What I've Been Up To Lately.....

It’s hard to believe that it has been two weeks since I have posted, but when I look back to all that I have done…..
After my fun day of dyeing fabric, I invited several friends over for a Party to Dye For. Here are some of the pictures. We had such a great time sharing and learning from each other.



I manned the Parfait Dyeing table while Kathy taught us Soy Wax Resist and Screen Printing. Michelle brought natural dyes, Tumeric, Marjoram and I provided Avocado.
Many Thanks to Diana for taking pictures for us!

Most of the fabric that I dyed is now in my StudioJules ArtFire Studio. There are Fat Quarters, Half Yards and Full Yards of fabric. The colors that came out in the dye are wonderful and variegated. Some of the pieces are subtle, some are striking. Take a look, be enticed!

I just have the outside boarder left to quilt on the Traditional Batik quilt that I started quilting a few weeks ago. I’m hoping to work on it this weekend and finish the first of next week. I also got my pumpkin quilt back from being quilted. Just need to put the binding on it and I can hang it in the stairwell gallery. Okay, Jeff will hang it….

The planning and organizing for the Dallas Area Fiber Artist Annual Member Show is taking a lot of time right now. Contacting sponsors for prizes, working with the ArtCentre of Plano and our membership. Luckily most of my pieces are already complete, photographed and ready for submission.
Last week I also joined the Textile and Fiber Art List (TAFA). There are wonderful artists on this list! I'm inspired and in awe of what other artists accomplish and blessed to be listed among such wonderful people.
Well, that is it for today. I’ll try to be better about posting, but you know how time can just get away from you!

Dyeing and Quilting Day

This morning I got up in the mood to work on my Traditional Batik quilt and to try Parfait Dyeing (this is layering the fabric and dyes in a container for those of you that are new to dyeing like I am). I layered tank tops, 100% cotton fabric and a few pieces of silk from my stash. The dye colors I used (in order) were Indigo Blue, Chartreuse, Fuchsia, and Yellow. I love the results! I'm addicted now and Parfait dyeing will be my norm!








So, what did I learn? Well, be careful how you layer shirts to get the varieties in color and if you pull pieces out of your stash, make sure they don't already have MistyFuse on them. Yup, the silk piece did. It dyed wonderfully (picture not up yet), I just have to see if the MistyFuse is still fusible. Hey, if we don't make a mistake, then the learning process isn't as much fun!
So, I'm still working on my Traditional Batik quilt, almost done! I'm stippling, so it is taking some time to quilt and I'm taking a lot of breaks so I don't break down!
Wednesday some friends are coming over to have a Studio/Dye Party with me. Watch for pictures and what we learned in the process!

Project for the Week

Ever have a hard time starting a new project because you keep thinking about the projects you haven't completed? My answer - Constantly! So I told myself that this summer I have to complete my "Unfinished Projects" in between the new projects. This way I'm taking care of all the mental and visual road blocks that keep me from having a free mind to create. This week I'm quilting the "Traditional Batik Quilt" that I pieced two years ago. I participated in a Block of the Month with Cabbage Rose in Fort Worth, TX in 2008. We had a choice of traditional or batik fabrics. When the blocks were complete I designed my own quilt instead of using their pattern. I love Flying Geese so I chose this block to join the other traditional blocks together. Yesterday I started quilting and I'll spend today working on it too. I'm stippling the quilt and using coordinating thread colors for each block.

Here's a picture of the quilt top after I finished it two years ago.
I'll post again when I'm finished with the quilting!

Dyeing to be Creative

Here is my 1x1x1 Challenge piece that April Soncrant put out on her blog, Spice Drop Soup. I'm calling it "Dyeing to be Creative". I used fabric that I had either hand painted or hand dyed, hand quilting, buttons, beads, and stamps. One I got started, this was a fun piece to make!
Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks April for putting the challenge out there for us!
I'm off to finish my two angel quilts, postings to come!

