the above fabric over and scanned it and put it in PSE. Then I scanned my drawing of the trees on tracing paper and put that image into PSE  on a transparent background. Then – moved the trees onto of the scanned gray background and printed it on a paper backed silk purchased from Dharma Trading Co.

The background is a little lighter but I can live with it. And if you look very closely you can see the trees that were on the back.

I also wanted to use an image that I saw on the internet. I asked the photographer for permission but got no answer. So I altered the image by putting my head of “her” body. That wasn’t so hard, but every time I printed the image there was something wrong. Too green, too big, too small, too something, Took nine tries to get it right.

Wish I were really that slim.

Cover Lovers Askew

You may remember that one of my New Year’s resolutions is to make a quilt out of these blocks given to me by my old Florida friends, The Cover Lovers, about 15 years ago.

While looking for something to use as a background, I put this fabric on the design wall and slapped some of the block up, helter-skelter, just to see how they look on the fabric.

Oh, wow. I just don’t have enough fabric and will have to find something else that is in the same vein. I  like it that some of the blocks are askew and hang off the edge and could go on over into the border. My light bulb is lighting up!!

One resolution is finished but I can’t show it yet, ’cause it’s a surprise.

Back in the Groove

 

There has been an unfinished art quilt on my design wall all summer. Finally, I am trying to finish it.  The machine embellishment is almost done. Whether you recognize it or not, this is a dandelion.

And this is a grackle.

I love grackles. Some folks think they are a nuisance, but I think they are comedians. This may become my signature bird!

 

More Inspiration

Sally gave me the Guatemalan or Mexican shawl ( not sure which it is). She says it’s old and she’s tired of it. Oh, my! In addition she also gave me the Spoonflower image of one of her orchids. I put one on top of the other and WOW! Then I happened to pick up the leftover “fried eggs” and WOW again. Something’s happening here. Gotta listen.  Thank you, Sally. Now, I have three potential art quilts stacked up. Must get my duff out of the yard and get back to work in the studio! Just looking at this pictures gives me some ideas on where to start. It seems to help if I photograph things and see them more compactly in a small format. This composition of fabrics looks much different in a small photo than standing over them on my work table. Why is that?

Back in the Saddle Again

Got the bug to do some little studies. Here are three more. Can you find the cat hair on one of them? Oh, good grief.

I’m really in the mood to do more of these, but we’re leaving next Tuesday for Durango, CO to attend the Intermountain Weavers Converence and then on to a camping trip in Wyoming. Too much to do to get ready.

More Small Work

#21a

#22a

I’ve given up on naming these; now, just numbers. And I’ve even screwed that up, Dylecic that I am. I see a cat hair!!!

Art from old and new

A word about the about 6″ x 6″ – The “flowers” are petals cut from a macro shot of a gallardia daisy, printed on fabric. The weather has been so gorgeous the last few days, maybe I’m anxious for Spring. I sowed some poppy seeds and am going to try experimenting growing potatoes from seed. Plan to start them today.

Another word about this one – All the black and white “moons” that I’ve been playing with are cut from an old dress that I loved and “out grew.” Such a sharp dress; always got lots of compliments when I wore it. Didn’t donate it to a thrift store because I couldn’t bear the thought of someone else wearing it.  (How egotistical is that??) So, I’ve cut it up, and now it’s  ART.

Scrap Quilt Finally Finished

This quilt was started last winter and now it’s finished. It was quilted by Ellen Replogle, whose written a number of quilting pattern books. She’s family and we’re very proud of her. The quilt has no batting, just the muslin onto which the strips are sewn. Looked pretty flat, until I washed it and now it’s all poofy and nice. I think the muslin was unwashed while I was strip piecing, so it probably shrank, facilitating the puffiness.

After it was on the bed the ordinary pillows didn’t look good, so I made new pillow cases.

I LOVE THEM!  I think I slept better last night, just because of all the lovely colors. Now, I have to search for the pretty wide lace that someone gave me, and make a skirt. The lavender grey walls look pretty blah. Think I’ll paint some flowers on them. You might note, also, the photograph of the red tulip hanging over the bed. That’s the photograph that started my little flower quilts and you can see the art quilt of this particular flower on my home page.

Note the rectangular pillow with the golden colored grid. That’s a Lorna Moffat pillow that I bought about 10 years ago. She’s recently written a book entitled Silk Unraveled. It’s a beautiful book and I’m so proud to own the pillow. When I bought it, I’d never heard of her; I  should have bought two pillows!

Day Two

This is Kerr’s screen upon which she has drawn with thickened dye using a syringe.

Some of Kerr’s images

The Screens that the class has drying

My screen and print

Kerr doing a wax rubbing of the sole of her shoe.

And the print of the shoe sole.

This is a drawing from a Freida Kahlo art postcard, painted onto the screen using thickened dye, and printed.

Collage Mania II 2008

Back in January I made three little 6″x6″ collages for Collage Mania II, a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society, sponsored by Virginia Spiegel.

The site is now open for previewing the small collages. Scroll down the page to begin your viewing. There are over 200 little gems, no larger than 8″ x 10″, for a minimum cost of $40, on a first bid, first acquire basis. You may certainly offer more than $40 for your choice.

The purchasing begins Monday, May 5, and continues through the next day, Tues, May 6. It’s all expained on Virginia’s site and should be fun.

I’ve previewed the list and made seven choices. Hope I get at least one of them. And good luck to you too.