Machine Needle Felting

This week on the blog I’m sharing with you some of my very favorite techniques and you know they’re my favorites because I’ve written dvds about each of them! Today is all about machine needle felting.

I love machine needle felting; particularly that you can get fabulous results in a relatively short period of time because those needle felting machines can really pick up speed when you need them to. Plus, machine needle felting is very creative.

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My Favorite Techniques on DVD

I’m often asked if my instructional dvds are compatible for use in countries other than the US. The answer to that is…

Absolutely!

In fact my dvds are scattered all around the globe – the US of course, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, and Asia!

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What Was I Thinking?

“I’m not sure if I’ll embellish this art bag.”

Of course I was going to embellish it!

Plus I found a fabulous way to use up my old broken jewelry.

I really love the way it turned out. What do you think?

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I Forgot To Mention …

I’m still stumbling my way around there so bear with me, but it looks kind of fun.

See you there!

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Printing on Fabric 101: Fabric Options

You can print on just about any type or color of fabric so long as it’s properly prepared and backed with a paper carrier so it feeds through your printer easily and without jamming. For washable prints, you need to make sure you use specially treated fabric, and for water-resistant prints you can use special printer inks. However there are also a few other considerations to think about in relation to the type of fabric you choose …

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New Work: Reminisce

I’ve just finished a new art bag using one of my latest digital art designs called “Reminisce”. Isn’t she pretty? I can’t wait to take her out on my next shopping trip. And yes! I do actually use my art bags because they’re not only beautiful, but they’re designed to be functional as well. I particularly love the design and colors of “Reminisce” and named the design because it reminded me of my grandmother – all lacy and lavender, and of course she loved her garden and her flowers.

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Miracles and Moments
A little inspiration to start the week.

Today enjoy this evocative image from Chi King.

Miracles come in moments.
Be ready and willing.
Wayne Dyer

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Another Use for Injured Prints

or How I Made a Mousepad in 5 Minutes

I’ve been threatening to make a new mouse pad for quite a while, but of course my “to do” list gets longer every day and it wasn’t a priority up until the other day when I finally couldn’t stand the sight of my old mouse pad which is all ratty on the ends, is covered in coffee and tea stains and probably breakfast stains as well, and is all together quite uninspirational and virtually unusable. I’ll do you a big favor and not show it to you.

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Printing on Fabric 101: Printer Inks

Continuing the series Printing on Fabric 101. Last week we looked at printer feed paths so today I’ll discuss printer inks, which is another important aspect when printing on fabric.

Understanding inkjet printer inks can get a little confusing because each printer manufacturer makes their inks using different technologies and these technologies are advancing and changing constantly.

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Digital Grounds – now available on DVD …
Exploring Digital Grounds on Fabric

Playing with Spray-On Fabric Dyes

by guest blogger Christine Predd (originally published 15 June 2009)

Several days ago I purchased some spray on fabric dyes at Hobby Lobby . . . I think they were sold for tie-dye projects, althogh I was planning to use them to dye some fabric for my art quilts. I live in a ranch style condo and only have a small patio, not a lot of room for serious fabric dyeing. This sounded perfect for my situation. I only bought the primary colors, hoping to create new colors as I used them.

The sun was shining today so I decided to get started. I cut two pieces of PDF fabric, 22 inches square or so. After laying one piece on a drop cloth on the patio, I proceeded to use some photo matting as my stencil and begin spraying on dyes in different places with the matting in different position. See the photos below.

I started with the yellow dye, then went to trying the blue dye. I kept changing the matt directions and colors as I went along.

After doing this for several times I ended up with the final piece you see here.

I like the distinct edges and the overlapping shapes. I did this piece without using water at all, only the dyes.

Next, I decided to take another piece of PFD cotton and first spray it with water then randoming spray on the dyes. I also added extra water then held up the fabric to allow it to drip down through the colors and create different effects. I call this piece the watercolor effect. Such a different image now……..no distinct edges, and a lot of color blending occurred.

I plan to use each of these pieces in an art quilt at some point, but I’m not sure just how yet. I may do more surface design, such as stamping or photo transfer on them before I decide. The dyes were set with a hot iron, they can also be set by putting the fabric in the dryer. I have dyes left over……….so I think there may be more experiments in store for me! Try it!

About Christine

Christine Predd has been quilting since 1986, and began art quilting in 2001. She lives in Indiana half the year, and on Anna Maria Island in Florida the other half. Her blog “Quilting on the Edge” can be viewed at http://www.christinepredd.com, where she writes regular commentary on her creative experiences, and sometimes makes small quilts to accompany her writings.

I first heard about using clear tar gel as a skin for organza over on Marie Z. Johansen’s blog where’s she’s also doing some fun stuff with digital grounds, so I thought I’d give it a try as well.

Preparing an acrylic skin with clear tar gel can be a little challenging because of the thick and icky consistency of the gel, but being self-leveling, it isn’t so important to get an even coverage as with other gels or mediums because it levels itself and dries with an even and mark-free surface, and crystal clear transparency. The only thing I *really* didn’t like about this type of skin was the high gloss sheen it produced, however I found that you can tone down the gloss sheen by using a matte spray sealer.

