I really love working with the little paintbrush strokes of fabric. It’s relaxing and fun to do and I like the way it turns out. I have several more ideas for this method of fusible applique quilt that I want to try.

Here’s a detail shot of the castle. This quilt is completely in hand dyed fabric. There are 3 different hand dyed whites. Painters will tell you that there is a difference between white paints and it’s the same with white fabric. Once it’s cut up into bits, you can’t always tell which is which until you place them side by side. Then you can easily see this one is a blue white, that one is a yellow white, and the other is a pink white.

I originally painted the reproduction below  for an exercise in a painting class. My reference was one of those little color plates in a fine art book. Remember when fine art books had those sections of color plates in the middle? If you were actually reading the text you always had to flip back and forth between the pages to see what the author was talking about. You can see a print of the original Le Chateau Des Pyrenees by Rene Magritte on Amazon.

I’m not sure what Magritte’s meaning of The Castle in the Pyrenees is. I read somewhere that he made it for a friend. I liked the image well enough to stare at it for hours on end while working on it, so I chose it for my original assignment and once again for this challenge.

“To be a surrealist means barring from your mind all remembrance of what you have seen, and being always on the lookout for what has never been.” ~ René Magritte

Under a unique donation program organized by Jeffree Itrich of the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) and the University of California San Diego, quilts are brightening the lives of Alzheimer’s patients around the nation.

The Alzheimer’s Study Quilt Program began in late January 2010. As a quilter herself, Jeffree knows how positively people react when given a quilt and how quilters are amazingly generous people. Her plea for quilts to give participants in the NGF (Nerve Growth Factor) Study was picked up by numerous quilting newsletters. Good Samaritans circulated the request for quilts and they began arriving from communities all over the U.S. The program has received nearly enough quilts for all the NGF Study participants and are now looking for quilts for their IgIV and ADNI studies. (They’ll need at least 1,760 quilts!)

Those study participants who have received quilts so far realize that the quilts were made with love, sincerity, and gratitude (to the volunteers for participating in the study and helping future generations). Many of the quilters who donated quilts had family members with Alzheimer’s (AD). One woman who lost her mother to AD made and donated 12 quilts and another whose grandfather had AD provided 11 quilts. A woman in Pennsylvania made five flannel quilts in one week!

One study coordinator (the person who works directly with the study participants) had a woman come to her appointment angry and in a terrible mood (Alzheimer’s frequently causes behavioral changes). She was ready to chew out the study coordinator. But before she could say anything the study coordinator gave her one of the quilts. The woman calmed down immediately and forgot all about her anger.

Another study coordinator gave a quilt to a participant who was undergoing an MRI (an imaging test). It was very cold in the room so the study coordinator gave her a quilt to keep her warm. The woman was both touched and grateful and her daughter’s eyes filled with tears. These quilts are doing wonders for the patients!

If you would like to donate a lap-sized quilt to the Alzheimer’s Quilt Study Project, please contact Jeffree Itrich. To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study visit their website at www.adcs.org. You may create a quilt with a pattern of your choice or try your hand at making an Alzheimer’s Fidget Quilt (click here for a tutorial).

Please spread the word in your guilds, sewing circles, blogs, Facebook and Twitter networks. Together we can make a difference in the lives of Alzheimer’s patients and their families and caregivers. Thanks!

Coincidentally while reorganizing my studio I came across this acrylic study I did some 20 years ago. Like a quilter warming up on a practice sandwich before stitching on the real quilt, painters also warm up before hitting the real canvas. When I found it I knew immediately what the subject of my picture quilt would be.

And here’s the final result. It’s done with random pieces of fabric stuck to Lite Steam A Seam 2 on a fusible interfacing background. (My personal preference for this kind of quilt is the Lite, but Regular Steam A Seam 2 works in a pinch.) It’s completely done with fabric. No paints, inks, or thread were used to add detail. I quilted the picture part with invisible thread so it would give texture and hold the layers together without altering the colors of the fabric.

No Paints Were Harmed in the Making of This Quilt
©2010 by Laura West Kong

I was so charmed by this quilt that I started another one just a few days later. Unfortunately in the process I used up my complete supply of both Lite and Regular Steam A Seam 2, so quilt #2 is at a standstill for now. Considering that the lecture was less than 2 weeks ago and I’ve already finished 1-1/2 picture quilts, you shouldn’t have to wait very long for me to finish the second quilt once I get to the store.

