Confessions of a thread junkie

2011-11-23T12:09:00.002-05:00

Can't believe it's been so long since I've posted on the blog. I'm still alive and employed.

Working 3:00 to 11:00 pm isn't so bad after all! I get to sleep in, meet new friends at work, and then there's that pay check.

It was a difficult transition and I'm very grateful for the prayers and encouragement from online and long-time friends.

Sometimes you just do what you have to do.

On the other hand, I'm working on a new book, which should be available on CD in January—just in time for Quilting in the Desert in Arizona!! I'll post a few photos soon.

2011-06-21T23:24:00.002-04:00

What a month it has been! Thank you so much to those who have offered encouragement and comfort.

Next Monday I begin training for a full-time position with a technical company.

I don't know what it will mean for my artwork. I'm praying for a happy heart—to be where I'm suppose to be.

This change could not be anticipated, but after a client let me work on a project for a year, released the product and then did not pay me (and will not pay me), I'm in the position of needing employment with a steady income.

Heavy heart.

2011-05-23T10:22:00.009-04:00

May 15 was the second annual Rural Studio Tour here in Fort Wayne area. Kristy Jo Beber of Leo does an incredible job of promoting the event and I was pleased to be part of the tour again. There were eight studios on the tour including a photographer, wearable-art designer, assemblage, ceramicist, fiber artists, painters, and more!

The studio locations were identified with lawn signs and I added jumbo pinwheels, which turns cheerily in the breeze. It was a bit overcast, but we avoided rainfall until about 2:30 in the afternoon.

Two Sipsters Studio pinwheels were purple and orange, of course!

This is a shot of the length of the studio, looking uncharacteristically straight and organized.

Rosie Strothman had needle-felted lapel pins.

Dixie Bradley's new assemblage art was a hit, as well as her beautiful dichroic glass jewelry.

Here Dixie is wearing one of her dichroic glass pendants.

Arlette Graeflin, a well-known party planner from Bluffton, Indiana was on hand with her signature champagne cupcakes and new mango punch. My schoodle, Elsie was tuckered out from greeting all the guests and being disarmingly cute.

My new product included cell phone cases with digital collage.

And small Threadography® pieces with custom-edge finishes. This is a tuberous begonia,

a nasturtium with remarkable depth (and I don't remember where I took this photo),

Peppermint roses, taken at one of the local rose gardens (LOVE the texture in this),
an orange poppy (doesn't this just scream for beads?),
and trillium (an early spring woodland flower),
And tulip (also taken at a local park).

The padfolio line has been expanded to include padfolios for artists, with watercolor paper or canvas sheets inside.

Studio intern, Lee Powers created this shrink-art charm bracelet as a sample of possible heart designs guests could make as a make-it/take-it activity.

It was a lot of work to prepare for the event, but I considered it a way to do spring cleaning in the studio. Everyone seemed to have a good time—and we're looking forward to the Third Annual Rural Studio Tour next year!

Do you have an event similar to this in your area?

2011-04-22T17:06:00.001-04:00

And the winner is.... Sandra of Moab, Utah!! Congratulations!

Please contact me with your e-mail addy and I'll send the fat quarters right out!

Fat Quarter Give-away!!

2011-04-16T11:41:00.003-04:00

Although I haven't seen it on the shelves of a quilt shop yet, Cute As A Bug has shipped and is officially a product!! I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it. I've wanted to design fabric since I was 7 years old and here it is. What a blessing!

The manufacturer is Avlyn Inc. They don't sell to chain stores (as the designer, I'm conflicted on that one) and the quality is fabulous. You could put a fat quarter of Cute As A Bug next to a fat quarter of the most expensive quilt fabric in the shop and you couldn't tell which one was which. It feels great, needles great, and has great body (not sure about the thread count).

In this economic climate with the increase in the cost of greige goods (pronounced gray goods), I was afraid Avlyn would have to use a cheaper blank fabric, but NOO Way! They used the good stuff and even included a glow-in-the-dark ink around the glow worm and lightning bug.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, I'd like to offer two sets of fat quarters as a giveaway. Yes, I'll pay shipping anywhere on the planet.

All you have to do is leave a comment here or on Face Book, with the name and addy of a quilt shop that might be interested in carrying the fabric.

BTW: There will be a quilt made with the fabrics in the Avlyn booth at Quilt Market in May. Two of the fabrics have sold out already (!), so the quilt will incorporate 10 of the 12 skus.

So, please help me celebrate!!!

Digital Collage for Mixed Media at Quilt Festival

2011-04-14T19:57:00.018-04:00

New workshop from Two Sipsters Studio: Digital Collage for Mixed Media debuted at Quilt Festival in Cincinnati.

What fun we had selecting backgrounds and subjects, adding words, and surface design before stitching and finishing!

The sewing labs were great, eliminating the need for participants to each drag a sewing machine to class. Thank you Janome!!

We explored words added as a layer in the digital collage, or added as a quotation printed on cotton twill tape.

Once each participant chose the background, subject, and words, they were printed on fabric and layers of texture were added with stencils and/or rubber stamps.

Jana had never worked with digital collage before, but was able to complete an awesome mini quilt in class.

Eleny was the class angel and passed out class materials, as well as disposed of paint cleanup.

Photographs, words, digital and manual texture are combined in delightful mini quilts for gifting or displaying.

Some students combined their own backgrounds and subjects in Photoshop Elements, while others had little or no experience with the software.

Happy faces share the results of their classroom work, inviting YOU to the next Digital Collage for Mixed Media!!

My first fabric collection for Avlyn!!

2011-03-23T09:53:00.006-04:00

This is the main fabric from my new collection Cute As a Bug for Avlyn Inc. The glow worms and lightning bugs glow in the dark!!

The main fabric and this one with the black background have sold out already! I'm thrilled.

This one also has glow-in-the-dark ink. The buzzle bees are adorable!

The quality of the fabric and the printing really exceeds my expectations. This is fabric I am proud to say will be available exclusively in independent quilt and fabric shops!

It’s hard to see in this tiny photo, but these are itty bitty lollypop roses that echo the design of the snail shells.

What fun! I’m over the moon, to finally see this as a finished product—and I’m working on the next collection right now.

Keep checking back. There may be a fat-quarter give away in the next week or so!! Tee hee!

Threadography goddess in northern California!!

2011-03-20T11:29:00.029-04:00

Meet Zerita. She is a member of the California Association of Machine Embroiderers (CAME). She was in my Altered Photo Artistry workshop at their annual seminar in 2010. It was a delightful surprise to see her in the same workshop earlier this month. Little did I know, she has become a Threadography® GODDESS!

This time she worked on a cluster of beautiful California poppies. She was too modest to tell me this wasn't her second, or even third, Altered Photo Artistry piece (Threadography). Our mutual friend Rhoda spoke up to inform me Zerita had made 15 in the last year!!!

"These are my passion!" she says enthusiastically. Zerita’s husband enjoys working with Photoshop Elements, so they are collaborative efforts. This is a photo of one wall in their home theater with a display of Threadographies.

A shot of another wall shows they have room for a few more pieces!

I didn’t ask her what this flower is. We saw it in a garden, blooming on an unfamiliar (to me) succulent. The stamen and pistils really “pop” because Zerita painstakingly outlined each of the floral elements.

Purple-and-white iris are a particular favorite of mine and this one really complimented the rainbow of pink, yellow, orange, and blue blossoms in the groupings.

Orange day lily is a good choice for a quilter working on a first-time Threadograph.

Zerita’s 16th piece is a kaleidoscope stitched for a friend—and highlighted with hot-fix crystal rhinestones.

Dahlias are dramatic and beautiful, but I recommend them for a second or third project, because they require so much outlining.

Zerita has done an outstanding job of enhancing the illusion of depth by outlining the flower and not the leaves.

Roses are a favorite subject for altered photos. The curling petals offer plenty of variety in highlights and shadows.

I think these must be hibiscus. Love the detail in the veins of the petals!

Hollyhocks with single petals are fun to stitch, but the intricacies of double or ruffled petals add a richness to the composition.

I'm tempted to say these look like snapdragons, but I'm not positive. Their petals are similar shaped—and they have spotted details deep in the blossoms’ throats.

Oriental poppies with their textured centers offer a stitching challenge, but the finished piece is well worth the effort!

Zerita's husband made the mock-up of a magazine cover as a surprise. Maybe I'll have to add this as a project in my new online Photoshop Elements class!

2011-01-12T09:37:00.003-05:00

This is the first exhibition piece of 2011 using the “resolution” to incorporate more painting techniques into my work. This is 12" wide and 36" long. Framed. Under glass (something I rarely do). It’s for a photography exhibit at Artlink Contemporary Gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Like much of my work, it began with a photo, two photos actually. This is a shot of the gazebo in Lakeside Rose Garden.
Many hours later, this is a detail of the finished piece. Very out of the box for me: No vibrant colors, lots of subtle shading, no stitching this time (although future projects are planned to include stitching).

I’m scared to deliver it to the gallery today, but part of being an artist is taking risks!

2010-12-31T15:10:00.014-05:00

Yahoo! I finally got the right combination of e-mail address and password to get back into my blog. And you thought I was missing in action.

I've been involved in Artworks Holiday Gallery during the holiday season. This is the third year for the gallery, but my first year as director. What a joy, what a challenge, what a blessing!

The gallery is a co-op of 25 artists from the Fort Wayne area, open only November 1 through January 7. The artists each have their own space in the gallery, which is located in a vacant storefront in the nicest mall in town.

A portion of the proceeds go to benefit Mad Anthonys Children's Hope House, (think Ronald McDonald House on a regional scale).

This is a front view on opening day November 1, 2010. The space is 3500 square feet of beautiful open space devoted to the work of local artists.

Each artist works a minimum of 10 hours a week in the gallery. Some serve on the marketing and promotions team, others freshen displays, plan events, etc. Everyone works the front desk, greeting visitors and explaining our relationship to Mad Anthonys Children's Hope House.

The artwork is juried by a governing board and work is selected to represent a variety of media, with the goal of complimenting the work of others, without being in competition.

This is what the space looked like during set-up. It looked like a lot of open space and I thought we'd never fill it up. Silly me!

Since we are in the space for such a short time, the aluminum tree came down the day after Christmas and we created a bright springy look that is in great contrast to the other stores, still resplendent with holiday decorations. What an eye-catcher!

This is to the left of the front door.

This is to the right of the front door. The big poofy flowers are made from tissue paper. Remember making those as a kid? It works on large scale, too!

The glass dulls the color some. This is how vivid the colors are in real life.

So, welcome back to Muttonhead world. This time, I've updated the user name and password and written them down so I can get into this blog again!! Sigh! Isn't technology wonderful?

2010-07-19T17:22:00.002-04:00

What is it about a ripe wheat field that captures my imagination?

I love to see the wind rippling through the field, teasing the dancing heads of grain and causing a wave of color change.

The fragrance of the mowed wheat sticks in my memory, bringing with it a host of childhood memories of driving along country roads with my parents.

On the drive home from the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair today, I got off the highway and took a side road. My reward was this scene of newly mown wheat. It made me smile.

What small miracle did you find today?

2010-07-04T17:54:00.012-04:00

Art Blast in Syracuse, Indiana yesterday was, well, a blast! There were about 20 vendors located in and around The Creative Fish Gallery. There was a steady stream of friendly folks visiting and shopping all day!

Can you believe all this (except the refrigerator box) fit in my little Vibe? LOVE the Vibe! It doesn't look big, but with the seats folded down, there is continuous cargo space from dashboard to hatch AND it gets 30 mpg hauling all that stuff. Amazing!

Teacup "Candle-ier" was once again the subject of much discussion.

Two Sipsters Studio jewelry drew a lot of attention.

As did the Re-Chic Boutique items. (Yes the baker's rack folds flat and fit into the Vibe!)

A set of three serving pieces in graduated sizes. The delicate roses on the Noritake N78 (or was it N73) are really an eye-catcher.

This set of four ivy servers in graduated heights is beautiful on a table for any special occasion.

Kids and adults alike were drawn to the "spray-dye it yourself" booth. Select a blank, such as a cotton T-shirt, silk scarf, or rayon waterfall jacket and apply spray dyes in our special booth (formerly known as the refrigerator box).

This is a cotton top I made for Lori in our favorite colors, purple (her favorite) and orange (my favorite).

There were children as young as 7 having a great time spraying the colors onto the shirts. The sun dried the blanks quickly and they went home for heat-setting the next day.