Backing to Blogging.....

I know, it's been a while since I posted. My life has been a little busy with the Studio window being installed, getting the house put back together, family coming in town and now trying to get back into my "routine".
Last week I received Jane Dunnewold's new book "Art Cloth". What an awesome book! I decided that I have to go through it, step by step and do the steps as if I was in a class or a workshop. I've started with making my "sample notebook". I didn't like some of my dye samples, so I have done them over, a few times.
Before I start on the next step I think I will do a quick challenge. One of my fellow Dallas Area Fiber Artists', April Soncrant, has a blog, Spice Drop Soup. April has put a challenge out to create a 1x1x1 Art Quilt. I'm taking the bait and working on my piece tomorrow. Check out April's blog and join me in the challenge!

Window Installation Complete!

The window installation in my Studio is complete! You just would not believe the difference it makes. Every time I walk into the Studio, I just take a deep breath and smile. The window faces south, so I will have great daylight all day and all year. I told my husband that when I’m sitting at my sewing machine I’ll be singing the old John Denver song, “Sunshine on my shoulder makes me HAPPY!!!!” Here are a few before and after pictures.
This is the wall where the window will be.The window is going next to my thread and fabric cabinets.We had to move the thread cabinet over to make room for the workers to install the window. It's leaning up against my work wall.During Construction ~ After they cut the sheet rock and realized there were wires in the wall and needed different lumber to secure the header of the window it started raining! At least the rain stopped in time for them to cut the Hardy board and set the window.Ahhhhhh....Daylight!Window and cabinets, back in place. And no, this is not all the fabric I own. Some of it is stored away.

This is my work and ironing tables that Jeff and Ben made me for Christmas. My flat files are underneath, storing my patterns, current projects, beads, buttons, stamps, and other mixed media items.

We have been enjoying our daughter and her twins being here for the past week. They are still in town and will be here until almost the end of the month. Last week while I was feeling a little displaced with the Studio cleared out ready for construction, I made a few doll quilts for them and one of their play friends. I used the scraps from the quilts I made the girls when they were born for these.
The rest of this week, I am going to work on finishing the angel quilts that I have started. I’m anxious to finish these and get on to some other projects. When Jeff and I were at dinner last night he asked me what I was going to work on and what my design plans are. After I told him my plans, then others popped up in my brain as I was talking!
So, I guess it is time to get a few things done on the computer, shut it off and get busy!
Have a great week everyone!

Weekend Project

Reupholstry Project Complete!!! Remember my last post and the ugly chair that I showed? Well, here is the finished project! Thanks to my wonderful husband, Jeff. I just don't know what I would do without him, and I don't want to find out either! Reupholstering this chair that I brought home from his aunts' house last year was a challenge. I'm an artist/quilter, not a home dec person, even though I've made most of our curtains and a few other things around the house. Home dec items frustrate me, but I always end up doing them instead of paying someone to do them for me...and I always wish I had paid someone to do them at some point during the project. I'm very proud of this chair and can't wait to sit in it and read to my grandkids, and watch them sit in it while they are playing. I've put it in our playroom, flanked by my antique quilt collection. It is at the top of the stairs, so I can see it and smile everytime I walk up the stairs or come out of my studio.
Now, on to other projects. The construction company guys are to be here any minute to put in my window. The Studio is cleared out and ready. After they are finished drying in the window this afternoon and the Studio is cleaned, I'll start putting everything back in the Studio. Our daughter and her twins arrive tomorrow night, so I have to get organized and get their rooms cleaned out for them!
While the guys are working on the window I'm going to quilt three little doll quilts I put together last week out of scraps. I moved one of my sewing machines down to the family room so I can work on them.
Have a great day everyone! I'll post window pictures as soon as I can!

