Fiber Forum Workshop with Jean Draper

Our kits for this workshop included a couple wire loops and some very narrow slips of fabric, like would be cut from the selvage when making quilt blocks.  One of the activities was to make and wrap wire loops and use them in fiber art.  Here's a picture of the loops I wrapped.  I assembled them several ways before packing them to go home.

The list of supplies to bring included beads and wire.  I brought some beads that my mother had already put on wire.  I assembled some on one of the sticks that I brought. 









This is the table I shared with Flo. 

One exercise was stitched with black thread on muslin. 

Another exercise consisted of cutting a strip of black paper and arranging the pieces in different ways.



One arrangement was selected.  Pieces of fabric were cut in the same shapes and sewn onto muslin. 

Fiona Alice Irvin

This is for my grandniece who will be celebrating her first birthday soon.  

My niece's favorite animal is a giraffe.

The lace pattern is from a book that I bought from the Idrija Lace School, 

Idrija Lace: Narrow cloth stitch, 

edited by Maja Svetlik and Metka Fortuna.  

Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, Florida

In January I went to a workshop with Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn.  We were encouraged to work on something new each of the three days.

Winter Blossoms

•      Curvy, kinky cotton cordonnet left over from bobbin lace arranged on water solubles
•     Water soluble sandwich machine stitched with sewing thread and then hand stitched with unidentified heavy synthetic fiber in knots
•      Mother of pearl flower petals from a straw hat attached with pearl beads
•      Additional pearl beads and clear crystal beads inherited from my mother’s stash

Design size: approximately 17 x 4 inches

Total dimensions: 17.25 x 8.25 x .5 inches

As the snow melts, tiny blossoms emerge from the black soil, marking the beginning of a new growing season.  Through cooling and warming cycles, ice and snow form complex patterns of crystals and textures.  Trails are left by twigs blown around and meandering animals.  Clumps of snow drop off trees leaving impressions below.   

This piece recycles materials as nature recycles.  The paths and textures in this piece reflect the complexity in nature. 

Letting Go

•       Fabric constructed by embellisher felted from the back to the surface in kite shapes
•       Soft yarn stitched for the kite strings
•       Silk ribbon tied on for the kite tails
•      Chiffon covers the surface

 Design size: 11 x 14 inches

Total dimensions: 11 x 14 inches

The kites fade into the darkness with their trailing strings.  The kites represent the spirits of those who have left us.  We must let go. 

Forest Undergrowth

•       Network arranged on water soluble fabric from scraps of wool fibers
•       Network connected using machine thread and stitching
•       Surface embroidery with hand spun & hand dyed wool
•       Water solubles were washed out
•       Wool was felted using an embellisher

Design size: approximately 12.6 x 3 inches

Total dimensions: 12.6 x 3 inches

The felted fabric is reminiscent of the forest undergrowth.  

Sky Blue Pink with Purple Polka Dots

•       crochet cotton for logarithmic ground
•       pearl cotton for polka dots

Design size: approximately 14 x 14 inches

Total dimensions: 14 x 14 x 1 inches

When we asked our Dad what his favorite color was he would always respond “Sky Blue Pink with Purple Polka Dots”. 

Crochet cotton was woven in torchon ground by bobbin lace technique on a logarithmic grid that reminds me of the graph paper my father used for microwave engineering.    Purple polka dots were constructed by needle with detached buttonhole stitch. 

Thank You For Your Support

• Bobbin lace trellis made of cotton cordonnet on a logarithmic x logarithmic grid
• Twisted cords for vines made of pearl cotton
• Detached buttonhole blossoms made of overdyed cotton
• Needle woven leaves made of pearl cotton
• Canvas embroidery using pearl cotton for grass

Design size: 8.5 x 9.25 x 1.5 inches

Total dimensions: 12 x 10.25 x 2.5 inches

“Thank you for your support” is a phrase Dawn Cannon often heard as she helped engineers use software development tools.  I made a logarithmic grid for the trellis to represent her mathematical background and her relationships at work, home and in the community.  The trellis supports the vine as it blossoms as Dawn and her husband supported their two young children as they grew to adults while Dawn was going through years of cancer treatment. 

MN Manipulations

Last winter I prepared for the April 2018 EGA chapter exhibit by cutting out some of the work I had done at the Fiber Forum Workshop in Minnesota with Barbara Smith.  I used the scraps of Thai silk to mount the embroidered felted samples and construct an accordion book. 

The sample on the left was embellished by stitching through the felt near the surface.  The sample on the right has tiny Delica beads sewn into the surface.  Some wonky knitty yarn was disassembled and applied to the surface. 

The rectangle above has a variety of beads applied with straight stitches marking the surface. 

The circle below has orange beads that I never thought I would use combined with scraps of Mango Madness knitting yarn .   

Summer 2017 Travel Project

While travelling last summer I worked on First Step by Genny Morrow.  This was a program project for Cedar Valley Chapter EGA.  You were given 2 colors, in my case brown and green, and then you picked 2 more colors.  The values are arranged with lightest on the outside and darkest on the inside.  There is a challenge in finding the same value in the 4 hues.  Mine is mounted in a box that I purchased from Marion Scoular at EGA National Seminar. 

EGA Seminar August 2017 Asheville, NC

Chris Berry supplied a notebook and information pages for her 4-day class on detached buttonhole stitch variations.   Pieces of muslin were marked into sections, so there was one for each stitch exercise.  The muslin was attached to wooden stretcher bars with double-sided tape on the top and outsides of the bars.  This kept the muslin firmly attached while we were working in class.  Later the muslin was cut and the samples inserted in the notebook on the corresponding pages.  This was one of the most interesting classes I have taken.