How to make a no-sew scrap fabric découpage collage. It's an easy and fast method and the results are beautiful! All you need are a few supplies.
Instantly learn how to create a delightful and realistic pet portrait using fabric, batting, and thread. In this video download, artist Faith Cleary shares her method for creating unique quilted pet portraits.
During my January 2021 Patreon Show and Share, I gave feedback to one of my patrons who was working on a father and daughter portrait. She was having trouble with the little girl’s nose. At s…
As promised, I’m selecting some of the most popular posts from my blog and updating them with video—something that elaborates on or shows more detail in the fabric collage technique. Starting…
I am working on a project and I'd love to have your input! Please take a moment to answer the questions in this form. To make it worth your while, I'll enter you into a drawing to win a fabric bundle of your choice! Loading…
So you want to make a fabric collage quilt. Great! After choosing an image to work from, the next step in creating a fabric collage quilt is making a simple pattern. This is a critical step, one th…
So you want to make a fabric collage quilt. Great! After choosing an image to work from, the next step in creating a fabric collage quilt is making a simple pattern. This is a critical step, one th…
Joanne Schwartz has been a huge supporter of mine for years now. She’s traveled from California to attend a couple of my Maine quilt retreats, and she’s been a joy to have in class each…
Have you ever made or wanted to make a collage quilt? I made a collage quilt several years ago, and it was so much fun. I got so carried away cutting out flowers that I ended up making not one but two quilts. Each one had its own look because I just couldn’t make all the ideas play well together :) Some of these photos were taken many years ago, and you can tell cameras have come a long way, but I think you’ll get a kick out of seeing the process anyway.Collage quilts are basically a backgroun
Susan Brubaker Knapp's raw-edge botanical fabric collage tutorial is sew fun & inspiring. Any quilter, fiber artist, or crafter will love it!
As promised, I’m selecting some of the most popular posts from my blog and updating them with video—something that elaborates on or shows more detail in the fabric collage technique. Starting…
I have one week left in my Photoshop for Quilters online class. I thought I would share another PSE technique with you: The point of this lesson was to take an image and edit it so that you could print out a pattern to create an applique quilt. I chose a favorite image of my niece, Lilly: Original Image Image changed to black and white with levels adjustment Image deepened with Hue and Saturation adjustment Image has been posterized Then we were taught to soften the edges of the posterized version so that this could be printed out and used as a pattern to create a portrait quilt. These softened edges would be easier to cut out of fabric. If you look at the version above this one, you can see how much more detail there is in her hair that I removed. After the quilt top is completed, I could go back in and add that hair detail back in with machine quilting. How cool is that! You can find out more about this online class here: http://www.pixeladies.com CLICK HERE: to see My Quilts May Your Bobbin Always Be Full, LuAnn Kessi
Before starting your fabric collage pet portrait, discover what you need to know about colour value. It's the secret to great pet portraits.
As a designer / artist who is always trying to improve, there are times when my brain is on full-throttle creative mode and I seem to tap into a source of inspiration beyond my own capacity. I know that sounds weird. But, what I mean is that when I push myself to innovate, I'm rewarded with with that "stroke of geniu
Imagine you’re in one of my five-day classes. You’ve chosen an ambitious project: a fabric collage portrait of an important person in your life. But this is day two of the class. You…
Check out these picture quilt patterns and projects from the Bluprint community to inspire you to plan your first picture quilt.
Joanne Schwartz has been a huge supporter of mine for years now. She’s traveled from California to attend a couple of my Maine quilt retreats, and she’s been a joy to have in class each…
How to Design a Simple Art Quilt. Create an image and make it into an Art Quilt. Fabric scrap and fusible web will make it simple and quick
My interview with Ruby Ruler™ ambassador and amazing quilter Timna Tarr. She discusses how she uses the Ruby Ruler™ in her own work.
