Curved inserts on your art quilts or projects add movement and interest, and curved checkerboard in particular can make a very bold statement especially if unusual color combinations are used.
Curved checkerboard may look impossibly difficult to make, but it is in fact a very simple process.
Supplies
Two pieces of fabric in contrasting colors approx 40” wide
Quilters’ ruler
Rotary cutter
“Journey” copyright Linda Matthews 2009
Dryer Sheets are a fun and interesting way to add texture or other special effects to your art quilts and as I was preparing some dryer sheets for the upcoming Dryer Sheet mini-class being held over at the “Free Lunch Cafe” and which starts on the 1st October, I thought I’d share the tutorial with you all and also allow my students to get a head start in their preparation.
First of all the warning.
Most dryer sheets are toxic because of all the stuff they put in the perfumes. The toxins can permeate your skin when you wear clothes that have been dried using dryer sheets, and toxic fumes can be inhaled when you iron dryer sheets.
I’ve just spent the last week playing around with one of my favorite techniques – fabric paper – but with a twist.
I just love the paper fabric technique because you can produce such beautiful surface texture and the piece can be as soft or rigid as you need. This time round I’ve been playing with adding some free motion embroidery and decorative stitches to the fabric paper before painting it.
Some of the results have not been so good which is annoying because it’s such a time consuming process, but I think I’ve finally found a process that works. I just love the results so far on this piece and can’t wait to finish it!
By the way, don’t forget to sign up for the new November mini-class at the Free Lunch Cafe – “Fabric Paper”. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite tips and techniques for making fabric paper.
Photo courtesy PhotoXpress
Art always amazes me – the good – and even the bad, and I’m constantly inspired by the way an artist interprets his subject.
This piece of art is absolutely assured to inspire you almost as much as the story behind it. Make sure you read to the end of the article. Continue reading
I use sheer fabrics quite a bit, mostly for shading and other special effects on my art quilts. However I thought I’d take it a step further and try some experiments with printed sheers.
I’ve heard a lot about Extravorganza and how great a product it was so I had no hesitation in purchasing a pack but have to say it was an expensive and disappointing experience. After doing a few small test prints with good results, I printed my design which was quite large and took up most of one sheet. After removing the backing paper I found that the fabric had been attached to the backing paper crooked so my resulting print had a lovely and extremely noticeable wavy edge on two sides, which was not at all the effect I was looking for and after trimming the edges my design was considerably reduced in size and the effect was lost.
So while I might recommend Extravorganza for the convenience of doing small prints, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for anyone wanting to work with large prints, particularly since it is so expensive and the risk of a lopsided print is high.
How many times have you been caught out looking for the *perfect* embellishments to finish your project? Inkjet Shrinky Dinks to the rescue!!
Be inspired by these beautiful photos. Look closely … what catches your eye? The colors? The shapes? A pattern, or perhaps a simple line? Inspiration can come from the unlikeliest of places.
Photos courtesy www.morguefile.com Continue reading
After making those little talisman pouches the other week, I was fascinated by working small, much smaller than I generally work, so I thought I’d try a small mixed media piece and “How to Keep a Secret” is the result. The piece turned out a little larger than I planned (approx 16″ x 8.1/2″) by the time I’d stitched it to a machine and hand quilted background but I kind of like the mounting.
Creative Living Media currently has a great subscription offer – simply sign up with your email address and get a 6 month free subscription to their digital version of “Quilting Down Under”, a great aussie quilting magazine. Or alternatively you can enjoy a free subscription to their other magazines Creative Paper or Creative Experssions.
No strings! Wow!!
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