Stitching Away

Two very quick progress reports today.  First, the sample of the Upcycle project:

Image and design copyright RPS

I simply took a piece of muslin and drew a portion of the trick or treat lettering in marker.  Then, made some hasty sketches of chickens and free motion quilted them on my little Elna model 50 "Grasshopper."  Then I began to go over the marker letters in chain stitches, at the same time auditioning two different weights of WonderFil Eleganza thread.  In all of the drawing classes I have had, my teachers always stressed the importance of drawing directly from the real thing, don't try to draw from memory.  These chickens are proof of that advice. 

I have dabbled a little bit with one of the little Mardi Gras series - the ones where I was supposed to finish one a week - here is some hand embroidery that I am pleased with:

Image and design copyright RPS

I am off to at least find pictures of chickens.  There is a barn full of chickens within sight of my house, but I don't know the neighbors well enough to ask them if I could hang out there for a while drawing their laying hens. 

Progress on the Upcycle entry

Finally, I am rolling along with something!  My entry for the SAQA Upcycle show is taking shape.  My first step was to cut the base fabric, and baste the large chicken feed sack pieces to it.  I also raw edge appliqued some small printed feed sack pieces to have a little color where the chicken feed bag pieces don't quite meet.

Image and design copyright RPS

Next, I played with the location for the secondary focal point pieces - chunks cut from a vintage printed tablecloth (check out the mid-century mod chickens) and a fun hanky with some more funky chickens on it.

Image and design copyright RPS

Once I had a good idea where the focal points will go, I started to place pieces of printed feed sack in the lower right corner.  The pieces will be raw edge appliqued, and I will use the same technique in the upper left corner.

Image and design copyright RPS

My next step is to make a small sample of the trick-or-treat part of the whole piece feed sack and try quilting it with thread sketched chickens.  I plan on outlining the trick-or-treat lettering in dark gray chain stitching.  Check back on Thursday to see how that goes.

More Unfinished Business

What is it about quilters/textile artists that we seem to amass so many unfinished projects?  Just about every quilter I have known has a sizable stash of "UFOs" (unfinished objects), and some even take pride in having more UFOs than other quilters.  Are other artists this bad with not completing things?

Anyway, I have not touched the Mardi Gras 8x10s" in the last week.  I picked up another project that I started a year ago: a collage that started with a tea towel.

image and design copyright RPS

The only thing that the tea towel had on it when I dug it out of an auction box lot was the embroidered clover flower and leaf at the bottom (and some stains).  It has come a long way, hasn't it?  I am building up a band of mixed stitches across the surface and I have some other small fancy pieces to add to it. 

image and design copyright RPS

Like many of my collages, I don't have a vision for the end of this piece, I will know it when it looks right.  The important thing is to realize when it is time to stop, I don't want to overdo it.  Maybe this weekend I will do something with the Mardi Gras series...

Picking up Pieces

In 2017, I had a great idea to make an 8 x 10" art quilt each week, an idea that numerous other artists have successfully embarked upon.  My take on the project never made it out of the idea stage.  I would still like to attempt it, though thanks to the multitude of other things I am attempting, I am not going to let it rule my life.  If I get one art quilt done in a week, great, if not, it is due to making other things.  If I get four done in a week, well that would be something.

Earlier this week, I cut up a piece of my Mardi Gras blend dyed fabric and started playing with bits of green, yellow and purple fabric. 

Since it is Thursday, and this is all I have so far, I doubt that even one of these will be done by Sunday, but at least I am moving along with one of my many ideas.  Now, go make something!  That's what I am off to do now.

Distractions and Decisions

When embarking on a project specifically for a call for entry, it is crucial to read and re-read the entry rules numerous times throughout the process.  The ideas I posted last time for the SAQA Upcycle show, I have set aside.  The dyed tablecloths that I selected are too big!  I don't want to cut them down to size and lose the neat finished edges that those vintage damask linens often have.  I have many more options for upcycle ideas.  Behold, the very ambitious trick-or-treat bag:

This is a vintage feed sack that once held 100 pounds of chicken feed!  Some enterprising youngster turned an empty feed sack inside out and scribbled his Halloween dream on it, as you can see above.  I'd love to know where the kid who had dreams of filling this bag lived, to think that he could get 100 pounds of Halloween candy.  This had to be the plot of a teenage boy. 

