ADJUSTING WORK STYLE

Productivity has been lacking in my studio for far too long!  I'm grateful to those of you who have reached out asking whether my vision has finally improved after cataract surgery.  The answer is sadly and rather frightening, NO. I'm halfway through the "aggressive treatment" the doctor has now prescribed.  It's in the form of 2 different eye drops, 4 times a day, but has yet to help.

So, my love of handwork is now on hold until there is a solution.  Naturally, I can't just sit around moaning and complaining.....instead, my attention will shift toward pieces that can be completed mostly on the machine.  Certainly not my first choice in construction methods, but who knows this may lead to a whole new style!

 This hand dye-painted cotton was machine quilted to provide a 'water' background.  

Years ago while visiting an antique filled barn in Wisconsin, this goofy structured stainless steel fish caught my eye.  Well....not necessarily because I liked it, but because it's just the kind of offbeat item 'the husband' appreciates.  So it came home with me.

Perhaps the design has grown on me after all these years because it became the inspiration to feature a skeletal fish in my latest piece.  Obviously, this is just the starting point, where size, shapes, and colors are being auditioned.

I'm jumping ahead now in the process to show you a technique I'm in the process of incorporating. After the main elements were secured to the background, it became evident that a bit more interest/detail was needed.  Normally, I'd have hand embroidered underwater foliage and beaded more details.  Instead, it was necessary to come up with another method.

 What you see in this photo and the one above is the fusible side of Wonder-Under that has been stenciled and painted with acrylic paint.  I'd read about this ages ago and quickly painted up several large sheets but never used them.

The idea is to pull away the now painted fusible web from the paper backing, cut into shapes, and fuse in place.  HA!  Removable was VERY difficult, destroying about half of everything I tried.  Did I use too much paint?  Not the correct type of paint? Perhaps thinning it would have been desirable??

Fusing was an even worse mess.  Neither using Wonder-Under (waste) paper (saved from fusing other projects) or a Teflon Press sheet were foolproof ways of protecting the iron.  Also, more than half the 'weeds' pulled off the fabric (after allowing them to cool) when I   carefully removed the protective covering. AND for goodness sake, I learned to make sure EVERYTHING previously fused stayed covered. Otherwise the paint would melt right onto the iron if it hit one of the transferred pieces. 

I like the idea, but clearly there are tricks that weren't mentioned when I first read about it.  Have you used this technique?  If so....do comment with suggestions, tips, ideas.....I'm sure all the readers would benefit.

SOY WAX RESIST FABRIC PROJECT....QUIT OR KEEP GOING?

Normally my procedure is to wait until projects are completed before composing a post.  This allows a better overview of the piece.  However, all 3 pieces I've been working on are soooo time consuming that I've found myself 'filling in' with non-fiber related posts.  So, I'm jumping the gun here.  

I RARELY, and I mean rarely do not finish something I start, but this one....I'm just not sure if it's worth continuing.  I'd love to hear your opinion....that is if you can even formulate one with so little of the design developed.

In the fall, Fiber Junkies had a play date using soy wax resist.  If you care to know more.....click here and here to read my posts.  This piece began as an appx. 15" square of solid goldish/yellow silk noil.

A landscape theme seemed to fit the design, so I sketched 3 mountains and began to hand embroider a basket weave pattern on the first.

Good grief....this took a loooonnnng time!  I thought the secondary image of the background lines would be interesting....but I'm now thinking they are distracting.  Two other shades of green have been selected for the remaining mountains.....stitching a different pattern on each.  

I guess I could start one and see how I like it......but maybe I should just reconsider.  Maybe remove all that handwork and perhaps 'scribble' stitch with the sewing machine....or hide it in the closet as is until I forget about the whole thing!?!??  

PAINTING WITH EGG WHITES

Among my evergrowing list of techniques that intrigue me was a method of creating texture by painting with beaten egg whites.  I read about it on Ann Scott's blog.....a short description that sounded fairly straight forward.  We are fond of Hollandise Sauce.....which yields leftover egg whites.....what better reason to play with them.

Here are my results......which I'm grading as a big fat F.  

 Beginning with a piece of previously dyed fabric.....of course I have NO idea what method I employed!!  I really need to attach notes....but then again.....does it matter?  Next, using about 1 egg white....it was hand whipped until frothy.  Ann suggested using a small amount of water along with the paint color of your choosing.  Normally, when beating egg whites for food consumption....water is an enemy....but I added it anyway along with a small amount of white paint.

 Using the whisk.....the foam was spread onto the fabric.

......and left to dry.  Big smiles at this point.....

 Next another egg white was used, along with green paint.  This time I suspect I added either too much water or too much paint...or both.

.......The mixture foamed but fizzled out almost immediately when placed on fabric.

 Next in line to paint was this cotton print.

 .......being extra careful......this time I achieved a nice consistency of foamy paint to work with.

 ......and again.....I'm smiling.....

.....And then.......I heat set this one and washed it. (Rather than washing it first and heat setting as Ann mentioned.)  Yes, there was a faint odor of eggs, but only slightly. The first thing I noticed was that the texture was flaking off as I heat set it. Now I'm NOT smiling.......once it was hand washed......I have nothing left but smears of paint.

The other two fabrics weren't successful either, despite altering the washing/heat setting steps.  Chalk this up to a fun, hopeful day that will allow me to move along to another subject.  Normally, I'd dig in like a bulldog and figure out how to make this work.....( I suspect the portion of paint needs to be greater)......alas....I'm not sure how I'd use the fabric anyway.....so onward....smiling again.

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.

IMAGE TRANSFER

 Image transfer is a technique that is popping up in more and more art quilts.  It's one that I've had little experience with, mainly because I haven't found that it fits into my work very well.

Secondly, I'm not very computer savvy.  I'll admit Photoshop is on my computer, but frustration sets in quickly when I attempt to use it.  

However, this darling photo of our grandson and the desire to have a small portrait of him on my desk, gave me the determination to give Photoshop manipulation another try.

My friend Judy often uses images that she prints on her home computer in her beautiful work.  She suggested using a 'line drawing' filter which she has in Photoshop Elements.  Unfortunately, my full version of Photoshop doesn't have that option, so after cropping and cleaning up the background (which seriously took me longer than I wish to admit...with a few full blown hissy fits), I used 'graphite pencil' option to alter the image.

It's been printed onto a tea-dyed looking piece of muslin. Antique Kimono fabric, that the kids brought back from Japan for me years ago, borders the image.  It's mounted on a 5" x 7" canvas frame.  I'm on the lookout for a sturdy small stand to place it on....  

For all of you techy's...this accomplishment might not seem so major, but for me it was.  Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

I'll be silent till the end of the week as I'm heading off early tomorrow for our 6th annual PTA (Professional Textile Artists) retreat.  There will be lots to share when I return.....