Making "texture" silk screens

I've been wanting to make some silk screens featuring texture...to serve as a backdrop or just liven up an otherwise flat looking fabric. So the fun was finding odds and ends in my studio that might work. I came across this very wide piece of lace...purchased ages ago at Clothworld (remember that store)....they used to have a sale twice a year...lace was 1 penny a yard and the limit was 600 yards. You had to measure and cut yourself but I always got there when the doors opened, armed with a yardstick and scissors and always managed to come home with the full 600 yards. I don't know what I was thinking.......all that lace but I can't resist a bargain....so now 30 years later, I'm still wondering. Well I found a use for 1/2 yard of it - make a silkscreen from the image! I laid it flat, scanned it and copied it...but thought it was too flat looking....soooo...
I rippled it and now I like it better!

I scanned the image into my computer (to be manipulated in Photoshop Elements).

I also found some cool looking netting that I rippled and made an image of.

There are steps you can do in Photoshop Elements to make the image clear, dark and with good line definition before bringing it to a lazer copy. Here is the original copy which I put in PE for manipulation.

The first thing I did was to make an "auto color correction" under enhance. There is still not enough strong line definition to make a good screen.

Next I hit enhance, adjust color and then remove color which will make it into a black and white but still not enough definition.

Next I went to filter, sketch and then photocopy which gives an even-ness to the image but still not dark enough.

Then came enhance, contrast, color correction and remove color...and I think it looks good now...will make a good screen. In order to use this image on my Thermofax, I had to make a lazer copy of it at an office supply store. The special screening used in a Thermofax will only react with the toner used by lazer copiers.

And the screens did turn out nice...will be fun to use them.

Another Sheila Jacket

A while back I posted about my student - Sheila - a wonderful sewer, designer and jacket maker extraordinaire. She made a wonderful jacket in my weeklong workshop in Greenville, NY. She does a great job and also has the opportunity to wear them to work everyday...which her co-workers greatly appreciate. She recently emailed to show me pictures of her most recent jacket made during the Christmas break! The jacket is called "Albany Autumn" - how appropriate...inspired from the beautiful autumn foliage in Greenville (near Albany). I loved the base fabric she chose....an interesting black and white tree print which works well for highlighting the bright colored leaves on top.
Sheila chose a light colored tree print fabric to use on the sleeves and jacket bottom.

Notice the wonderful subtle decorative stitching ...adds a lot to the surface.

Sheilas choice of background fabric was a good one and easy to see in this detail...what a great combination of fabrics....and buttons.

Enjoy wearing it Sheila...I know others will love seeing you in it and thanks for sharing!!

Join me again real soon for my latest "mini-quilt" for the Alzheimer's initiative and a tutorial on bobbin couching...also Bear tracks and Murder on Bridge Hill (my aunts property in Greenville, NY where there was a murder....many...many years ago....SPOOKY STUFF)

Sewing Projects

I have a few sewing projects for the winter...I used to make clothes all the time but have really turned to quilts...no bodies to fit etc....The things I do make for myself now are fast and easy...notice the patterns...Fast and Easy!
Very Easy Vogue....

Another Fast and Easy...

AND....It's so easy. There was a sale going on at a local chain store...all patterns were $1 and Vogues were $4. so I stocked up. The pattern below is being used for jammie bottoms. I have a problem with jammie bottoms...I'm average height so nothing is ever too short to begin with but everytime I buy jammie bottoms...they shrink to a ridiculous length - first washing! I feel like a little kid who's just gone through a growth spurt...pants above the ankles...and I hate that. Not that I'm that particular about what they look like....but my ankles get cold. So to that end, I started making my own....super easy...elastic waist...left out the pockets (who needs pockets when you're sleeping?...right?) and made them super long to allow for shrinking.

I've had this silk charmeuse for a very long time ....I used to be a silk-aholic ....bought lots when I lived in Atlanta from a wonderful store and great prices. My stash of silk has accumulated over the years so it's time to use it. I love this piece...obviously there was a plan in mind that never came to be so now they will be jammie bottoms. .......and I will probably enjoy them more than the original intent.

And a piece of polyester with such a pretty melting of colors...original intent to be a quilted jacket. But now, I don't think I want to quilt on something so slippery...sooooooo.....more jammie bottoms.

And a piece of light weight drapery fabric with a really neat pattern...(no jammie bottoms this time...)....this will be a simple jacket...maybe some thread embellishment following the lines of the pattern.

And a piece of Black Watch wool plaid...my favorite of all plaids...there's a lot of yardage here so haven't decided yet but I'll get more than one thing out of it.

And some leopard print !!!

