Small Steps

 This week, despite a very busy schedule at the library, I've managed to spend a few minutes here and there playing with my supplies.  The other day, I stitched this little sun on a sky-printed fabric.

And this morning, I stopped into Michael's just to wander around and see what I could find.  I picked up this set of clear acrylic alphabet stamps, some PITT pens (one large one in white), and a new mixed-media journal.  When I got home, I started to play!

For some reason, when I placed this photo onto the batik ripple-print fabric below, the words ". . . life is but a dream"from "Row, row, row your boat" popped into my head and I knew I wanted to stamp or print them on there somehow.  The acrylic stamps I got were perfect!  I didn't mount them on blocks, but just cut them apart and painted the letters with white acrylic paint.  I must say, I'm very pleased with the results - it's the exact feel I was going for.  

I had also sketched a rowboat, which I traced onto the fabric using a light box and an air-soluble marker.  Then I painted in the boat, leaving the fabric below to act as an outline, so the boat looks almost translucent and kind of dreamy, like a memory.  I'm not sure yet how I'll stitch on the fabric photo; I'm mulling over the various options.

 Here's a close-up of the boat.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I think this all ties into my feelings about summer in general.  I'm probably not the only one who looks back with great fondness on the summers of childhood.  So as I'm exploring what summer means to me, different images and colors are floating up to the surface of my mind and memory.  I'll just keep going with it and see where it takes me...

Summer Blues

The last few days have brought us beautiful sunny weather, so I decided to try making some innovative sun-printed fabric for my innovative project.  I splashed some diluted Setacolor paints onto some prewashed, damp fabric, then lay it in the sun and covered it with various flowers, ferns, vines, and pieces of lace.  I covered a portion of it with an acrylic plate to keep the plants flat.  Then I waited.

 
After a while, I couldn't resist taking a little peek.  It seemed to be working.  Under the leaves, it's lighter, as the sun draws the paint away from the areas in shadow.

Here is the fabric after the paint was completely dry and the plants and things removed.  I've had better results from sun printing, but I did get that great clear fern print in the right corner.

I decided to augment my white shadows with actual plant prints.  I gathered some more leaves and flowers, some diluted white acrylic paint, and a brayer.

The resulting prints added some clearer detail, interest, and depth to the fabric.

I've also been stitching these daisies in the evenings, so . . .

I now have a good selection of collage materials to use in the "Summer Blues" quilt, including an old photo of my sister and myself on vacation (circa 1967?) printed on fabric, the back pocket from an old pair of jeans, and the laced edge of an old cotton summer shirt I used to wear.

I even started looking through my ribbons and rick-rack to see if any of it might be included.  It's a start!

Seeking Inspiration

 As I've been going about the busy-ness of daily life (senior prom, end of school exams, prep for summer library programs, graduation, fourth of July, keeping up with the house and garden), I've been mulling over ideas for my next piece.  The only requirements are that it measure 18"x36" hung vertically, it can be considered "innovative fiber" (the title of FANE's next show), and it must be finished and photographed by Sept. 4th.  So the sky is pretty much the limit as far as subject matter, materials, color choices etc.  Maybe it's too wide open and without a hook to hang anything on, I find myself searching for inspiration.

Spending so much time outdoors and being a nature lover, I usually look there first.  My DH and I have been building these stone steps through the fern hill in our backyard (well truthfully, he's been doing most of the work... those rocks are heavy!) and they might make a nice subject rendered in fiber.  It would fit the vertical format as well.  I could put some inspirational words in there as well, something about climbing, working toward a goal... hmmm, a possibility...

Plants and their infinite variety are always inspiring.  I love the bright fuchsia of this astilbe

 and the rich deep reds and pinks of this coleus.  But for some reason, these colors don't resonate with me enough.

Greens are more my style.  Maybe something in the fern family?  Ferns are so graceful...

