Weekend Works-in-Progress

I am sometimes asked to contribute art quilts to charity auctions.  Recently I was asked to contribute an item to a silent raffle that would normally retail for about $25.00.  I thought of these WIP's that have been lingering since I took a guild workshop with Larkin Van Horn back in November 2010.  During the workshop, I fused several small tops with Misty Fuse, but nothing was sewn.

I have now quilted four of these- on my long-arm machine, even though none of these measure more than seven inches square!

They all have a word denoting an emotion or character trait, printed on Extravorganza printable fabric sheets.

At the workshop, Larkin gave each of us some of the words printed on organza, and I printed two more pages of them at home yesterday.  She also showed us how to cut the spirals from fabric.

On the first three of these, I zigzagged or used a decorative stitch around the fused elements on the quilt tops.

When I got to this last one, I realized that I did not have to do that if I heavily quilt the fused patchwork.  The only thing I stitched down on Sweet was the Extravorganza text and the piece of white lace that I added to the lower left.

If Hurricane Irene does not knock out our power tomorrow, I will probably finish the edges either with binding or possibly zigzagging some fibers to the edge.  They might also be subject to further embellishment with fabric paint, embroidery or beads.

Another possibility is to sew or glue the finished tops to a gallery-wrapped canvas that has been painted with acrylic ink.

You can see Larkin's examples of this type of quilt, which she calls Shards, on her website gallery.

Here is hoping that all of you in the path of the storm will be safe, your property undamaged, and your power still on!

Larkin Van Horn Workshop

It has been Non-Stop Quilty Activities since Wednesday.  I will start out with the Capital Quilters Guild meeting in Raleigh, NC, on Thursday night.  Our speaker was Larkin Van Horn of Whidbey Island, Washington.  She talked about her art quilts that featured beaded medallions. 

Then, I took her workshop today called Fabric Collage.  I had seen many of Larkin's quilted fabric pieces when I took her beaded buttons workshop at the N.C. Quilt Symposium in 2009.  It is so inspiring to see her work up close.

We basically fused fabric and then assembled it into collage backgrounds.  After that, we could start adding focal points or creating landscapes or other art quilts.

Here is what I put together today.  None are quilted yet.

For this one, I took a piece of hand-dyed fabric that I later painted with Shiva Paint Sticks (using texture rubbing plates)  and added gold foil with Bo-Nash Powder.  I added painted dryer sheets and fused fabric leaves and tree trunks.  The hand-dyed fabric had been folded and looked like tree trunks and branches.

I put together some smaller pieces.  Larkin had printed some inspiration words on Extravorganza, which she gave to us to use.  Mine are not fused or trimmed yet.

Fabric painted with Caran d'Ache Neocolor II watersoluble crayons.

 Commercial fabrics fused together.

Green woodsy fabrics and Extravorganza printed text

It was a fun day of playing with fabric and being around fellow fabric lovers...not to mention being surrounded by Larkins' beautiful quilts.

Wednesday WIP: Beaded Button

Today's WIP is my project from Larkin Van Horn's Beaded Button class last weekend at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium. I will give a little review of the class as well as show some of the class projects.

If you are unfamiliar with Larkin and her work, you can watch a free vid-cast interview with Bonnie McCaffery. After watching the video, I knew I wanted to take a class with Larkin at Symposium.

I purchased Larkin's book, entitled Beading on Fabric. It is a delightful instruction manual on beading stitches, as well as photographs of her gorgeous quilts, spirit figures, garments, and buttons. Highly recommended!

During the class, we stopped about every hour for guided stretching exercises designed to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, finger fatigue, fanny fatigue, and I guess every other kind of fatigue. It felt so good ! I am considering purchasing a timer for my sewing/quilting areas to remind myself to stretch.

For only a five-dollar kit fee, Larkin provided a 2-part snap dome button, a bobbin-size spool of Nymo beading thread, a John James #11 needle, a packet of assorted beads coordinating with a fabric square, some muslin and a piece of batting. We also got a sheet of instructions on the five basic stitches for beading: seed stitch, back stitch, mossing, couching, stacks, and fringe. I was able to utilize all of these on my button except for fringe.

Larkin is a "fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants" gal, and does not preplan her button designs. She uses a focal bead in the center and just divides the space into different visual areas, and fills in. Since I was trying to use many of her examples during the lesson, my own button design is less than artistic. What do you think? A bit flashy, perhaps? Actually, the button is only a little over an inch in diameter.

The reason it is still a work-in-progress is because I have not been able to snap the back on yet. I will ask DSH (Dear Sweet Husband) to use his stronger muscles to do this for me. When the beaded fabric is mounted on the button form, the edge should be a little more round.

Here is my friend Holly's beaded fabric. Isn't it cute?

My table-mate Liz from Pinehurst made her button in the same black and gold colors as mine. Even though there were only three basic colors of bead kits, everyone's looked unique.

Luckily for my group, Larkin also brought her small quilts to show us. As always, the photographs in her book and on her web pages do not do justice to the texture, color, and design of these small but lovely works of art. But take a look...and take a class from Larkin if you ever have the opportunity!

Some Great Quilty Websites

Do you ever have a few extra minutes to seek inspiration for new projects on the web?

If you are a blog reader, you probably are already aware of the excitement that starts to sizzle when you come across awesome artistic projects and wonder, what if...? could I do that? would it work to use a different technique? how did they make this?

Of course, going to a quilt show or workshop is the ideal way to increase your knowledge of what's new in the quilting world. But we are so lucky in this day and age to have the Internet to bring the information we seek right into our living rooms.

I have featured Bonnie McCaffery's site before, but would like to point you in her direction once again. Bonnie's own quilts and techniques are very well-known, and she is a popular teacher of portrait quilts, fantasy fabrics, and more. I personally own two of her books, one of which is now out of print. Portrait Quilts has been reprinted and is even on Barnes and Noble's site.

In the last few years, Bonnie has provided a wonderful service of producing short vidcasts or "podcasts" of interviews with quilters. Bonnie's interviews are friendly and informative, but not too "gushy." They are available on the Internet from her site, or you can download them to your iPod from the iTunes store- for free!

One of my favorite of her vidcasts is with Larkin Van Horn, beader extraordinaire and textile artist. After watching this vidcast, I signed up to take a workshop with Larkin at the upcoming North Carolina Quilt Symposium. The workshop topic is Beaded Buttons- something I have never tried. Always learning something new!

I also was very impressed with the vidcast with Pam Holland. I started out smiling as Pam described how she and three quilting friends had their eyeliner or eyebrows tattooed after downing a few margaritas. After seeing Pam describe her "Drapplique" technique (drawing + applique), I immediately went to her website. Wow- some very detailed techniques for creating portrait quilts, and so many beautiful projects to ponder.

Okay, grab your coffee (or a margarita!) and spend a few minutes with Bonnie and friends!