Friday, July 1, 2016

FIBER JUNKIES - LATE JUNE MEETING

Fiber Junkies meeting day is one we look forward to all month. During the summer we gather at Val's, who not only generously shares her studio......but we overrun her house as well.  Instead of a single theme this month, we each kinda did our own thing.
 This is a dream group.....talented and giving members who blend together so well.  We each have our own spacious table and supplies are freely shared between everyone.  Note the back wall.....it's FILLED with Val's silk screens....aren't we lucky to have access to them!?!
 Here's one of her border screen....sorry about the poor quality photo.
 And here's a piece Val just screened using one of the designs.
 Judy is tackling a major project, with a deadline closing in, so her goal was to create some fabric that appeared old, with crackling/peeling paint to be incorporated into her design.
Val, whose touch is always magic, is helping Judy with the paint layering process.
 Kate brought previously dyed/painted fabrics to enhance.  She's drawn to images of coastal South Carolina and this fun piece is going in that direction.
 Gen will be moving soon, hopefully nearby, and has decided to get a jump on organizing her fabrics by making kits from her scraps.  A really smart idea. 
We are all soooo very happy Denny has been able to join us again even though she continues to oversee some family health problems.  She can be counted on to get us interested in new directions for our work.  This 'transfer' image technique is one we will be exploring in an upcoming meeting.
 My quest was to mono print some National NonWoven's Woolfelt.  We came up with this (new for us) method during our last mono-printing session.  To obtain good prints when using stencils, one is positioned (or other flat item) beneath a blank silk screen.  Paint is then drawn through the screen....here I used an old gift card.  The screen is simply moved from place to place on the fabric one is printing.
This approach keeps the stencil flat and helps to keep the paint from migrating beneath the cut out areas of the stencil.  It's doubly important in this instance because of the wool's nap. 
 I borrowed stencil from Gen to mono-print dots on the other half.
Once dried, one of Judy's fabulous small screens was used as an over-lay and printed with black paint.
Next, I switched gears to try to give a face lift to this purple (though it may not look purple in the photo) silk noil.  It had been previously altered by bleaching with dry bleach.  The small discharged areas were simply not interesting enough.
This is better!!
 
More printed wool felt 
And a final one.....  I have no plans for their use right now....just happy to know they are there when inspiration hits me.  

Stay tuned for FJ show and tell next post....in the meantime....see what others have been up to this week:  Nina-Marie's Off The Wall Friday, Whoop Whoop Friday, Crazy Mom Sews.



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12 comments:

Kathy said...

Another idea that is so logical AFTER you see it from someone else! I have two or three stencils that have been unsuccessful for me. Using them under a screen would be perfect! Thank you and the Fiber Junkies!

Quilt Rat said...

Oh wow! What a fabulous way to spend a day....something you all must really look forward to all month long. Great idea for printing with stencils.....I have silk screens and supplies just sitting on a shelf.....all clean and shiny new....gonna have to do something about that. Absolutely LOVE your results!

Nancy said...

More wonderful results! So the stencil sticks to the screen once you pull paint through and they become like one unit to move around? That's a great solution. I'd be stuck for the first half hour just wanting to make one of everything I saw in the room! Your door hanger storage for your hand-dyed fabrics must be getting heavier and heavier. Happy 4th.

Jayne said...

I love all the creativity! What a fun group of talented ladies...love all the designs and fabrics!

The Inside Stori said...

Mary's reply: To answer Nancy's question....yes, the stencil (at least the small ones we've used) stuck to the screen and made it super easy to move. The only draw back was to avoid allowing the paint to dry on the screen. If that happens, you need to wash it off, dry and begin again.

The Idaho Beauty said...

Looks like you had a lot of success this time around. Brilliant combining stencil & screen for ease and clarity of image transfer. Just love that pattern you used with the yellow. But all are just great. You must be smiling big!

Angela said...

I am trying to not be jealous of your group! What fun you all have!

Mysterymar said...

Looks like a lot of fun!

Robbie said...

What a great tip on using the screen for stencil!!! Clever lady!!! Will have to share your post with our Free To Be folks!!! Really like that felt piece!!!

margaret said...

good to see all you ladies being so creative and you have hit on a super new technique that has worked so well

Julie said...

You all know how lucky you are to have all that creative energy to feed off of, right? I'm jealous, too, but happy for all of you! How fun that would be! So many inspiring ideas, and I'm quite grateful for your explanations along with each picture. I learn something solid each time I visit here so thank you for that.

The Inside Stori said...

Yes Julie....we all do know and appreciate the magic of the Fiber Junkies. Yet, it's magic you can find yourself.....start your own group. Our best advice......be patient to find the right chemistry. Thanks for the kind words!