"Tammy" ...and How to Mount a 14" Block

Tammy is my neighbor and one of the best people I know.
We were moms together; we each have two boys the same age, one quiet, one loud...she understands and loves my kids more than almost anyone.
Now that all our boys are grown and flown, Tammy and I are still very close. 

I took some pictures of her during the annual 4th of July BBQ she and her husband Frank have every year...knowing I wanted to use her as the subject of a new "Frame it With Flowers" portrait.  I didn't tell her though!

It's a very portable project and I've taken it with me on my summer travels, as you will see.  I decided to mount it when it was finished, to keep it flat and easily hangable on the wall.

So meet Tammy....

I have learned from long experience that a printed photo has to be thoroughly stabilized before appliqueing it onto a background.  So this photo has three layers:  first it is interfaced with fusible interfacing, then it has a layer of batting slightly smaller than the photo, then another layer of fusible interfacing overall, which holds the batting into place.  This works perfectly.

Tammy showed me this vintage print she found and loves, intending to hang it in the living room that she and Frank are turning into their library, now that the boys are gone.  They own thousands of books.
I took this as my color scheme for the flowers I was going to make.

So I got started.  The outer fabric is vintage linen in a color that matches the frame of Tammy's print.  I am so sneaky!

As I said, this is a great project for traveling.

First it went to Atascadero, CA where I was teaching the class, "Frame it With Flowers".

You can see it on the table in the foreground right.
I love this class so much because the photos everyone brings to frame all have such meaningful stories...

Next I took Tammy to Vermont, where the Quilt Alliance was holding its annual board meeting.

This year's meeting was in the studio of Frances Holliday Alford. We not only brought our own projects to work on during the meeting, but Frances had covered the whole table with canvas and set out markers and paints for us to cover it with during our time there.  Yay Frances!  I circled my place at the table so you can see my project.

Next up was the first Salon of Mark Lipinski's Slow Stitch Movement in New Hope, PA.  He wrote an excellent blog post about it here.  You definitely should check out his website to see what this is all about.

Tammy and I were in exalted company.  From left to right next to me is Chawne Kimber, Liza Lucy, Mark, and Meg Cox around the table.  If you don't know Chawne's work, drop everything right now and go see her quilts here.  And her astonishing redwork here.  (Not for the faint of heart!)  The fact that Chawne is a full professor of mathematics awed me for sure, but her work does even more.

Liza is business partners with Kaffe Fassette and she had a whole room in her home with his fabrics for her mail order business.

Treasure indeed....

Then I came back home and finished up my project.  Here is how I mounted it:

1. I cut a piece of batting to fit 1/2" larger all around than the finished size of my block, which is 14" X 14".  I adhered the batting with a shot of Sulky fabric adhesive spray.

2. I couldn't find any foam core in Washougal where I live, so I went with some clean heavy cardboard from a box.  This was cut at 14" X 14".

3. Using wide painters' tape, I gently stretched my project over the batting and cardboard and taped it to the back.  I found that first ironing the folds along marked lines was very helpful.

4. The back of the cardboard needed some padding too, so I cut a piece of scrap fleece exactly 14" X 14" and sprayed it to the back of the cardboard.

5. I cut the backing (also vintage linen) and finished it to size.  But before sewing it on, I prepared the means to hang the block with cording.  I inserted each end to the back of the backing fabric, and zig zagged the ends in place.

6. It was easy to pin the prepared backing to the back of the cardboard--I just inserted the pins straight in to secure the layers. Then I took it outside and finished up, removing the pins as I whipstitched the backing to the folded over edge of the block.

And there is my Tammy.
One of my favorite parts of this project was looking down at her smiling face the whole time I worked.

Here's a detail:

I liked making that kind of wispy outer frame out of the big embroidery stitches.  ;-)

Tammy had no idea this was happening so when she came over to tour the garden (she and my husband are great gardening pals)....

....I led her into my sewing room so she could see her portrait on the design wall.
Well, she started to cry which made me so happy.  Bulls eye!

Is there anyone you want to frame with flowers?  Try it, you will love it!

