Rusted Fish after tea-dyeing

My nice rusted fish has had a bit of a bath ... in tea ... and is now layerd and basted for quilting.

The whiteness of the fabric above the fish was just TOO white for me and dunking it briefly in tea has greyed the rusty colours a bit and has given the background a touch of lavender-grey. The lighter rusty areas around the fish image have become quite grey and looks like a shadow ... I quite like the effect!

Now to decide just how I am going to stitch it!  The fish is 24" x 12" so this will take a while to accomplish all the hand work that I am considering for it.

Rusted Fish

I have been pondering the idea of creating a rusted fish art quilt for some time and I leapt into it last night after removing everything from my living room fireplace in preparation for painting the brick.

The fish is one that I picked up at a market in Campbell River, BC, some years ago. It has been cut from rusty corrugated iron and it really appeals to me.

What I did was place the rusty fish on a piece of plastic then place the cotton fabric (already dampened with diluted vinegar) loosely on top. I made sure the fabric was making contact with the fish and then covered it with plastic to keep it damp and left it.  I thought it would take a week or two to get the image but today I discovered it was already very rusted  so I am now drying the fabric (while I make another imprint on the other end of the cotton) in preparation for the next step . . . and I'm not yet sure what that will be.  I'll let you know later!

PS ... I hope to remember to stay on-track with the fireplace painting, too!

Golden Wedding Heart

This is the third piece in my series of silk fusion hearts on felt ... mounted in a 10" square shadow-box frame.

I love the vibrancy of the silk heart that has just a touch of bright green in it ... set against the more antique-gold wool felt background.  I added a row of funky layered embroidery stitches.

Wouldn't this be the greatest gift for a 50th wedding anniversary???

Valentine's Day Hearts

These are the latest of my fibre art explorations . . . A silk fusion heart has been appliqued to a needle felted background and then mounted in a square shadow-box frame.

This piece is a beautifully textured purple heart on a lavender blue background that includes another piece of the raw silk felted into it. I used metallic silver stitching which gives the heart an even more dimensional look.

This second piece has a felted red background with some textured red/orange/purple textured wool yarn felted into it and then a line of purple beads drifting across the surface. I chose purple thread for the decorative stitching to pull in the other bits of purple violet in the felt.

The black shadow-box frames are 30" square with a 4-3/4" opening for the fibre art. There is glass to protect the fibre art from dust.

I am currently working on a third in this series . . . a gold heart that would be wonderful as a 50th wedding anniversary gift.  I hope to finish that one this weekend. The others are already listed in my Etsy shop.

Fibre Art Quilt ... Grape Leaves on Linen

This is a new art quilt created by painting natural linen with Shiva Paintstiks. I collected grape leaves from vines in my neighbourhood and used them to make stencils that I then arranged across the surface of the fabric.  I used a variety of greens and metallic copper paintstiks to get lots of colour variation in the leaves and then used some of the same colours to create subtle bunches of grapes.

The leaves are heavily stitched with free motion machine stitching and then I outlined the grapes and added tendrils to the vines.  The background quilting has been done in a columnar format, with some of them on an angle, and then the spaces around the leaves and grapes are filled with hand seed stitches.

The piece measures about 20" square and hangs from a sleeve on the back.  The edges are finished with a turned facing for a contemporary look.

This piece is in my Etsy shop now (click on the link on the right side of this screen).

Fibre Art Accordion Journal Workshop - March 10 and 17

I will be teaching an Accordion Fibre Art Journal class at Thread and Paper in Salmon Arm on March 10 and 17, 2016 ... Come and enjoy two days of fibre art fun, creating samples that will be incorporated in this beautiful journal.

Techniques we will explore include creating a piece of unique fabric, fibre art beads, covered sticks and pipe cleaners, organza leaves, thread lace images, stamping fabric, beading and a variety of edge finishes.

To register call Thread and Paper at 250-832-3937 or drop by this Saturday (10am to noonish) to speak to me and to see the sample of the accordion journal.

Fibre art experience is not required, although you will want to be familiar with your sewing machine and be willing to play with fibre!

