Quilt Camp Day 6

We were saying to each other today that it doesn't seem like we get as much done these days as we once did!  What's up with that?

If our math is right, this is the tenth time we have had quilt camp.  The number of years is higher  because we had a few years when we couldn't get together.  Probably somewhere around 14 years we have come to the garage here at Merrymount on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee to stir our creative juices and work on our business selling Thermofax screens through Etsy and promoting them on social media.

Today Elizabeth rinsed out the excess dye from this lovely vine flower Thermofax screen done with Color Magnet and Coral MX dye.

And her pole dyed piece.  Not sure why this year the white lines from the string isn't as prominent.  Perhaps oversoaked, not wound and scrunched tightly enough or too few layers on the pole.  It is still ok, just a faint glimpse of texture.

You saw a sneak peek at Molly's new shirt the other day on the blog but not the vine flower around the hemline.  The t-shirt was first screened with the design using Color Magnet, left to dry and then ice dyed.

Elizabeth also screened this hand drawn ginkgo leaf, onto a long piece of previously dyed fabric, using a blue acrylic fabric paint which sparkles just the slightest amount.

And this green piece was screened with a new screen made from a photo of birch bark.

Sue has some pieces that didn't get included in yesterday's post.  One is this piece of rusted fabric that was folded and dipped in the indigo pot.

In an effort to make some ugly fabrics more palatable, they were also dipped in the indigo pot.  The left photo is "before", the right photo is "after".  A small step in the right direction.  Looks like another dip in the indigo pot is called for!

We didn't have much sun today, but there was enough to put out a quick sun print with some stencils.

The best ending to the day was that Bob drove us to Wolfeboro and treated us to an ice cream at Bailey's Bubble.

Personalize Your Face Masks

Here it is November and many sewists have spent time making masks these past 9 months as we try to lessen the impacts of this global pandemic.

This summer, Elizabeth ordered some premade cotton-knit 2 layer face masks and dyed them using the ice dyeing techniques we have talked about before.  Search the label ice dyeing on this post to see old posts where we mentioned ice dyeing.

After dyeing some masks she got to work using thermofax screens to add images.  She tried adding an owl from our collection which had previously worked well on a woven cotton but found that it was too detailed and just looked blob-like on the knit mask fabric (top left)  Since less detailed images seemed to work best she tried some of the screens in our collection which were hand drawn and had thicker lines.  She was also particularly pulled to the words that could be added either alone on a mask or over top of another image.  

As these masks were premade and included some gathering around the edges it wasn't always easy to get the image into the space without a wrinkle or two.  This was exacerbated by trying to use the screen a second time once paint was blocking the view of the image.  Thus, she did a lot more screen cleaning than normal. Screening fabric first and then sewing the mask is an alternative if you sew.

If you have a simple line drawing you think might look good on a mask, send us the image sized for the small screen and see if you can make your own personalized mask.  This cardinal came from the Graphics Fairy, a free source for vintage, public domain art work. 

This is a dragonfly that Sue drew on a piece of paper with a black pen.  We can make a screen from your drawing so long as the image is black and white.

A favorite is when you can screen two images and have one as a foreground and one as a background such as these daisies and then add a sentiment or positive word on top.

Different fonts will give you different looks so play around and see what words you can fit in the size of the mask you are using.  There are so many to choose from just in Microsoft Word alone.  Above, the word "Flourish" is in a font called "Casteller". Most of the fonts we used are in the range of 65-120 font size but that would depend on the length of your word and the size of the printing space available on your mask.  Enjoy personalizing your mask with your own work.  We would be happy to help you.  Visit our Etsy shop to see our screens and order a personalized screen. Right now there is a 20% off sale through December 3, 2020. 

If you use a word though, by careful when you put your mask on because you might be walking around with your mask on upside down!  How embarrassing is that?

