Scraps of fabric can be used to create rolled beads. Here’s the simplest version. You’ll need fabric, white glue and water, and something thin to wrap the beads around. This can be a thin dowel, toothpicks, shishkebab skewers, thin cocktail straws, or… Well, see what you have around the house. You could even use heavy […]
Easy Rolled Cloth Beads Read More »
This shows part of the ribbon embroidery & beading on a jumper bodice started in the 1990s. In real life, the area shown is about 7.5″ x 4″. I was inspired by a crazy quilt that I saw many years ago, and the bright embroidery on the black velvet reminded me of fireworks. I knew
Ribbon Embroidery and Beading Read More »
In 1991, I designed and made this quilted wallhanging for a challenge in Salt Lake City, Utah. A “challenge” is kind of competition. Usually it includes a rule that all participants must follow. That rule is designed to make the competition more interesting… or difficult. In many cases, the challenge element is a particular fabric,
Baby’s Blocks Gone Wild Read More »
This is a baby quilt that I made in 2003. It’s made with over a dozen fabrics, each 100% cotton. Each square in the quilt is about 1″ x 1″. It could be very tedious to make a quilt like this, but the top created with strip piecing. This is a faster technique that works
Baby Quilt – Pink and Red Read More »
This rocking chair is called a Lincoln rocker by some, and a Kennedy rocker by others. It’s the same design that Jack Kennedy had in the White House. He felt that it helped his back. The restored chair is shown at right. This particular chair came from a yard sale on Boston’s North Shore (an
Rocking chair – reseating Read More »
If you’re interested in fabric art but don’t know where to start, here are a few basics. First, decide the kind of fabric art that you’d like to start with. You’ll have lots to choose from. Here are a few. Cloth dolls and figures If you’ve always loved dolls, stuffed animals, or art figures, you
Interested in Fabric Art? Start Here. Read More »
Before rushing out to buy supplies for your fabric art projects, consider a these important points. Many fabric artists (including me) prefer 100% cotton for most projects. The benefits are clear: Cottons are durable. They don’t “pill” or develop small little fiber balls on the surface.Cottons tear on a straight line. This saves tedious cutting.
Cotton v. Polyester fabrics Read More »
Years ago, when I worked in fashion in Los Angeles, a co-worker at the May Company told a great story about a desperate ad campaign. He’d had just a few hours to write a newspaper ad for the ugliest argyle socks ever made. He wrote this headline: “You’ve never seen socks like these!” The socks
Crafts Fair Marketing – On-site ideas Read More »
Collage art and assemblages are just two of the most fun, varied art forms. Even beginners can achieve success with collage and assemblage. The biggest difference between them…? Collages tend to be flat. Or flat-ish. Assemblages can be three-dimensional, and can be small or really, really huge. a collaged card in the Inspiration Deck exchange
Collage Art and Assemblage – What’s the Difference? Read More »
Collage is an easy way to add art to your diary or journal. For years, I started each day with a quick torn-paper collage, the same as I used to create my handwritten “morning pages,” taught in The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity Collages are a visual version of
How to Collage in Your Art Journals – 2008 Art Journaling Update Read More »