In May 2011 my wonderfully creative mother died at the age of 85. Her death was unexpected but not surprising - nonetheless, it still left a void in my sewing spirit. Several trips, alone, driving back and forth between Michigan and New York gave me a lot of time to process and think. When I returned from the funeral, I also returned to my empty sewing studio. The only problem was that I was not ready to be around a lot of people. I wanted to play. I didn't want to work. I put things on hold and did the bare minimum of business-related tasks. For a while, I mustered up the energy to cut a bunch of quilt blocks, then I decided it was time to laugh. I had ordered a copy of Amy Bradley's Quilters Yearbook and loved the funny caricatures but had never got around to doing anything with it. So I got out the book and started working on moi. I took some liberties with the pattern and directions - OK, I didn't quite fit the templates provided in the book! I had to cut some hair! Plus, I wanted it to be more "pop-arty" and highlighted with free-motion stitching and thread painting. I also wanted to wrap it around an artist canvas rather than bind it. I picked my two favorite colors and got to work, editing and trimming along the way. I laid it out and started fusing. I was totally making it up as I went. I really had no plan. I just cut and cut...and fused. Once I was happy, I accented the design with thread. And added some eyebrows! Then I started working on my mom's caricature. Trademark turtleneck, necklace, big glasses, and monochromatic ...that's my mom...everything matched. When I posted this picture on Facebook, my brother commented, "I knew exactly who that was!" So it's rather appropriate that the necklace I have from my mom's extensive collection is the exact one shown on the portrait! This now hangs in my office at work and reminds me to find my quiet creative spirit!
Earlier this summer, the Happy Zombie posted a quilt-along called the Ron Swanson Along. I don’t watch much TV and haven’t seen Parks & Recreation, but I still thought her quilt was…
Children use collage materials to make patchwork houses from cardboard and fabric scraps.
A tale of an IAEA Student Chapter Roundtable Presentation. [flickr id=”6463833451″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”] Before the IAEA Conference, my colleague in the Art Education MAT program, Keli Campbell, and I applied to present at the IAEA Student Chapter Roundtable. Our main interest and goal was to present a demonstration and lesson plan idea on Collagraph Printing. [flickr id=”6463825895″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”] What is Collagraphy? Collagraphy is a print-making process where various materials are glued to a hardboard to create a raised texture. The collaged collagraph plate can then be printed with a press or by hand with a roller. [flickr id=”6463828383″ thumbnail=”medium_640″ overlay=”true” size=”original” group=”” align=”center”] A few examples of various materials that can be used for Collagraph textures are: leaves, seeds, string (hemp), acrylic paint, crushed paper, bubble rap, sandpaper, cardboard, grass, and many others...
Slow Stitching is a new term for an age-old practice of quiet gentle making, mending, repair and stitching. Here’s what slow stitching is and how to do it, as well as what you can make from all your beautiful stitched pieces.
Children use collage materials to make patchwork houses from cardboard and fabric scraps.
If you haven't figured it our yet, fabric portraits is/are one of my interests as an art quilter. Here are some resources I've found to be helpful with this journey: Tutorials / Classes : This amazing quilt is "Rundy" by Marilyn Belford. Realistic Fabric Portraits with Marilyn Belford is an online class through Quilt University. If you haven't taken an online class, it's a wonderful way to * work with world-reknown teachers * meet people all over the world * be inspired by your fellow students * and get the benefit of the problem-solving brain power of the class. * And the best part is that you work at home--no schlepping a car-load of stuff to live classroom. I was able to finish the face of The Oliver (aka Bubble Boy) Quilt by taking Marilyn Belford's class. Painted Face for Beginners : Workshop on DVD (ASIN: B000XTVALG) by Bonnie McCaffery and Portrait Quilts : Painted Faces You Can Do (ISBN-13: 978-0976693437) I got the DVD more than a year ago, watched it, but have not been brave enough to DO it yet. Mostly because the tv and dvd-player at our house are nowhere near my studio space. Bonnie is a good teacher. Have you seen her monthly vidcasts, interviews and demos with world-reknown quilt artists? They are great! Faces on Fabric - online class with Terri Stegmiller A