BLUE LAGOON - BEAD EMBELLISHED FELTED WOOL

 A few weeks ago I gathered with a newly formed felt group......and can't wait till we meet again!  We experimented with several ideas, one being petal flowers.  

After I got started, it didn't take long before I realize...hummm....flowers are not really my thing.......so I wet felted the fibers into this small piece instead.  It's made using dyed merino wool roving along with some snippets of silk roving.

Below is what I did with it........a little hand embroidery and of course some dimensional beading to add a bit more interest.  It's finished off with my trademark, a beaded edging treatment to help visually frame the piece.

BLUE LAGOON  6.5" X  5.5" - Mary Stori  © 2014

AVAILABLE HERE

Artist wet felted wool, hand and bead embroidered.

Ready to hang.

PACKERS VS BEARS

PACKERS 38  -   BEARS 17

ENUFF SAID!!!!!!!!

AN "OH FOR CUTE" MOMENT

Years ago, my Spritzer Sister (the other founding member of the Spritzer Sisters Two Person Quilt Guild)....and I attended a workshop in Duluth, Minnesota.  We loved a phrase one of the participants used.....  "Oh for cute"....really....that says it all......

 Sooty - our black lab and ?? breed that we rescued from the local shelter about 2 years ago.

FIBER JUNKIES CONTINUED - PAINTING FABRIC

This process was a lot of fun.....with such unexpected results.....the paint totally changes the look of the fabric and the quilting motifs. Who knew?!?

Before

After

Before

After

 I'm not sure who to give credit to for this in progress piece....Kate??

 Denny's completed piece.....we all LOVED this one.

 This is Gen's.  Her machine quilting is so beautiful she could smear ketchup on it and it'd be grand!

 I think this was Val's......done on a stitched (maybe linen) placemat.

 Judy shared a couple of pieces of canvas with me.  With one or two layers of house paint in place......I started mixing some acrylic paints, applying with a small foam brush in an attempt to create a landscape.  Again, there were many layers. One benefit of this crazy technique is the ability to keep adding layers and layers until you are satisfied with the look.  I'm very happy with this piece and hopefully can figure out how to feature it.

Here's another canvas piece I made. One surprise was how fairly flexible the fabrics remained....not nearly as stiff or plastic feeling as I expected. When we talked about doing this technique I was a bit dubious.....and am now so pleased that we explored this unusual version of painting on fabric. 

I'm linking with Nina-Marie's Off The Wall Friday, and Sarah's Whoop Whoop Fridays.

FIBER JUNKIES SEPT. MEETING - PAINTING FABRIC

In reference to your quilting supplies or projects, do you ever get asked, "What are you going to do with that?"  I want to screammmmmmm  "it doesn't matter"......it is making me happy!!!

Often after our Fiber Junkies monthly meetings, the results of our play day are interesting, yet I have no clue what to do with them.  BUT....do I care.....nope!!  I loved every minute of the day with the girls whether or not a masterpiece or an immediate use is the outcome.

Denny and Kate went the extra mile this month by preparing pre-quilted fabric for us to work on, as well as testing various methods ahead of time.  Denny saves everything, wisely even the trimmed sections of quilted pieces.  She stitched units together and brought a pile for our use.

 Kate does a lot of testing and warming up when she machine quilts.  These pieces were serged for us to use.....what great pals!!! 

 Here's a piece Denny and Kate prepared....they coated the surface with a variety of mediums.....thinned glue, matte medium, acrylic paint, etc.  The conclusion was that latex house paint...yes house paint, did the best job of sealing the fabric....in preparation for the next step.

This small piece was a sample for my hand stipple quilting & trapunto workshop.  However, for the sake of speed....it was machine quilted.  It's an example of how outlining a motif with contrasting thread can really make the image pop (outlined on the left, not on the right).

This is the back side of that piece.....despite stating clearly on my workshop supply list.....to bring SOLID fabric....not mottled.....each and every class.....someone didn't read or believe it.  It's very evident here how poorly the motifs appear on this type of fabric.

Okay....back on subject.....we began by laying a thin layer of latex house paint on pre-quilted fabric.  The idea is to have a foundation of paint that seals the fibers to enable further paint layers from soaking into the fabric.  

The paint layers are added with foam rollers, foam brushes, & textured rollers....as many or as few as you please.  Further interest can be added by stamping or drawing with paint brushes.