Quilt Camp Week 10 - Colors of Fall

After 9 weeks of quilt camp posts, last week we took a much needed break.  We had a topic in mind but sometimes things don't work out as intended.  The extra time helped to take a step back and refocus on the project.  Our goal was to feature some of the new screens added to the Etsy shop.  Along with that, we were reminded of a challenge for fall quilts to be donated to the Virginia Quilt Museum, so we decided to combine the two ideas. The museum is asking for 15" square quilts in "Colors of Fall" to be sent in for display by October 19.  After display, they can be donated to the museum for sale in the gift shop. Sue chose to work with the bald cypress screen on 5" squares in a 9-patch pattern, and fall leaves (also screen prints).  Things started out pretty well, with 9 squares printed.

Sue used rusted fabric as the background and printed with Simply Screen paint by Plaid in "French roast".  (The Simply Screen paint appears to have been discontinued - an online search only found it available on eBay.)

Then she printed leaves on a multi-colored piece of fabric that had fall colors.

Fusible was added to the back and the leaves were cut out.  But the problem came when laying out the blocks and leaves; it was really blah, to put it mildly.  The leaves didn't stand out the way she thought they would, and there was too much brown. The first step to correct that was to add a brighter color behind the leaves.  If you enlarge the photo below, you can see that some of the leaves have a yellow or orange edge that was done by  fusing to another layer of fabric.

But even that wasn't enough. Still not very exciting, right?  So, what could she add to liven it up?  Here were 2 options.

This hand-dyed red seemed to add a nice spark.  Should it be a column down the center, or should she stick with the standard 9-patch format?

The 9-patch format won out.  Above are the 9 blocks sewn together.  As it worked out, some of the smaller leaves that didn't contrast well with the brown cypress print worked better on the red background.

So here is the finished piece.  The leaves are fused on, then free-motion stitched.  The background is also free-motion quilted with a meander stitch in clear nylon thread.   The cypress bark prints are a nice contrast with the red.  Much better than the original idea!  Now it is ready to be sent to the museum - we hope they like it!

If you would like to participate in the museum's Colors of Fall challenge, you can read about it here.

May Musings

Wow, again its been 2 months since our last post.  You would think with all this time staying at home through the corona virus pandemic that we'd post more often.  But like many of you, we seem to be focused more inward, just trying to maintain some semblance of routine in this very abnormal situation. For most people this has been a time of reflection and adaptation.  Whether working at home, home schooling children, sequestered with your spouse or housemates, or home alone, it may still be some time before we get back to life as we knew it so trying to keep a routine and healthy habits is important.

Sue is home in Virginia with her husband.  She maintains a fairly consistent exercise routine - walking, online Zumba and yoga classes.  Working on various quilt projects, some just for mindless sewing, other art pieces that require more thought and time.  Of course there's been the mask making and also PPE gown making for her sister-in-law who works in a nursing home.  And making bi-weekly trips to the grocery store.  Her husband rides a motorcycle, so they have been able to take some rides for a welcome change of scenery.

Elizabeth was in Mississippi at her mother's house when the stay at home orders started.  She and her sister had the goal of finishing cleaning out the house in order to put it on the market this spring.  So she is still in Mississippi, unfortunately without a sewing machine!  All those sewing tools had previously been removed.  So she has had to find different creative outlets.  In addition to continuing to make cyanotype prints, we have both been following Marisela Rumberg as she leads Thursday evening Facebook Live classes on Zentangle, and have now completed 10 lessons on this abstract drawing method. (#ZentangleBeforeBed)

In case you were wondering, our Thermofax screen business is still going strong.  Most all orders through the Etsy shop are prepared and mailed without leaving home.  Supplies are sourced online. We added some new screens to the Etsy shop in March and April; if you're a newsletter subscriber you'll have seen them.  If you're not, you can subscribe at the top right of this page.  We are also always happy to make custom screens for you to assist in your creative endeavors. Just be sure there are no copyright restrictions on images you send us for screens.

