Craft Napa - Surprise Printing

Four years ago, Sue went to Craft Napa with 2 friends for 3 days of fiber art classes.  What a fun time!  Things haven't worked out to return to this California retreat, but this year because of the pandemic, it moved online like so many other events.  Being virtual, anyone could participate from the comfort of home.  So Sue signed up for one class.  There were others she was interested in, but as sometimes happens, several were on the same day so choices had to be made.  The class she took was called Surprise Printing taught by Margarita Korioth.  The technique involved using Caran d'Ache water soluble wax pastel crayons with transparent extender and silk screens to created printed blocks.  The "surprise" is seeing what your blocks look like after washing off the excess crayon. 

These were some of our supplies.  The teacher's kit included the 2 silk screens (made with heat transfer vinyl) and selected colors of Caran d'Ache water soluble wax pastels. (Sue purchased this larger set.) We also needed some squares and rectangles of white Kona cotton and transparent extender - ProChem is a recommended brand. 

To create blocks, we first colored the cotton squares with the wax pastel crayons.  Then we used the silk screen to overprint with the transparent extender.  These were then set aside to dry.  We also made a repeat pattern with the other screen on a rectangular piece of cotton.  The third component created was a wide strip that could be cut into narrower strips for sashing and/or binding.  This piece was done by separating it into segments with painter's tape and coloring in between.  The transparent extender was brushed over top.  All were allowed to dry before heat setting and then soaking in water (about 10 minutes) to remove the excess crayon.  The extra color doesn't come out completely, but enough to fade into the background and allow the printed design to stand out.

The pieces above were the first ones completed.  After some additional instruction, there was time to make some more!

These additional blocks and repeat section are drying before heat setting and rinsing.

Above are the finished second group of pieces. Now what to do with them?  Margarita used hers to make both a quilt and a pillow. Check out this link to see more of her work.  The blocks can be assembled randomly in rows, with or without sashing, bordered if desired.  Use your imagination!  This was a fun process and we're excited to see how it can be adapted for use with Thermofax screens. Experiments to come!

Imagination: 1 x 4

The Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) Regional groups of North Carolina/Virginia and Washington DC/Maryland/West Virginia issued a challenge last year to members to make a quilt based on the theme Imagination.  They were asked to "use their imagination to escape reality, explore thoughts and feelings, and express themselves by creating a new quilt in a format measuring one foot wide by four feet high". Approximately 70 submissions were juried by Maggie Vanderweit, selecting 50 for the exhibit. Originally intended to be an in-person exhibit, the Covid 19 pandemic altered those plans to make it a virtual exhibit that can be seen on Black Rock Center for the Arts' website now through February 20.  It will also be part of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival's virtual show at the end of February. 

Sue's submission, The Imagination of Nature, is one of the 50 pieces selected. After considering several ideas, a piece of eco-printed fabric came to mind.  It was about 6 feet long by 1 foot wide, so easily fit the size requirements of the challenge.  It served as the "iron blanket" in making an eco-printed silk scarf; essentially, a piece of cotton that keeps the plant material in place in the printing process.  In addition to the length of cotton, there were several pieces of silk used as test prints that might be incorporated in the 1 x 4 design.

Planning began by looking at the length of fabric, measuring, auditioning potential fabrics, and selecting the portions of the print to use.  Also part of the planning was looking for quotes that tied nature and imagination together.  Two quotes were chosen and printed on Extravorganza (organza that is adhered  to a backing for use in an inkjet printer).  The original print was divided into 3 sections, with the quotes forming the divisions above and below the center portion.  Three of the silk prints were chosen and fused to pieces of silk for layering on top of the cotton.  A bird was screen printed on a color catcher (a non-woven fabric sheet used to absorb excess dye in the laundry) and added as a focal point.

Above is the center section.  Except for some machine anchor stitching, the quilting is done by hand with embroidery threads.  Some "ghost" leaves were added to the background with stitching.  

This is the top section, with the largest of the 3 silk prints. 

Above is a close-up of the bottom section.  Click on any of the photos to see a larger version.

The virtual exhibit on the Black Rock website gives you two options for viewing; one is a 3-D gallery view which is a guided tour similar to being in a real gallery.  The second option is viewing a still image of each quilt that can be enlarged for a closer view.  You can also view a separate document of the artists' statements and jurors remarks.  All of the pieces in the exhibit are for sale.  So find a comfortable spot, put on some quiet music, and enjoy a gallery tour of these beautiful quilts!

Violet Protest

 A few months ago, Sue signed up to make 5 quilt blocks for the Violet Protest.  The Violet Protest is a national public effort to make and send 50 textile squares to every member of Congress in support of core American values.  Sadly, it seems this effort is needed now more than ever.  The core values include:

• respect for the other
• citizenship
• compromise
• country over party/corporate influence
• courage
• candor
• compassion
• creativity

The blocks are to be made of equal amounts of red and blue, symbolizing that the blending of the 2 colors results in violet - thus the Violet Protest.  The 8" square textile units can be made from a variety of techniques including knitting, crocheting, weaving, sewing, quilting, embroidery, applique, felting, or any combination of these techniques.  

All squares received by Feb. 1 will be exhibited at the Phoenix Art Museum beginning in March 2021.  The final deadline is August 1 for sending to Congress, so it is not too late if you'd like to participate!  The blocks will be equally divided and sent to each of the 535 members of Congress in late 2021.

Please go to the Violet Protest website to learn more about this project, see photos of completed blocks, an artist's rendering of the museum display, and a sample of the letter that will accompany the blocks sent to members of Congress.  You can also volunteer to make blocks and/or donate to the cause.  

These are Sue's finished blocks.  Note they are all separate blocks with bound edges, just laying side by side.