NEW Article in the Magazine *Quilting Arts*

 


My newest article is out! 

In there I showed you how to *mimic* bleached effects on a painted cloth. It's an unusual way to achieve depth in color without the use of harsh chemicals.


I am on page 66.


Here are some samples of the processed cloth.


The cloth end up so soft that it's very easy to sew by hand. I used Aurifil Wool thread


This is the cover, beautiful art by Betty Busby. You can find more information HERE

I hope you try this new technique. It's lots of fun :)

*Sew kraft-tex Bags* Blog tour

 
When I was invited to participate in this blog tour I jumped at the opportunity since I have been using kraft-tex for several years.
 
If you have been reading my blog you must know by now that I work with paper and fabric in different ways.
 
kraft-tex is a paper based material that can be used in many applications like fabric and it can also be washed!
 
 

This new book by Betsy and Gailor is all about bags. Inside you will find the patterns for 17 wonderful projects with detailed instructions on how to make them with fabric or with a combination of kraft-tex and fabric. 

I decided to make the kraft-tex version of Valorie Wells' "Tool and Pencil Rolls" shown on page 10. I couldn't stop and made also a few for my friends.

 


 

The basic pattern found on page 10 was used. I modified the design since I wanted to showcase pieces of colorful felt that I had been saving for a special project.
 
I chose to work with three colors: tangerine, turquoise and basic white. Of these, the white one was aged by washing it with my towels in the washing machine twice.
 
Circles were drawn with a pen on the kraft-tex as shown in the picture and then cut out.
 
 
Three pieces of felt 1/2 inch larger than the circle shapes were cut out.
 
 
 Glue was applied on the back of each circle to paste the felt in place.
 
 
Regular thread was used with the sewing machine to fasten each circle on the felt. Afterwards, color coordinated embroidery thread was used with simple decorative stitches sewn on each circle.
 
 
More glue was applied to the back of the kraft-tex to paste it on the interior felt/lining.
 

 
kraft-tex is a paper-based,
eco-friendly
The book's instructions were then followed to finish this project.
I hope you enjoy your new pencil roll in style!



Vanessa, an artist I admire also likes to work with this. You can see what she made HERE
eco-friendly
 
Follow along with the blog tour to see more amazing kraft-tex creations!
Monday 3/4: C&T Publishing at ctpub.com/blog
Tuesday 3/5: Margarita Korioth at margascrafts.blogspot.com 
Wednesday 3/6: Jessica Kapitanski at sallietomato.com
Thursday 3/7: Kelly Nagel at blog.sulky.com
Friday 3/8: Designer Joi at designerjoi.com
Monday 3/11: Lindsay Conner at craftbuds.com
Tuesday 3/12: Teri Lucas at terificreations.com
Wednesday 3/13: Barbara Emodi at barbaraemodi.com

I am linked to: http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/. Go and visit another wonderful art projects!

Quilt National'19


close up
 
I am thrilled to announced that my entry *Orange Blossoms* has been accepted at 
 
If you followed my work you might read how this quilt has been made. First, I chose my color palette by mixing paint to matched my thread, you can read more: HERE, HERE, HERE. Then, the recycled newsprint has been infused in to the cloth (technique I developed and I called INC, you can read more HERE) followed by paint to complete the designs, in this case the big flowers. After the hand work was done the three layers were sewn together by my home machine.
 
These are wonderful news since this year they are celebrating their 40th anniversary. I am doing the happy dance.

*Simply Moderne Magazine* ( my latest article...)

*4Flores*
Quilt featured in the premier issue of *Simply Moderne* magazine July/August 2015. It is a sister magazine of Quiltmania. You can have more information HERE. It has wonderful modern and fresh projects.
My latest article is on page 108. There, I show  how to add color to a black and white print using only thick chunky threads stitched by hand. You will also learn what I called *the hug stitch*, made almost entirely on top with bold wonderful results. 
The thread of my choice is AURIFIL, which is a delight to work with. For this project I chose Aurifil 12w cotton, Aurifil 28w and Aurifil LANA threads.

Paper and Fabric Quilt

 
*Dos Gallinas*
Detail of the finished paper and fabric quilt.
Let me show you the evolution of this small quilt...
After I finished doing my paper cloth top, I went to my thread drawer and picked some Aurfil spools.
I thread the sewing machine with Aurifil 28w cotton thread on the top and 40w polyester thread in the bobbin.
And started to sew around the details.
Once finished, I choose to work with Aurifil Lana/wool thread, which is also 12w to do some details with hand-embroidery.
 
Afterwards, I did the binding like I always do it with 2 inch strips of fabric sewed around the perimeter of the quilt. On examination of the almost finished piece, I felt that something was missing, so I decided to sew bold stitching lines *on top* of the binding with the sewing machine.
I thread the sewing machine with Aurifil Lana/wool 12w on the top and 40w polyester thread in the bobbin. I used a longer straight stitch(in my machine I choose number 3) and loosen up the tension a little. Then I started to sew slowly *in the ditch*, as shown in the picture below.
Following this I sew with the same thread color a parallel line, this time on top of the folded binding.
Once I reached the first stitch I made, I stopped and left a long tail. I removed the quilt from the sewing machine and with a needle I sent the thread tails to the back. I placed a small knot to hide the threads in-between the layers, 
And this is the finished quilted. I love how the bold straight lines adds a special detail, making it more interesting for the viewer, don't you think?
*Dos Gallinas*
A paper and fabric quilt. 13 inches by 8 inches.

Working with LANA Aurifil Threads by Hand and by Machine on Infused Newsprint Cloth

*Petunia*
Paper and fabric quiltlet.
Love the finished effect of the LANA Aurifil Thread on the infused newsprint cloth based on my own technique where the end result is a pliable and washable fabric easy to sew.

If you have been reading my blog you must know by now how much I love to work with thick threads. I sew with them by hand and by machine.
For this *quiltlet* I used my HQ Sweet Sixteen sewing machine and Lana Aurifil threads. To have success in working with these threads on your machine you have to use a slower speed (I do not go faster then 35%), use a new needle (size 20) and 40w or 50w thread in the bobbin.
 The picture below shows how it should look in the back. Perfect tension.
After I finished sewing by machine, using the same threads I sew details by hand. Because of its textured nature it covers very well the background with a matte finish look.