Talk and Trunk Show at South Shuswap Library

Thursday, November 19th - 2:30-3:30

at the South Shuswap Library

Blind Bay, BC

I will be doing a short talk about fibre art and my inspirations and techniques I use in my work. There will also be a "trunk show" of some of my art quilts and other fibre art work shown at this time.

Hope you will come and join us!

Artistry 2015 - In Blind Bay this weekend

I will be at Artistry this weekend with my purses, cuffs, small art quilts and my all-new eco printed purses, cuffs, scarves and tablerunners.  Hope you will find time to drop around on Saturday 10-4pm and on Sunday 11-3pm.

Eco print purses are ready!

Wow, it is a whole month since I posted here and I have been busy creating purses and scarves from my eco printed fabric.

This weekend I bundled up some more fabric with fall leaves and they are now curing for the next four or five days ... it is SO hard to wait that long to unroll the bundles and see what prints have appeared.  This time I used one pot to which I added just a little cutch and some pomegranate tea (the fabric looks warm brown on the outside of the bundles) and a second pot to which I added some logwood and osage along with rusty iron spikes (they look bluer on the outside of the bundles). 

Here are the bundles after they were taken from the pots and they are draining and curing in this mesh basket. The two darker bundles are scarves that I have over-printed to get some more distinct prints in the middle of them ... they were quite dark already so I am interested to see how they turn out this time ... maybe I shouldn't have added more iron, but I'm being adventuresome!

I have been working on a new design for purses using this eco printed fabric. They are a little larger than my usual little fold-over purses and they also have a sturdy zipper along the top.  I listed the first one in my Etsy shop today and will list more during the coming week.

I am also working on some of my "usual" design purses (one of them was listed in my shop today) as I know that some people just love that design.

Please drop by my Etsy shop to see more photos kathykinsella.etsy.com

What do you think of them????

What I have been up to . . .

Yikes, it is three months since I made a blog post so today I will try to remedy that.  I have been contemplating some new additions to my fibre art and have been doing a bit of reading an dreaming this past year of what it might be like to create some of my own fabric using local leaves and plants. I am not great on diving in without research, though, so when Melissa Nasby of Soulfibre Studio in Salmon Arm offered an eco printing workshop I decided to hop on board and let her organize my first day of eco printing! 

It was SO much fun that I had to come home and immediately dive into it myself . . . I am still searching for nice big pots, including a cast iron pot, but for the moment my old stainless steel pot is doing the job.  Today I am over-printing some cotton fabric that had a couple of areas with good colour but indistinct prints.  The hardest part is waiting the 3-5 days before unwrapping the bundles!

I wrapped the fabric around a branch of horse chestnut tree with lichen on it to see what, if any, effect that might have on the process.

I posted a couple of other pictures on my Facebook page, if you would like to see them (facebook.com/kk.fibre.art)

I'll try to not be so long posting the next time!

Prayer Flags for "Learning"

I was asked to make prayer flags that will be given as gifts to speakers, musicians, course leaders and others at Sorrento Centre this summer and now that they have been delivered, I would like you to have a peek at them.

They were created by using hand-dyed fabric (blue) that I tore into the appropriate size strips and then dipped the bottom edge in bleach to discharge the colour ... then I painted that edge with golden and greenish textile paints to create meadows and hills.  I then screen-printed a tree on each flag and followed that with hand embroidery of a few flowers before adding the hand-lettered "learning" patch. The top edge was turned over and hand stitched to hold a twig of red dogwood that I gathered at Sorrento Centre this spring.  These are single-sided flags and all the edges are left ragged so that if they are left outside in the weather they will fade and fray away, but they will maintain their colour if kept inside, out of direct sunlight.

They were a delight to make and I love that we chose the word learning for these flags,  from their motto, Sorrento Centre: A holy place of transformation for learning, healing and belonging.

Prayer Flags

I absolutely love making prayer flags. The small size means they are quick to finish compared to most of the pieces I create and there is so much scope for creativity.  Even when I make multiple sets  of prayer flags each one is slightly different.  They are a perfect little project for taking along when you are waiting for appointments, or flying from A to B.