Studio Update

Well, I sit anxiously anticipating the new window for my Studio. For those of you that don't know, my studio is in the room the builder designated as the "media room" of the house, so no window! I've worked in here for 4 years without a window and am about to go crazy. I am a daylight person, being in a room without daylight is well, stifling my creative mood. So, this week I'm getting a window! It was suppose to be installed yesterday, but the window hasn't come in yet, so it has been put off to tomorrow or Friday, if it comes in.....
Now in anticipation of the window and all the dust from cutting the Sheetrock and hardy board, Jeff and I cleaned out all of my fabric, books, machines and trinkets on Saturday. This way it is going to easier to dust and clean when they are done. Where did we put everything? Well, I know most of you won't be surprised, we filled the three guestrooms! Since the window has been put off, a few things have come back into the room, like my Bernina, iron, some fabric to play with....
Pulling out all of my fabric bins ignited the urge to do some piecing. It has been several months since I just sat down and pieced a little quilt together. The twins are coming to town next week, they may need doll quilts. I have also gotten tired of looking at the chair I brought back from Aunt Marie's last year. I've bought the fabric and I think today is the day that it is going to start getting a new skin. It may need new guts too, but I hope it isn't too bad.... In this picture it is missing its arms and legs, Jeff has already stripped the stain off of them and I just need to pick out the new stain. Sounds like a good July 4th weekend project!
Okay, so here are before and getting ready for the pictures of the studio. After the new window is put in, I'll post the new pictures!
Thanks for following my Studio Adventure!
Jules

Self Portrait and Ordering Books

Morning! I just finished my Self Portrait. I love it! I can't wait to show it off at the Dallas Area Fiber Artists meeting Monday night. It only took me 6 months to complete this art quilt, I started it at a workshop we had with Sue Benner in January.
I've also posted a picture of the back of the quilt, I love it as much as the front! Gives me ideas for future quilts, whole cloth with the images just outlined, or find a place to hang a quilt that the front and back can be seen!
This morning I also ordered two books by Jane Dunnewold "Complex Cloth: A Comprehensive Guide to Surface Design" and "Art Cloth: A Guide to Surface Design for Fabric". While I was on Amazon I ran across "Color by Accident: Low-Water Immersion Dyeing" by Ann Johnston. Ordered it too. I think I have ample summer reading and future processes to try out! Let me know if you have read these books and what you think!

Self Portrait

I decided to work on quilting my self portrait today. This picture is the back of my quilt, I just love the way the back can tell another story of a quilt. Just the basic lines.
I have to listen to music when I quilt. So far this morning it's been Three Dog Night and Norah Jones while picking out threads and doing the outline of my face. Now it is time to work on my hair, my "Wild Child" part of the quilt, so I guess it is time to turn on ZZ Top, The Eagles, and Foreigner!
What do you listen to when you are quilting?

Weeping Angel Art Quilt

I spent the day finishing up this precious quilt. I transferred the image of the angel from the computer onto Jacquard's Extrav Organza. I hand painted with textile paints over the image, fused MistyFuse to the back, cut the monument out and replaced it with one I cut out of silk. The silk monument has been hand drawn with Fabrico Markers (I love these!). Next, I fused the angel and monument to this beautiful cotton organdy I bought a few years ago at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. I've been saving it for just the right quilt! Okay, anyway, I finished the quilt off with beads and sequins. Love these sequins, they were from one of those little packets you get with a top, in case you need to replace them...yeah, right...they go straight into my stash!
This piece measures 13" x 12.5" and is listed in my Art Fire Studio!

Summer Sale at StudioJules Art Fire Studio

Well, the summer heat has reached 100 degrees, so I'm having a Summer Sale and have marked all, yes all, of the "Fabric by the Yard" fabric to $1/yard and yes, that means the "Less Than A Yard" fabrics are less than a $1! All Trims are $1/yard! Handkerchief blanks have been marked to $2.99 each!
Visit StudioJules on Art Fire and enjoy the Summer Sale! It's the best way to beat the heat!
All hand dyed and hand painted fabrics are at regular price....for now......