Continuing my early planning for this Upcycle entry, I have pulled printed feed sacks from my collection and vintage kitchen linens with chickens on them.  I'll be collecting candy wrappers over the next couple of months.  I'll also be looking into an old candy brand from the past, Chicken Dinner.

Next time, look for a peek at another series that I am starting.  I don't seem to have enough to do!

Upcycle Entries - Making More Decisions

I've made a little progress in this early stage of my SAQA "Upcycle" entry (or entries).  I have three possible dyed tablecloth backgrounds:

I have doubts about the bottom two, they look too much like tie-dye, which they aren't.  Many people try to equate some of my dye techniques to 1960s era t-shirts, which is NOT what I am trying to emulate. Anyway, for the Upcycle idea, I want to create a series of small abstract collages on dyed damask napkins and join them onto the tablecloth background.  Here, I am starting to audition the napkins:

The separate small collages will incorporate lots of found objects and stitch-able materials.  I will likely add pieces of re-purposed clothing too, and I am about to embark on a journey through the house looking for potential non-fabric scraps - for example: shopping bags, net bags from fruit and vegetables, junk mail, wrappers, etc.

Ups and Downs on the Upcycling

I have not made much progress on getting a clear idea for my Upcycle entry... I have been playing with some possible materials.  The old quilt top that I featured in my last post is out of the running.  I want to show off my hand dyed upcycled textiles, so the base is going to be a dyed damask tablecloth.  There are so many possibilities for this theme.  My vast stash of vintage textiles includes men's ties that are intended for a wearable project, but there are many of them.  I could use some of them with other pieces of old clothing in a collage

Of course, I have many dyed doilies which I have fun using to create texture in a piece.  Too many of them might look too antique, too stale for the art gallery patron.  I need to think about making something more edgy and unexpected.

Along with dyeing fabric for resale and my own creations, I often throw a few pairs of socks in the dye buckets.  Some of them are starting to wear out, but they are too beautiful to toss in the trash. 

A while ago, I found instructions for making sock dolls.  Since then, I have wanted to make a wall hanging with a whole bunch of wildly embellished sock dolls.  Maybe it is time to pursue that idea.

Contemplating an Upcycling Project

One of SAQA's upcoming calls for entry is "Upcycle!"  Since I have gotten my start in the fabric and art quilt business by upcycling vintage textiles, this is a must-do opportunity for me.  I am also planning an entry in their 3D Expression show, that entry deadline is earlier that Upcycle, but I am pressuring myself to have solid ideas for both by the end of November in order to complete them in time to submit my entries.

Here is my first thought for Upcycle:

This is a vintage quilt, about 70 x 80,'" in very rough shape.  It would be a base, a jumping off point for a fabric collage.  I am envisioning lots of hand stitching, overlays of images on sheer fabrics, some painting on fabric too.

The rips and tears indicate that it sure has seen a lot of use in its life.  Hopefully, it was loved in its early life, but is has likely been through some rough handing.  The quality of the hand stitching holding it together hasn't helped it much, but I commend this quilt's maker for sticking with it and finishing it.  We all have to start somewhere.

Here is something that will horrify vintage quilt collectors - I admit, I ran this quilt through the washing machine a few days ago!  Yes, I know I am not supposed to do that to an old quilt, but I had to in this case.  I had a mouse problem on Saturday, and the little bugger holed up in this quilt.  Being terrified by hot pursuit of my cat, the uninvited mouse left copious... deposits.  I had to wash it.  There is no way I am going be wrapped up in a quilt this large, hand stitching it with mouse turds all over it.  I am pleased to report that in its already fragile state, the washing machine really didn't do any more damage.   A little bit of the batting came out from the larger holes, but that's it.  I don't think that any of the tears were made worse.  I'd rather risk the damage than have the risk of who knows what the mouse could have been carrying.