All the color was from Earth Safe Finishes, of course! Safe for the environment; safe for the artist. It took only two droppers full of Colorant + 1 dropper full of Fabric Magic in about 16 ounces of water. Gotta love it!! http://www.earthsafefinishes.com

We'll be back for Art Fest in Syracuse at the end of the month—or our work is in The Creative Fish in Syracuse. Drop by on your way to or from Lake Wawasee!!

2010-07-01T08:04:00.002-04:00

I'm excited to announce my first fabric collection has debuted with Avlyn fabrics!!! It was previewed in their booth at Quilt Market in May and is now appearing on their blog and Facebook page.

Here's a link to the Facebook page, if you'd like to see it:

Designing fabric has been a dream of mine since age 7. So, say a prayer that fabric buyers will love it and it will actually become printed fabric! If it does, the fabrics should be in stores in January 2011.

Yee Ha!

2010-06-28T14:19:00.030-04:00

I spent last Thursday and Friday at the Shipshewana Quilt Festival in Shipshewana, Indiana. Thursday was six wild hours of schoolhouse presentations and Friday was filled with a wonderful Altered Photo Artistry workshop, based on the two books C&T has published on the technique.

Participants send a photo to us a week or so before the workshop. We alter the photo, enlarge it, and print it on fabric so it’s ready for participants to work on in class.

This is Sharon from South Bend. Her photo was taken on a tropical vacation. She said she had to touch the blossom to confirm it was real. (I suspect it is a bromeliad, but can't identify the type.)

This close-up shows the texture she is adding with the stitching.

Ruth's photo is lost in the ethernet somewhere, but she was a great sport and agreed to work on one of my photos. She and friend Linda Davidge came all the way from Florida!

Ruth's outlining really adds definition to the rose's petals.

Mary had quite a challenge with this hydrangea. I didn't realize she had chosen it, or I would have suggested a blossom with fewer elements to outline. The fun really begins when you start to add the colors!

Mary outlined the hydrangea head and began adding yummy texture with a plum-colored thread in the shadow areas. If she changes her mind, she can outline the units any time before finishing the piece.

Linda Elder had made only two quilts before this workshop, but her extensive experience in dyeing and painting fabric certainly was an asset!

The way she stitched the stairs and plaster walls really created a contrast in the design elements. Linda is considering adding some beads on the floral bush on the left side of the stairs. That would really add another dimension to the composition.

Linda Davidge's photo was on my hard drive, but through a mix-up wasn't printed and ready for her to stitch on in class. (We did print it out and it's ready for her to use when she gets home. Can't wait to see what you do with the barn photo, Linda!!)

The purple glads were from the farmer's market last year.

Kathy Branigan's photo of an hibiscus presented two additional challenges. The edges of the petals, stamen, and pistils have areas that are not easy to see. She had to make educated decisions about the outlining in those areas.

This close-up shows she did a good job of adding definition where there was little or none. Who knew college botony class would come in handy all these years later?

Jean Perrenod chose a photo of a lovely tulip, in her favorite color. She got a late start on this piece because the printer (not the printer operator, of course) printed three of one quadrant and one of another, which made a rather abstract composition. Actually, that might be fun some time. I'll have to try it!

You can see, Jean has just begun to stitch texture in the bottom right quadrant of the tulip. This will be striking when the stitching is complete!

Holly McMurtrey chose one of my favorite flowers, the iris. It was pretty peachy in the original photo, but we convinced it to be pink. She chose to outline some of the leaves, as well as the blossom, to add to the depth of the image.

Can you see the different stitching patterns she chose to separate the background, leaves, and petals of the iris?

Good job ladies!! Thank you so much for allowing Lori and I to share this fun technique!

2010-06-21T17:56:00.018-04:00

It all began so innocently. I needed a how-to for an upcoming book project about recycling and up-cycling. I've been making these tea cup "candle-iers" for several years and love making them, but it wasn't my original concept.

The one above is a birthday gift for my "Sipster" Lori. It's made from teacups that belonged to my mom. Lori and my mom had a special bond and I knew she would enjoy this memento.

It all snowballed from there!

A trip to local thrift stores netted several partial sets of beautiful old tableware, much too pretty to never be used again! So, I started combining berry bowls with old sherbets, fruit cups, and candle holders to create soap dishes, such as the one above.

If you don't know me, my design motto seems to be "nothing succeeds like excess." Within minutes, the concept grew to include cupcake servers, such as the one above.

A beautiful clear-glass plate and an old sundae dish turned into this!

A rectangular decorative dish and another candle holder turned into this adorable potpourri holder.

Isn't this beautiful? It's now a footed cake plate with a base that was an old light fixture globe.

Another cake plate with an iridescent sherbet as a base.

These are Noritake from 1940! Carefully selected bases placed these serving bowls at different heights.

Ditto on these butter plates.

And these translucent teacups that now function as candle holders.

Depression glass! Who can leave out depression glass?

Where will it all end? I now have approximately 50 pieces of these beautiful pieces. I'm now have to open an online shop. There is no more room in my china cabinet!!

Can you recommend a good online e-commerce site?

2010-06-20T13:50:00.011-04:00

Photos of my 12 newest pieces, hanging in the Johnsons of Madrid Gallery in Madrid, New Mexico.

Thank you so much to Meg Lamley and her DH Leonard Nuttall of Albequerque, NM. They visited the gallery and Leonard took these wonderful photos so we could all see them hanging in the gallery.

If you've never been to Madrid, it's quite an experience!! It's along the Turquoise Trail in New Mexico and is/was a mining town. Johnsons of Madrid is located at the southern edge of town (only one road through town and no stop lights), across from the entrance to the mine.

Diane Johnson and her husband moved to Madrid in the 1970s, when it was essentially a group of deserted houses. Now, it's a wonderfully quirky town with restaurants, shops, and galleries.

It's the only place I've ever been where their Halloween parade included children, parents, and pets—including a baby yak! (No kidding!)

The gallery has beautiful paintings, photography, sculpture, art wear, and an occasional art quilt. If you're in the area, make a side trip. It's really a lot of fun!

2010-06-09T15:32:00.008-04:00

Last weekend, I experimented with applying dry powdered tannin on fabric before the rust has formed. Very interesting! It will be added to my repertoire of rust-dyeing techniques.

Notice the dark gray in the piece above. Below, you can see what it looks like without any tannin at all.

The hearts are more obvious here than they were in the piece with the tannin. That will guide my decision about when to apply the powdered tannin.

This piece was rusted with fine steel wool and sprinkled with tannin powder. I love the crystal effect in the tannin!

This one has iron filings and powdered tannin. I really like the depth of dark color. That depth had eluded me with the tannin-bath technique.

Four 1-yard pieces were treated with different rust sources and then sprinkled with powdered tannin. They "marinated" for 24 hours, were air dried, washed with Synthrapol, and then with textile softener.

The element of serendipity is still high, which I like very much.

This last piece is a result of handling a fabric packet with tannin dust on my rubber gloves. Guess I should have washed the gloves before handling the packet, but I rather like the results!

2010-06-04T14:27:00.031-04:00

May was a busy month! In addition to the 12 new digital collage pieces for Whispers On The Wind exhibition, I also made 12 new Threadography® pieces for Johnsons of Madrid (in Madrid New Mexico)!

Free-range Spiderwort (above) is one of them. DH and I came across these growing along a highway outside of Denver, Colorado. We were following a trail of dinosaur tracks and found several lovely wildflowers along the path.

The highlights and shadows made it fun to stitch.

Warm Heart (above and detail below) was taken in a public park in my hometown, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The digital manipulation of the photograph really brings out the texture, doesn't it?

Tulip Tranquility (above and below) began as a photo of a white tulip. Its petals were limp, allowing a good view of the anatomy.

Working on flower images makes me remember the question I answered incorrectly on the final exam of Taxonomy of Flowering Plants (botany) in college. The question was about the two classifications of flowering plants. We had studied this all tri-mester, but my mind went blank. All these years later I thunk myself on the head and say "Monocots and dicots, you ding-dong!"

Trop-i-Canna (above and detail below) was also photographed in a park in Fort Wayne—in the rose garden, but don't let the name fool you. The gardeners have an ever-changing array of botanical specimens throughout the growing season.

Orange is one of my favorite colors and I love adding detail in the highlights and shadows!
Sunbright (above and detail below) was taken on a farm located near Auburn, Indiana. The owner has bees and planted more than an acre of sunflowers to supply nectar for his bees that year.
DH and I bought big bunches of sunflowers from them at the farmer's market AND snagged an invitation to photo the field. I was a little nervous, since I'm allergic to bee stings, but we got some great shots without incident.
Shades of Hibiscus (above and detail below) was especially fun to stitch because the petals are easy to outline, and the shadows and pistil/stamen of the blossom provided plenty of interesting stitching challenges.

The low-contrast variegated red cotton thread provided lovely depth within the petals.Another of my favorite Amish poppies (above and detail below). The poppies the Amish lady dug for my garden didn't survive the winter, but her poppy bed was beautiful again this spring.

Every time I stitch the center of a poppy flower I learn something more about the structure!

Peppermint Climbers (above and detail below) was also photographed in Lakeside Rose Garden. All the pillars in the huge pergolas are surrounded by these climbing beauties!

Each blossom is unique, with different arrangements of the red/pink/and white colorations.

Iris spotlight was photographed in my own garden. I really know very little about iris varieties, other than to stick them in the ground with a little of the root above the dirt level—and water. The beds were beautiful this year and I look forward to adding more yellow to the color mixture.

Gerbera Destiny (above and below) was also photographed in my garden. It must have been early in the season, before the heat and humidity had a chance to fry the plants.

This year I paid attention to the location of shade from the tree and planted the Gerberas so they'd receive only partial sun. Hopefully, that will keep them from baking in July and August.

Definitely Daffodils (actually, they might be jonquils; I don't remember how to tell them apart) is another photo taken in one of Fort Wayne's beautiful gardens. Foster Park is one of the oldest parks in town, and is located in an historic residential area.

This park is a favorite place for golfing, tennis, jogging, walking—and tiptoeing through the tulips!

All Is At Peace (above and detail below). The peace rose has to be my favorite. The way the colors mesh and separate remind me of a dance—and the way the colors change from the bud stage to fading beauty just fascinates me.

Well, this concludes what I actually finished in May. There are others in various stages on my work table, of course.

Tomorrow is the first of my studio workshops. We'll be doing rust dyeing—and there's a space left in class, if you'd like to join us!! Just let me know. :-)

2010-05-18T10:44:00.005-04:00

Wow! I'm posting two days in a row. I must be avoiding something. Let's see, paid the bills, took dogs out, worked on Earth Safe Finishes dry cleaning test, answered almost all the morning e-mails, and am on target for shipping 12 pieces out early next week.

But, I digress! The team at CraftEdu has been working non-stop for months to get ready for the official launch of craftedu.com on June 1.

Here is a link to a new You Tube video. It's a quick overview of sample art from faculty members. Enjoy! (I have no idea where the cat photos came from.)

2010-05-17T19:37:00.013-04:00

One of the goodies on the coffee bar was a plate of "tea eggs." Don't they look like marble?

Of course, I had to look up the recipe the next day. Interesting! They are hardboiled eggs that are soaked in a solution of tea, soy sauce, anise, and other spices I wouldn't have thought of putting together.

Don't think they'll become a family favorite, but they were really interesting.

Saturday the 15th was perfect! The sun was shining, it was slightly cool, and other than the migraine that drove me crazy, it was perfect for the 10th annual garden party at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Fort Wayne.

Guests began arriving shortly after 8:00 am and were greeted with a friendly smile and a name tag.

There were booths of beautiful flowers. A gorgeous salmon-color lupine and a crimson gloxinia went home with me.

The display of yard art was wonderful!

This is one end of the fabulous coffee bar—and you can see a bit of my Threadography in the background!

The day was filled with speakers, mini workshops, laughter, and a wonderful awareness of conservation and environmental responsibility.

The ladies of the church, dressed in floral aprons, kept the activities on schedule. Susan Wenger coordinated the desserts, and did a wonderful job—as did everyone on the team!

Sue Ellen's talent at the keyboard enriched the experience for everyone.

Lunch included homemade quiche. Can you imagine baking quiche for about 100 people? Wow!

Gentlemen of the church served lunch in a light-filled fellowship room.

To my delight, there were quilts on almost all the walls.

Can you see the goodie bags? They are re-usable shopping bags filled with information about resources in the Fort Wayne area for casual and serious gardeners.

One of the last events of the day was a silent auction.

