Fiber Forum with Barbara Lee Smith

During our workshop we worked most of the time on our own individual studies.  

I started making some flowers using very irregular yarns on scraps of orange Congress Cloth.

Some students brought projects they had been working on.

Next I worked on a piece of felt that I made from fabric, thread and yarn scraps.  I began felting it at home.  After working on the first sample I decided that the surface was too complex.  I used the embellisher to felt in more black and royal violet yarn from the back .  In the process the front side was blended more.  I used a notepad from the hotel room to make windows in various shapes to select areas to stitch small studies.  I rarely work small so this was a good exercise for me.

The lighting here at home is much better and the color changes are much more obvious than in the classroom. 

Sample #1 Pineapple thread from the 2016 Fiber Forum was used to outline turquoise yarns in the felt.  Turquoise yarn was added on the surface to give more texture.  

Sample #2 Teardrop beads. Delica beads.  Turquoise yarn was added on the surface to give more texture.  Trite, but pleasant.  

Sample #3 Small beads, short bugle beads, then yellow stitches repeated some fibers in the felt.  As I stitched, I got to a corner and there was just enough space for a little heart.  Then I made another heart around an interesting section of the felt.  The little stitches reminded me of darning.  This sample got a title which is larger than the piece.

"Darn it.  Falling in Love Again."

Sample #4 "Mango Moon" yarn was used to make French knots then beads were added to build on the orange colors in the felt.

Sample#5 Surreptitious stitches were made just below the surface of the felt using pink pearl cotton.   To be continued at home where I can find the size and color of thread I need to continue....

 

P.S.  When I check all of the writing above, the fonts and sizes are all the same.  Unfortunately they don't look the same when it is published.  What you see when you write the blog post is not what you get.  

Fiber Forum Excursions

The first week of May I attended the Fiber Forum workshop at the Textile Center in Minneapolis.  Here's a link to their website.  This is a wonderful community resource where there is a shop, library, galleries, classrooms, and offices.  There was a smocking exhibit in the windows of the library area.  Thursday evening our teacher, Barbara Lee Smith, had the opening for her exhibit at the Textile Center, "That's How the Light Gets In".

On Wednesday afternoon we visited the Walker Museum of Art.  Here's a link to their website.  We went to see "Merce Cunningham: Common Time" which will be displayed through July 30, 2017.  Look for it on the Walker website.

Then we went to the American Swedish Institute and saw the Weather Diaries.  Here's a link to their website.  This exhibit will be there through July 2, 2017.  Check out this exhibit on their website if you can't go in person.  We had our evening meal there.  Here's my salad with fish.  Its the tallest salad I can remember.

We ended the workshop on Friday afternoon with a visit to Tim Harding's Studio.  Here's a link to his website.

Along the Way

Walking on treadmills or through life, we notice footsteps around us.  We are as different as the colors of threads.  Our lives are influenced by those around us, near and far, through distance and time, good times and bad, subtle or dramatic, brief or enduring. 

Congress cloth was dyed with two colors of alcohol ink.  Footsteps were stitched using pearl cotton.  Painted WonderUnder™ was applied and melted into the surface.  

All that Glitter

Traditionally our individual bubbles have been connected by the swirl of language and personal interaction.  Shiny new technology adds a layer of networking to our lives which enables us to be connected more often and at much larger distances.  We are just beginning to understand and consider the consequences. 

Circles of sheer fabrics were arranged on sticky water soluble stabilizer.  The stabilizer sandwich was stitched together using a sewing machine to represent traditional networks.  The stabilizer was washed away.  Bugle beads represent technology networks

Dagmar's Necklace Pattern adapted ...

The necklace is done.  

I chose to use some blue & purple beads in lieu of the leaves.   

Tape Lace from Slovakia

At the Doris Southard Lace Guild retreat in Dubuque in October, Dagmar Beckel Machykova taught tape laces from Slovakia.  Several of us chose to work on a variation that is designed to be a neck piece.  I used Lizbeth #40 for my tape lace.

I used Lizbeth #40 for my tape lace. Dagmar's model has linen tape lace and metal leaves.   Dagmar also provided a bracelet pattern.

Hinojosa at IOLI 2016 Indianapolis

IOLI met in Indianpolis in July 2016.  I took Hinojosa from Marina Regueiro.