Next time, a few more Upcycle candidates.

Sewing Machine Spirits

I have made it well known that I use mostly vintage sewing machines.  These machines have had other owners and therefore unknown stories.  There are days where I really believe that inanimate objects can have spirits in them.  This past Saturday, I was rolling along with making last minute projects for an upcoming art fair.  All day, my sturdy Singer 503 was getting the brunt of the work. 

Very suddenly in the early evening, it decided to go on strike!  I truly thought the thing was dying - the motor slowed to a crawl, it wouldn't wind a bobbin properly, the thread tension went haywire.  All the usual troubleshooting  - oil, new needle, re-thread (multiple times) - failed.  I called it quits for the night after spending an hour and a half trying to tinker with it.  I even switched foot pedals, without improvement.  The next day, I headed to my sewing room to make more stuff, and started with a test sew-off on the ailing 503.  The machine ran beautifully!  All was well again in Rags Paper Stitches land.  Those old machines don't seem to get that hot, but perhaps the motor temperature got above a critical point.

While I am going on about my 503, here are some neat pieces of Singer ephemera relating to the 503 and its close cousins, the 500, and the 400 series.  These items are from 1962 and 1963, when Singer was rolling out their built in zig-zag mechanism and the slant needle configuration.  Enjoy!

 A promotional booklet showcasing all the decorative sewing that could be done with a zig zag machine

 Introducing the Slant-O-Matics!

 Freebie give-away hand sewing needle packs advertising the 401.

Freebie mending kits touting the Slant-O-Matics as the "greatest sewing machine ever built."  I beg to differ with that, even some of Singer's earlier models, while not zig-zag, were far better.  I love the slant needle configuration, but the 400s and 500s are not as strong and robust as others (201 and 15-91...).  Not to mention the motors in mine sound downright awful.

Odds and Ends

A little while back (on October 2), I wrote about a postcard I have from a soldier at Camp Sherman.  I wasn't sure then if the card was sent before the deadly influenza outbreak influenza outbreak at the camp - I have confirmed that the outbreak began in September.  I have not yet tried to find more about the card's sender, I only have a partial name due to the wear on the edges of the card.  This is something I plan on investigating soon, so stay tuned for more details!

The past few days have been a bust as far as sewing or other creativity.  I am looking into making zipper flowers, as recently acquired a small stash of vintage metal zippers.  The zippers and a whole bunch of other sewing notions came out of this nifty little antiques show find, thanks to my mom:

This is the third diptych style sewing caddy that we have.  They are turning out great to have for keeping threads and embellishments together by project.  They still take up a bit of room when folded, measuring about 18 X 30 X 5."  I am envisioning creating a space for them somewhere to line them up like books on a shelf.  These sub-collections within collections are getting out of hand...

As Time Goes By

I am sitting here wondering what happened to last week, where did it go?  It just sort of flew by like a breeze... I seem to be having a lot of times like that.  One thing that I managed to accomplish is finishing the last dye session of the season.  I have more lovely greens, blues and purples now.  Of course, by finishing, I mean washing out all the fabrics and trims, drying and ironing them.  I will slowly go through all of the fabric I dyed this year, trimming and pricing them for next year's shows. 

I must get busy on one of the many works-in-progress in my sewing room so I may have something to post about on Thursday.

Another Vintage Sewing Machine

Here it is - a Singer 15-91:

The cabinet is in rough shape.  I've seen worse, but have a better one in need of a machine (not the same style though).  I have little interest in, and no time to embark on a furniture restoration project.  All the same, I'd rather not junk what could be a nice cabinet.  I am not a fan of repainting these, but in cases like this, it needs help.  I'd rather see someone restore it to its original varnish, not painting it in chalk paint!

The machine is in excellent condition cosmetically - the decals are just about perfect.  I have not tried to run it yet, I'll probably try it out next week when things slow down a bit.

