Combining Techniques = Full Bloom

I shifted my focus ever so slightly from total immersion in creating fabric to actually using the piles of fabric that I have! I started pulling out pieces that caught my eye and came up with some ice dyed fabric and a piece I stenciled a while back. The colors seemed to go together and adding black made the piece pop.

"Full Bloom" will be exhibited at the upcoming Botanical Inspirations exhibit at the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens in Stamford, CT. On June 9th the arboretum will be hosting their annual Spring Tour from noon - 4:00. We invite you to join the Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective for a reception and gallery talk on the 9th from 2:00 - 4:00. The exhibit will run through the month of June. 



Full Bloom
38.5 X 21.5

Full Bloom - Quilting Detail
The flower stencil was created by deconstructing a
Rose of Sharon flower and making a stencil of each piece.
The flowers were stenciled using Speedball ink.

Full Bloom - Flower Detail
The texture in the leaf was created by placing a discarded onion bag behind the stencil and using a Shiva paint stick.

What types of things have you stenciled to create unusual textures?! Do share....

Look What Roz Did!

I get a huge thrill out of seeing how other artists use the fabric I created! We are all individuals so no two people will interpret the same fabric in the same way. From the moment my buddy, Roz Spann saw this fabric she kept saying it reminded her of trees... I tried my best to see her vision but honestly I wasn't able to "feel it"!

Roz recently debuted her design and I was blown away! Yes... Roz saw trees.... beautiful trees against a night sky! I never would have imagined this design and I love it! The piece still needs to be finished and if it looks this wonderful now I can't wait to see the final product!

Roz Spann with her beautiful quilt top! I can't wait to see the finished result!

Roz's trees started with this piece of confetti dyed fabric... trees... who knew?!

If you created something from one of my fabrics please, please email me a photo so I can share it on line!

 

 

Confetti Techniques is Published!

I'm delighted to share my Confetti Dyeing Techniques in the latest issue of Quilting Arts magazine. The issue contains a number of cool "must-try's" including Mickey Lawler's sand painting techniques, Jane LaFazio's stencil to stitching article and so much more!

Please share photos of your Confetti Dyed fabrics. I'd love to see your results!

 

 

Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History!

The Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective got together to take some publicity shots for upcoming materials and veered a bit off course! We were determined NOT to have a typical group photo sitting around a table looking prim and proper. We wanted photos that were more representational of the fun we have...so here we are in all our glory!

Carol Eaton, Toni Torres, Carol Vinick, Karen Loprete
Diane Cadrain, Mary Lachman and Roz Spann!

In Need of More Hours in the Day!

I've been busy every morning in my studio but I don't seem to have much to show for it worthy of posting!

I've been ice dyeing large pieces of fabric because my dear sweet mother said she'd make me a bed quilt if I created the fabric... sweet! I'm plugging along on that and believe I have the right color combinations that my hubby and I can agree on!

I had this idea in my head about creating a piece of fabric that was a chain link fence with flowers growing up the fence like a vine. I was all excited and silk screened flowers and sponge painted the fence and with the final wash of blue sky I just knew it would come out... wrong! It didn't come out as expected so I confetti dyed over the whole thing which completely took the piece in another direction... sigh... I dicharged some flowers to tone down the over dye and it's in the washer now. Tomorrow is another day and a new idea will come to me to figure how the design will be finished.

I also have some other fabric in the washer ready to be over dyed in ice tonight. I promise to upload pictures whether the work is good, bad or ugly :)

I hope you are all happily creating!