The second quilt is also from an already painted study, but when I’m finished with that one I plan on doing a real-life still life directly with fabric as if I were painting, no photography. There’s something special about working from still life and live models that you don’t get from photographic references. I don’t know what it is, but I miss it.

In a way it’s a good thing that I ran out of all my Steam A Seam 2. Otherwise I would have been tempted to stick Steam A Seam 2 onto my entire stash and cut it all up into random pieces. Then I wouldn’t be able to make any other kinds of quilts. I suppose I could go fabric shopping then, and I would have a grand selection of fabric “paint”, so that wouldn’t be all bad.

happy quilting! ^_^

Meet CitraSolv, natural cleaner, degreaser, and fabulous fabric photo transfer solution. I’m sure that CitraSolv is a very effective cleaner, I’m just too busy having fun with photo fabric transfers to find out.

Here’s Maneki Neko, my first CitraSolv experiment (and another Dear Diary 2010 block).

After transferring the black and white image to fabric with CitraSolv, I added a dash of color with Tsukineko All-Purpose Inks and finished it off with machine stitching and hand sashiko. Check out the CitraSolv Artist Site for inspiration and how-to’s. I was too excited to stop and take step-by-step photos, but that’s OK, CitraSolv has some great tutorials.

I’ve transferred some images onto some solid color fabrics and will be doing some bleach discharge dyeing on those, so you can look forward to photos of more CitraSolv experiments in the very near future.

Until then, happy quilting! ^_^

I’m afraid that I probably should have gone counter-clockwise, so all that sparkly perfection may be in vain. I’m holding off on making a date with Mr. Seam Ripper, as well as sewing any more blocks until I have confirmed which direction the logs should be spinning. Either way, it’s a beauty to behold. Just wait until I have a photo of the completed technicolor king size quilt with pillow shams to show you!

Here’s my version of a Log Cabin block, stress-free style. The last red log wanted to go on the other side, so of course I obliged. (How could I refuse?) This one’s for my Dear Diary 2010 quilt, but it would be fun to do a whole quilt of these mixed up Log Cabins.

happy piecing! ^_^

Want to make the button jewelry yourself? Then this package complete with autographed book and jewelry-making supplies is just for you! Includes beads, silk jewelry cord, findings and two different sizes of Kurumi buttons. Click here for more info on the jewelry-making package or to bid.

Check out the rest of the items up for bid at the KENW-TV Online Auction. There are a lot of great deals and more are being added all the time. Bidding ends on June 10, 2010. Happy shopping!

Destinations – 2007 (Fiber, 25″x21″)
Cindy Rinne

Destinations – detail
I love the way Cindy’s poetry and fiber art go hand in hand!

Earth, Air, Fire, Water – 2007 (Fiber & wood, 50″x72″)
Regina Vorgang

Awaken – 2009 (Fiber mixed media, 13″x23″)
Maureen M. Cox

Midnight – 2008 (Wool, indigo, 12″x19″)
Michael F. Rohde

Possibilities – 2008 (Art quilt, 24.5″x19.5″)
Charlotte S. Bird

Entwined Copper Midnight – 2009 (Woven wire & copper, 24″x66″x5″)
Susan McGehee

Entwined Copper Midnight – detail
It’s amazing how fabric-like the copper and wire becomes!

Salt Wells – 2009 (Textile, 40″x14″)
Deborah Weir

Burnout Sampler – 2009 (Cotton; pieced, burnt, hand & machine stitching, 14″x15″)
Susan Lasch Krevitt

Burnout Sampler – detail
Check out the way the fabric is mounted on the gallery canvas, so lovely!

And now for some really non-traditional art materials:

Sorry Try Again – 2008 (Mixed Media, 18″x18″)
Susan Lasch Krevitt

Bound to Happen – 2009 (Metal, 24″x24″)
Meredith Strauss

Bound to Happen – detail
Clever use of binder clips, one of my all-time favorite office supplies, now art supply!

Thanks for joining me on my virtual fiber art show. I hope you enjoyed it. Don’t forget to sign the virtual guest book.

Have a creative day!