Green with Envy

Running late again here, but with good reason: an epic end-of-the-season dye session in progress and a trip to an art fair that I have wanted to investigate.  So far, I have an enticing assortment of fabrics in greens and blues underway.  I only have pictures of the greens right now:

Yes, that is velvet that you see in the last image!  I am slowly adding more off-the-bolt specialty fabrics.  These will all end up in single color packs of small cuts of several different fabrics.  I am working towards making up packs that all contain the same size pieces of fabrics so that everything is more consistent.

The art fair that I attended was the Ohio Mart at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron, Ohio.  I came home inspired and with some lovely additions to my art collection.  The event is now on my list of venues to apply to in the near future.  I definitely want to go back to Stan Hywet again (not during the art fair) to visit the mansion and gardens.

So much has been happening in my world... I still need to discuss the book sale I went to last week (a whole room full of quilt books) and I have yet to introduce the latest addition to my vintage sewing machine collection.  Check back on Tuesday for all of that and more.

World War I Poppies - Finished!

Here it is, my own mixed collage interpretation of the World War I poppies:

Image and design copyright RPS

Here is a detail of the letter:

Image and design copyright RPS

The letter is actually a note on a postcard (copied onto fabric) that came with one of those wonderful scrapbooks that I found earlier this year.  There is no doubt that they came from a local family.  The postcard is a double length one:

The sender was apparently training at Camp Sherman in Chillicothe, Ohio.  The card is postmarked August 22, 1918 to a resident of Quaker City, Ohio.  Judging from the message, it was before the devastating influenza outbreak that occurred that year.  I wonder if the sender made it through the epidemic, and if he ever made it overseas.  The message reads:
        "Hello Rodney - How is the pike job coming?  We had some try out on Liberty trucks like they            take through there last Friday.  We will be driving trucks in France within a month from today if          we get over all OK.  We have a dandy pair of driving gloves & we get a Norfolk overcoat at the          port of embarkation wherever that will be we don't know.  But we can get a few shots of good              French wine, ha ha.

Pumpkins!

I have not worked on the World War I poppy quilt in the past couple days, besides, I feel like writing something offbeat.  Lately, I have had pumpkins on my mind - palettes piled with pumpkins (and gourds too). 

Look at all of them!  I have been occasionally visiting a nearby produce auction to fill in gaps in my winter pantry.  The cucumbers for my great pickle canning binge came from this auction, along with other purchases of things I have not successfully grown myself.  I'd love to buy a palette of pumpkins, the variety of shapes, colors and textures are fascinating, even though I know they won't last long.  Some of them would be good eating, they would freeze well if I had room in the freezer.   

At this auction, the pumpkins are sold in large lots.  I could buy a bin of 50- 100-some traditional orange pumpkins, or a lot of 30 of the mix that you see above.  Of course, I'd want the mix of colors and textures of all the odd varieties.  What would I do with so many plain, boring orange pumpkins?  Well, what would I do with 30 warty, skinny, flat, chunky, smooth, blue, green, tan, and white ones?  I'd love them, save seeds from them for growing next year, and try to come up with a way to commemorate them in an art quilt.  Yet another idea!

World War I Challenge Progress

Sadly, I am missing the entry deadline for this quilt, it is still not finished.  I'm not upset by missing the deadline, I will still finish the quilt and since I am going to be a vendor at the show it was to be entered into, I will have it on display (and for sale) in my booth.  I have a few more things to add to it, but here are a couple of detail images of the quilting and the very cool stamens in the poppies (hand stitched - straight stitches with French knots).  Enjoy!

images and design copyright RPS

This week is quieter than last, so I really have every intention of posting on Thursday... will it be about the finish of this quilt, or something else?

World War I Challenge

Yikes!  It has been a while since I posted here.  I have gotten wrapped up in  the World War I challenge piece that I mentioned previously.  The challenge is a poppy themed quilt, inspired by the poem, "In Flanders Fields."  Here are some in progress images:

First, my initial idea involved rubbings from gravestones in a nearby cemetery.  I only found a metal medallion indicating the grave of a World War I veteran.  In my collection of fabric collage stuff, I found a vintage hanky with some red poppies on it, and a felt tobacco premium flag  (Belgian flag, of course) from the World War I era.  I wanted those two items to be a part of the collage.