On behalf of all participants, I'd like to thank the efficient and gracious team of workers at the Unitarian Universalist Church for a job well done! Thank you for including me in the incredible experience.

Whispers On The Wind

2010-05-09T16:53:00.013-04:00

After months of work, the new series debuted yesterday evening at the Langhenrich Gallery in the Unitarian Universalist church in Fort Wayne! The series is a tribute to my mother, who passed away May 23, 2009.

The piece above is Voices in the Forest, a digital collage on rust-dyed fabric. The backing is also rust-dyed fabric and includes the quotation: "How quiet the forest would be if only he with the best voice sang!"

These digital collages, such as Secrets of the Butterfly Fairy, above, combine vintage artwork and photographs I have taken.

There are 12 pieces in the series. They all, including Naptime Escape (above) have cold-forged copper "frames" that have been flashed with a propane torch (takes longer than it sounds) and sealed with Earth Safe Finishes Sealer to prevent color change.

You can see the stencil layer in most of the photos, including Mushroom Girl (above)

All collages were printing in black and white, even Invitation to Tea (above) and then color was added with Earth Safe Finishes watercolor recipe for fabric.

How High The Moon is a particular favorite! The delicate rusted tie-dye background enriches the moonscape with texture. The moon is highlighted with a shimmering gold metallic paint, the stars are white metallic, and the tree is heavily textured with free-motion stitching.

Guarding the Gerberas is on heavily rusted fabric. It was one of the original two compositions that led to this series. I learned a lot about printing on rust-dyed fabric!

The background fabric for Flight Lessons (above) was rusted with springs from the seat of an old chair.

Morning of the Unicorn features distressed mylar wrapping paper cut into shapes and then stitched to the background.

Studio Tour

2010-05-03T07:19:00.015-04:00

I can't figure out how to move the photo of the cupcake tree to the proper place, but here they are. Aren't they beautiful? Arlette made scads of mini champagne cupcake with champagne icing, orange (my favorite color) sugar, and tiny edible pearls. How elegant!

It stormed in the night and I had visions of an empty studio and sad artists—but no! The rain stopped shortly before the Studio Tour opened and held off until shortly after the tour closed. What a blessing!

This display has Dixie Landis Bradley's beautiful paintings and collages. Notice the waterfall jacket on the dress form on the right. Dixie's husband Norman shaped a coat hanger into the profile of a woman. Isn't it perfect?

The waterfall jacket is an example of a finished Make-it/Take-it. Guests selected a blank silk scarf, rayon waterfall jacket, or poncho and dyed it in the back yard with Earth Safe Finishes spray dyes. The pieces were beautiful and each quite different from the other!

Rosie's gourd and glass pins were a hit. Only one was left at the end of the day.

Amy's raku (on the right) was very popular! She now has her own raku kiln and we're begging for raku classes.

The table at the end held the blank scarves and jackets.

Rust-dyed silk scarves, T-shirts and sweatshirts shared a rack with blank purses. There were requests for a class to make the painted purse—and we'll be glad to oblige. If you have a group of at least four people interested in a class, we'll schedule one at the group's convenience.

The Make-it/Take-it table was busy all day! Amy did a MITI of a pin/magnet made from two slide mounts framing a tiny photo and April jumped right in and guided guests through making a needle-felted pin.

Rust-dyed cotton fabrics were available in fat quarters, half-yard, and full-yard cuts.

Samples of upcoming class projects were displayed on this table, and Rosie kept the area humming with explanations of the classes and passing out workshop brochures.

We sold the last two copies of Altered Photo Artistry from TWO printings! The book is now available as a Print-on-Demand product and will soon be offered as an e-book.

PhotoFabric really needed a demonstration going to show how it's used, but Lori had massage clients until after noon.

We've come full circle in the studio. I really wish there were photos of Arlette's refreshments. She made the most incredible champagne cupcakes and fruit slush punch!

There were five studios on the tour. If you were able to attend, you'll have to tell us how wonderful the other studios were. Thanks for stopping by my studio!

2010-05-02T09:06:00.008-04:00

Well, here is the finished Conversation with a Fairy from my new series about childhood fantasies. It's about 12" x 18", which is fast becoming a favorite size.

Thanks to Barbara Matthiessen, who talked me through the process of cold-forging copper tubing for an interesting hanger. I convinced the "helpful hardware man" I could punch holes in the flattened tubing, if he'd just show me which punch would go through the copper (he was doubtful!).

The embellishments are incised clay, made with rubber stamps and clay cutters. (Note to self: two holes keep the elements straight!)

The fairy has a crown of tiny gold beads, and is surrounded by a corona of gold metallic paint, made with my new recipe (using Earth Safe Finishes Colorant, Fabric Magic, and metallic powder).

I love the gold paint on top of the rust-dyed fabric! It's translucent enough that the subtleties of the rust variations show through the paint. I got carried away with the paint for her diaphanous clothing and it's a little too opaque, but that can't be helped now.

This is a close-up of the flamed copper tubing. In some places there are more green and purples, making the patina similar to raku (I LOVE raku)!

Controlling the shape of the tubing is still a challenge. Bending with pliers isn't bad, but the contours change as you forge the tubing and I haven't figured out how to compensate. It must have something to do with rolling the tubing as it's bent and then "unrolling" it as the tubing is pounded.

At any rate, the first three of 16 pieces of the new series are finished and in the copper frames. As with any art technique, it should get easier with practice.

Any tips? I'm open to suggestions!

The opening reception for the show is next Saturday at the Langhinrich Gallery in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 6:30-8:00 pm. You're invited!

2010-04-29T11:24:00.008-04:00

Getting ready for the studio tour on Saturday!! Darrell, the carpet magician just left and everything looks clean and wonderful. Since this is the only time it will look this good, I took photos to prove it once looked this great.

Standing at the foot of the stairs, this is the view to the right (ish). Two desks and multiple printers are located at that end. The new (to me) 24"-wide Epson 7600 printer is standing in the little kitchen of the studio level, so you can't see it.

Still standing at the foot of the stairs, looking slightly to the left is the door out to the “three-season conference room” (patio)and the rust studio. In the distance you might be able to make out the pond.

Looking to the left of the door to the patio is the space that held the original owners’ pool table. It's perfect for shelves and work tables. The tables are outside on the patio right now.
We moved a truck load of studio stuff to the storage unit yesterday. Some will come back, but most will stay there until I can bear to give it away or sell it.

We've come full circle. The stairs are to the right, behind the bins and shelves on the right. The bathroom is on the other side of the wall with the tall shelves and three shorter bin units. The little kitchen is to the left and you can see the cabinets, refrigerator, and sink (kind of).

These wire drawers hold the quilting fabric. The quantity has dwindled some and will continue to do so as I rust all the sweet prints no longer used in my work.

Hope you've enjoyed the little tour! Saturday, the work tables will come back inside to hold product for sale, make-it/take-it equipment, and refreshments.

Pray for the storms to hold off until Sunday!!

2010-04-22T10:54:00.007-04:00

It's been so long since I've posted on this blog, I had to reset the password!!

The little beauty above is approximately 8 1/2" x 11" and was the door prize at the quilt guild in Lafayette, Indiana last night.

They had a cancellation in their program and invited me to share the Altered Photo Artistry trunk show with their members. What a delightful group of quilters! I'm just sorry they didn't book the workshop, too. They would have loved it!

The door prize quiltie is the first I've cut along the outline of the petal. It took a bit more time to satin-stitch the edges, but the result was well worth two trips around the periphery.

Speaking of workshop quilts, the example above (detail below) is from Pat Iannone. She started this quilt last month in a workshop and sent the photo at the beginning of April.

Hand-stitched beads in the center really add to the texture. Great job Pat!

Sylvia Polk started this beautiful piece of persimmon leaves at the California Association of Machine Embroiders in Santa Maria March 12th. In spite of her busy schedule, Sylvia finished this and e-mailed a photo to me.

Her piece really emphasizes the importance of the outlining step to control the emphasis of the image.

Thanks for sharing, ladies!

2010-03-21T09:33:00.019-04:00

I'm usually a woman of few words, but the California Association of Machine Embroiders seminar in Santa Maria, California has me bubbling with enthusiasm!

What an incredibly talented and prolific group of ladies! The photo above shows 10 from the Altered Photo Artistry workshop. They each sent a photo to me before the workshop. I altered the photo, enlarged it, and printed it on fabric. So, when everyone arrived in the classroom, they were ready to start stitching!

This is Barbara. She took the Altered Photo Artistry workshop on Friday and then taught a workshop on needle-felting with an embellishing machine on Saturday. Very fun!

Betty (immediate past president of CAME) is working on a photo of the famous California poppy. The weather was just warming up during the seminar and the poppies were, well, "popping" out everywhere.

The back of Carol’s piece really shows the outlining she's completed on the blossom and stem …

and it's even more striking from the front!

Diane (president elect) was co-chair of the 2010 seminar, but took the time out of the hectic schedule to take the Altered Photo Artistry workshop!

Isabel is working on a Gerbera daisy. BTW: CAME has a tradition of making and giving favors at lunch each day. Isabel and Judy made adorable pincushions in the shape of cupcakes for everyone!

Here's Judy working on an altered daffodil. She later invited me to her beautiful home, where I got to see some of her award-winning art quilts!

Rhoda is wearing a kimono from the surface design workshop "Tattoo Your Style," but she participated in the Altered Photo Artistry workshop also. Rhoda is the one responsible for making it possible for me to attend the CAME seminar—and I hope it isn't the last!

Isn't Ruth's calla lily awesome? We altered the lily's color a bit, but the striking feature is the water droplets! The way she outlined them really made them stand out. Can't wait to see it mounted and framed!

Sharon is the other seminar co-chair. Her energy and stamina was amazing. What a shining example of grace and love. She is working on a kaleidoscope, which we discovered is probably not a good subject for a first-time project. All the CAME members are accomplished in free-motion work, but the Altered Photo Artistry technique is best experienced the first time on a single blossom. Now we know!

You've probably seen Sylvia's work in various quilt magazines and on the runway of the prestigious Fairfield (or is it Bernina) Fashion Show. Here she has outlined leaves on a branch to emphasize the depth and dimension of the branch.

Zerita's hollyhock pops out of the background because of the way she has outlined the flower. Next, she'll begin to fill with color to accent highlights, deepen shadows, and saturate midtones.

This row of cypress trees was photographed in a cute little town, not far from Santa Maria. They indicate the visit is over—for this time. I hope to return to the California Association of Machine Embroiders (CAME) seminar next year. What a delightful group of ladies. They sure know how to have a good time!

2010-03-07T10:05:00.005-05:00

I'm so excite to announce, I am a faculty member of CraftEdu.com! Beginning in April, several of my Photoshop Elements, Altered Photo Artistry, rust-dyeing, and needle-felting classes will be available. Here's a link to my faculty gallery. Let me know what you think! http://craftedu.faculte.com/bp/MzA0ODMyOTQ5NA

“CraftEdu is a creative powerhouse of talent covering many art and craft media. Faculty members have been selected based on their expertise and ability to instruct and inspire students. Together, they are a team of the best and the brightest the art and craft world have to offer.

On its state-of-the-art platform, CraftEdu brings this considerable talent and their expertise into the homes of students worldwide. Created and designed by Faculte, this powerful, browser based platform provides a unique alternative to conventional pdf-based class presentations and creates a near in-person teaching environment.

CraftEdu will launch in beta in March 2010 and anticipates an official launch in April 2010.”

CraftEdu is the brainchild of polymer clay artist Donna Kato, her husband Vernon, and a creative team. This creative powerhouse has worked tirelessly for more than two years. to put the platform and software together. It is like no other online education experience!

BTW: I’ll be at the California Association of Machine Embroiders in Santa Maria next week. So, watch for new photos of workshops in Altered Photo Artistry, Rust-Dyeing, and a Surface Design technique known as graffiti or tattooing!

2010-02-15T17:13:00.007-05:00

I've been enjoying the photos of snow-dyed fabrics from various quilters on the Artquilt list and just had to try it myself!

My results, however, are not as fabulous as those others have created. The bin above produced the fabric in the photo above and the two immediately below.

It's OK, but not as dramatic as I had hoped—and this is the better of the two bins.

This does NOT mean I am defeated, though. This was merely the first trial. Maybe the snow layer was too thick. There was a lot of liquid in the bin after the snow finally melted.

The second bin (above) had two shades of blue and two green.

This is the piece of fabric from that bin. There is a lot of space with little or nothing on it.

I really do like this texture, but it's like a little island in the ocean. Only an occasional spot of color.