So the one pair of jammie bottoms is done....and they do feel so nice to wear.

So the moral of the story.....when in doubt ....as to what to make..... make jammie bottoms! You will feel luxurious in them!

Rings and Rings and Things

What do you do with with a bunch of rings you've collected over the years...you don't wear them but they're too sentimental to part with....like my mother's high school ring and her Eastern Star ring, my dad's wedding ring, my high school ring and my first ring from when I was 5 years old. There's also a ring in this pile dated 1929...don't know who that belongs to but it was in amongst the family treasures.
Years ago, I made a charm necklace of all the charms from bracelets and necklaces I didn't wear. It was so much fun, brought back memories and got lots of comments....sooooo I thought why not a "ring necklace". Here's my mom's highschool ring...blurry picture but it's such a great ring with lots of sentimental value.

And my first ring...I feel fortunate to have parents who valued these sentimental items and saved them over the years.

I am working with a silver chain and using the larger links for placement of the rings.

The design of this chain provides the perfect spacing as the rings don't touch each other....wouldn't want it to be overpowering or too "clanky".

So I laid out the rings first...trying to mix size and design...I found I liked the lighter ones at the bottom...just seemed to feel better on me. I also found I couldn't use all the rings...would have been too much, so I pulled from my favorites.

I used little jump rings to attach the ring to the chain. The triple loop rings which are so secure wouldn't work here as the ring bands were too thick.

I also purchased a little (and easy to use) soldering iron from a chain craft store. With a 40% off coupon, it made it around $8. The tip gets very hot (950 degrees) but it has a stand to hold the iron, keeping your hands far enough away while you work.

I tried the necklace on to see placement, how the rings laid and felt on me....then I soldered the rings in place...what a neat variety...The first (far left) is a ring my father had made for me from a stone he found on the beach, next - a pearl ring from younger days, also the mystery ring from 1929.

my dad's wedding band (left), my mother's Eastern Star ring...

My first little ring is at the very bottom along with a garnet ring from my grandmother. And it's done!.....This was a fun project along with a trip down memory lane...family treasures are the best!

Sunrise

It was 1 DEGREE outside when I got up this morning.........don't think I've ever seen it that cold here....no wind though....not that it matters, I'm not going out in this anytime soon...well maybe for a second to take some pictures of the sunrise on the snow. It really was a beautiful scene....everything so still and peaceful.

My husband went out a little later to take some pictures of the icicles on the trees....

Hard to tell, but this tree was glistening with ice.

I love winter....I love snow but am ready for this to be over!!

Small Works - Mushrooms 1

Back in the fall, when nicer weather prevailed and I was able to walk outside, I was able to collect mushrooms to use in Deconstructive Screenprinting...a wonderful technique I learned from Kerr Grabowski - a master of this technique. I'm in love with the technique...one of the most fun things I've done in a long time. Currently, I'm working on a large piece using prints made from these mushrooms...nowhere near completion but in the meantime, I've loved doing these little studies with leftovers. They go together fairly quickly and a good break from the designing process of a larger piece (which is always difficult for me). I was able to make quite a few of the print below...all a little different as each print changes as the amount of dye released changes.
I also had these smaller mushroom prints made from some different "shrooms"...both using the same color dye - procion mx bronze (although they look different in the photos).

I also used some blue fabric I dyed and then discharged using a silk screen pattern of cheesecloth.

I love to include writing in my pieces and often use a fabric which is silkscreened with an old family recipe. This one is for "apple cake" written by my grandmother - a fun personal touch.

My friend Val who is an amazing artist makes all her own silkscreens (the traditional way). My favorite ones are those that add texture to the background. I love her dot series and was inspired to make something similar. I like to screen a sample on clear plastic to keep in the folder with the screen (my screens are made with a Thermofax which turn out very flat). This way I can lay the plastic over a piece of fabric to see how the design will work - a little more work up front but a good design tool.

The dots, I used on the blue and other areas, using a discharge paste and the "weeds" screen I used over part of the mushroom print.

These pieces are really quite small - only around 14 x 16".

I like to use couching thread in between the seams to offset the busy-ness of the prints. One thing about these prints....as much fun as they are to work with, they have a lot of energy and often hard to find something that will work with them. On the bronze piece of fabric, I used my favorite stamp/stencil - a gridded tape used in tile work...think you can see the little squares on the left on top of the bronze fabric.

Now to combine them all....

So it still has to be quilted (which will be very little) and finished...but it was a fun little piece to make.

FYI, Kerr Grabowski who teaches this technique is teaching this once again at

John Campbell school in September. If you're interested in learning this...Kerr is the gal to learn it from!