The DMC Crazy Quilt Commission: Part 2

The images have been chosen, printed onto fabric, and appliqued to the background with nice frames around each one.
It was hard to choose, but each photo represents the most meaningful memories of our trip to France...

Here is the overall view so far:

The photo in the center is of the giant metal sign at the top of the DMC factory in Mulhouse.

I needed to add some detail to the horse, as it was too dark to show up.  I used a white pen that I bought at Sennelier,  the oldest pigment shop in Paris, and where all the Impressionists bought their colors!

Such history here.  It was like an artistic pilgrimage to enter these doors.
The pen makes me think of going there....which is why I am using it in this project, of course!

The photo at the top of the quilt, of Notre Dame at night, was taken by Jerry Everard, Sharon Boggon's partner.  They were in Paris the same time we were, and one of my delights was getting to see them there.
Their blog, Tones and Tints, has fabulous photos and posts about their travels.

Many thanks to Jerry for permission to use his photo!

There is a closer view of it, along with the photo of our two wonderful hosts at the DMC factory in Mulhouse, Jean-Luc Barbier and Michel Biechlin.
The trims around the three center images were purchased in Montmartre.

Amazingly, I didn't buy any fabric in France, but I bought a LOT of trim, so naturally I had to use some in my commission.  (Note that pile on the counter!)

Mary and I were so entranced by the Luxembourg Gardens....there were so many lovely flower borders, blooming so beautifully even in late September.  A close up that Mary took represents how much we loved all the flowers in France.

I used many different DMC threads to embellish the printed photograph.  This trim is vintage, found in an old box buried by mounds of other trims in the store pictured above.

Next I will be adding captions to the pictures, and then....bien sur.....some twining flowers to make another frame "layer" if you will, connecting all the images.....saving the most fun for last!

Max and Esther....Finished!

My wall-hanging of them, that is.  Those two are just getting started on a lifetime together....!

After I finished framing the photo with embellishments and lettering, it was time to quilt the image on my Handi Qiuilter Sweet 16.  I prepared it for quilting by spray basting two layers of drapery lining cotton into place behind it on the back of the top.

That was simple enough!  No pinning needed....

I used a yellow thread for quilting and then added some colored pencil to the background.

 

I just wanted the figures to stand out from the background a little bit more. And they were definitely glowing that day....

For the binding, I did what I often do: iron trim along its length and take advantage of its finished edges and pretty weave. It was easy to zigzag it in place with clear thread in both the top and the bobbin (so it wouldn't show on the back.)

Finally, I couched some cording along the inside edge of the binding.

 

I did have fun with those felt flowers from Custom Fabric Flowers. I teach the velvet/silk ribbon flower in my Craftsy class!

Here is the whole piece...

It's actually squarer than it looks...you know how the camera bends the edges...  ;-)

It measures 14.5" X 17.5".

It was a joy to make this...now it is on to the Ringbearer's Pillow!

Flower Pounding Experiments

This all started with an email from my lovely friend Leonie Hartley Hoover.

I thought her design (above) was most intriguing!

Leonie included a link to a tutorial for how to do this here:

http://www.wnit.org/outdoorelements/pdf/flowerpounding.pdf

And this was what she had to say about her experience:

There are a few tutes out there on the net and I've listed one below from a reliable source I know of to give you an idea how it is done. This gal also wrote a book on it.  Some people mix alum and soda for the bath and some folks just use soda.  For my own use, I found the best for color density was plain baking soda and I soak the cloth for about 48 hours squeeze it gently and shake it out and then let it air dry. My experience with Borax, which some suggest using, was that the pounding faded more quickly over time.  The finished cloth is never washed, as even with heat setting, washing destroys the colors.

For more prolonged longevity, you can do the flower pounding, then scan the fabric into your computer and print out the image on other treated fabric. Lots of options to play with here.

Another thing you can do is tape the flowers down on the fabric if you like with wide masking tape and then do the pounding.  Lift the tape carefully and then put the tape (with the squashed remains) down again on another piece of fabric for a softer, more delicate pattern.