One artist did the dyeing on a screen, rather than in a bin, so the fabric didn't sit in liquid. Maybe that's the secret.

Any suggestions?

2010-02-14T09:19:00.007-05:00

This is a padfolio I made for Tote Tuesday. It will be in the auction to benefit the American Cancer Society on February 23 and is in the tote called Color Me Bright.

The padfolio is made of a base of rust-dyed fabric with photographs of trees printed on it to represent a woods. The fairy is from a Dover clip art collection, and the ancient writing (Tamil) is from a photograph of the text cut into stone.

Sorry about the unlined text. I accidentally hit a keyboard command and don't know how to turn the darned thing off!

I've stitched on the trees to give them definition and texture.

The photo doesn't show the gold paint on the words and around the fairy's head very well, but it is WAY COOL! I made the gold fabric paint from Earth Safe Finishes gold metallic powder + Colorant + Fabric Magic!

This is something I've been experimenting with the past couple of weeks. I mix the paint and pour it into a shell or small container to dry into a cake and then rehydrate it, like watercolor cakes/pans. If I use water alone to rehydrate the paint it is gorgeous on paper. If I use water and Fabric Magic, it is permanent on fabric!

It's true! I'm so excited!!!!

The proportions in the cake still need a little finessing to eliminate cracking as it dries, but the recipe should be ready for revealing in a few weeks. So, stay tuned!

The closure is a drilled beach stone with Velcro underneath to hold the flap in place when it's inside your purse or tote.

I am so grateful to Virginia Spiegel for giving us the opportunity to help the ACA! It is so comforting to know you are able to contribute in this manner.

We've all been touched by cancer in some manner or other. How many times have we felt powerless to personally fight cancer? This is very empowering for those who contribute the artwork and for those who bid and purchase the totes.

I hope you will visit Virginia's blog to see the wonderful totes and bid on the totes—especially Color Me Bright tote on Tuesday, February 23!

You can see and read more about Tote Tuesday on Virginia's blog. Here's a link http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/

2010-02-09T17:53:00.008-05:00

Wisconsin Quilters Inc. was amazing! What an interesting group of quilters. They run the gamut from traditional to art quilters and many in between. The group has been in existence for more than 20 years. At one time they had 800 members. Now, with fewer than 200 members, they are disbanding at the end of 2010.

This is designated as a year of celebration as they look back at the adventure they have shared—and toward wherever their new path may take them! I am honored to have met them and shared Altered Photo Quilts.

Here are a few photos from the workshop on Sunday (in reverse alphabetical order).

Linda Southgate had never done free-motion quilting before. After a few challenges with her sewing machine, she outlined the sunflower photo and is looking forward to adding color.

Kristine Slamka, shown here with white mums printed on inkjet fabric, not only did a great job with the sewing machine, but offered support during a technology issue that defied even my magic wand!

Linda Schubert had a lot of outlining to do on this Scottish Thistle, but was able to add definition to the bulb and color to the blue blossom during the workshop.

Bob Ignaszak used a photo he had taken of a piano keyboard with a reflection of the keys in the lid of the baby grand. He took this photo some time ago, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to incorporate it in his artwork. I can't wait to see it finished!

Linda Horne did a great job of outlining all the petals of this zinnia (I think it's a zinnia). Outlining can be tedious—especially when you want to get to adding the color, but all the work really pays off when the defined image practically pops off the fabric!

Karen Hendrickson, co-president of WQI, is a hand quilter and wasn't sure she was going to enjoy free-motion quilting on the machine. But she did a great job on those tulips and her smile says she might consider trying it again soon!

Carol Hay also had a lot of outlining to do on this dahlia, but Carol, look at the depth the outlining creates. It is awesome—and I can't wait to see these pieces finished.

There were 12 in the workshop Sunday and everyone went home with a smile. Thank you WQI for inviting Lori and I to share our work. We sincerely hope you had a good time, and found something that you will incorporate into your own work!

2010-02-05T10:07:00.004-05:00

I've been experimenting with digital collage, combining photographs and line art. What a fun challenge it is to find images that compliment each other and then add color with paint and thread! Of course they are all on rust-dyed fabric.

This piece is a door prize to be given away at the Wisconsin Quilters Inc. this weekend. Can' t wait to meet them and spend a fabulous Superbowl Sunday introducing them to Altered Photo Artistry.

The colors in this piece are painted on with Earth Safe Finishes Colorant and Fabric Magic as a binder. I'm not really a painter (at all), but I'm mesmerized by the way the colors flow and blend. Stitching on top to outline and define the image is great fun.

This is the beginning of a series that will debut at the Universalist Unitarian Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana in April.

2010-01-24T10:36:00.002-05:00

Virginia Spiegel has done it again! She has come up with another way to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. (My online buddy Jeanelle McCall designed the logo above!!)

I was heartbroken when she announced 2009 was the last year for FiberArt for a Cause. I loved being part of such a wonderful effort that benefited so many.

Not to worry! This year Virginia is coordinating ToteTuesday, another fun and creative way to get us all involved.

So many have been touched by cancer, it's a privilege to be able to do something constructive to aid the search for effective diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

ToteTuesday begins February 2 with five totes going up for auction. The totes are filled with books, supplies, fabric, tools, artwork and more. There are some preview photos of some tote goodies on Virginia's blog now, but each Tuesday the official tote themes and content will be announced. Here's a link to her blog for a preview http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/

I'm working on a tote with a copy of my book, some rust-dyed fabric, and one of our popular new padfolios featuring thread painted photo montage on rust-dyed fabric. Previously, the padfolios have included note pads, but I've ordered small sketch pads and watercolor pads. Hopefully, they will arrive by February 2 and the new padfolio will have the new media pad in it!

2010-01-17T11:13:00.003-05:00

The 12" x 12" square art quilt Whispers on the Wind (above) was made for Rust Tex's exhibition. If juried into the show, it will travel to England for their quilt festival. (Not that I'm hinting, Lois!)

The background began as a digital collage of photographs and vintage artwork printed on rust-dyed fabric. I added a wash of green for the forest floor, white for a shaft of light, and blue for the sky using Earth Safe Finishes Colorant + Fabric Magic + lots of water.

Free-motion stitching in a variegated black/brown thread was worked on the main tree, while monofilament was stitched free-form to represent sunlight through the forest canopy and wind through the tree branches.

Glass and stone beads were stitched on the surface by hand and the edges were finished with satin stitches.

The composition recalls a trip to the woods in early spring with my mother and grandmother to see the wild flowers. I was disappointed when my grandmother gently informed me the flowers had to stay in the forest; they would be unhappy in the garden at home. To entertain myself, I pretended the wind through the tree branches was the voice of many fairies whispering to me.

It's remarkable to me that this image, the colors, sounds, smells, and emotions are so vivid to me after 50 years or so—and a pleasant way to remember a day with two women so influential in my life!

2010-01-11T12:35:00.007-05:00

This is a photo of a little clay book I made. It's only 2" tall and about 1-3/4" wide. Isn't it sweet?

The photo doesn't show it very well, but the cabochon on the front has dichroic glass in it. The covers are made from slabs of oven-fired clay (not polymer) that are whitewashed after drying and baking.

The signatures inside are made from joss papers, pages from an old dictionary, and other recycled papers. This was the first time I used the coptic binding and I'm not sure I got the wraparound stitch correct. The You Tube video was very helpful, but it assumed a certain level of experience with book binding I simply did not possess.

This probably won't be the only clay-covered book I make, but I'm certainly not going into production! It took more than a year for me to work up the courage to try the binding and only about 15 minutes to bind all five signatures in place. Why do I put these things off?

2010-01-07T09:33:00.004-05:00

If you were a member of the product test back in June, you should begin to receive the thank-you mail art today. The deal was, if you were a participating member of the product test, I'd send a small fiber piece as a thank you.

The test was a flop, but the mail art is completed (finally) and about half have been shipped. The pieces above are needle-felted alpaca roving and scads of thread clippings with a little hand beading, mounted on a cardstock backing.

These postcards are needle-felted roving and specialty fibers on a base of pre-washed wool-blend felt. They began as a class sample of a purse from a pattern the shop owner wanted to promote. I'm not very good at following someone else's pattern and after 8 hours of needling, the purse base was only half ready to begin construction and I was SICK of stitching straight lines!! That's how they came to be repurposed (or in my opinion up-cycled) to mail art. :-)

Here are 16 of the 24 (4" x 6") postcards that were upcycled from the purse base. The base was felted with roving, specialty fibers, and FireStar (a nylon shred that looks like fine Angelina) and then hand beaded and mounted on cardstock.

If you're part of the test team. Thank you so much for being willing to work on this project with me. I'm really sorry the test results did not support the original hypothesis—but we know one more thing that doesn't work!

Initial tests indicated Fabric Magic from Earth Safe Finishes might act as a mordant for inkjet inks on fabrics. We tried various dilutions with water, but they all washed out. It was disappointing, but that's part of product development.

So, here's wishing you a fabulous new year, full of creative challenges!

2009-12-19T14:43:00.009-05:00

Need a quick-to-make last-minute gift? These padfolios are perfect as a hostess gift, exchange, or for a special arty friend who like to keep notes wherever (s)he goes! Once the surface design is done, it takes less than an hour to finish one of these beauties.

These are began with rust-dyed fabric. Some have Earth Safe Finishes Colorants applied, some are stamped with ESF Colorant as a rubber-stamp ink, and some are touch-printed with ESF Opaque Shimmers.

The fabric for this one was sprayed with ESF moss + Fabric Magic while the rusted fabric was damp. The polymer clay pendant picks up the green nicely.

This surface treatment is ESF Colorants + Fabric Magic drizzled on a shaving cream printing plate and swirled for a faux marbled effect.

Bottle caps and paper-towel cores were used as touch-print shapes. The flaps are cut freehand with a rotary cutter and the edges are finished with satin stitches.

This is what the outside surface of the padfolio looks like spread out flat.

Inside there is a pocket for a pencil or pen, calculator, or anything else you want to keep close to the notepad in the center panel.

Directions for the padfolio may be downloaded as a pdf from the margin. Make sure you have the version with the measurement correction! I made a mistake in the first version.

Enjoy!

2009-12-10T11:51:00.004-05:00

As promised, here are a couple of photos from the workshop with Hands All Around Quilters in Bloomington, Illinois last Friday.

Becky took a photo of a beautiful poppy she grew, the kind that produces seeds used in baking and cooking. The detail in the center is remarkable, even after altering. Becky jumped right in a did scads of free-motion stitching to outline the petals and detail the center—then proceeded to add borders and stretch the piece and mount it herself! Didn't she do a fabulous job?

Sue’s piece is very different. She took this photo at a hot-air balloon festival earlier in the year and was intrigued by the image of the sun and clouds on the balloon. After altering, she added texture and detail with free-motion work.

Sometimes altering a non-floral image can be challenging, but Sue’s piece is exceptionally lovely. It has not yet fulfilled it’s destiny (it hasn’t yet been mounted or finished). I’m hoping Sue will send another photo once it is bound or framed.

These are just two examples from the group of 16 diverse compositions in the Friday class. Additional photos will be shared as they are available.

If your quilt or art guild would like to have a program and workshop, please contact me. There are a couple of openings in 2010.

2009-12-07T10:43:00.006-05:00

A great big thank you goes out to the Hands All Around Quilt Guild in Bloomington, Illinois for a fabulous trunk show and two days of workshops! What an enthusiastic, friendly group they are. It's always fascinating to see how others perceive the Altered Photo Quilt technique and how they each add their own voice to it.

Can't wait to share photos with you!

In the meantime, here is an amusing little Creature Comforts video about “What is art?” It always makes me chuckle, especially the printmaker. He is so serious about his work! LOL!

2009-11-29T09:18:00.007-05:00

You’ve heard of a Fish Named Wanda? Well this is a fish in Paula’s on Main in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Paula’s is a well-known seafood restaurant that is now the site of Indiana’s first indoor cold-weather market.

Lori is setting up the rust-dyed silk wraps and T-shirts next to the table of jewelry.

There was live music. This lady is a lovely folk singer who sang traditional Christmas carols with a folk spin.

Vanilla Bean is one of several food vendors in the market. They have a line of yummy cookies and soft biscotti. My favorite is the Chilean Chocolate Biscotti—chocolate with a little zing. Yum!

There were several food vendors, including Chris’ display of holiday baskets.

Paula’s had fresh bread, frittatas, salads, and crab cakes that made my mouth water just looking at them—even at 8:00 am!

