Photo Transfer

MArQ (Milwaukee Art Quilters), a group I belong to, is near the end of one of our yearly challenges. I have been working sporadically on my idea. (I have been very busy with a new job and have not had much time and have been very tired when I get home.) I have a little extra time today and have been working on my base fabric. Up to this point I have bleach discharged, used Tsukineko inks, and today I tried photo transfer with Citra-solv. I really like the results! The hardest part was getting the toner-based copies. I called a few places, one actually told me that laser and toner copies were the same thing. I explained that they were not, and went somewhere else. It worked and was VERY easy!I will definitely do more of this in the future. It is a very cool process! I have been learning a lot since I began reading blogs. I can't remember where exactly I found these techniques, (possibly Lyric?) thank you to everyone who shares their process!

Photo transfer directions:

Create a TONER copy of your original drawing or clip art(copyright free).

Cover work surface with newspaper. It protects the surface and adds cushion.

Place image face down on well pressed smooth fabric.

Brush on Citra-solv onto the backside of image. Please do this in a well ventilated area.

Burnish with a spoon or possibly a bone folder.

Iron through the paper. Use a press cloth to protect your iron.

Washout Citra-solv residue.

Next I need to add some paint, quilt, and add my copper embellishments. Hopefully I will finish in time.

What Is It?

I am a new member to the Milwaukee Art Quilters group. The group has 2 challenges each year. I joined the group after the latest challenge began and did not plan to participate.

During our last meeting the due date changed, due to the Labor Day holiday, and another new member and I decided we should participate.

The challenge was to receive an ordinary household object an use it as inspiration in a mixed media quilt.

This is the object I was sent. I had no idea what it was other than a broken spiral. I discovered that it is a mosquito coil. Knowing what it is has helped a lot with inspiration for my subject. It has been a VERY buggy summer here in Wisconsin. The shape is also nice. I purchased another coil and I have been using it as a stamp to discharge and paint my background fabric. I also like the paper it was wrapped in, the graphics are great!

So far the process has been fun. I experimented with "Cascade" gel dishwashing detergent with bleach to discharge the fabric and it worked great. I then rinsed the fabric and soaked it in soda ash to neutralize it before I washed it. Hopefully this is all I needed to do. So far so good.

Unpacked and Reorganized

Earlier this summer I thought I was going to need to move out of state. So I packed and cried and packed some more. This was a move I really did not want to make.

Things worked out and I am able to stay with the family I love, in the house that I love. I have been unpacking and reorganizing for the past two weeks. The threat of moving made me purge many things and really give my sewing room a deep clean.

I steam cleaned the carpet and added a few more shelves. I also used some UFO squares and created new quilted curtains. The old curtains were nice, but touched the floor and took up valuable space. They now hang in the family room. I like the idea of quilted curtains, similar to the ideas of hanging tapestry on castle walls to add insulation. In the winter I need all the help I can get to stay warm! I like how they brighten the room!

My fabric is now better organized, all of my current fabric is on the shelves and the batting is in a box on the top shelf and I can finally put my feet under my desk. I also fixed my $2 rummage sale chair, painted it and put new fabric on the cushion. My husband finally has a place to sit when he visits my space.

It feels so good to be reorganized, unpacked and know where everything is. It feels good to be rid of UFOs and samples I know I don't want or need. I am finally relaxed and ready to start creating again!

Million Pillowcase Challenge

I have not always been as consistent about making charity projects as I would like to be. My local shop is collecting pillowcases, so I made a few. It did not take very long and I was able to use up some of my stash, cute fabric, but not my current style.

Visiting Past Works

This is the first "art quilt" that I ever created. It is titled "My Symphony" and was completed in 2008. I call this my first art quilt because it was my first original design and contains a lot of symbolism for me. I used commercial cottons and machine quilted it.

It was completed for my guild's show, "A Symphony of Quilts" challenge. I had never entered a challenge before, and had never appliqued. Applique to me was a very bad, bad word. A friend sad "do raw edge, you can do that, it's easy." So I tried and this was the result.

Raw edge applique was not as difficult as I had thought. Since that time I have studied more about the "right" way to do it. I have learned more about fusibles, the importance of tight weave fabrics and good scissors. Today, most of quilts use raw edge applique and I am liking the results. New methods can be scary, but by trying new things, new ideas emerge and new quilts are created that I might never have attempted.

This is a quilt that I have not looked at in a long time. I was reminded of it when a Quilt Show member commented on it recently. It was great looking at it in a new light with more experience behind me.

I ran out of time to post last week. My husband was ill and I played role of nurse for most of the week. It does not look like I will be getting my Text on Textiles piece completed for the deadline. I am close and I like how it is going, but with all that happened last week I don't see it happening. I am still job seeking. The hardest part is not knowing when they will start interviewing for the positions. In the past I have interviewed May - September. That is a huge window, I just wish I knew. I am ready to travel on a moments notice if/when something happens.

I just realized that I have not posted this week and I need to stick with my goal of at least one post per week. Nothing has really happened in my quilt world. I have practiced some surface techniques using resist and thickened dye. I need to get the thermofax machine running. It would be much easier than trying to cut stencils. I am trying to create a piece for "Text into Textile" exhibit. I think I have 2 more weeks before the deadline. My job hunt is taking a lot of my time. I am putting first things first and quilting is definitely taking a back seat for now. I miss teaching children and I NEED to get back into the classroom.

Not Much Time to Create

For the past week I have not had nearly as much time to create as I wish. Last Monday I attended the Milwaukee Art Quilters meeting. It was the first meeting that I ever attended. I was a little nervous to go, but the other artists were so friendly I just laugh at myself for ever being so silly. That is who I am though. I am a person who tends to shy away from new experiences because of fear, fear of the unknown.

The meeting was inspiring. I want to create quilts that travel. I want to enter competitions. I want to teach. After the meeting however, the rest of my life has gotten in the way. Important stuff that needs to be worked through so I can have the financial base I need to make art.

I am currently looking for a job as an art teacher. I am currently looking in Wisconsin, Colorado and Texas. If anyone out there has any suggestions as to how to make myself stand out from the other applicants, I would love to hear your ideas. Teaching children art is the one area of my life where I have no fear.

Later this week off to Chicago for festival! I can't wait!

Why Quilting with the Dog

All of the quilters I know love their pets and I am no exception. Our pets sleep at our feet while we sew, curl up on fabric that we leave out and occasionally step on the foot control at the least opportune moment. Our pets are our friends and companions who don't criticize when we spend way too much time doing what we love. My dogs have always been my silent support, being there in the solitude of the studio adding to my experiences and making me laugh instead of curse as I pick out misplaced stitches. My dogs and my quilts, two things that add to the joy of my life.

I have finally set up a blogging account! As I navigate through the learning curve I hope I will get better. I plan to update once each week as I begin and more often as I have more to say. This blog will be about my experiences quilting and creating quilt and fiber art. I hope to post more soon.

Make today the best,

Karen