More monoprinting with Jacquard Fabric Paints

I've been continuing to experiment with printing using the Jacquard Fabric paints and the gelatin plate I made during the class with Linda Germain.  And I am feeling a bit more satisfied with my results as I discover ways to get the look I am after.  But I do need to use some of the many prints I have developed along the way.  So I thought I would try stitching into one of them, just using an echo stitch around the main shapes.  Then I am going to try painting/rollering over the stitching using one of the techniques that Laura Kemshall uses....more on that later.

This is as far as I got yesterday and I'm hoping to get a bit more done today before I prepare the piece for painting over.  I'll show you some more of those steps as soon as I get them done!

I have some yard work to do and I am going to go for a walk later with my guy who is home now from his winter in India and who is adjusting to our time and our weather....definitely not as warm here he tells me.  Good thing, I say!!!

I'll be back.....

Printing with Jacquard Fabric Paint

I have finished the class with Linda Germain (Printmaking, such a great class) and I am starting to play around with the idea of printing onto fabric using some of the techniques taught in Linda's class.  This first picture is of two of my paper prints that I did using my own stencils (except for the one on the far left, the string of circles, which is a purchased stencil from Joggles).

These next ones are my translation of the above paper pieces except that I have used Jacquard Fabric paints.

I get so frustrated that things don't last forever.  I have had some of these paints for quite a few years (four or five maybe?) and some of them have become too liquid to use on fabric. Sigh.  Nonetheless, I made do. (How silly of me to think that things will sit quietly in the cupboards, in pristine and ready condition, waiting until the moment I choose to use them. But honestly, why not!!!)  I used soft rubber brayers to spread the fabric paint onto the gelatin plate that I made in Linda's class and it seemed to work just fine.  Now I have to decide about what sort of stitch I want to put onto the fabric.  And I haven't heat-set it yet either.  But all in all, I am pleased with how the fabric paints worked onto the fabric. I found it somewhat difficult to get the same level of transparency that one can achieve with the Speedball waterbased inks onto paper, as in the top pieces, but this is just my first attempt, so I'm not calling it quits just yet!!   I also want to try the same idea with thickened dyes onto soda-soaked fabric.

Thickened dyes onto fabric will have to wait a bit however.  My guy has been away all winter (he doesn't like our winter climate, too grey for him) and he is coming home next week.  You may have noticed that this blog is not filled with stories of how I spend my time cleaning and polishing.  Today I gave my vacuum cleaner a good workout....but it's definitely not over yet!!! (Dust bunnies be warned!)  So I shall spend some time cleaning but, I don't know,  maybe not polishing.  I mean, I do have some other fun projects I'd like to get done before he gets home as well.  Priorities, right????

I'll be back.....

Early morning sunshine with a strong chance of stitch

I got up early friday morning and the sun was just starting to hit the clematis at the perfect angle....the one that gets me out with my camera.  We had a couple of days of unseasonably warm weather (up to about 24 degrees celsius!) and there were lots of people out as well as the flowers!

And then on the weekend I spent about 10 hours stitching.  It was good to make some head-way on my pieced quilt for the Kemshall class.  These are all my own hand-dyed fabrics and they are ones that I wasn't sure I would be able to use because some of them are quite distinctive, but I think (I think) they all work together here.  I hope you agree!

And now I am wanting to do some printing, inspired by Linda Germain's printmaking class.  (I notice that she has another one scheduled,with the sign-up this week.  It really is a great class, do consider it).  I am enthused to keep playing with the methods she showed us, and I want to try some of the ideas using thickened dyes.  I bought some heavier papers to try printing onto and I have cut some more stencils.  And I'm looking forward to playing with them all.

And so, check out both of these great sites:
www.lindakemshall.com;
 www.lindagermain.com

More to do and so hopefully, more to show you later.  I'll be back.....

Oak Bay Studio Tour 2014

My neighbour is a retired potter turned full-time acrylic painter and his partner is also an artist.  Both she and I work in fabric.  This year the three of us were part of the Oak Bay Studio Tour, and I have to say, it was a very pleasant event.  Of course it didn't hurt that the weather was lovely and that, to even arrive at my neighbour's studio, everyone had to walk through his very lovely garden....which meant that everyone was transported by the positive magic of nature before they even entered the studio!!  It was a really wonderful couple of days and we are making plans to show again next year.