There are many artisan markets at this time of year. I encourage you to seek them out and support “handmade” this holiday season!

BTW: Lori and I will be doing a live demo at Artworks Gallery at Jefferson Pointe this afternoon from 1:00–4:00. Stop by and say hello!

2009-11-28T15:43:00.004-05:00

This is another wonderful (finished) Threadography piece from the Naperville, Illinois group. This colorful hibiscus was completed by Kathleen Herbach.

After stitching, she added borders around the panel, stretched, and mounted it herself! Excellent job, Kathleen!

The detail shot shows some of the textural stitching she did in the center of the piece.

Holiday Mail For Heroes

2009-11-19T10:27:00.008-05:00

I just received a lovely thank you note from Frank McDade the project manager of Holiday Mail for Heroes at Pitney Bowes! Isn't that amazing? This project involved more than one million pieces of holiday mail for servicemen and women, veterans, and their families in 2008—and he took the time to thank me. I'm speechless.

Pitney Bowes and the American Red Cross are working together again this year to spread holiday cheer to our armed forces around the globe and their families. Would you like to help? Here is a link to the Red Cross website with instructions. I'm thinking fabric postcards and quilted greeting cards!! http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail

Can't believe I didn't take any photos of the cards from last year! They are probably on my hard drive and the files still have the camera number on them, rather than an appropriate label. Sigh! My new year's resolution for 2009 was to do a better job of updating photo files to faciliate a search on the title. I've done much better this year, but still need to remember the resolution each time I retrieve photos from the camera!

2009-11-17T14:27:00.006-05:00

The opening reception for the holiday gallery Artworks in Fort Wayne, Indiana was held last Sunday evening.

This is the second year for the gallery and represents the work of 20-some artists in the Fort Wayne area. The work is diverse: beaded jewelry, metalsmithing, fused glass, watercolor paintings, acrylics, oils, digital photographic art—and the fiberart of Two Sipsters (that's Lori and I).

The sassy redhead is Santa Brink. She and artist friend Karen Moriarity put the project together and found a temporary home for Artworks in the lovely Jefferson Pointe shopping village.

Two Sipsters has rust-dyed silk scarves, cotton T-shirts and sweatshirts, and a few Threadography pieces. Since we are the new kids this year, our wall space is limited—but we hope to expand as the season progresses!

Sisters Alice Martin and Lisa Chiddister collaborate on digital photography, which captured our attention, of course!

Alice (left) describes a Photoshop effect to Lori (right) at the reception.

Finally, we would like to recognize the contribution of the artist's spouses. They welcomed guests, poured the wine, and kept the holiday music going. Thanks!

Artworks gallery is open 10:00am-9:00pm Monday through Saturday and Noon-5:00 pm on Sunday throughout November and December. If you're in the area, please stop by and say hello!

2009-11-14T09:53:00.009-05:00

Lori and I traveled to Naperville, Illinois on Tuesday to visit the Riverwalk Quilt Guild. What a fun group of ladies! The trunk show went well Tuesday evening and the workshop on Wednesday was very productive.

Each participant sent their photo to us ahead of time, so we could alter it, print it in sections, and have it ready for the workshop. This is Catherine Redford's finished piece—bound and beaded!

Catherine was familiar with free-motion work and jumped right into the project.

She used flame-shaped stitching to add color and texture.

Sharon Racibozynski (apologies for the spelling Sharon) had never done free-motion work before and found it easier to work with the feed dogs up. She said this is the first piece she has finished in a long time and the guild would be surprised to see it at the next show-and-tell!

Pegg Hislop spent much of the workshop outlining the many petals in this flower, but it was well worth it! Pegg, we can't wait to see the finished piece!

Beth Hunter adds detail to a cone flower before moving to the color sections.

Ladies, thank you all for a delightful day! My heartfelt hope is, even if you don't plan to make photo quilts, you found something to enrich your own work.

2009-11-06T18:30:00.012-05:00

I drove to Longmont, Colorado today—to a charming little bungalow on a street lined with small businesses housed in what used to be a residential neighborhood.

My destination was the studio and gallery of KC Willis, cowgirl and mixed-media artist. I've admired KC's Lipstick Ranch artwork for years and was thrilled to find she lived so close to my daughter and her family.

KC (left) and ranch hand Betsy (right) greet visitors with brilliant smiles and a real enthusiasm for their work.

KC stands beside a fabric collage made to honor the spirit of painter Georgia O'Keeffe. KC values strong women—women with skills, women with heart, women with sass!

The light streams through the windows of KC's gallery, dancing on the walls and calling attention to the fabric collage.

KC, Betsy, and sometimes KC's mother work together to create more than 1200 mixed-media fabric collages for catalogs, shops, and private commissions every year!

Recently, KC has opened her studio to workshops, in addition to the other work.

Notice the beautiful frame on the wall and standing on the floor. KC's husband handcrafts these beautiful wooden pieces!

Part of her secret to success is offering collection pieces in various sizes and various prices. This is just one tip from her upcoming online marketing seminar.

Faithful companion Fiona greets visitors with a friendly wag of the tail and keeps KC company in the studio.

For more information about KC's Lipstick Ranch collection and online workshops, visit her Ning website http://studioretreats.ning.com/page/visiting-artists-classes
or
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lipstick-Ranch-The-Art-of-KC-Willis/91032020893?v=feed&story_fbid=173663281494

My only regret of the day is that KC's studio is so far from mine, I won't get to see her very often! She is a kindred spirit and I treasure the time we had together today. You can bet I'll be making my way back to the Denver area again ASAP!

2009-11-05T19:36:00.003-05:00

It was more than 70 degrees in Denver today and the snow is melting. What unusual weather they have here!

DH and I went to several art galleries today in the Santa Fe Art District and in the Museum District.

One of the high-profile galleries is owned and run by an astute woman and we fell into conversation about fiber art. She said one of the most-attended and publicized exhibits they ever had was a fiber-art exhibit about two years ago. Convergence, the international weavers association convention was in town and they coordinated an exhibit at the gallery.

The gallery is in a fabulous building and has well-known client all around Denver and beyond. The exhibit was covered by all three art critics in Denver and by magazines and news organizations as far away as Sweden.

Sadly, they sold only one piece during that exhibit! What is the deal? Fiber art is just as time-consuming as painted art, in some cases more time consuming. Fiber art requires just as much skill, design sense, vision, command of technique and materials but is considered a craft, rather than an artform.

This is no surprise to me, or to most art quilters for that matter. I was pleased the gallery owner/manager had the vision. Maybe we're making progress! What do YOU think?

2009-11-02T16:50:00.004-05:00

There are three images in this posting: sky, golden leaves, and a textured wall—all altered with displacement maps.

My goal is to blend the three together to create an abstract background.

Also, don’t miss the video tutorial on replacing colors! It’s the top link in the column to the left. Hope you like it!

2009-10-29T13:26:00.004-04:00

DH and I are currently in our beloved Santa Fe. My heart soars to the heights of the rugged rock formations and thrills to the colors of afternoon light glancing off the mountains.

Yesterday we visited Chimayo (apologies for the spelling), a tiny village tucked into the mountains about an hour north of Santa Fe. The village is home to a tiny church, built in 1816 that is called the American Lourdes. So many faithful have come here for healing of the body or spirit.

The adobe walls are surrounded by candles and makeshift crosses people have fashioned from anything they could find (twigs, popsicle sticks, cut tin cans, nails, and the like) and then fastened them to the fencing around the parking lot. Fascinating.

There was snow here in the high desert yesterday and we woke to a beautiful dusting of powdery precipitation on the pinon trees, adobe walls, and grasses. What beauty there is here! It is so inspiring, I've been working on a concept for a new book.

2009-10-21T16:26:00.005-04:00

Remember the altered photo of parrot tulips I used for the padfolio project? Here is it again, with some of the color changed to purple. It was fun and easy to do using the Replace Color feature in Photoshop/Photoshop Elements.

It has been printed on fabric and is just waiting to be stitched!

This is the way it looked after altering using the pebbles Displacement Map (#8 on the CD in the back of Next Steps In Altered Photo Artistry) + watercolor + poster edges.

This is the original photo—just a snapshot taken in the gardens across from the courthouse here in Fort Wayne.

Let me know if you're interested and I'll prepare a tutorial on Replace Color!

2009-10-18T12:48:00.011-04:00

This is the piece Lori and I finished for the “Art to Gogh” benefit for Mental Health America in Allen County yesterday. It is entitled “News from Home” and has a collage of the local newspaper on the left side and a Threadography of the Fort Wayne skyline on the right. The tattoo stencil on top in Earth Safe Finishes copper Shimmer Translucent pulls the sides together.

It was really exciting to be in the room with so many local artists. Here I am stitching away on the panel. The canvas with the collage is on the floor to my right, just waiting for the finished panel.

Once the Threadography panel was secured to the canvas, I stenciled a swirly tattoo design to pull the sides together. Translucent copper Shimmer was perfect because it drew the color out in the stitched panel without overpowering the composition.

This is a detail of the tattoo on top of the stitched panel. You can see white thread in the clouds and the texture of monofilament thread in the blue sky.

Jay painted a still life from actual tomatoes. Other artists around the room painted from photographs, pictures in magazines, illustrations in books, and some from memory. It was an education for me to watch the painters in action.

Justin is a law student, who works in acrylics. He has sold more than 300 paintings to help put himself through school!

This is one end of the room at Moore and Associates (Thank you to Chris Moore for providing a venue for the event.) There are two gourd artists, a wood carver (amazing work), as well as artists working in oils, acrylics, pastels, and spray paint.

This young lady was working in pastels, creating a hauntingly beautiful piece in a children's theme.

The fanciful work of this acrylic artist was very popular during the bidding yesterday evening.

The mayor was on hand at the dinner and live auction last night to raise money for Mental Health America of Allen County. What an interesting mix of people, music, food, and lively bidding. In spite of the fact I found a chunk of pottery in an egg roll, it was a delightful evening—and once again I'm honored to participate in this small way.

Janet Hartje wins the pendant!

2009-10-16T10:44:00.007-04:00

Thank you to all who posted about the dichroic pendant to help breast cancer research. Janet Hartje wins the drawing! Janet, please e-mail me with your snail-mail address—and congratulations! In my opinion, as we work together to battle breast cancer, we all are winners. DS says this sounds corny, but I don't care. :-)

November 10 and 11 I've been invited to speak to RiverWalk Quilters in Naperville, Illinois. Sharing the adventure that has resulted in Next Steps in Altered Photo Artistry and Altered Photo Artistry is always a pleasure for me.

I always send or take a small Threadography piece to be given away as a doorprize. The photo above will be taken home by someone at the meeting that night. If you're in the area, I hope you'll join us!

This is the original photo. Hard to believe, isn't it? In the workshop on Wednesday, the 11th participants will work on their OWN altered photo, stitching it and turning it into a fascinating altered photo panel ready to be framed or finished with binding.

Doesn't this just beg for beads? I love the stitching and have been including collage and mixed media techniques more often.

2009-10-15T12:02:00.004-04:00

The drawing tomorrow for the beautiful dichroic-glass pendant to benefit breast cancer research will be tomorrow and there are only TWO names in the hat!!

You could have a really good chance to win it! Just leave a comment and the name will be drawn tomorrow.

BTW: Art Now For Autism is over and raised more than $4,000 for the cause. Claudine Intner did a wonderful job of organizing the auction and I would like to thank her for the opportunity to contribute to the cause in some small way.

I'm getting ready for a benefit auction on Saturday for the Mental Health Association here in Fort Wayne. 27 artists have committed to creating pieces on site during the day. The pieces will be auctioned at a gala event in the evening. I'm so blessed to be able to contribute in this way!! Stay tuned; background tests are being conducted today, the focus composition is complete, and a test print has been made. Can't wait to see it all come together!

Padfolio Instructions

2009-10-13T09:30:00.005-04:00

The padfolio instructions have not been published yet on either C&T's blog or The Quilt Show's newsletter. So many of you have asked about them, I'm including a link to a pdf file with instructions and photos.

http://www.quilterskeeplearning.com/beth/Funky%20Padfolio-1.pdf

If it doesn't appear as a link, copy the URL and paste it into your browser window. The download starts automatically.

If you make one (or several), please send a photo. I'd love to see what you do with the displacement maps and the instructions!

Enjoy!

2009-10-12T13:52:00.003-04:00

Are you enjoying the displacement maps? Aren't they fun?