]]> http://blog.laurawestkong.com/2010/05/14/virtual-fiber-art-show/feed/ 5 http://blog.laurawestkong.com/2010/05/07/studio-breaking-news/ http://blog.laurawestkong.com/2010/05/07/studio-breaking-news/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 16:03:53 +0000 Laura West Kong http://blog.laurawestkong.com/?p=1754 Earthquake? Hurricane? Tornado?

Actually, none of the above. I’m preparing to purchase a mid-arm quilting machine, so I’m making room in the studio. That’s a book shelf on the right and it’s moving downstairs along with most of its contents which as you can see now reside all over the floor.

Their new home will be our dining room, soon to be scrapbooking center. Food is not that high of a priority in the grand scheme of things, right? At least it’s not taking over the kitchen, so I can still cook. Although, the kitchen does have the best storage facilities in the house.

After DH helps me move the furniture, the quilting machine will go on the right side of the room. Hopefully its table can be adjusted to the height of the white desk. Then I can put them together in an L-shape configuration and have even more space to spread out.

Watch the video and then scroll down for the supplies list and step-by-steps. Don’t forget to download the free pattern sheet. (Pattern sheet is in PDF. You’ll need Adobe Reader to open this document.)

For each brooch you will need:
3 1/2″ square background fabric
2″ square fabric for flower
1″ square fabric for flower center
3 1/4″ square lightweight fusible woven interfacing
2″ x 3″ fusible web
40 wt. rayon thread for appliqué
2 1/2″ square cotton batting or low loft polyester batting
Double-stick tape
Small pair of pliers
Hot fix crystals
Crystal applicator wand, mini iron, or household iron to apply crystals
1 1/2″ half ball cover button (brass)
1″ long pin/pendant finding with double-faced adhesive pad

1. Trace the flower of your choice and circle patterns onto paper side of fusible web.

2. Following manufacturers’ instructions, iron the fusible web to the wrong side of the flower and circle fabrics, and iron the fusible interfacing centered on the wrong side of the background fabric.

3. Cut out the flower and circle appliqués and fuse to the middle of the interfaced background fabric. You can place the circle in the middle of the flower or slightly off-center. When making the Jasmine pin, it is easier to fuse and stitch the flower shape before fusing the circle on the flower.

4. Using a small zig zag or machine stitch of your choice and rayon thread, appliqué around the raw edges of the flower and circle shapes.

You can choose matching or contrasting thread depending on the effect desired.  Other machine stitch possibilities include blanket/buttonhole stitch, satin, invisible, or straight. You might even want to experiment with a fun decorative stitch.

Stop needle down in the background fabric to turn the fabric on the curves.  It will be every stitch or two on the tight curves such as on the tips of the Jasmine petals. Pull the thread ends to the wrong side with a hand needle and tie off.

5. Put a small piece of double-stick tape on the top of the button form. Stick the button to the center of the piece of batting. Cut the batting even with the edge of the button so you have a circle of batting on top of your button.

6. Use the pattern from the button package to trace around and cut out the appliquéd fabric with the flower centered in the middle.

7. Use the pliers to pull the wire button shank out of the button top.

8. Stretch the appliquéd fabric circle over the button top and assemble the cover button according to the manufacturer’s directions.

9. Embellish with hot fix crystals, following directions of your applicator wand.

If you don’t have an applicator wand you can use a Clover mini iron or a household iron with crystals up to 4mm in size. Use a cotton setting, no steam. Be extra careful not to burn yourself if you are using a regular household iron. Place the crystal, glue side down in the desired spot. Surgical tweezers are sometimes helpful in placing crystals. Press lightly for 10-20 seconds, and check with your fingernail to make sure it is well adhered. If not, press a little longer.

10. Attach the pin/pendant finding to the back of your brooch according to the manufacturer’s directions. Enjoy!

If you’re not into brooches, why not turn your Bloomin’ Button into a pendant, magnet, purse jewelry, or an embellishment for quilts or scrapbooks!

Download Bloomin’ Buttons pattern sheet. (Pattern sheet is in PDF. You’ll need Adobe Reader to open this document.)

For more fabric cover-button fun see my book, Fast, Fun & Easy Fabric Cover-Button Jewelry: Create Gifts & Glamour in an Afternoon, by C&T Publishing.