Most of these prayer flags have been created from hand-dyed or hand-painted cotton, although there are some that are on silk (the pinky-purple one above is silk) and some have a few beads added as well as the hand stitching.  Eventually, I will offer some that can have text of the purchaser's choice added to the flag.

I am now listing these prayer flags in my Etsy shop  so drop by from time to time to see what is new and feel free to suggest themes that I might not be covering yet . . . I think the possibilities are endless.

Northern Lights quilts published

I have just received my copy of the Summer 2015 Art Quilting Studio magazine ... with a five-page article on my Northern Lights art quilts.  It is such a delight to see my work in print in such a beautiful magazine.

I was approached by Stampington and Company last year about submitting an article on one of my purses and subsequent to that, about an article on the Northern Lights art quilts.  For this article I sent the art quilts to them in California so that they could photograph them for the magazine.

These are from my Northen Lights series of art quilts that have the sky needle felted to quilt batting and the silhouette of foreground trees is created from cotton batik. They are free motion machine quilted.

Here is a look at the cover of this magazine ...look for it at your specialty magazine shop or quilt shop.

Silk Fusion Art Quilt

You already know how much I like silk fusion and this is a piece that I created some time ago but never got around to using until now.  It is some of the silk that I dyed using blue and grape Kool-aid as the dye. 

The silk fusion, which I made quite textural with some lumpy areas and feathery edges, has been free motion quilted to a background of black dupioni silk.  I stitched the word "Trust" into the background before quilting the black silk and I painted the word with turquoise metallic textile paint after everything else was finished (did I hold my breath when taking the paint brush to the totally finished quilt ... you bet!).

This is quite a small art quilt (14" wide by 9.25" high) but it is finished with a hanging sleeve just like the big quilts and is all labelled and ready to ship from my Etsy shop (kathykinsella.etsy.com). I enjoyed working on this so much that I have already started on another with the word "Grace" that is in shades of purple :)

Painting Fabric - Purses on a Theme

 The painting bug bit me on the weekend and I found myself exploring grapes leaves and the image of grapes.

The grape leaves came to life when I used moss green and copper textile paint in a stencil that I had cut (using a neighbour's grape leaves as a pattern). I kept the paint brush fairly dry and did not try to completely blend the green and copper paints.

The grapes were stamped with the same paints using a piece of rubber glued to the end of an old thread spool ... once again, I took care to be sure that both colours of paint showed.

The top purse has been painted on a piece of natural colour linen-cotton blend fabric and the strap is the same fabric.

The second purse has been painted onto a piece of cotton fabric that I had previously painted with this beautiful lime green and metallic copper. I love the way the fabric has light areas and some that are more intense colour.  The strap on this purse has been created by stitching together a twist of several yarns and ribbon.

These are both cross body purses but could also be worn from the shoulder.

I painted on the back of each of these purses, too. It was just too much fun to stop at the front side!

Here is the back side of each of them.  There are more photos of each of the purses in the listing of them in my Etsy shop (kathykinsella.etsy.com).

Upcoming Workshops

I will be teaching a couple of classes at the new quilt shop in Salmon Arm, B C and then a five-day workshop at Sorrento Centre's Quilt Week in April . . . would you like to come and join me?

Needle Felted Wrist Cuff ... Learn needle felting for the first time or enhance your felting skills in this short class where you will create a unique felted cuff bracelet. Using wool roving and yarn you will make a delightful base that can then be further stitched, beaded and embellished. Suitable for hand felting or needle felting machine..

Friday, February 6, 9:30 – 12:30

at Thread n Paper, Salmon Arm. phone 250-832-3937 

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Silk Fusion - Lustrous silk fibre can be manipulated to become “paper” or “fabric” that can then be used in a variety of fibre art and scrapbooking projects. In this class you will create a piece of silk fusion and explore many ways that you can use it in future projects. In the second class you will be on your way to completing an art quilt by embellishing your silk fusion with machine quilting, funky embroidery stitches, and beads and silk cocoons. It's a whole new way to play with fibre! (On the right is a sample is made from some beautiful new creative packs that include silk along with hand dyed fabric, thread, ribbon, cocoons etc.) For beginners to advanced.