This delightful altered zinnia is from Gigi Kandler. Gigi and I met in an online class two years ago. Two photos of her altered-photo quilts are included in my new book Next Steps in Altered Photo Artistry.

Gigi surprised me this morning with a photo of a zinnia she altered using the displacement map feature in Photoshop Elements.

If you'd like to share your photos altered with displacement maps, please send a copy of the original and the altered version. It's so much fun to see the before and after!

There is a link in yesterday's post that will take you to a video showing where to find displacement maps (don't worry, few know where to find them) and how to apply them to a photo. Hope you enjoy!

Displacement Map Video!!!

2009-10-11T15:32:00.005-04:00

Yes! Yes! I know I'm suppose to be working on taxes, but the thought of making a video about using displacement maps has been flooding my head and I just couldn't wait any longer!!

Here is a link to a Jing video I just made, showing where to find and how to apply displacement maps in Photoshop Elements and Photoshop.
http://screencast.com/t/lxrsFDBXzO
The image in the video is the same one used for the padfolio in the photo from yesterday's posting.

Just click on the link, or copy it and paste it into your browser, and it will take you to Screencast, where the video is stored. Click on the arrow and you should have audio as well as video. If you're on dial-up, there may be occasional pauses as the file is accessed slower than if you're on cable or DSL.

There have been so many comments on C&T Publishing's blog, on this one, and questions from various discussion groups about the displacement maps, I just HAD to share this with you! Displacement maps don't seem to be a popular feature in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Even some graphic designers don't know about them, let alone use them.

Hope you enjoy the video. Let me know if you have questions!

2009-10-10T08:03:00.006-04:00

I am now the proud owner of a bright and colorful padfolio. Step-by-step instructions are available in the newest newsletter from The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims AND on C&T Publishing's blog this weekend. This is to celebrate the release of my new book Next Steps In Altered Photo Artistry.

The padfolio outside features an altered photo (what else?), printed on fabric, and heavily stitched with free-motion stitching, using lots of glorious threads. Inside is a 5" x 8" junior legal pad. The whole padfolio fits neatly into my purse!

The photo is altered using one of our exclusive displacement maps that are on the CD inside the back cover of the book. In my opinion, displacement maps are the best-kept secret of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements! This alteration included multiple applications of the same displacement map, until the image was quite abstract. The final touch was applied with an artistic filter to define the edges.

By the time the image was wrapped around the notepad, the effect is quite abstract—just what I was going for!

This is the photo before altering. I took it in the garden next to the courthouse in my home town this spring and have been saving it for something special. Since I won't be traveling to Houston for the book's release at Quilt Market, this cheers me up and helps me focus on paperwork this weekend.

Inside is a pocket for pens (on the left), the notepad in the center, and the flap on the right. Because of the shape of the flap, it required two Velcro dots to keep it flat while closed.

Inside the padfolio rust-dyed fabrics add depth, interest, and variety. You can see the pocket on the left has a scripture verse printed on the fabric.

2009-10-07T17:25:00.006-04:00

Three examples of techniques we’ll explore in the Tattoo Your Style! workshop at SOZO Gallery in Kendallville, Indiana on October 24th, from 1:00–4:00.

For more information, contact Peggy at Sozo Art Studio (260) 347-5000. I hope to see YOU there!

2009-10-06T09:49:00.002-04:00

Isn't this dichroic glass necklace beautiful? It is the work of glass artist Phyllis Crawley from South Bend, Indiana. She sells each piece for $16, with $10 of the sale going to the Susan Komen Foundation for breast cancer research!

Personally, I can't imagine how that even covers the cost of the materials to make the piece and present it in a beautiful black jewelry box.

Phyllis and I reconnected at the Syracuse Art Festival two weeks ago and she gave this necklace to me to share with you. That's right, it's a giveaway!! Just become a follower, leave a comment here between now and Friday, October 17 and this beautiful dichroic piece could be yours. I'll pay shipping within the US; you pay shipping outside the 50 US states.

Please visit Phyllis' Etsy shop to purchase one of the ribbon necklaces (great holiday gift for someone special!)—or any of her other beautiful dichroic pieces. http://www.redbuddesigns.etsy.com

If you have trouble leaving messages on Blogspot, please contact me directly and I'll put your name into the drawing!

2009-10-01T11:01:00.007-04:00

What a happy painting! “Sunburst” is part of the Art Now for Autism exhibition, which begins today, and reverse auction, which opens October 5th at 9:00 am EST. All artwork will be $90 until the 7th. At that time the price drops to $70. October 9 and 10, the last two days of the auction, any remaining pieces are available for $30!

I fell in love with “Sunburst”—but wait ‘til you meet the artist! This year, there is a special section of artwork done by children with Autism or Asperger’s. Candace Waters is one of those artists.

Every Mom cell in my body sang with joy when I realized the artist of the beautiful, happy sunshine paintings is an 8-year-old!

Here is the info on “Sunburst:”
Artist: Candace Waters
Medium: tempera paint with glitter glue on canvas
Size: 18 x 14 inches

Artist statement:
Candace “Candy” Waters from Park Ridge, IL is a beautiful redheaded 8 year old girl who has autism. Candace likes painting, music, swinging, playing in water, jumping and pizza. Candace is the Inspiration for the song "Faith, Love & Hope". Her song has influenced and inspired Politicians, Autism Organizations and most importantly Parents around the WORLD!!! Also, her song is the favorite of former President Bush and his wife Laura!

Candace is the inspiration for the Radio Program “The Candy Store”on Autism One Radio. She is happy to share her song with other parents to let them know that they are not alone in their struggles. Never give up on “Faith, Love & Hope.”

I’m proud to have contributed in some small way to benefit children and parents living with Autism! Take a look at all the art at http://www.artnowforautism.com. This year there are 160 pieces in the exhibit from 89 artists around the world, including my two small art quilts.

2009-09-29T18:05:00.005-04:00

Well, I didn't get the copyright permission, so went with Plan B!

This has a rust-dyed background that has been stenciled with Earth Safe Finishes Shimmering Opaque ruby. Well, the “wrong” side was so cool, I used it instead of the “right” side. The appliqué is cut from rusted fabric that has been treated to a tannin bath. The contrast between the two is just yummy.

There are small garnet and glass pillow-shape beads accenting the rows of texture stitching.

This will be part of an art quilt exhibit at Artlink contemporary gallery in Fort Wayne. The proceeds from the sale of the quilts will go to the AIDS Task Force. I’m proud to be able to contribute in this manner!

It’s been a good day. Made two deadlines and delivered the goods AND received another distributor order for Trusty Rusty Things—and it hasn’t even debuted at Quilt Market yet! I'm loving it!

2009-09-26T11:09:00.003-04:00

This is a computer-enhanced image of AIDS virus attached to a human host cell. The original is the work of Australian artist Russell Knightley. I've requested permission to use the image in an art quilt to be sold to benefit the AIDS Taskforce here in Fort Wayne.

Sure hope he says yes; I have no other idea for a quilt design and the deadline is approaching quickly!

2009-09-23T16:07:00.003-04:00

Isn't this yummy? It is a flat-back papier mâché ornament I painted with a faux raku technique developed by Barbara Matthiessen for Earth Safe Finishes.

The rich serendipitous colors of raku fascinate me and I'm thinking of a holiday tree covered in "fauku" stars and balls.

Hopefully, this technique will work on fabric, as well as stiff surfaces!! Wouldn't it be KEWL to wear a garment with the look of raku? Oh yeah!

2009-09-13T12:20:00.003-04:00

On the off chance you haven't seen the notice about the blog giveaway, here is a photo of the silk wrap dyed with Earth Safe Finishes. This will be a gift to someone chosen at random from comments left on the ESF fabric blog.

Here is the link http://artofgreenfabricmedia.blogspot.com/

Just leave a comment, or e-mail me directly if there is a problem posting a comment.

Good luck!

2009-09-08T13:03:00.004-04:00

The images today are of two quilties made for Art Now For Autism. Here is a link to the site for more information http://artnowforautism.com/

I have interested in the phenomenon of autism for some years, as a friend of the family has a grandchild with autism. DH and I have watched as this child and his mother have worked through the diagnosis and treatment. My admiration and respect for the mother have grown every time we've seen photos of the boy and his obvious progress.

This summer he was in a local production of Peter Pan, in which he played two different parts!! How heartwarming to know he has become so socially successful.

These two quilties have been donated to Art Now For autism in honor of our friendship with the grandparents. I wish it could be more!

You can help, too! Please preview the exhibit October 1-4 and consider bidding on one of the art pieces October 5-10.

Days 1 and 2 all art is $90. Days 3 and 4 all remaining art is $60. Days 5 and 6, any remaining art is $30!

This is a great opportunity to make a difference—and acquire some fun art at the same time!

The angel piece is called Peaceful Presence and is a photograph printed on rust-dyed fabric. The blended-color flourishes are stenciled on top with Earth Safe Finishes Translucent Shimmers, then quilted for texture.

The abstract piece is titled Intersecting Lives. It is surface design on rusted-and-tanning treated fabric with shards of rust-only fabric stitched on top.

2009-09-03T18:55:00.004-04:00

Many of you asked about seeing some inside detail of my new book. C&T Publishing has granted special permission to share the Table Of Contents and several pages with you. Not even Amazon has this advance information!!

It is a pdf file, so just click on the button to the left of this post and you can enjoy this special treat.

Please let me know what you think.

2009-08-30T13:13:00.005-04:00

I have a project in the new issue of Totally Creative! You can see a tiny portion of the needle-felted purse in the lower left-hand corner of the cover below.

All the fibers in the purse (above) started out as plain white or "natural" and were dyed with Earth Safe Finishes Colorants + Fabric Magic. Kewl Stuff!

Totally Creative is a new online magazine from publisher Patti Ryan.

It is one of the few real crafting magazines still available! Those of us who love the art of craft AND the craft of art are excited about this magazine and hope you will be, too!

FYI: you can get a FREE excerpt from the current issue of Totally-Creative Magazine. Just signup for our email list at: http://www.site.totally-creative.com/Sign-up_Page.html. Instantly download a Free Excerpt from the new issue of Totally-Creative Magazine!

You can pass this offer on to your crafty friends, as well. Enjoy!

2009-08-28T22:40:00.004-04:00

Get a good look at this beautiful water tower in an old neighborhood of Minneapolis, because it may very well be the last photo you see from me for a while!

The camera was in the console of the rental car. I KNOW it came into the house—didn't it? It's missing in action. DH, Lori, and I have looked in all the usual places and many unusual places (Don't ask about the dust bunnies under the living room couch!), but it's nowhere to be found.

It was a faithful companion, a true workhorse. It's been with me for years. Lately, I've been dreaming of a 10 mega-pixel model but never dreaming Old Faithful would go missing and I'd actually have to consider replacing it.

Maybe it is in hiding. If you see it, please send it home!!

2009-08-27T11:39:00.007-04:00

Isn't this a fabulous bench? We passed it while browsing the Grand Ave. shopping district last Thursday.

OK, that's just a buffer for what I am compelled to say about the visit to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis last Friday. I've spent hours agonizing over this, trying to express what's heavy on my heart without being disrespectful to the artist. Here goes:

I learned something important about respect for artistic expression and vision—and myself during a visit to the Walker Art Center last week.

The center is an amazing venue for contemporary art and I was looking forward to a healthy dose of my current favorite, abstract expressionism.

Gallery after gallery fed my hunger, until my companion and I encountered a piece that totally baffled me. In the center of the room, carefully roped off, was a drain (set into the terazzo, I might add), a child's plastic chair, and a box of facial tissues. Try as I might, I couldn't find anything about the composition that spoke to me (other than the horror of cutting out the terazzo)

"Why is this art?" I asked. "Because it makes you think," replied my very wise companion Shay Sargenti.

After two days of pondering her remark, while we were sitting with our DHs in a wonderful jazz concert, it occurred to me why I had such trouble reconciling the little installation as art: There was no technique, no technical facility, no technical challenge.

It was not obvious that the artist has sweated a color combination, or drafted and redrafted the design to achieve a composition that expressed a thought, idea, or feeling. Watching the hands of the pianist in the jazz group magnified the difference between the two artists. She move skillfully, confidently, and with a practiced facility that expressed (in my opinion) the ability to think in music, sidestepping the need to think it out and then execute the thought—it merely flowed from her.

Apparently I cannot or choose not to separate the art from the craft of art. Does that make me an art snob? No, it makes me a person who recognizes limitation in my view of art. Now, I can change my definition of art to include that which requires no technical aspect, or admit my definition of art has boundaries.