For the one I made today, I did not use tape at all, I just positioned carefully with my fingers and watched where the hell the hammer hit (-:  and I used plastic food wrap instead of wax paper. My foray into the process today was to see what colors would appear from different plants. For more control you can use tape or even remove the petals one by one and place them carefully on the fabric.  There is still some movement however and rarely perfection!  However, it is fun to try all the possibilities.

Alright I just had to try this!!!!!  And I had a blast.....

I followed Leonie's lead and just soaked my fabric in a baking soda solution and then let it dry for a few days.

During some "test pounds" I learned that red flowers turn into grey so I didn't use any; the oranges and yellows worked best.  Always have a test cloth nearby if you are trying out new flowers or leaves.

I had taken individual petals from calendula and California poppy, taped them down, and then pounded them.  This circle is about 6" in diameter.  The fabric is a silk/cotton blend.

I decided to build (or pound) my composition in stages, so here is the next round.

Those colors sure do shift!

Here I have added some of those striped zebra hollyhocks, and they changed from lavender and purple to aqua and blue!  The marigold leaves are in place about to be taped down and pounded.

One more round, with more poppy and calendula petals, and some fuzzy lamb's quarter leaves.

Taped and ready to go under the hammer.  Wider tape would have been better, but this is what I had on hand.

Here is where I stopped.

Now, the problem with pounded flower pictures is that they fade. Victoria asked about that in the comments from my previous post.  As Leonie mentioned, some people scan the finished fabric even while it is still wet and then print that onto fabric, thus capturing that glorious but evanescent pigment.  I didn't want to get my scanner icky, so I decided to photograph instead.

***Edit:  See Leonie's comment below!  You need to heat set the finished pounded fabric, especially before you scan it (no wet fabric in the scanner allowed.)***

That gave me an idea....

I figured if I was going to have to print the image anyway, why not add some unpounded flowers on top of the fabric?  That way I could get some of those reds and pinks I wanted, and of course sharper detail.  The pounded fabric would then serve as a background...and a very nice one, too.

Ah, this was fun....this is the photo, and below is the printed fabric (it is cotton lawn; I use EQ Printable fabrics for their dependably high quality results), next to the pounded fabric.  

The print is actually a bit larger than the original pounded fabric.

I love the background but it is going to fade.  I have the picture though in case I want to print it as is.

My plan is to create a border to go around this printed bouquet and make a little wall piece for my upcoming special exhibit at Road to California in January.  Fun!

"High Summer"...a new project

This is a portion of one of the wildflower patches in Robert's garden. It's been putting the zap on my head! It's compelling me to try my next "stitched over printed photo" project, as I really liked making "June".

My sketch for this project is laughably primitive, but I'm afraid it always is. In this case I drew it on my nightstand table at 2 a.m.

The center landscape is the main focus, with a dark border and then some 3-D poppies along the bottom and up the sides.

I've got the print finished, after a few false starts. I'm going to use my stitching to "pump up the volume", colorwise...

It's on ColorTextiles prepared silk crepe de shine. (I ordered it from Out of My Mind Prints.)

I'm eager to see how the stitching will work with this detailed of a print. As soon as the ink dries, I'll interface it, and then sew some narrow muslin strips around the edges. I'll just remove them later, but they'll help protect the edges of the print while I'm handling it so much in my hand-stitching.

"New from Old"...A Warm-Up Study

While I am still waiting for the wonderful image to arrive that will be the central focus of my "New from Old" contest entry to benefit The Alliance for American Quilts, I decided to do a small study incorporating some of the elements I will be using.

Vintage quilt blocks are showing up in my work these days, as in the portraits I've done recently of my nieces Elle and Amaleah.

This is Amaleah....it was my Point Bonita project. This measures 17 1/2" X 17 1/2".

For my "New from Old" quilt I have some lovely 1930's Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks that I want to incorporate, so I spent the last few days playing with them.
Plus, as always happens, I got totally distracted by the new flowers opening up in the yard, even in the midst of all this cold rain! I had to add them, too.

So I laid out some blocks and flowers together on a gold silk dupioni background and took their picture.

The idea was to print this image on fabric and then embellish it.