On the upside, it does offer options for printing exceptionally vivid transparent images.

Using the same printer with the same photo settings, this is an image printed on untreated organza …

the same image printed on organza treated with digital grounds …

and the same image printed on organza with a clear tar gel skin backing, and then treated with digital grounds.

or to make it even more obvious

This technique is explored in more detail on my DVD Exploring Digital Grounds on Fabric. Or at the very least consider purchasing a sample pack of digital grounds to play around with. You can find out how to order digital grounds here.

This technique is explored in more detail on my DVD Exploring Digital Grounds on Fabric. Or at the very least consider purchasing a sample pack of digital grounds to play around with – it’s lots of fun. You can find out how to order digital grounds here.

Creativity, whether in art, business, or life, is the act of making new things or finding unique solutions to difficult problems. Creativity, just like writing, public speaking, or goat herding, is a skill that can be developed and improved with effort over time.

Besides being a skill anyone can learn and improve, creativity is also variable and fluid; depending on our mental energy, motivation, and circumstances, it can come and go like the ocean tide. However, by taking a few simple steps, you can develop a little more control over those tides.

1. Change Your Perspective. Imagine you were somebody else. How would they approach your task? Would a person of a different social background, gender, race, or nationality approach what you’re doing in the same manner? When you change your perspective and question your assumptions about the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to do a thing, you’ll begin to see multiple solutions to the same problems.

2. Free associate. On unlined copy paper, write down everything that comes into your head. If possible, fill an entire sheet with ideas. Don’t edit yourself or censor what you think are bad ideas. You will only have good ideas after you have a lot of bad ideas. If you like, you can use mind maps.

3. Keep an Idea File. You can’t always create on demand. Sitting down and staring at a blank screen is hard, but when you have a pile of undeveloped ideas, you always have something to draw from. Keep blank paper and pens handy, and carry a notebook with you wherever you go.

4. Keep Your Life Rich. Whenever you can, attend concerts, go to art galleries and museums, meet friends, and read great books. Alter your routines and the routes you take. Try new foods. Give yourself a little unstructured free time.

5. Imagine Your Outcome. When you start thinking about the final destination, you’ll begin to see the different paths you can take to get there. What do you want as the final result of your project? Personal satisfaction? A marketable product? A world-changing work of art?

6. Put In the Hours. The more often you do something, the more likely you’ll find inspiration on a regular basis. The more time you spend actively seeking and developing new ideas, the more new ideas you’ll have. Look at the most creative people in any field, and you’ll see they have put in thousands of hours.

7. Listen to Classical Music. Studies have shown that listening to some types of classical music gave temporary increases in problem-solving abilities and cognitive functions to college students. Putting on Mozart, Bach, or Vivaldi on the stereo is like an on-demand creativity boost.

Seth M. Baker is a freelance writer, musician, and teacher. He and his wife currently live and work in South Korea. He is the founder of Happenchance, a resource for creative people who want to make amazing things.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Seth_Baker

The mini-class is now available for purchase and immediate download and you can visit the store for full details.

For inspiration, check out my journal covers here and here, and my beautiful little treasure chest here, and my cute little art quilt “Scraps” here.

I love making fabric paper – it’s one of my favorite techniques. I’m sure you’ll love it too; it’s very addictive.

This post was originally published back in January 2009, however with the silly season quickly approaching it becomes important to find ways to reduce your stress, and finding time to be creative even when you’re running at full speed, is a great way to do this.

Finding time to be creative is sometimes a balancing act. Family, jobs and a busy lifestyle can suck up our time without us even realizing it. Or maybe you feel that taking time for yourself is selfish; that this time could be better spent tending to our families.

We all need personal time – time to reflect and to recharge our batteries, and for art quilters this usually means finding time to create our art!

When we are separated from our source of creativity for long periods, even though we might not consciously be aware of it, our bodies react in subtle, and not so subtle, ways. We can feel anxious, a little off-color, sometimes it’s just a feeling of being out of balance. Stop and listen to what your body is telling you – become aware of the little signals that your body is trying to send you.

Finding time for yourself, even if it’s only an hour or half an hour a day, benefits not just yourself, but your whole family. When you feel balanced and empowered, you have more positive energy to give back to them.

“Time Management for Creative People” is a thoughtful little 32-page free ebook by writer and creativity coach Mark McGuinness. In it he lists a number of things that creative people can do to manage their time better.

If you have been neglecting yourself, take the first step – spend half an hour with this short book, implement some of the strategies and make some time for yourself. Your whole family will thank you.

Photo courtesylaffy4k

Letting go of old ways of doing things and allowing the process to guide you isn’t always easy and working with a simple design and only one color really challenged me to stay focused and allow the color and design to share equal space. It was very tempting to add other elements and colors as I normally would, but I resisted the temptation and I simply love the results!

I used machine embroidered fabric paper for the cover because it’s strong yet flexible, and then painted it with a burgundy red and added some gold highlights. I can’t wait to do some more!