I can respect the artist of the installation for his or her vision, even if I don't understand it or relate to it. However, my respect for artists with skills evident in the composition, such as the jazz pianist or any of a thousand painters and quilt artists are easier to define.

What do you think?

2009-08-23T22:18:00.007-04:00

I'm having way too much fun in Minneapolis! My rusting buddy Janis and I visited the Farmer's Market. What an incredible place! I've never seen a Farmer's Market as large as this one.

Aisle after aisle of fresh vegetables, beautiful flowers, baskets, jewelry, clothing, cheeses, baked goods, hand-crafted soaps, organic herbs, meats—and the smell of roasting corn on the cob. Yum!

The ethnic diversity in Minneapolis certainly captured my imagination. Entire neighborhoods with restaurants, groceries, and specialty shops devoted to the heritage group. Janis and I visited a yarn shop in a Somali neighborhood. We definitely don't have that at home. It was fascinating!

Janis surprised me with a selection of her hand-crafted herbal soaps. What a treat! Thanks bunches Janis!

Tomorrow DH and I head home. It will be a long drive, but my head is swimming with ideas and "What if?" questions.

I'll be working on what I expect will be the next blog entry. It's about perspectives on art and respect for art. This has been turning around in my head for three days.

2009-08-21T10:21:00.003-04:00

Aren't these fabulous murals? The pair are hanging in a delightful restaurant in Minneapolis, near the Textile Center on University Ave. Café Biaggios was a wonderful respite during the busy day yesterday.

There was artwork hanging everywhere and the owner was on hand to make sure the experience was exceptional for every guest.

This is another view of the length of the restaurant with lots of artwork. The pieces were all paintings, but personally I could see some Threadography hanging on the walls! LOL!

(left to right) Nancy Hoerner (watch for her new art-doll book from CPI soon), Beth, and Ann Butler (fabulous designer in mixed media). This was taken before we were caught in the rain and my hair doubled in volume!

2009-08-20T09:16:00.004-04:00

DH and I were on the road yesterday, traveling to Minneapolis for the annual meeting of the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors. He is president again this year and wanted me by his side. Fortunately, my schedule is flexible enough right now that I could do that.

I love taking photos of rusty signs, old buildings and dilapidated bridges. Not sure what will happen to them, but for now it's fun to watch for them and stop occasionally in my quest for the perfect tree.

The sky was blue and almost cloudless when we left, but we encountered a rain storm in Wisconsin. We were fortunate; the Minneapolis area was hit with six tornadoes and severe storms. One touched down, damaging the convention center downtown. I don't think anyone was injured, but we were thankful to arrive at the hotel in the suburbs where the IAJRC meeting is being held and to see friends and associates had arrived safely.

2009-08-18T17:25:00.006-04:00

One of the treasures from the Fiber Festival last Saturday was something called FireStar. The label says it is hand-dyed nylon! I thought nylon could only be dyed while it was a liquid and before it is extruded (or however they make nylon threads).

However it's made, FireStar has luminous sparkles in it, almost like Angelina but very soft. There was no un-dyed FireStar, so I just HAD to settle for these luscious colors.

These are the wool "nebs" referred to in the previous post. Don't they have an interesting texture? I can see them felted as is into a landscape for snow or dyed and felted for sand, grass, or fields.

These are the un-dyed silk hankies. They are harvested from the silk worm's cocoon and add a very different texture than silk roving or yarn. They accept dyes beautifully and I can't wait to dye hankies to coordinate with the hand-dyed silk/rayon velvet.

2009-08-16T14:59:00.007-04:00

Yesterday (Saturday) was the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan, Michigan. The weather was beautiful and four of us from the local art-party group drove 2 1/2 hours to the Festival. It was good to get away and see what others are doing with threads and fibers.

The festival was held at the Allegan County Fair Grounds, a lovely setting with trees, a charming restored village, and plenty of space for the animals, classes, vendors, and pariticpants.

This is one of the most fun booths in the entire show! The artist is Lynn Shuck, who obviously has a sense of humor—and does some of the most beautiful nuno felting I've ever seen. The way she combined sheer woven silk and roving created beautiful contrast between textures and colors.

There were more than 75 vendors with an incredible array of yarn, roving, books, and other goodies I'd never seen before.

Rug hooking was represented well by this treasure trove of woven wools, original patterns, tools and other supplies for hooking.

There were alpaca, such as this fellow with the sweet face, angora rabbits, sheep, sheep dogs, and llamas. The was much to learn about the fur and fleece from these creatures.

We brought great bags of roving in every imaginable fiber (including mulberry, silk, tensel, soy, various types of wool, alpaca, and more), silk tops, silk hankies, wool nebs (I'd never heard of them; they look like snarls from the sheep's fleece), ribbons, and some sparkly stuff called FireStar. More on those tomorrow.

After many happy hours at the festival, we drove to Pawpaw to visit a winery. It was in the old waterworks building that had been repurposed with restaurants, wine caves, a small covered bridge over the bubbling stream, and a shaded patio with lots of tables.

(left to right above) Christine, Beth, and Rosie enjoy the cool shade of the covered bridge. Below, Lori bypasses the smaller bottles in favor of the over-size magnum she WISHES was filled with chilled chardonnay.

Aah! A perfect ending to a delightful day: Home-baked pizza and peach wine coolers shared with fellow adventurers. We missed the rest of the art-party group. Hope you can join us next time!

2009-08-09T10:39:00.004-04:00

Some say I'm a woman of few words—until it comes to sharing art techniques and ideas! This is the cover of my new book!! Yahoo!

It is available on Amazon, although it won't be available until some time in October.

Isn't the color on the cover awesome? C&T Publications did an outstanding job on the cover art as well as the chapter openers and illustrations inside!

Keep watching this blog. I'll be announcing a give-away in the next few weeks, hopefully before it's available on Amazon!

There is a CD inside the back cover of this book, as there was in the first Altered Photo Artistry. This time, in addition to the trial version of Photoshop Elements, there are displacement maps, textures, and brushes Lori and I developed in our own studio! Very cool—no one else has them!

In my opinion displacement maps are a fabulous tool for altering that very few quilt artists know about. See if you agree with me!

2009-08-07T13:42:00.003-04:00

This is the cover of my new book, which will be released in October. I'm so excited! The cover shows the before photo and the after piece printed on fabric and stitched with free-motion stitching.

The cover piece is mounted on a canvas and the design extends to the edges (and around the edges) with paint. I'm not a painter. I'm not kidding myself, but this is really a cool way to enhance the look of the stitched piece and make it larger without adding a lot of complex finishing.

I'll be giving a few copies away in September and October, so stay tuned!

2009-08-06T19:50:00.002-04:00

It WORKS! I'm so excited!

The black faded a little, but that was expected because the Colorant was in a shaving cream carrier. The shaving cream has to come out, but I actually like it with a little more subtlety in the black.

The Tackifier layer with the mica powder looks great. I turned the T-shirt inside out and washed it in cold water. It held beautifully.

I need to repeat the washings to see how long the Tackifier continues to hold the metallic powder...

More tomorrow! :-)

2009-08-05T14:12:00.006-04:00

These are called "Tattooed T-shirts," just one of many new techniques using Earth Safe Finishes. It began as a rust-dyed T-shirt and then I layered stenciled images on it with the top layer an experiment in applying metallic mica powder.

The detail gives a little better view of the gold powder on top of the opaque and translucent paints. After curing, it will be heat-set and then the washing tests can begin.

This isn't exactly thread related, but it will be when I start using it on art quilts with free-motion stitching on top!

2009-08-02T13:55:00.005-04:00

This has to be the ultimate in thread manipulation. This purse started as a piece of felt, two small scraps of velvet, several piles of roving, and miscellaneous fibers.

Needle-felting is so much fun! There is no measuring, no weighing, no timing, no bobbins to wind. Just free movement of the embellisher head with six barbed needles.

I couldn't find anything in cording saturated enough to go with the bright purple and orange, so I bought a skein of sari yarn at Quilt Festival last week and made my own!

This will be in an upcoming issue of Totally Creative, a new online magazine. The technique is also part of my Extreme Needle Felting workshop on http://www.quilterskeeplearning.com

2009-07-31T11:34:00.005-04:00

Isn't this amazing? After Quilt Festival in Long Beach, I (finally) met my online buddy Rhoda. We planned a day away, just talking, taking photos, sight seeing, and getting to know one another.

Imagine my surprise when I walked into the hotel room and Rhoda had hung this banner! Each letter is a separate mini quilt, joined by a cording through loops on the top.

Rhoda made this as a response to some door prize goodies I sent for a conference she coordinated in March. She had everyone at the conference sign the panels and then quilted, bound, and mounted them!

I was really touched. She really put those Photoshop skills from my online workshop to good use! This is the link, if you'd like to check it out http://www.quilterskeeplearning.com

Rhoda, thank you so much for your thoughtful gift. You are an amazing person and I'm so glad the Internet gave us the opportunity to be friends!

2009-07-18T10:36:00.003-04:00

This photo shows 31 of the 35 pieces of rust-dyed fabric drying in the sun. Some have already received the tannin bath, some are waiting their turn, and some will have rust only.

I couldn't help but think of workers in the field picking tomatoes, cotton, strawberries, or anything else that needs to be picked by hand. What back-breaking work it is to bend over for hours. Thank goodness for Ibuprophen!

OK, a little dramatic, but I was trying to empathize!

Today they will go to the laundromat for two trips through the jumbo washing machine (one with Rust Wash and one with an industrial fiber conditioner) and then a tumble in the dryer.

There is a long list of things to do before leaving for Quilt Festival next Wednesday. I'm really excited about demonstrating in the Earth Safe Finishes booth! The demo will be layers of surface design with Colorants and Fabric Magic, or with the Shimmer Gels. Very cool!

If you visit Quilt Festival, please stop by the Earth Safe Finishes booth ( Booth # 1251) to say hello!

2009-07-17T14:45:00.002-04:00

I mentioned a sweater set found in one of Mom's drawers. Here is a photo of the sweater and cap she knit for me so many years ago. She had experienced three miscarriages and was under complete bed rest for months. So, it's no surprise she knitted, painted, and wrote! Those were the days before TV, Internet, and mp3 players.

This little sweater was lovingly packed in a bag, along with a note saying how much she loved me. What a treasure. I am so blessed—and hope my own children know how much they are loved.

2009-07-16T11:06:00.004-04:00

It's a field of rusted fabric!

Getting ready for Quilt Festival in Long Beach next week involves rusting lots of fabric for demos in the Earth Safe Finishes booth. I'll be demonstrating surface design with various ESF products on rust-dyed fabric for depth and complexity.

It's all about layers. I've studied examples of artists whose work I admire and have come to the conclusion that it's all about layers—layers that harmonize, layers that contrast, layers that compliment, layers that together make a statement.

So, between Quilt Festival and an order for Trusty Rusty Things product line, Lori and I have rusted about 40 yards of fabric in the past two days. The photo above shows less than half of the pieces. The other pieces are still "marinating" in their respective rust sources.

In a slightly different train of thought, we have puppies at the Poodle Ranch! Aren't they adorable? These little guys are about two days old in the photo. Coco, the Mom, wasn't thrilled I was so close to the pups, but she didn't bark until all the photos were finished.

It's amazing how small they are. Lori could hold all three of them in one hand for a photo op!

2009-07-09T08:19:00.005-04:00

This is my buddy Chance. He was born early one morning on the farm of a friend. During these weeks of working on my mom's house I'd slip away and drive to the farm, affectionately known as The Poodle Ranch. It's only 20 minutes or so away, but driving into the country with the windows open and the breezes blowing through the car made it feel like the other side of the world.

Feeding the horses, playing with the dogs, and getting away refreshed me and helped me feel connected again.

The appraiser came to Mom's yesterday to evaluate the estate contents. It is a relief to reach that milestone. The next step is to get the house ready for DS Jake to move in. A little paint, a new window, cleaning the carpets and we'll be ready.

How many head of poodle are there? These are a few of the house dogs out for a run in the sun. They love to annoy the horses in the corral next to their play area. Way in the back of this photo is Emma (the red head). She is not a poodle, but a miniature pincer. She was hit by a car and is recovering from multiple injuries, including a broken front right leg and an amputated back left leg. She will return home after recuperating at the Poodle Ranch.

Needle-felted jewelry

2009-06-22T14:08:00.005-04:00

This is the first of several photos of needle-felted jewelry. This neck piece is perfect for me right now. With so much stress after my mom's passing, the lightweight necklace doesn't weight my shoulders down and cause muscle spasms—and the colors are yummy!