I looked through back copies of Quilting Arts magazine to get ideas, (lots of great inspiration there, and suggestions to make my work more innovative)

 and I visited the blogs of several inspirational artists, including Jane Lofazio and Jamie Fingal.  Very inspirational!

Of course, I also went through my stash to see what jumped out at me.  As usual, I was drawn to the blues.  That bright daisy print in the lower right of the photo just looked so happy and summer-y.

I finally settled on making my next piece convey the happy, carefree feeling of summer, with a palette inspired by the sky and the daisies!

Now that I have a little to go on, I can start working a few minutes a day, even if it's just to place some fabrics on my design board and move them around, paint or write something on fabric, or take a few stitches.  The fun can begin!

Garden Update

  

Now that spring is really in full bloom, I've been spending much more of my spare time in the garden as opposed to the studio. It's a peaceful and inspirational place filled with quiet birdsong, dappled sunlight, and a constantly changing array of colors and textures.  In the mornings, I putter around weeding and tidying up and on the weekends I tackle bigger tasks.  I've managed to add a few more ferns and heucheras as well as some coleus for color.  This morning, this velvety clematis finally bloomed on the iron obelisk I added last summer.  So happy to see it!  I have some morning glories sprouting below, so I hope to see the obelisk covered with those as the summer heats up.

I also created a new tree door in the fairy garden (someone who shall remain nameless chewed the last one I made!).  The plants from last year are growing in nicely, including some sweet woodruff, golden creeping jenny, irish moss, periwinkle, and lots of volunteer violets.  On the top left near the rocks there's a native plant that was here before I even put in the garden, which I think is a false solomon's seal.  It looks graceful and lush, just right for this spot!

I also finally got some foxgloves!  I ordered several from a catalog last spring and they've finally gotten big enough to bloom.  The tall spikes add some much-needed height among all the low-growing plants.  There are several in bloom now, but here is one next to the entry arbor.

I also couldn't resist this scottish moss I found at a local garden center.  It's fluffy and soft and should fill in between these stepping stones very nicely!  It's bright green color and little star-shaped flowers make it a charming addition.  Can't wait to see it spread!

We had a very long spell of dry sunny weather and now seem to be in a humid, showery pattern.  These mushrooms have begun to pop up everywhere!  I don't mind them, as they look cute nestled among the hostas and other small plants.

Last but not least, I had my first iris bloom near the pond last week.  These sprang up spontaneously next to my driveway several years ago and expanded enough to be divided when I put in the garden two years ago.  They are doing well in this spot and it was thrilling to see this lovely flower, even if only for a few days.

Maybe I'll use the garden as inspiration for my next FANE piece, which has a size requirement of 18"x 36", but no set theme.  I hope to get moving on that soon, as the summer has a way of flying by!  

We've Been Framed @ MPL!

Here are the fabulous pieces the FANE group has on display at the Mahopac Public Library.  There's still time to see it all in person - the show is up until May 31st!

These three lovely floral pieces were created by Barbara Drillick, Joyce Sullivan, and Barbara Sferra.  They are called "Sunny Couple,"  "Blue Blossom," and "Cranesbill."

In this group, we have "Why-ree I" by Nancy Mirman (love the use of wire as well as the construction), "Spring's Gifts" by Gail Ellspermann, and "Balance" by Judy Gignesi.   The colors in these three are so soothing and they seemed to belong together.  It's interesting how the coordinating blue frames set each piece apart, yet also unify the whole group.

This untitled piece was created by Vivien Zepf and was a favorite of my daughter's.

Donna Chambers added a screen over her frame to further the city feel of her piece "Twin Donnas in New York." There's so much going on in this piece, just like the city itself - movement, action, color, excitement!

Christine Wilhelm used needle-felting techniques in her piece titled "Wind Goddess," and Linda Long did a lot of thread painting by machine in her piece "Nevermore Again."

Below is my piece, "Serenity." I got lots of positive comments about the zen qualities of the piece.

Another of my favorites, this is "Monique" by Carole Hoffman.  I just love her quirky characters on their colorful backgrounds.

