Fiber Junkies - Working with Transparencies

The first meeting of Fiber Junkies in the new year was held at my home. We are missing Denny so much; she is temporarily on a leave of absence due to health reasons....she is most anxious to see what we are up to and us to see her....... Soooooooo ....we did a face-time for our show and tell - most successful.

It was so great to hear her voice and see her latest which is always so inspiring and usually puts us to shame.

She had several pieces in the works which she shared....

Mary is our other very prolific member who is so productive and creates such beautiful things. Mary and I share a booth at Woolworth Walk and these felted items are big sellers there....small enough for tourists to bring home in a suitcase...but so decorative and functional. I've seen Mary put little battery operated lights inside.

These are my favorite with added texture in the way of felt curls, stones and twigs.

Well I thought this was clever....Susan loves to photograph texture and use it in her work and here is a book she made through Shutterfly with pictures of texture....How cool is that! Below that are some pictures of Gen's journal which she makes from scratch (pages). Each page is numbered and lined with all sorts of fun pictures on them. The opposite page is usually painted or a technique she has learned from one of her groups...usually the "junkies".

I could drool over them all day.

It was on to the project of the day....taking any image (size of computer paper or smaller, black and white or color), scanning them onto the computer, printing them out on a transparency. Please note you must use an ink jet or the ink won't release.

Laying the transparency face down on fabric recently brushed or moistened with an acrylic medium...and using the back of a spoon or burnisher, rub the image and rub and rub...The ink will release onto the fabric. It's interesting to note that you can print a transparency and use it down the road...no time limit on using it...which is cool.

Here's Gen above who wanted to transfer a colored photo...Getting a little side-tracked...we all loved Gen's blouse which matched her imagery...getting ready for spring.

I love the ones that Kate did...all pictures of her home in Folly Beach. She took pics, turned them into line drawings in a photo editing program and chose such beautiful fabric to print them on.

Here is another one of Kate's above....

We face-timed with Denny again at the end of the day...she worked along with us and was transferring pics of her family....such a good idea on Denny and Kate's part to do this. It was a fun day....always is..

PTA - Bringing in the New Decade

Our first meeting of PTA in the new decade met at my home a short while back. 

It was fun to get settled into a routine after the craziness of the holidays....not much show and tell...

as we were all still trying to catch up from the holidays...I know I just put my decorations away....

but Mary who is so prolific had something beautiful to share.....no surprise there. Her wall hanging consists of a pieced background made from deconstructed fabric we created in our other group - Fiber Junkies. This is such a high energy fabric...I always find it challenging to use but I think she has nailed it in this piece. Birds and grass created in black silhouettes are in the foreground.

At our holiday party, one of the sillier gifts was old antique clothing including undergarments. Connie who is a certified quilt appraiser loved this gift and quickly swapped her own for it. So this meeting, after doing some research, she came upon photos of old time undergarments to show us...most interesting.

Lynne has been busy dyeing fabric ...also working on a beautiful commission piece but wants to keep it under her hat until it is done and given to the buyer. We did get to see it and hopefully I'll be able to take a picture before she hands it over.

Marene has been doing some paper piecing as she sits long days in the hospital waiting on her husbands tests...well a nice way to pass time and also trying such an old-time and loved technique.

Barbara found this quilt in the book Master's Art Quilts Vol I...fell in love with it...was able to track down the artist who made it and get permission to make it. Barbara is probably the best piecer I know  and she loves it also, so I know this will be a beauty when done.
It was a great day seeing everyone again and just being back to our routine...We talked about some things to do during the year and I know it's going to be a good one...I hope yours is also.

Anticipation

Happy New Year and may the new decade bring lots of good things. As we enter January, I have to admit, I have a fondness for winter which many people view as WHAT...!!!!!  I've always loved cold weather - not extreme cold, but cold which suggests fires in the fireplace, comfy pjs and slippers, winter soups and lots of studio time. 

When one wakes up to this and wishing it were snow.....well maybe next time.

But it is pretty and cold.....so I'll take it.

Now mind you, I grew up in New York where snow frequently visited my town. We had many snow days off from school and when I became a teacher and had to drive to school in snow....I was not happy.

So I guess it's all in your point of view or stage in life....so it's off to my studio today...too cold to venture out. My PTA group (Professional Textile Arts) is meeting here on thurs...lots to do and hopefully a great show and tell for inspiration. Will report back.