class combining quilting with a painted face. This class got me drawing faces, first. Then I wondered why I haven't been drawing faces for the last 20 years! The photo above is the work-in-progress I made in Terri's class the past few months. I think this might be my new preferred way to do portraits. Pam Holland has a nice tutorial on her website about portrait quilts. Although I haven't had a chance to see these DVDs by Lura Schwartz Smith, they are on my wish list : Workshops to Go : Faces in Fabric Jukebox Quilts Presents : From Snapshots to Art Quilts Here's another one on my Wish List : The Quilting Arts Workshop : Making Faces (ISBN: 9781596681880) with Maria Elkins Books : Portraits for Fabric Lovers (ISBN: 978-1-4116-9735-5) by Marilyn Belford. Marilyn Belford explains how to go from a photo to fabric with an applique method. See also the Realistic Fabric Portraits online class at Quilt University. Marilyn is a wonderfully encouraging teacher. Deidre Scherer does some amazing work! Her books, Threads of Experience (ISBN 0918949920) and Work in Fabric & Thread (ISBN 1571200444) are worth a look just for the inspiration factor alone. Photo Album Quilts (ISBN-13: 978-1600591891) by Wendy Bulter Berns Another book the explains the process of taking one of your treasured family photos and rendering it in fabric. Wendy is also an encouraging and enthusiastic teacher. Take one of her classes if you ever have the chance! Free-Style Quilts : A No-Rules Approach (ISBN-13: 978-1571201027) by Susan Carlson Susan Carlson is an amazing artist ... The book contains some amazing portraits like this one called Twilight : I even purchased the autographed lithograph poster (and framed it!) just so I could study her amazing work. This is absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to see what Susan Carlson does next! Faces & Places (ISBN-13: 978-1571200006) and Focus on Features (ISBN-13: 978-1571200532) by Charlotte Warr Andersen are two excellent books that explain the process of going from photo to finished quilt. Very useful for drafting patterns from photos, though I admit, I never did figure out her method of reverse applique. Faces and Places, if available is out-of-print and expensive. Don't forget to try your local public library if you want to look at at these books. The Dog Lady Speaks (ISBN-13: 978-0970349606) by Sharon Malec is about pet portraits. It contains step-by -step instructions for Sharon's unique free standing applique plus a section on how to design your own Picture Quilt pattern. The how-to-do-it section is useful in creating your own patterns (not just for dogs). Although Sharon has patterns for various dog breeds, you'll want to make your own if your dog is a mutt (like mine). Photo Fabrications (ISBN-13: 978-0952106074) by Angela Madden offers a good basic process for going from a family photo to a pattern to a finished quilt. Look at some of the other resources listed above for the details you'll want to add. Do you know of other tutorials, classes, books, resources on fabric portraits? Please leave a comment and I'll add it to the list. Paulette Insall offers an online mixed media class called All About Faces.
Promenade Indoor/Outdoor fabric in marine features irregular stepped bands and walks the line between an allover texture and a stripe. It’s a sturdy essential you’ll be coming back to again and again.
Sarah Bridgland received a BFA from University of Brighton in 2004 and an MFA from Royal College of Art in 2006. Her diminutive paper creations inhabit the territory between sculpture and collage. Delicately fashioned out of second-hand ephemera and fragments of her own printed media, her work creates spaces where the real and the imagined co-exist, where fact and fiction collide. Each piece is a myriad of textures, shapes and lettering, reflecting her interest in the formal concerns of the Russian avant-garde and Constructivism. Bridgland is fascinated by the marriage of forms and her work celebrates this. Playful in approach, it explores the endless permutations of the cut out as a miniature type of reality. Recalling the mobile paper engineering of children’s pop-up books and toy theatres it exploits the cut-out’s potential to create a narrative, make-believe world, where Bridgland employs each piece as if it were an actor or a prop in a play. Adopting a formal language, she organizes space by balancing the effects of different typefaces and graphics, textures and colours, to create a kind of three-dimensional drawing in which snippets of imagery and information invite the viewer to make their own associations, imaginary conversations between the juxtaposed forms. Her work has been collected internationally and exhibited in New York and Miami as well as in London.