Image and design copyright RPS

Adding the flag and hanky would be the last steps in the collage, at this point I really needed some poppies.  I free-motion quilted the outlines of the flowers and leaves:

Image and design copyright RPS

Then, I colored the poppies with crayons, and heat set them by ironing.

Image and design copyright RPS

At this point, I wanted to add some detail with hand stitching, so I auditioned the flag and hanky again, changing the planned locations for them.  I didn't want to hand stitch where the extra pieces would cover my hard work.

Image and design copyright RPS

Check back on Thursday to see how the hand stitching and additional quilting turned out.

Stitching the Summer Flowers

Slowly, I am am adding hand stitching to both of my little summer flowers series.  The hand stitching slows down the progress of a piece, which brings up a significant dilemma.  My art quilts are all about a multitude of textures and details that includes lots of hand stitching.  It also adds exponentially to the time and therefore the selling price of the piece. This occurred to me as I started to stitch yesterday on these little flower quilts.  

Image and designs copyright RPS

One hour's worth of stitching on the day lily, fifteen minutes on the Joe-Pye-Weed.

I have been intending on having 8 x 10" art quilts as a more affordable option to customers at future art fairs.  The more hand stitching I add, the less affordable they are, but leaving out the hand stitching compromises the integrity of my vision for the quilt.  So far, I have worked on the Joe-Pye-Weed for one hour and 35 minutes and the day lily for two hours and ten minutes.  I could split the hour I spent piecing the bases, since I made two bases in that time, that would bring down the times for each.  The hand stitching is something I like to do, but it is going to wreck the cost factor.  Take a look at the Joe-Pye-Weed (the one on the right above), I have a long way to go!  

That day lily really needs some leaves...

Assorted Side Projects

Why, why, oh why did I buy a bushel of cucumbers at the produce auction?  Because I had no idea how many of the little green guys I would need for a batch of bread and butter pickles.  I've never made pickles before, but I really wanted to try this year.  The yield was at least 24 pints of bread and butters, and an unrecorded amount of dill spears - my mom took home a bunch of pints, so I don't know the exact figure. 

The moral of this story is: don't hold back, just jump in and do what you want to do!  The pickles are delicious, and I still have fresh cucumbers - lots of them.

I have set the 8 X 10" flower series aside for a few days, I have been working on a World War I commemorative piece for a challenge.  Here are two steps in the development of the 8 X 10" prototype for the final piece:

Image and design copyright RPS

Step one: a grave marker rubbing with a Shiva paint stick and free motion sewn "drawing" of poppies.

Image and design copyright RPS

Step two: color the poppies with crayon and Pentel Fabric Fun pastel dye sticks.  Hand stitching added to center of the poppy on the right.  One evening's work, that's all.  I'm off now to start the actual challenge piece.

Another Ten Minutes

We all would love more time to create, but we all have busy lives - believe me, I'm right there with you!  I have a point with my "ten minutes" series.  I waste a lot of time everyday messing around with truly foolish stuff, and in breaking the progress of this small art quilt into ten minute increments, I am hoping that I am inspiring you to find a few minutes each day to pursue something that you have been wanting to do.  Give up ten minutes of internet time, skip a TV show for a half hour of good creative time, work on something while sipping your morning coffee, or while waiting for a pot of water to boil.  At the end of one week, astonish yourself with how much you have done on a project.

Image and design copyright RPS

The next ten minute step on my Joe-Pye-Weed mini collage was to couch yarn for the stems, and spot glue the leaves in place so that with another ten minute block I can sew the leaves into place.  After that, I will be ready to start hand stitching the pink florets.  I am looking at the real thing as I work on this, but I am not trying to make an exact botanical illustration, it is a personal interpretation of a flower that I love.

I'll get back to the day lily next week...