Paper and Fabric Quilt

*Frolicking*

A paper and fabric quilt.

Let me share with you why I'm doing the happy dance!
 

This quilt received two ribbons in the www.browardquiltexpo.com, held last weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for Innovative Design and Judge's Choice.
 

That was a nice surprise since the methods I used are in fact an innovative way to blend paper and fabric. This is the first time I incorporated in the same quilt 4 ways of paper lamination: newsprint on thick cotton (blue background), magazine clippings (black and white appliqué), translucent paper (flowers) and colored prints and newsprint on a transparent layer.

After some machine quilting I did hand embroidery...

...added some beading

and more machine quilting.



Hand Calligraphy with Stencil on Fabric

I wanted to practice hand calligraphy mixed with my own stencil in the same piece.

I started painting a cotton fabric with acrylic paint. I used the small bottles of acrylic paint that you can find in hobby shops. When you use this kind of paint on fabric it can leave a thick layer, making it difficult to sew so you must be careful to put just enough paint.

Next, I drew the word *florero* and painted it with FW acrylic purple ink. When it dried, I took out the stencil I designed and cut and colored with paintsticks.

I hung the small panel and noticed that the word was competing with the vase and flowers. That was not what I was looking for so took the ink out again and painted on top of the letters, but this time with a lighter color.

The edited piece looked like this:

I sandwiched it with batting and a backing fabric. I loaded the sewing machine with Aurifil 12 weight and sewed around the vase, flowers and the word.

Because I love to combine different kind of threads in the same piece, I then changed to a thinner Invisaline thread and stitched the whole background with an easy quilting design.

For the finishing touches I added french knots around each flower.

Transparent Design

 

"Crimson Bird"

My goal was to paint a transparent design over a busy background.

I started painting a cotton fabric with acrylic paint. I used the small bottles of acrylic paint that you can find in hobby shops. When you use this kind of paint on fabric it can leave a thick layer, making it difficult to sew so you must be careful to put just enough paint.

Took out stencils, in this case stencils I designed and cut and colored with paintsticks. I sandwiched it with batting and a backing fabric. 

Load the sewing machine with Aurifil 12 weight and sew around the bird and plant. I could have left the piece like this but you know how much I like to combine different kinds of threads in the same piece. The texture that is achieved with the combination of different thicknesses of threads makes the piece sing.

I wanted to choose a thread that gives texture but not distraction since the background is colorful enough so I used Invisaline thread on the top and Sew Fine thread in the bobbin. I used an easy stitch design and sewed the whole background slowly. For the finishing touches, I added some beading for the center of the flowers and a french knot for the bird's eye.

Detail 



Design your Own Stencil/ Free Motion Practice.

"Funky Bird"

Playing around with the designer edition of the Silhoutte Cameo machine I came up with this bird design. Instead of making my own drawing and scanning it, I used the free form tools that come with the program. I call it Funky Bird and made a stencil out of it.
Took out a piece of fabric, silk screened it with the word *Happiness* in different languages, let it dry, put the stencil on top and colored it with paint sticks.

I enjoy working with this kind of paint since you can easily control the amount of color you want. In this case I put just enough color not to obliterate the words, which are an important part of the design. If you have been reading my blog you must know by now how much I love to work with lettering.

Next, I ironed the fabric to set the paint, sandwiched  it with batting and a backing and started to do free motion quilting.  I used some of Leah's quilting designs http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com. This piece has been quilted with different kind of threads, we all can relate on how many yummy threads are on the market and...ahem...how many we have collected. I used 12 weight Aurifil around the bird, 40 weight for the flowers and 30 weight for the lower part.

This piece was hung beside a window where the sun was shining to show off the texture that complements this quilting design.

Make your own Stencil/ Free Motion Quilting Practice

"Armadillos"

This is the end result of a series of NEW techniques for me. If you have read my previous posts you will know that I been making my own stencils in a Cameo machine. In the earlier project I modified one of their designs but now I've figured out how to do stencils from my own drawings. What a joy. 

I did a set of two: one for the main body and the other for the details. Used paint sticks over a silk-screened fabric. (do not pay attention on the lettering since the words has nothing to do with the armadillos (It is a leftover piece from another project that I wanted to use...ahem to make room for more fabric!!?).

Just bought a new sewing machine (Janome 7700), since my old one is behaving badly. It is a first for me to sew with this brand and I LOVE it! It accepts any weight thread without sacrificing the quality of stitch. Browsing the web, looking for tips on how to work with the Janome found a great site http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com   where Leah, the quilter in charge, teaches different quilting designs. I watched some of her videos and decided to practice two of them in this small quilt. 

This piece was hung beside a window where the sun was shining to show off the texture that creates this quilting design. Again, I used two kinds of batting: cotton and a split wool on top, 50 weight thread for the top half of the quilt and variegated 30 weight for the bottom half. I'm pleased with the end result.

"Flor, Fleur, Fiore" a paper and fabric quiltlet

Often I like to incorporate “surprise elements” in my art. Sometimes they are obvious to the viewer and sometimes one must look closer to discover them. For example, in this piece there are two dried flowers on the left corner of the vase. I picked them from the backyard garden I used to have while living in Minnesota.

The newsprint I used is from a trip I took last summer.

Detail, using thick 12 weight- Aurifil thread in the sewing machine.

Collagraph with Make your Own Stencil

This is another quilt that I have made featuring my collagraph prints. This time I made two plates, one for the focal point in the center of the block and the other for the strips of fabric to be sewn around.

After the prints had been made, I realized there was an "empty" space on one corner of the center block. I was planning on doing a computer transfer with messages of love but then I decided to put a print with the help of a stencil.

It's so liberating to make your own! You can make one that complements your work. It could be the final touch that completes your composition.

So, I put my "Silhoutte Cameo" machine to work. Loaded it with Dura-lar .005 matte film,

 decided on the design and size, and let the machine cut away!

Did some beading in the heart. 

Sew with thin thread over the collagraphs, to keep the delicate characteristic of these kind of prints and #12 cotton thread on the borders. 

Love how the stencil added pizzaz to the composition, making the quilt sing!

Quilt with Collagraph Prints

This is my second quilt that I have made featuring my collagraph prints. I have constructed the plates from empty cereal boxes from the recycling bin and also used string, white fabric and some paint.

I've explained the process in my latest article in the Magazine Quilting Arts Feb/March edition.
It is an easy project since you do not need any expensive equipment or a special press.
I LOVE to create art using recyclable material. Sometimes I incorporate it in the actual quilt or in this case I used it to create the printing plates.

With 50 weight thread I quilted free form feathers around the hearts. They are not perfect but I had fun drawing with the needle and thread without any planning or marking.
For the first time I used two kind of battings in the same quilt, cotton and split wool batting on the top. Love the texture that this combination creates.
The quilt is ready to be hung on *Valentine's Day*.