The Project of the Day

I'm trying to get several things done at one time....trying to wrangle myself into doing smaller, day or two projects and not ones that take me weeks to complete. My attention span is waining at the moment, but I'm having trouble changing my scope and making decisions. This week I have been working on my "Angel Series", trying to make some decisions, how to paint, how to quilt, how to embellish....all while new quilt ideas are running through my head! What to do!!!!
So here are the pictures of the "Angel Series" quilts that are in progress...



This quilt background is hand dyed cotton organdy. The angel I took from a grieving angel statue I found in a cemetery. It is photo transfer on silk organza and then painted with textile paints and fabric pens.



This is the same angel but I wanted the monument to be different, so I traced it out onto silk with fabric pens and wrote the last two verses to Psalm 126 on the monument.



Now, several months ago I took a "Self Portrait" workshop with Sue Benner. The workshop was put on by the Dallas Area Fiber Artists group. Well, par for the course, I couldn't get happy with my self portrait and it has remained incomplete and in the "I'll finish it later" pile in my studio. Well this morning I got up and decided that today was the day to work on my self portrait and this is what I have gotten done. I have a hard time "stepping out of my box" sometimes and really have to force myself to do it, so this self portrait shows my body in a formal, traditional manner, but my hair! It's the creative side of my jumping out and going full force into the colorful world I love.

Just as God Created Art Quilt

Several years ago my cousins' wife started a group in East Texas to support the families and children of Down Syndrome. Each year they have a Buddy Walk to raise money for the East Texas Down Syndrome Group. This year I have been blessed with creating a quilt for them to raffle off at the time of the Buddy Walk. Creating this quilt has been a joy and a blessing for me to be able to participate with this group in this way. With their permission, I am posting a picture of the quilt in hopes of raising awareness of these precious children and their families.
My thanks and love go to this group and especially Chris, Lisha and Alex.

Sunset

Isn't this beautiful? I took this picture when we were on our cruise last month. I printed it off on cotton and then enhanced it with Fabrico fabric markers and Shiva Paintstiks. The canvas is covered with hand dyed silk organdy that I bought a few years ago. It measures 14x11.

What am I working on now? Well, I have several angel pictures scattered around the studio and on my work wall. My "Angel Series" is underway and I have several different processes that I'm testing out and working with right now. Hopefully I'll get far enough along on one of them today to be able to post tomorrow.

On to New Work

Now that a busy May is out of the way, June is going to be a month of "Art Quilt Accomplishment". I have one quilt on my table to finish painting, then quilting and then my slate (aka work-wall and work-table) is clean and ready for new work. This morning I have been busy sorting through pictures and fabric, trying to decide what to work on next. There are three quilts stitching through my brain right now, we'll see which one ends up on the work-wall first. Who knows, maybe all three will end up on the table and wall at the same time! Hmmm...maybe it's time to try some new techniques too....whatcha think?
Time to turn up the music and get busy!
Happy Stitching!

Dancing Olivia

This past weekend our sweet friend, Olivia, graduated from Round Rock High School. Olivia danced with the RRHS Dragonettes for three years, so I thought I would do a special quilt for her to take to college and hang on the wall. I took this image from a picture that was taken of her during a solo she was performing during a competition.
Olivia, may you always dance and enjoy the freedom of the music!

Oxide Gallery - Main Show

I'm very excited to announce that three of my pieces have been accepted into the Main Show at Oxide Gallery in Denton, Texas. Oxide is a great little gallery with a variety of artists. Tonight, Tuesday, June 1, 2010, is this months "Gallery Night", so I will be there to meet the other artists and art lovers. If your in the area the gallery will open 6pm to 8pm for the event.
What pieces of mine are showing? Well, here they are!


Sunflower with a Passion for Color



Color Explosion



Dancing Angel