This picture shows the end of the studio where Myrna and I showed our work. My work is at the far end and includes all the pics shown except the one directly under the clock, which is one of my neighbour's acrylics.  On the left hand wall are two acrylics (the boats) and the rest of the wall that you can see features Myrna's work.  She starts out with white fabric that she paints, then cuts to the shapes she is wanting and then she finishes each picture by painting into the cut shapes with oil pastels.  The effect is very unique and extremely beautiful.  The other end of the room is filled with about 30 very impressive acrylic paintings.  All in all, I think it was a very good show, both for us and for those visitors who came to see the studio.

 In the meantime, I am working on my pieced quilt and hope to have some bits to show you next time.
I'll be back.....

More printing in the Linda Germain class

I am really enjoying the class on monoprinting that I am taking as an on-line class with Linda Germain.  These are some of the prints from yesterday's printing session.

Linda gives great instructions for making a great gelatin plate and I find that it is holding up super well under daily use.  And it doesn't need to be refrigerated, which is great, and there is no problem with mold.  Also great.  It's not difficult to re-constitute when the time comes either.

It's a great class.  Do check out the link:
www.lindagermain.com

I'm busy working on my pieced quilt as well.  I'll show you that in a bit.
Soon, I hope, I'll be back....

Enjoying April and (Hazel) Mae

So it's not as if we've been doing nothing around here.  My son, his wife and my little grandson live in my suite. And they are expecting.  Well they were.  The other morning, early early, my daughter-in-law phoned and said "So, I don't know if you heard or not, but we had a baby last night."  What!!!???!!!  Nearly two weeks to go and the sweet little thing seems to have decided on an early coming-out-party!!  She is a tiny little doll and my little grandson is being an absolute trooper.  Of course, by some amazing magical foresight Hazel (who was born at home here) managed to do some early morning shopping and arrived with a couple of toys for her big brother...clearly she is scoring points right from the get-go!!!

I am taking a printmaking course (a fabulous course) with Linda Germain.  I've put a link to her blog below.

There is a lot to take in since this is all new territory for me but I am certainly enjoying it.  There is a new video each day (monday to friday) for the duration of the six-week course and tons of inspiration. I am doing my best to keep up (what with babysitting and all) and struggling with techniques that I find somewhat daunting but promising at the same time!  When all is said and done I hope to apply some of this to fabric.  In the meantime I am using the water-based printing inks from the supply list and an amazing gelatin plate that I have prepared following the instructions in the course.  It's working ever so well!

And then I am working still on my on-line class with the Kemshall's.  I am doing the part where I have to prepare a pieced quilt.  Well, since it's no longer technically City and Guilds I am taking a few liberties with the interpretation of 'pieced'.   So here is the start.  These are my own hand dyed fabrics but here it's not really pieced yet.  I have actually made a bit of headway since I laid out these pieces but now I am struggling with the whole quarter-inch seam thing.  Every time I sew a seam I am reducing the size of the original piece by 1/4 inch on each side so I am driving myself slightly nuts with proportions and colours, adding and taking away, what if, what if....  It has advanced somewhat from this stage but I don't have any pictures at the moment.  I'll have to get back to you.  When I'm not babysitting.  Or printing.  Or enjoying our April weather which is glorious beyond words!!

Hmmm.  It would seem that the balance of this post is going to be centred along with the picture.  Oh well.  figuring out computer stuff is most definitely not my strong suit.                                                                   

I'll get busy with some more of these pieces and get back to you in a bit.   

here is the link to Linda's site:  do have a look.  She does lovely work!!!

  http://www.lindagermain.com/

And if you don't know it yet, do also check out www.lindakemshall.com

Missing in In-Action

I have felt positively under the weather for weeks now and finally got myself to the doctor....pneumonia.  Good grief!  But so much better now with the wonder drugs!  Yeah!

I've done a bit of painting in my sketchbook.

And I've done a bit of stitching.  These pieces are all for the on-line class with the Kemshalls, Quilting and Patchwork.  I don't really do too much of this kind of work anymore (truth to tell, I haven't been doing ANY kind of work lately, ho hum.) but these are some of the pieces required for one of the modules.  It's all good learning and I'm enjoying that part of it for sure.  I've started the next module in which we have to design and stitch our own version of a patchwork quilt.  So I'm just starting to do some research for that.  I'm thinking it'll be a bit more 'free form' than these last two pieces.  Yup, for sure!

Apart from that, things have been pretty quiet around here.  But I can feel my energy coming back, spring is in the air, and all's right with the world.

I'll get busy and I'll be back....