Painting With Paint and Thread

April's theme word for my art quilt small group is 'button.'  Wanting to think 'out of the button box', I decided to try painting a button, then highlighting it with thread-painting and quilting.  Where to start?  With a button, a very large button image!  Since this is a 12 x 12 inch piece of PFD cotton fabric, I had a lot of room for this fantasy button.  So, on a very rainy and dark day in Western Washington last week, with lightning and thunder accompanying my brushing, I created a very yellow/chartreuse button that I plan to thread-paint.  I took a follow-up trip to the fabric store for matching thread, and now I'm ready to try this new technique.  Results will follow in a posting in the next few days!

April 16, 2013
Drawn To Leaves
Last year I purchased a Quilting Arts workshop DVD by Catherine Nicholls titled "Drawn to Pen and Ink."  On it she explained how to display an image onto fabric via light box [or window], and then outline/transfer it in tiny dots, plus using dots to create shadows and veins.  Catherine inspired me to use her drawing technique in this 12 x 12 inch piece - outlining the veins, shadows, and shape of photograph I took of a maple leaf I found in my yard last fall. 

I used a piece of my own hand-painted turquoise and brown cotton on which to place the leaf, plus hand-dyed turquoise silk for the inset squares which were stamped with gold paint.  Everything was machine-quilted. 

Among my goals for my studio work this year is to use new techniques in my small studies, and to use at least one small study as the inspiration for a larger work.