This is Joanne Lubchenko's "Lazy Summer Day."  Kind of similar to mine in that mellow, minimalist way...

These pieces are "Modern Hexies" by Claire Oehler, "Blue Moon" by Nike Cutsumpas, and "Fractured IV" by Norma Schlager.  The artists' expertise in technique are very obvious here!

Martha Buhl created "Winter's Peace," Paula West stitched "Pebbles among Boulders," and Natalya Aikens crafted "Atlant sp63."  Again, three outstanding pieces!  Please come by the library to see them all up close!

Renee Fleuranges-Valdes' "Gears of Life" is also stunning to see in person.

And finally, here are "Buddah" by Cecelia Leiseroff, "Man and Woman" by Carolyn Spiegel, and "Pastiche 14" by Jane Davila.  If you live within driving distance of the Mahopac Public Library, don't miss the show!

Inspiration at World of Quilts

Last weekend, my FANE group exhibited our "Outside the Box" fiber art cubes at the Northern Star Quilter's Guild's annual "World of Quilts" show.   As you can tell from the photo, the cube display was striking to see!  We used foam core stands to support the boxes, and the cubes were different sizes, as well as being a totally unique expression of the artist(s) that created them.   Some people did all 5 faces of the cube themselves, while others collaborated to share a cube.  You can see my spring-themed pieces right in the center.  It was fun to walk among them and admire each other's creations as well as to hear the comments of the show visitors.  It was a fun project, and since I only basted my pieces together, I can easily take them apart and have 4 or 5 separate works to display.

Even though I've been going to this show nearly every year for the past 5 or more years, I'm always blown away by the creativity and talent that is so obvious in this guild.  Sometimes taking a close look at some of the more traditional quilts can be so inspiring.  The methods or techniques might be traditional, but the effect is still stunning.  

Looking over this beautiful quilt below, I couldn't find two blocks the same.  How impressive is that! I loved the variety and the homey-ness of the earth-tone colors.  It's just a lovely example of what makes quilting such a unique art form.

Below is another more traditional quilt that I just loved for it's simplicity, earthy colors, and unique feel.  It was very simply done, with large blocks and simple piecing, but I loved the combination of plaids mixed with blocks that had just one pieced strip.  The quilting was done with large stitches in a thick thread, which added to the texture and homey feel.  I just loved it!

This one below won an award.  What was so striking about it were the large blocks with sea creatures hand-stitched in thick white thread on a blue background.

Here is a close-up:

I just love the contrast and texture achieved with this simple yet stunning technique!

Donna Chambers (a FANE member) created these next two pieces.  The first one, "Marvelous Martha," won the "best in show" ribbon (Donna won it last year as well!).  She is one talented lady and just had her own show at Etui Fiber Arts in Larchmont, NY.

Here is another example of some of her gorgeous work.  In this one, she uses one of her favorite techniques, fabric mosaic.  Yes, all those little squares and rectangles are separate pieces of fabric that are fused, then stitched, in place.  She uses a product called "texture magic" to get the nubbly texture shown on the peacock's body.

I loved this one below as well, because it was just so different from anything else there, so modern and precise, a cityscape and reflection, all created with skinny strips in various lengths.  

Here is a detail, below:

Just amazing!

Finally, here is some inspiration on how to use photos and stitching together to get a beautiful effect.  This is a photo that was printed on fabric, then stitched over to get all that lovely texture.

And last but not least, there was a special exhibit of some pieces from Paula Nadelstern's kaleidoscope quilt collection.  I only took this one photo below, but there were many of her very impressive pieces there.  I liked the snowflake quilt in particular, partly because of the clever way of using her kaleidoscope technique to create the six-sided symmetry of a snowflake, and partly because of the striking contrast between the dark blue background and light blue and white snowflakes.

Wow, with all this inspiration, I wonder what my next project should be!  (Although, honestly, after working so hard to get those five spring pieces done for my cube, I think I need to take a little break!)