Saturday, March 7 & 21, 1-4pm

at Thread n Paper, Salmon Arm. phone 250-832-3937

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Butterflies and Dragonflies

Butterflies and dragonflies have delightful patterns on their wings that can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Come and join us for five days of exploration into the designs we can create using butterflies and dragonflies as our inspiration. We will do some free motion thread painting on organza, play with textile paints and foiling to enhance some designs and experiment with additional beading and hand stitches for embellishment. We will explore artsy ways to make their bodies and attach them creatively. You will be provided with an idea for creating a small art quilt with a butterfly or dragonfly as a focal point, or you might choose to work on your own design. This workshop will be enjoyable for those who are experienced quilters but it is also a great way to jump into art quilting if you are a novice. The only experience you need is being comfortable with your sewing machine. I hope you will come and have fun with us!

April 25-29 (arrive on the 24^th and leave on the 30^th if you are staying onsite)

at Sorrento Centre 250-675-2421 or www.sorrento-centre.bc.ca) for more information and registration.

Wildflower Meadows in Felt and Stitch

Wildflowers are a favourite theme for me when I am needle felting. The felting seems to lend itself to gentle landscapes and adding hand stitched flowers and foliage seems to make them come alive.

This is the first time that I have stitched the felted landscape to a fabric background and then continued the stitching into that background.

The piece was then wrapped and stapled to a stretched canvas for hanging.

Valentine's Day Inspiration

I rarely make "seasonal" items but this week I had the urge to create something with a Valentine's Day theme. I have been having fun needle felting lately and decided to work with my red wools (with a touch of purple and orange to liven it up). The heart is silk fusion with free motion stitching appliqueing it in place. 

I love the curly locks of hand dyed wool ... and I added some funky hand stitches (knots and crosses to carry the theme) and some pretty silk yarn to the surface. Here is the result!

The final piece was wrapped onto an 8" square artists' canvas and stapled to the back. It makes a delightful small wall decor that can be enjoyed year round. 

This is available in my Etsy shop (click on the box on the right of the screen to go there).

Just for Me

This one's for me! 

You might have already guessed that I have a bit of a thing for spawning sockeye salmon ... I have worked on this theme from time to time over the past five years and never seem to tire of it. This art quilt has been created using hand dyed fabric by Judy Robertson. I love the vibrant red-purple pieces that I used for the salmon ... and the background piece made a gorgeous non-traditional watery setting. This is an art quilt that I started in a workshop with Catherine Nicholls over a year ago and Catherine really challenged me in the design and the four light sources on the rocks (and helped out when I couldn't see where those shadows should go!).  I'm not sure that I really got it right, but I loved the effect, once it was all quilted with watery blue variegated thread.

This measures approximately 30" square and is hanging over the fireplace in our living room.

Merry Christmas to You

My wish for you

Merry Christmas 

Love ... Peace ... Wonder ... Joy ... Hope

Warm Thoughts ... Happiness ... Hugs

This is the "Christmas Card" that I created this year.  My intent was to make a fibre art piece and then photograph it and have it printed onto cardstock and send them to friends and family. The first three things were accomplished but unfortunately, the cards are still sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be addressed ... and where did I put those stamps that I bought???  Well, I meant well!!!

This is a little pillow that is made from a beautiful felt that has been in my stash for about fifteen years. I stitched the vintage doily, on which I had free-form embroidered a tree, to the free-form pillow shape (do you see a little free-form theme going on here) and then added stitched stars and beads to the border.  The outer edge of the pillow has been blanket stitched with beads inserted in alternate stitches.  The idea for this came from Laura Kemshall (of DMTV), who created some delightful motto pillows using similar techniques.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and I will be back in the New Year to show you more fibre art that is just waiting to be photographed.