Fishy Quilt Block Exchange

I’ve just finished participating in Mary Lou Weidman’s Hootchy Fish swap. All 36 participants used the same background fabric, shooting for bright Kool-aid colors in a 14” wide block. One of the style suggestions I liked was to use a strata technique - strips of various fabrics sewn together to create a new fabric.

Each person could design their fish or fishes to be any height. Each of 12 blocks could be the same or different. I started with graph paper, a sketch and a plan to make all of the fish the same way in order to optimize time. I used a variety of markers to colorize my sketch and that’s when my plan changed direction.

With limited time for swaps and projects in general, I love to use projects like this to take off in a direction that is new to me. So why not paint my own fabric instead of sewing the strata? And wouldn’t that be faster anyway?

I’m a firm believer in making samples when dealing with colors and techniques - which covers just about everything. I knew that straight paint would be thick and I wasn’t sure I had enough paint to cover the yardage I estimated. I wanted to thin it but not have it bleed and run all over so I mixed it with Pro-Thick SH. I sampled my colors and paint style ona fabric swatch. Perfect!

I started by flicking a mix of Pro-Thick SH with Setacolor paints - once with a water blue color and once with a cool magenta color - on prepared for dyeing (PFD) cotton fabric. Next I painted slim wavy thick and thin areas.

The following pictures show the progression as I painted the waves of each color.















After completing the painting, I heat set it with an iron, washed it, and decided it wasn’t bright enough. By now I had less paint and realized that my sample methods should have included testing and recording the ratio of Pro-Thick SH to paint. So... I sampled that.



I painted the same fabric again using a ratio of 1 part paint to 2.5 parts Pro-Thick SH mix. I also heat set it again and rewashed. Here you can see the difference between round 1 and round 2.



I also used 3 orange/reds to paint the lips/beaks fabric.





I am pretty happy with the fabric and my fish. I think even stronger color might match the commercial fabrics in the awesome fish blocks I received. And no, it wasn’t faster than sewing strata but it was very fun to experiment and construct the fish! The button eyes can be sewn on in the location of choice and the design of the block allows for them to face either direction.

Art Under the Elms

It's time again already! Next weekend (April 24 - 26) will be my 4th appearance at the Art Under the Elms show and sale in Lewiston, Idaho. It's part of the annual Dogwood Festival for Lewiston and Clarkston. I'll be there with my new crop of lampwork glass beads.

I didn't realize that I haven't written here for most of a year! I'll have to work on that. I think about posting quite often - but that's as far as it gets. I really do like to write as well as show and tell what I've been up too.

Beads by request

Here are two beads made by special request to include math symbols. I had fun creating my own murrini canes.

Getting Started Again

I'm trying to get started again but I wasn't kidding when I called this web log "irregular ramblings". It's so easy to shrug off and go on to the next item on "the list".

I came across this writing in the introduction of Julia Andrus's book, Paper Transformed. "Such is the power of art. It is about relationships. What begins as an act of self-expression becomes a revealing connection when shared with others. Art truly is a universal language and there are countless methods and mediums through which we can communicate." Great quote and great book.

Last Septmber I wrote about the two murals I completed. The river floaters were painted for a parade float. The county fair mural greets fair goers in the exhibit building. It as great fun to hear that several groups of people had their pictures taken at the mural. I've since decided that I have some value enhancements I'd like to make.

Painting Mission Accomplished

No pictures today but I'm happy to say that I accomplished a huge painting mission I set myself up for. One large 6x6 foot canvas to hang on a parade float and another yet larger painting 8x8 feet to greet fairgoers the the Clearwater County Fair. They were both well received.

I haven't done a lot of painting previously although I did create one last year for the same parade float entry. I know that pictures here are all important but I'm doing a little stress over all of the other projects I need to be working on. I'm currently viewing the world around me as additional paintings, much smaller no doubt, but I need to turn that off and focus on getting ready for Art and Soul Retreat in Portland in 2 weeks. I still need to make trades, 50 plus charms for swapping, order supplies, and get my bead supply ready for vendor night - not to mention take son to college in Seattle, take on new tasks at work and get ready for a retirement party before Art and Soul!

I would also like to catch up on what I've been up to between June and September. Wish me luck!

From Fish to Quilt and Glass

Graduation was fun with a houseful of family and beautiful weather. The fish were a big hit, especially with the moms at the senior party! Some have migrated to my office and to other cubbies in the building!

Now I need to get my son's graduation gift quilt finished for the Clearwater Quilters biannual quilt show next weekend. I also need to get my postcards finished up to participate in the ISGB (International Society of Glassbeadmakers) postcard project. I worked on the torch for a couple of hours today testing some new glass - until the oxygen tank ran out.
It's fun to move from one project to the next with no downtime - really it is, I think.
Check out the final fish pictures below. I saved all the pieces - I have a plan to recycle them into ATC cards - later after the postcard and quilt!

Five fish close up.


Treasure chest at the bottom of the fish tank!


The whole "tank" - rocks, anenomes, seaweed, treasure and fish!

The 69 Fish Project

I survived and thrived at the Art Under the Elms and have been getting ready for our youngest's graduation this weekend. I always offer to help with my senior's party decorations. The party planners had an idea related to fish and I said I would make them. So here's how they started.

I like to use paper grocery sacks as my paper base and I have a random assortment of house paint to work with...



Next step was to cut out my fish pattern leaving a hinge on the top fin. It's really 72 fish but hey...



Time for the eyes and body art...



Next step was to feed the fish. The Party planners needed numbers on the fish for the random drawing of prizes. I could have made these one-sided critters and put the number on the back, but why go simple when you can make it fun. So we (as in my mom) attached the numbered tag to a plastic frog or centipede or who knows what, and stuffed each fish.



In this last picture, the stuffed fish are awaiting final closure.



Next step - create habitat. Stay Tuned...