The base is green felt with a bit of yellow/rust/green hand-dyed silk hankie felted on top. There are a few beads (of course) added by hand and the back is finished with Ultrasuede. The silver part is 16-gauge silver wire that's been flattened on a tiny jewelry anvil with a chasing hammer.

This is a bonus exercise for the Extreme Needle Felting class I teach at Quilters Keep Learning http://www.quilterskeeplearning.com

Another photo tomorrow!

Don't pay the ransom!

2009-06-21T21:59:00.003-04:00

No I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, honest! I had no idea there was so much to do for someone's estate.

Fortunately, Mom was really organized with her finances. Too bad she wasn't equally organized in her house! It's taking weeks to sort through her personal items to get ready for the appraiser. We're making headway, but it's really slow going.

I've been teaching needle-felting classes between trips to Mom's house and the women's shelter in town. The classes are really fun! I'll post photos of some jewelry pieces tomorrow.

2009-06-05T09:28:00.003-04:00

If a funeral can be beautiful, this one was! There was sunshine, laughter, tears, music, balloons, and food. Sounds like a party, doesn't it? It was truly a celebration of a long and full life well lived.

Mom's favorite color was pink, so it was easy to choose flowers: dark pink roses, light pink roses, pink Gerbera daisies, pink lilies, pink stock, white stock, and lots of baby's breath. There will probably be plenty of Threadography pieces from photos of her flowers. LOL!

This is a photo of the "22 balloon salute" at the cemetery. There were suppose to be 24 balloons, but two broke in transit.

She would have loved the whole affair! The hearse took a wrong turn in the cemetery and we all had to circle around again to get to the grave site.

She was very organized and has made administering her small estate quite painless. Going through her house is another matter! Like many lifelong crafters, she was a packrat. Throw away 4" of ribbon left from the bolt? No way! You never know when you'll need plastic butter tubs, or strawberry boxes, or snippets of fabric scraps, or the tiny dab of glue left in the tube. Sigh! What a job.

Two bits of business: Don't forget to send the greeting card for Clotilde. Because of my mom's passing, the deadline has been extended to the end of June. Please let me know if you'd like to send a card for her and I'll give you my snail-mail address.

Also, e-mails have gone out to those who indicated they'd like to be part of the ESF Print Test Team AND who gave me their e-mail addresses. Although more than 70 people signed up, fewer than 50 gave me e-mail addresses. If you would like to be part of the team, there are still a few openings. Please leave a comment here, including your e-mail address!

2009-05-27T09:17:00.003-04:00

I ordered flowers for the casket spray yesterday: dark pink roses, light pink Gerbera daisies, and lots of baby's breath. It should be beautiful.

The weather forecast for Friday has no mention of rain, thank goodness. Thank you to those who shared the balloon release idea for the grave site. They will be pink and white, of course! I'm hoping to get a photo of the balloons to share on the blog.

Several online friends have mentioned how difficult it is to hear the words in the Charlotte Church piece. So, here they are:

From my first moment you gave me wings
Let me fly and believed in my dreams
From that first moment you cherished me so
The journey through life would be hard with out you
You gave me all I have and all I know

From my first moment you would be there
In your arms lay the strength I now bear
From that first moment each day I have you
As seasons they change but your heart stays the same
You gave me all I have and all I know

From my first moment as time goes by
We drift endlessly through open skies
The journey though life would be hard with out you
You gave me all I have and all I know

2009-05-25T08:49:00.006-04:00

My mom passed away Saturday afternoon. She was ready to go and weary from struggling to breathe. Family and friends visited her throughout the day and she was able to speak to them until shortly before she expired.

Ellie was surrounded by family and friends. Even the nurses gathered to sing hymns and lift her into the arms of the angels.

She will be missed by many from her years of service in her church and community.

The YouTube video above is Charlotte Church (my favorite female vocalist) singing beautiful words of tribute to a song by Eric Satie (this song has been special to me since high school). The words will be printed in the funeral bulletin and I wanted to share this beautiful piece with you!

2009-05-18T22:54:00.003-04:00

My mom went back to the hospital this afternoon. It's 11:00 and I'm just home again. She is resting comfortably and we are grateful the frightening shortness of breath is being addressed.

They took a chest x-ray and did a CT scan of the lungs. We should know more tomorrow, but it doesn't look like a pulmonary embolism or congestive heart failure.

Image Transfer Tutorial

2009-05-16T13:44:00.007-04:00

Original tulip photo.

Original photo transferred onto Tyvek with Earth Safe Finishes Hand and Brush Cleaner.

Finally had a minute to upload the tutorial on transferring images onto fabric, Tyvek, and Lutradur using Earth Safe Finishes Hand and Brush Cleaner. Look for it in the bar on the left of this page.

There are separate directions for dye-base and pigment-base inks and a third one for toner-base photocopies.

How to tell if your printer uses dye-base or pigment-base inks? Make a color print of something, using all four, six, or eight inks (depending on your printer) on plain paper and let it dry completely. Then, drip water on the print. If it just gets wet, it's probably pigment-base ink. If it get wet and runs or wicks, it's most-probably dye-base ink.

As an interesting note, there was a little Hand a Brush Cleaner left on a plastic plate when I was running these tests. The next morning, the cleaner was still in the plate. It had not evaporated. Interesting! Wonder if that is an indication of the no-VOC content?

2009-05-15T13:33:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting the tutorial on image transfers. My mom has suffered a (hopefully temporary) setback in rehab and I need to be at her side. Hopefully, she'll be back on top of it in a day or so and I can focus on the tutorial again.

In the meantime, thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes! They have been amazing!

Greetings for Clotilde

2009-05-13T12:01:00.006-04:00

I think this is going to be my (oversize) greeting for Clotilde. The deadline has been extended to the end of May. So, if you'd like to send a "congratulations on your retirement" greeting to her. Let me know and I'll send you my snail-mail address.

Many wonderful greetings have come in from colleagues and fans. I'm really excited about presenting her with an album of e-mail greetings and a box of cards and letters.

Also, I'll be posting another tutorial tomorrow on transferring inkjet images onto fabric, Tyvek, and Lutradur using Brush and Hand Cleaner from Earth Safe Finishes. It is way cool! Lyric Kinard started me down this path a couple days ago with her photocopy transfer technique, but my local copy shops don't use toner copiers anymore; they are all laser jet. So, Barbara Matthiessen and I have spent every spare minute the last few days working with inkjet prints from dye-base and pigment-base printers and the Brush and Hand Cleaner. I think we've got the winning combination, but it's different for the type of printer.

More tomorrow!

2009-05-11T14:20:00.003-04:00

While I'm working out the details on the Fabric Magic test, you might like to see one of the first things I did with Fabric Magic and Colorant. This is a really cool texture effect that later I found Barbara Matthiessen had already developed independently!

Barbara uses ugly duckling prints and overdyes them with 1 drop of Fabric Magic, 1 drop of Colorant, mixed with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.

I wrote a tutorial and share it here with her permission. My version begins with rust-dyed fabric that needed a little something more. Click the link in the column on the left for a download-able pdf file with photos, step-by-step instructions, and a link to Earth Safe Finishes for lots more information and a chart of all 22 Colorant colors.

Using the right colors, you could create beautiful faux marble, granite, malachite, and scads more! I just love the texture and want to print a texture or background photo on top, once we've established the proper parameters of pre-treating fabric with the Fabric Magic mix!

2009-05-10T10:52:00.004-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! Aren't these beautiful? DS Jake gave me two dozen roses in glorious mixed color for my birthday (May 7th) and Mother's Day.

The sun is shining here in Northern Indiana and the blustery wind has died down. It's only 50 degrees this morning, but at least it LOOKS like spring. LOL!

Today we'll go to see my mother in the rehab center. She was so tired yesterday from physical and occupational therapy, she didn't even want lunch. Fortunately, she was convinced to eat to help her regain strength, but pooped out less than halfway through afternoon Bingo. When I left, she was in bed and dozing off. She'll be glad to see Jake!

If you signed up to be part of the Fabric Magic test team, be sure to send me your e-mail address. It looks like the package will include a bottle of Fabric Magic, two bottles of Colorant, a project sheet, and test instructions. Shipping should be about $5 within the US.

More info later!

2009-05-09T18:19:00.003-04:00

Please continue to post your interest in the test team!

Nancy at Earth Safe Finishes has offered to include samples of the Colorant so you can try those too. So, we'll include a project sheet for that.

Monday I'll look into the most economical way to box this all up and ship it. So hang on, it's going to be an adventure!

Make your own inkjet coating for fabric!

2009-05-09T10:10:00.000-04:00

Make your own inkjet coating for fabric!

Longtime art buddy Barbara Matthiessen and I are really excited to share a recent discovery. This will be especially interesting to those who print on specialty fabrics and have had trouble finding Bubble Jet Set 2000.

Barbara and I have been working with Earth Safe Finishes products recently, a line of environmentally safe colorants (like an ink or dye), paints, and media. One of the products is a no-VOC (volatile organic compound) fabric medium called Fabric Magic, which can be mixed with the colorants and water, aloe gel, or shaving cream to create fabric inks, dyes, or paints.

Long story short(er): A few drops of Fabric Magic mixed with water, can also be used as an inkjet fixative on fabric!

Barbara has conducted the initial tests on this, since I've been with my mom in the hospital and rehab center, but we'd like to include YOU in a test team, if you're interested.

The first 25 people who respond to this will receive a bottle of Fabric Magic (for the price of shipping) and instructions, so the methodology will be the same throughout the team. When your tests are completed and results are returned, I'll send you a signed mini Threadography as a "thank you." Results will be posted here on my blog.

The goal is to test the Fabric Magic recipe with as many different printers and printer inks as possible to establish the versatility of this technique.

No, neither of us are employees of Earth Safe Finishes. We are just product development specialists in the quilting and craft industries, as well as artists who love to print on fabrics not available commercially coated.

If you're interested, please leave a comment on today's blog entry and we'll get details to you. We are really excited and hope you will be, too!

2009-05-08T10:42:00.006-04:00

My mom is much better, thank goodness! Surgery went well and we thought we was stable, until she had a reaction to the pain medication/anesthesia combination. She was on planet Ellie for about three days, hallucinating and unable to sleep. Someone had to be with her around the clock to make sure she was safe. Fortunately, the brain fog lifted yesterday morning and she's back to being her usual self.

Thank you to everyone who said prayers and sent kind messages. She is on the road to recovery. It will be at least six weeks until she is strong enough to go back home. Therapy will be strenuous and uncomfortable, but she is one determined lady!

These are photos of some small pieces made from photos posted on the blog a week or so ago (I've lost track of time, so it may be longer than that.) The altered photos were posted and these are the pieces printed on fabric and stitched.

Did you participate in Virginia Spiegel's Collage Mania? All eight of my pieces were acquired! I'm thrilled—thrilled they sold and thrilled to be a part of this incredible experience. The fiber art world owes so much to Virginia and Karen Stiehl Osborn for making it possible for us all to help the American Cancer Society in this manner!

2009-05-03T08:59:00.002-04:00

No photos today. I'm in a hospital lobby, waiting for my mother's surgeon to tell us she's out of surgery.

Ellie fell in her kitchen yesterday. The rubber sole of her shoe caught on the kitchen tile and pitched her forward into the sink. She bounced of the sink, hit her head on the oven door and landed on her hip and broke it (the hip).

Fortunately, the gentleman who works in her yard was nearby and had not started the mower or garden tiller and was able to hear her calling for help. At 86, even if she had been able to drag herself to the counter, there is no way she'd have been able to reach the phone. So, we are grateful help was immediately nearby.

The surgeon is installing two metal rods into the bone to hold the bone together while it heals. They tell us to expect recovery to take about 6 weeks. So, family and friends are rearranging their lives to make sure she has the support she needs.

Thank you for your prayers, good wishes, and positive energy. They make such a difference!

2009-04-28T17:20:00.004-04:00

Well, my first self portrait is finished for a challenge in The Thread Society Yahoo group. It began as a photograph and I removed all the background in Photoshop, put the eyes on top of the hands (from a second photo), and then printed it on fabric.

All the paint on this is Earth Safe Finishes Shimmering Gels (some opaque and some translucent). They handled very well on fabric and didn't change the hand of the fabric very much, considering the coverage.

The final step was to drop the feed dogs on the sewing machine and use free-motion stitching in the hair, to outline the arms and hands.

I'd like to do this several more times to refine the technique, but this will have to do for now.