A tutorial on how to make fabric from scrap threads and use your orts. Using wash away stabiliser or dissolvable fabric you can create a new fabric.
Using invisible thread can be tricky when working on a quilt project. This video gives a few helpful tips on when to use the thread and the type you should look for.
I found a vintage jacket at the thrift shop recently with this great trim, and decided that I wanted to figure out how to do it.
Sunday morning I played around with new stones thinking they were going to be grey but perhaps because it is the bleak mid-winter the stones turned a warmer colour. This piece is inspired by Mark's paintings of stones disappearing under water. He is brilliant at that. For both of us scenes like this bring up whisperings of summers spent on beautiful Georgean Bay. For those of you in Toronto don't forget The Artist Project at the Better Living Centre February 21-14, 2019 Mark Berens will be at Booth 506. Strips of plant dyed fabrics soon to become rocks. By Sunday evening I was happily couching away. I have based the background onto an old blanket and it is like stitching butter. The one thing about this kind of stitching is it allows for mind wandering and as I stitched these delicious rusts and browns my mind whispered memories of my beautiful Rusty Pups They are dearly missed As are their antics and adventures. And then as I prepared this post A photo demanded to be noticed So much like my new stones. I have a teacher who always says the piece you start next should always be informed by the last piece you did. Perhaps this means my next piece will have to be seaweed in the colours of my Georgean Bay stones. But I already have soooo many new beginnings just started! But my mind is flowing with ideas on how to go about a seaweed piece. It is so easy to have many ideas isn't it The days just aren't long enough for their execution! I hope you have a day rich in creative ideas.
Creating Stylish Conductive Fabric*: Conductive fabric is a fabulous product for eTextile design, but it is not always aesthetically pleasing. This is a method of creating your own conductive fabric from fusible fibers that will compliment your design project. I was sent some thread s…
A space to savour material qualities.
Enjoy a trouble-free experience when thread sketching or thread painting by learning how to prepare your fabric for thread sketching — and the importance of what goes underneath.
A Textile Designers guide to the art of Fabric Manipulation to use in simple craft projects
Al Cote started his artistic journey as a painter in the 60's and now enjoys the process and techniques used to create art with fibers.
When I realize that I have brought something new into the world, I can tell myself again that I am not a fraud. In this piece I am using a combination of two opposites, the seductive and the repulsive, to create something new. It's not a story cloth really. There is no meaning other than an artwork charged with energy. My thoughts come and go so quickly yet the work progresses slowly. I'm faster than me. The threads and fabrics are familiar things used in an unfamiliar way. What is usually used to make a neat seam or a mended pocket, is used here in a messy and raveled manner. An affront to what is expected, but like a storm we want to watch, it gives a bit of a thrill. We want to touch it to see if it's true. The work starts to invent itself. It's not that I lose control, but things happen that although interesting are not my original idea. It's as if I'm ordered to do something that doesn't come from me. In this piece I am working from the back, which gives me some control. There has to be order, even though I am using cut bits of threads and frayed cloth which are couched and then covered with snugly pulled running stitch. I am always working from both sides. beautiful - ugly control - lack of control shape - line order - chaos front - back fast - slow Working with opposites is what drives me to continue with the making over a period of months. For me it's exciting to see the messiness under my control. Untidiness is the subject. That's interesting. The smoother side is a bit too charming, but it is the result of that raw inner making. I try to give my work that extra edge.
Learn how to burn and read the ashes for 10 fiber types to identify fabrics.
Very less do we know that we can create textures and pattern with the things easily available at home. Here are few interesting ideas to try with fabric dying..
more overdyeing... this one is indigo with goldenrod and tea
You’ll receive all main formats (PES, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, VIP, VP3) and you’ll find your designs in your PURCHASE HISTORY I decided to group all my projects for thread scraps together in this page, so it’s quickier for you to find them. Did you collect all those threads scraps you have to cut off... Continue reading »
Well, it's Week 2 (see here for Week 1) of my complex cloth project and I decided what to do with two of my fabrics for a second step. Being so inspired by Itchiku Kubota's kimono work, I wanted to work shibori into at least some of my cloths. Two of them stood out as good candidates. The brightly colored orange/pink one because it was a little brighter than I wanted it to be and the blue one - both weren't really that interesting and could do with some spicing up before I started printing, stamping, sewing, etc. There are many shibori tying methods. For these two, I decided to do ne-maki, ori-nui, and arashi. Materials: *marbles or small stones *nylon upholstery thread *needle *PVC pipe - I'm using a small amount of fabric, so I used a smaller diameter pipe. The size of pipe will change how it turns out, so experiment. *waxed linen string or artificial sinew (available from leather goods stores or on-line art supply companies) Soak the fabric in a solution of 1/2 cup soda ash to 1 gallon water for about 20 minutes. Orange/Pink Cloth This is the cloth after I finished with the shaving cream dyeing last week: First, I tied lots of small marbles into the fabric for ne-maki. Put a small piece of the fabric around a marble or small stone and tie below it very tightly with strong upholstery thread or artificial sinew. The plan here is to get a ring - it didn't quite work this time, but that's the plan. After every several wraps, pull tightly on the thread. Tie in a tight double knot when finished. What you are doing is making a resist - the thread will resist the dye and keep it from reaching the fabric underneath. I also added two rows of ori-nui. To do this, use a running stitch of doubled strong upholstery thread and sew very small stitches in a long line. Make several (at least 4) of these lines parallel to each other. Leave about a three inch tail of thread at each end. Pull the threads (all threads of one row at once) and gather them up as tightly as you possibly can. Tie them together in a knot next to the fabric. Again, you're making a resist - hopefully the fabric will be so tightly gathered that dye will not be able to reach the inner portions. I then put the fabric on a rack over a tub and began to paint the dye on. The main reason for doing this instead of dipping the fabric into the dye is to limit how much dye gets onto the fabric and soaks into the areas you want to be resisted. To make ne-maki and ori-nui work well, you need to paint close to the resist but not right up to it, letting the fabric wick it up further. I didn't do that this time - mostly trying to be fancy and get double rings from the ne-maki and a darker trail from the ori-nui! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This time it didn't work out as I planned, but it turned out very interesting. I painted the rest of the fabric with a much wider brush. Oh - I used Safari Gray if anyone's wondering. When the dye is in place, put the fabric in a seal-able plastic bag and leave for 12 to 24 hours. Be careful that any parts you don't want dyed aren't sitting in a pool of the dye. Rinse, cut out the thread (very small scissors and a seam ripper work well), rinse again and wash. This piece is a lot more interesting now! It'll be fun to continue with for the next layers. Blue Cloth For this piece, I decided to do an arashi fold. Arashi means "storm" - it often looks like wind driven sheets of rain. There are lots of different variations, depending on how you twist and tie the fabric and the size of pipe or pole you wrap the fabric around. This is the piece after last week: First I twisted the fabric diagonally (you can also do this horizontally or vertically) and wrapped it around a piece of pvc pipe. I tied it into place with artificial sinew, and then squished it together as closely as I could and wrapped it again in a back and forth pattern. I painted darker blue and a purple in stripes (again on a rack over a tub) and put it into a seal-able plastic bag. Again, much more interesting! Next week I'm using discharge methods to take dye off the fabric in certain places. There are a couple of good products to do this with. And until then I'll be pondering again on what my next steps will be! Happy Creating! Deborah
Couching is an embellishment technique that lets you add color and texture to the surface of fabric, stitching cords, yarns, … More
A scrap of fabric that I was practicing a new transfer technique on. I think it's gonna work.
The ramblings of a textile addict studying for City and Guilds level 3 Diploma 7923 Embroidery through Distant Stitch with Sian Martin, Urchfont College, UK
Adapted from a hand embroidery technique, couching is a simple way to add color and texture to a project, stitching cording to the surface of the fabric.
Adapted from a hand embroidery technique, couching is a simple way to add color and texture to a project, stitching cording to the surface of the fabric.
Discover simple techniques for improving your thread sketching techniques lightning fast, while also making beautiful and useful works of art.
Hemp fabric is a type of textile that is made using fibers from the stalks of the Cannabis sativa plant. This plant has been recognized as a source of extraordinarily tensile and durable textile fibers for millennia, but the psychoactive qualities of Cannabis sativa have recently made it harder for farmers to produce this immensely beneficial crop.
Lois Ericson shows you how to create uniquely colored and patterned fabrics with ordinary household bleach.
A tutorial on how to mordant plant based fibres succesfully, with full step by step instructions. Enjoy!
Artist Rima Day embroiders a labyrinth of undulating root systems and sinuous veins.
In today's culture of disposable fashion, the simple art of basic darning and mending has been all but forgotten.
This tutorial will get you started with unlined pojagi by hand. The seams are completely enclosed, so there is no right or wrong side to the end product.
When I first started teaching, weaving was in our curriculum and I was scared outta my mind. The only knowledge I had of weaving came in the form of the fiber arts class I took in college...where I got a C due to my crappy weaving project. I remember warping one of those giant floor looms for what felt like hours (prob only took 15 minutes but it was dreadfully dull) and skipping a warp strand. "Eh," I thought, "what's one warp strand, the professor will never know." Well, that one strand created a huge runner throughout my weaving and dropped my GPA down...along with the C I also acquired in Karate. Turns out Indiana University takes weaving and martial arts super seriously. Fast forward to the present and weaving, sewing and all things fiber-artsy is one of my favorite things to teach...and the kid's fave thing to learn! Since I'll be joining in on Trixi Symond's Sew a Softie in July, I thought I'd share this video I created for the Art of Education's online conference. This video is from several conferences ago...but I still use the ideas and methods in my art room. Are y'all signed up for this summer's conference? I'll be leading a hands-on clay and printmaking session and I'm so excited! My students love fiber arts...and it's a skill that just isn't taught as much any more. All the more reason it is so fascinating to them. You can find a list of my very favorite fiber art projects here. I mentioned a ton of lessons and videos in that clip...you can find them all in that link! You are ALWAYS welcome to use my videos in your art room. I just appreciate a shout out when projects are shared via social media. And don't forget to join the fun of Trixi's Sew a Softie in the month of July!
Find the free pattern here: www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2013/4/5/mollys-sketchbook-r...
I have to be honest, woven t-shirts are usually not my friend. I have a hard time fitting them and bias tape makes me cringe (but so do facings)….it’s so hard. But, before my trip to Utah I really wanted to sew up some new rayon tops and was so happy I did – there’s […]
Lois Ericson shows you how to create uniquely colored and patterned fabrics with ordinary household bleach.
* I love the delicacy of Peggy Osterkamp’s fiber work. Once an apprentice to Jim Ahrens in a production studio, Osterkamp has introduced hundreds of students to weaving theory and production …
Unlock Your Creative Potential! Be your own expert at thread sketching, thread painting and artful appliqué. Use these tutorials to learn how to get started in creative free motion stitching and art quilting, and take your work to a new level. Begin an exhilarating journey into the world of thread sketching and thread painting –
Explore this photo album by Andrea Farina on Flickr!