I lost count of how many layers and dabs of paint I put on this piece.....but it was certainly many, many.  Finally, I was happy with it.  Eventually, a purpose will develop.

Stay tuned.....there's more to come.....

EXPERIMENTING WITH CRACKLE PAINTING

Being drawn to rustic/primitive furniture with peeling or worn paint.  Surely this look can be achieved on fabric? 

 I got out my small container of faux crackled glaze, intended for use on wood surfaces.  What the heck.....let's see what effect it will give to fabric.  So, I wet a piece of fabric with the liquid in a shallow pan.  And let it dry.

 Next, acrylic paint was smoothed over the surface.  NOTHING happened...on wood it reacts almost instantly.

 ......and I waited, and waited......

Now dry,  the back is more interesting.

Since no master piece was created.....I cut off a section and washed it by hand.  Better......but I'm going to try to get it to look more natural....perhaps using a toothbrush and removing more paint will give me the look I want.  I'll report back.

GREETING THE NEW DAY

Morning routines are often so comforting to many of us.  Coffee in hand, I head to my studio loft.  My computer station sits next to an East facing window...where this unexpected colors of nature greeted me today.

I don't think I'll EVER get used to living in the Eastern Time zone....mainly because we are at the Western edge of it, where it stays dark far too long in the morning!

ANTIQUE KASHMIR PAISLEY TABLE COVERS

I've held onto two vintage hand woven Kashmir Paisley Table Covers for years, envisioning a coat or jacket made from the fabric.  But of course in the end.....(a) I couldn't make myself cut them up (b) my interest in creating wearable art is waning.

The colors of the first one are bright....the second smaller one isn't faded, rather the colors are more muted.  Both are in need of small repairs....but there are no giant holes.

Prices for vintage paisley table covers are all over the map, obviously depending upon the quality and how badly someone wants to sell them.  So, I'm throwing this out to you all......if you know of a resource where I might be able to sell them I'd be grateful to hear from you.  Or if anyone has a need/want please make an offer.  I'm not out to make a killing here.....rather a desire to not store them anymore but see that someone will find a use for them.

#1 - 75" x72"

 #1 - closer view

 #1 - detail front

 #1 - back side - detail

 #1 - example of minor damage

#2 -  58" x 58"

#2 - Detail front

 #2 - backside - detail

#2 - example of damage

FELTED ACORNS

My goal for the last year+ has been to find new homes for the stack of quilts generated over the years of creating for books, magazines, teaching, and quilting tours/cruises.  Watch for additional pieces added to my already plentiful gallery shop.

In the meantime, I will continue to create new work but also direct some energies to felting.

 The crop of acorns in our area is huge this year.....and my stash of caps is growing....

 I've spent several happy afternoons with a bowl of hot water, soap, bubble wrap, and a nylon scrunchy....

 .....along with hand-dyed wool roving........torn into short lengths.....

 .......to be shaped into rough balls using the water/soap and lots of elbow grease.....

 ....which are further shaped into the acorn base.......and fitted with a cap.
It's not any less time consuming than beading....but perhaps more beneficial for my flabby upper arms.  

Check out what others have been doing this week at:  Nina-Marie's Off The Wall Friday, and Sarah's Whoop, Whoop Friday.

FELTED VESSEL

I've become more and more interested in creating my own felted 'material' and have begun experimenting with other felting methods. It's challenging to 'learn on your own', but fun.

 Felted vessels....bowls, pots, vases etc. have always held interest for me.  So, what the heck.....maybe I can make one myself.  I don't have a vast stash of wool roving/prefelt batts etc. but why should that stop me?

 My step-by-step photos are really lacking here as I got so intent on what I was doing that I totally forgot to document the process.  But basically, wool roving strands are stacked on top of each other....altering the direction of how they are placed.  A plastic 'resist' is placed between the top and bottom layers and after that it's rub, rub, rub....roll, roll, roll with hot water and soap until the fibers become one.

 It' not quite felted yet......but it's starting to hold together....the blue in the center is a marker to tell me where to cut a hole to remove the resist.  Once removed.....the shaping and hand wet felting continues....until......

 ........it takes shape.  It's stuffed with netting to hold the shape as it dries on an old wire rack.

A day later.......ta da......it's finished....measuring about 3.5" diameter at its base and 2.5" tall.  It's still a tad fuzzy but I think that's from the type of (dark) roving I used......or maybe it needed to be felted more.  BUT....I'm happy with this first attempt and will definitely be making more......Christmas is coming....these may make great gifts.