Posted in sewing

Stash-busting: Open Wide Zip Pouch

Posted on by Laura Kate

Okay, so I’m making this zip pouch because Chris at Chrisknits can’t stop making them! They are just so darn quick and useful. You can check out her blog here:

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/32776

Do I have what I need? Let’s see. The project requires about 1/4 yard of fabric each for the outer shell and lining as well as a zipper. This one is about ten inches long.

I also required the better part of a cup of coffee to get started.

The gold cotton damask on the left is left over from a bedspread I made about 15 years ago. This scrap has been used in an experiment with Dye-Na-Flow fabric paint. I applied the paint to the back side of the fabric, to see if the color would seep through the woven vines but not through the shiny gold parts. It sort of did that. Now I have a use for it.

I also have this scrap, printed with shiny gold dillweed stems. I’ll use it for the bottom section of the bag.

Instructions for this project come courtesy of Anna Graham, at Noodle-head. com. You can get the details here:

open wide zippered pouch: DIY tutorial

My first attempt took about an hour or so to complete, with only one rip-it-out moment.

This is very girly looking, with the pairing of flowery and metallic prints.

Here’s a peek at the inside. It does indeed open wide.

This will be a nice item for gift-giving. I think I will make the next one with a wrist strap.

Posted in quilting

Thread Art Mounted on Canvas

Posted on by Laura Kate

Here’s the Thread Art Baby with border and binding complete, mounted on an 18 by 18 artist canvas. It turns out that the finished dimension was Not a perfect 18 by 18 square. The damask napkin alone was shorter by one inch than it was wide. I chose not to square up the piece. So I had to fill in some color on the canvas.

I’m still happy with this one, and glad that it is now on my studio wall.

Posted in painting

Open for Business

Posted on by Laura Kate

We are at Phase Two of pandemic recovery here in OK. That means our governor has allowed non-essential retail stores to re-open. I celebrated by visiting the local craft store three times so far to re-stock on some things and to buy new supplies for mounting my FOs.

I am following Cindy Anderson’s advice for attaching fabric works to stretched artists canvases.

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/35439603/posts/27143

On the advice of blogger Melody Johnson…..

http://mixitupmel.blogspot.com/2014/07/small-quilt-presentation.html

…….I have acquired this little item.

Today I will be mounting my Just Trees piece. For this one, I want to paint the canvas around and on the edges. This requires me to work with acrylic paint. I chose four colors of thin craft paint that has been in my stash for years. Here is my finished canvas, showing a wet-on-wet technique.

The colors will blend easily with the purple border on my fiber object.

I took at break for lunch while the paint dried. Then I attached the Velcro tape and waited for 15 minutes, per the package instructions.

Hook side of Velcro – look closely at upper edge of corner.

Lastly, I attached the quilt, pressing the two sides of Velcro together. It worked like a charm.

Just Trees – Now show ready

View of the quilt from the right edge, showing paint:

It is very satisfying to get my work up on the wall. I had a lot of fun today, playing in paint, and I look forward to getting all of my finished art quilts show-ready.

Posted in colorwork, quilting

Thread Art Baby Portrait F.O.

Posted on by Laura Kate

This is a qualified finish. I still need to quilt the border and bind the edges. But the creative work is essentially done. I chose to use echo lines to quilt the background. The work went swiftly and smoothly.

The cotton damask fabric is a joy to work with. I had the benefit of a fresh needle in my machine, thanks to the delivery of my on-line order from Bluprint.com.

Following the example of Lola Jenkins, I used Prismacolor pencils to color the image. I had never tried this medium on fabric before. But by working slowly and carefully, I managed okay, rendering shadow and highlights modestly. Here she is as of today.

Here is a close-up of the subject.

I noticed that a damask vine landed smack in the middle of her onesie. I didn’t plan that placement, but serendipity happens. So I chose to leave it unpainted and embroidered a running stitch around it.

At 18 inches square, this piece is a good size for framing or mounting on artist canvas. Perhaps the arts supply store will open soon and I can buy what I need. In the meantime, she will be tacked up on one of my foamboard panels, allowing me to admire her on a regular basis.