And this is what I did. I love using the EQ Printables prepared fabric sheets. They give the sharpest print!

However, even after I had already started embellishing this, I decided I didn't like the way the gold background looked.

So off it came. I had already interfaced my print here with fusible knit interfacing to keep everything nice and stable.
I decided on a rich purple/blue background instead.

I put the purple silk on a muslin foundation with my ink jet print appliqued by machine over it. Notice I am using a very fine needle here, the size 60 Microtex Sharp. This is to leave as small a hole in the printed EQ fabric as possible, because holes unfortunately are permanent. Using clear monofilament thread in a narrow zigzag with this fine needle worked very nicely.

Then just for the fun of it I added a little trapunto to the back of the pieced star that is printed in the center of the design.

This is about 8 1/2" X 8 1/2".
I'm just getting in gear with the embellishments here. Those little four-petaled orange flowers with the beads in their centers are from cut-out painted Tyvek. Easier than Angelina!

Because this little project is for a friend of mine, I put her initial in the center.


All in all, this was a fun little exersize, familiarizing myself with the elements I'll be working with in the 16" X 16" New from Old quilt. I'll be using the actual Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks in that one, though.
I can't wait until my cousin Tracy's watercolor sketch arrives for the central image and I can get started!

Ink Jet Floral Fabrics

I have until early next week to play with a new project....then I'll be working steadily on preparing for my classes in Baltimore.
So I decided to play with some of my flower imagery and had some fun printing this morning.

I've combined my home printed flower fabrics with commercial fabric in crazy quilts before, but I want to see how a quilt looks with only my own prints in it. And lace of course. And stitching, ribbonwork, beading, etc.
16" X 16", say, for another Alliance quilt?

I wonder how much trouble I can get in over the next 5 days?

Cottage CQ...Woods Pieced

What a piecing adventure this has been! I've got the woods section laid out and sewn (but not to the foundation yet).
There were a few tricks along the way that I'd like to share with you all...

One concerns getting that perfect piece of fabric, the right value and exact color, on the spot as I needed it.

I liked this green tone on tone print here, but it was too blueish. Dye-Na-Flow to the rescue! This took all of 30 seconds.

Another little trick helped me piece fabrics of quite different weights and weaves together without ripples or distortion.

That is some fusible interfacing cut to size and about to be ironed onto some lightweight, wiggly silk. I especially needed the silk to behave because it has a tree trunk printed on it, and that trunk had to stay straight.

There was some contortionist sewing involved, I must say.
Most of the time it went o.k. Here is a series of pictures that shows one tricky place I got out of...it was pretty high stakes, too!

This tree photo had to fit into that irregular shape to the left. In this picture I have traced over the shape with yellow quilting paper (known back in design school days as "trash paper").

I slipped my print behind the traced shape and just cut it out from underneath, adding seam allowances all the way around.

As an aside......I was able to do this because the fabric had been treated with a pre-coat called inkAid before printing, and the inkAid made it fairly stiff. This pretreatment gave me brighter colors and sharper detail in my prints which was great, but I sacrificed the "hand" of the fabric in exchange. When I go to embroider through it I will be punching little holes through the coating. Worth it though, in this case. I didn't use the inkAid for the grass and beach prints, as I want those soft and the detail there isn't as important as in the leaves, pine needles, etc.

OK, back to insetting this shape....

I was slightly nervous about pulling this off, I admit.

When piecing a large complex shape like this, I start in the middle and sew first one side and then flip it around and sew the other, from the center.

Not too bad here! Those two inner corner areas are a little bulky and got slightly munched, but nothing a hot iron and some hand embroidery over them won't solve.

Here's a detail shot from the other side of the quilt. I was as careful as I could be to keep all those tree trunks paralell.

And here is where I am as of now....

I'm using a different print of the cottage, one that isn't shadowed across half of the front. I like that tree in the foreground, too.
Overall, this section is about 26" X 40". Next will be the grassy section, and finally I'll get to do the beach (that's desert).
I will sew the whole thing completely together before I start any of the embroidery.

Actually, the embellishing is the desert part, isn't it?