On now---SAQA SPOTLIGHT AUCTION!

 

The 2025 SAQA Spotlight Auction has started! The auction will run through April 5th.

Above is a photo of my piece, "Daisy Chains and Tricycles".  You can find my piece by adding my last name to SEARCH.  Or, just scroll through the SAQA auction site and see artwork from a host of SAQA members.

Check out: SAQA.com (view auction pieces). I think you will enjoy all the wonderful eye candy!

For anyone new to my blog SAQA or Studio Art Quilt  Associates is a non-profit organization that promotes art quilts as a fine art through exhibitions, publications and other resources. These services help link artists with others artist and various art professionals from around the world.  The Spotlight Auction helps fund many of these activities. You can learn more about SAQA at SAQA.com under ABOUT.

Thanks for dropping by! Have a wonderful day everyone!

MaryEllen

Experimenting with Paper Lace ---- "Swirls"

 O.K. everyone this was so fun!Making LACE PAPER!

So I was scrolling through YouTube and stopped at a post by Rose Wildsmith titled "Distressed paper fabric: trying a new mixed media technique inspired by Shelly Rhodes".  I have to say I was trying it out before the 10 minute post was done.  I will also be buying Shelly Rhodes book, Fragmentation and Repair: For Mixed Media and Textile Artists.

Below are the steps I used to make my lace paper.  

First I experimented with a few different paper materials that I had on hand.  From what I had laying around good old paper towels worked the best.  After finding a paper that would hold up I started the process in earnest.

Step one was to add a bit of color to my paper towels. I used Tsukineko dyes for this.  After the colors had dryed I moved on to sewing lines on the towels. My lines are about 3/4" apart. I set the machine to a long stitch and used a old needle. 

Next was soaking the paper towels.  I use a shallow plastic lid. Below you can see the fibers really starting to break down.

Rubbing the towels while wet and picking at the paper between the stitching lines further distressed the towels.

I then flattened the towels out and let them dry again.

Once dry I did some touch up color with the same dyes as earlier.

I also distressed some spots, with a quick spray of water in isolated areas.

My finished lace paper.

Finally I wanted to use my papers.

In the piece below I used a half sheet of lace paper with a thin brushing of watered down white glue on the back to hold it in place as I machine quilted it on my piece. 

Fininshed piece "Swirls"

10" X 12"  mounted on 12" X 16" board.

Lace Paper, hand dyed muslin canvas, wool strips, variety of upholstery fabrics, yo-yos, buttons, twine and vintage flower buds and tatting. Hot glue.  Machine stitched with cotton batting and cotton backing.

Below are three detailed photos .

I hope you enjoyed my take on lace paper.  

Please check out my inspiration artists: Rose Wildsmith and Shelly Rhodes.

Have a wonderful day!!

MaryEllen

Leftovers and block variations

What would you do with a basket of green half-square triangles?
For me it was a trip back to Jinny Beyer's The Quilter's Album of Patchwork Pattern for inspiration.

On page 68 I saw a pattern  called Mosaic No. 12 attributed to Ladies Art Company, 1897. "Also known as Mosaic No. 5, Nancy Cabot, Chicago Tribune, Jun 29, 1934. Mosaic No. 9, Nancy Cabot, Chicago Tribune, Sept 11, 1934."

Also found the block on page 48 of Carrie Hall Blocks by Bettina Havig.  "Mosaic #12  Accession 38.491S".

I must point out that I did make a change to the pieceing of this block from what you would find in the above books.

The original pattern calls for what I would call a Flying Geese square.

Since I was trying to use up those half square triangles I used this piecing to make the Flying Geese square.

I think this also made the look of the block/quilt much more scrappy.

I hope this inspires you to think outside the box when you are trying to use those leftovers.

But, what really attracted me to this block was the possibllities when I put several blocks together.  

In the books I only saw one block.

What would the all over/secondary designs look like?

After I finished my quilt top I took a photo and made a paper copies in black and white to play around with other ideas.  (maybe a future quilt?)

Without the distraction of color see if you can you find the stars, the pinwheels, or maybe a follow the arrows design?

Here are a few other ideas I found.

I really liked the use of a variety of colors but I was working with my stash.

In the end I only had fabric for one quilt.

My finished quilt is 39" X 39", meandering quilting and a soft flannel backing. I used up most of my half-square triangle stash and I enjoyed all the experimenting I did.

My "Let's Ride" quilt!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!!

Thanks for stopping by!

MaryEllen