Art Spirals

Here's what I made from my first silk fusion lessonWendy gave me this spring. I stitched it onto a piece of yellow suede, covered it with water soluble fabric to not get my sewing foot trapped in the fuzzy layers, without thinking. So I tried to use a brush with water to dissolve the fabric, but I wasn't happy with it, so I dunked it. It dried, of course, the silk paper isn't as soft and wonderful as it was, but that's ok. I then cut up squares from the lime green dyed tablecloth used to make the postcard, shown yesterday, stitched it on with beads and sequins, through a copper metal lace ribbon. Then stitched it onto the blank, and glued the ultrasuede backing onto the inside. Fiddly work, but I like the outcome...although, it may be too hot to wear it here in the summer!

I"m pretty proud of these porch steps. This is a study for a quilt I'm doing, and may end up being one of the pieces of it. I'm following along the lines of Beryl Taylor's Mixed Media, making small items in the same colorways/themes and then experiencing the unknown joy of how they will go together. So, these steps are from three different values of recycled fabrics, the pale highlights are actually from the distressed creases near the pocket of a pair of stretch jeans, cut using paper template from my drawing, temporarily sprayed in place and then free motion embroidered. now on to peaches....

I had an idea for layering fabrics, FMEing, and slitting open layers thinking it would be cool. I didn't like it when I finished, so I cut out other areas to make the ATCs for the Clothpaperstudio Fiber ATC swap using french knots.

So here are the fabrics:

Here are the layers, FME'd together, painted with lumiere paint, and some places slit open and stitched. I'm not happy with the slashing technique...could have picked better layer fabrics.

Here's my favorite ATC from the project:

I like this one a bunch too. Galaxy ATC:

This one is ok too. Flower Shadow:

I had fun painting over FME lines and then FMEing OVER the paint to create another layer. This is influenced by reading this wonderful book: The Painted Quilt: Paint and print techniques for color on quilts by the mother/daugheter team Linda and Laura Kemshall.

The main thing I’ve learned in doing these is how to slow down the machine, almost zen like, and make larger more uniform stitches doing free motion embroidery. And THAT is a lesson worth learning!