Fabric Art

Altered dolls usually (but not always) start with ready-made, store-bought dolls. They may be modified or even deconstructed to make a different art doll or mixed-media figure. These can include anything from themed, customized BarbieTM dolls, to Raggedy Ann gone wild, to McD’s doll toys that are made into jewelry or chess pieces. However, that … Continue reading "Altered Dolls"

This is one of a series of pin dolls that I  made by hand. First, I create my doll collages digitally, using antique photos and illustrations. When I’m pleased with the design and colors, I print each doll onto iron-on transfer paper. Next, I apply each doll design to cotton, usually unbleached muslin, raw silk, … Continue reading "Annie Faerie Dolls"

This is another project started in the mid-1990s and not completed.  Clearly, even good projects are sometimes put aside. Basically, I was going to make myself a bunch of great wearable art pinafores. Note: In the States, a pinafore is called a jumper. I grew up calling them pinafores, because… well, that’s what my family … Continue reading "Rust and Teal Pieced Bodice"

I’ve always loved the color purple.  Almost every shade of purple delights me. This is an original one-of-a-kind jacket that I created around 1992, using a Vogue designer jacket pattern. The fabrics are all 100% cottons. On half of the front, I have hand-beaded with glass bugle and seed beads. I’ve also painted it with … Continue reading "Purple Fabric Art Jacket 1"

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 … Continue reading "Easy Rolled Cloth Beads"

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 … Continue reading "Ribbon Embroidery and Beading"

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, … Continue reading "Baby’s Blocks Gone Wild"

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 … Continue reading "Baby Quilt – Pink and Red"