Like many of you, we are missing family and friends and those routine activities we may have taken for granted. Birthdays, holidays, graduations pass without the usual celebrations.  Elizabeth missed her grandson's 2nd birthday.  Sue's family celebrated a socially distant Mother's Day.  We treasure the opportunities to connect over Zoom or Facetime.  Special events have been cancelled over the last 2 months and in the months to come. Already several quilting events for early 2021 have announced that they will transition to virtual events instead of live. (QuiltCon, Craft Napa) Still others like International Quilt Festival Houston remain on the calendar, waiting to see what happens. But we carry on, like you, trying to make the best of the situation.

What have you been doing/working on over the last few months?  Have you focused on UFOs?  New projects? Mask making?  Learning something new?  It seems that opportunities abound for online learning, projects and quilt alongs in the creative community.   What have you done to maintain a routine in this time of uncertainty?  Please share your thoughts, projects, new endeavors in the comments or on our Facebook page.  We so appreciate hearing from you, now more than ever!

New Screens and Etsy Sale

Everyone loves a good birthday celebration, right?  Etsy is celebrating it's13th birthday by having a sale from June 18-22.  All shops were invited to participate, so you're bound to find some great deals next week.  In the PGFiber2Art shop, all items will be discounted 10% during the sale.  Use code ETSY13THBDAYSALE when checking out to save on your order.  There is no minimum purchase required, and you can use the code as many times as you want from June 18-22.  So check out the screens in the shop or get those custom screens made that you've been putting off!

Also, we have an ongoing discount for first time purchasers.  If you have not purchased from our Etsy shop before, use code FIRSTORDER10 when placing your order.  Or feel free to forward this offer to a friend you think may be interested in our screens.

We have added 3 new screens to the shop.  First is a hand drawn mum that is available in 3 sizes - 5.5 inches, 4 inches and 2.5 inches.  They may be purchased individually or as a set.  (Variety of size makes your design more interesting.)  Use to create an all-over random print or a planned pattern.  We also have a "bubbles" screen, which again, can be used to create a specific effect or an all-over design.  And third is a crackle screen.  We already have one crackle screen in the shop, with more rounded lines.  This one has sharper angles.  Both are effective for adding texture and background. Check out photos of prints of all three in the shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/PGFiber2Art.

Mark your calendar for June 18-22 and check out the sale!

New Year Sale in the Etsy Shop

Our January newsletter went out earlier this week and if you aren't a subscriber, you can read it here.  If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, you can do that on the right side of this page.

In the newsletter, we announced a New Year sale in the Etsy shop.  We are offering a 15% discount on all orders through March 31.  There are two ways to get the discount: either use code NEWYEAR2018 at check out, or use this link to the shop and the code will be applied automatically https://www.etsy.com/shop/PGFiber2Art?coupon=NEWYEAR2018.

Our featured screens this month are snowflakes and hearts.

These are vintage snowflake images that are available in a row of 3 that is 2 inches by 5 3/8".  There is also a group of 3 in varied sizes, available at 3 x 4.5 inches and 4 x 6 inches.

Print up some fabric for mug rugs or placemats or a table runner for the winter season.

If you're planning some projects for Valentine's day, we have several heart-themed screens including this one in 3 sizes.

Check out both the snowflake and heart screens in the Etsy shop.

New Screens in the Etsy Shop

Well, it's been 3 weeks since our last blog post!  Where does the time go?  After driving home from NH, Sue went to the weekend VCQ meeting in Newport News, VA, and then a few days later went to PA to spend a week with her mother.  After being home for a week and getting caught up on things, it is time to go again for a few more days.  And Elizabeth wrapped up her time in NH, driving home in time to return to work last week, with the new school year starting today.  She says she can't wait to retire, but it's still hard to keep up with things even in retirement!

One thing we neglected to blog about during quilt camp was that we added some new screens to the Etsy shop.  Actually, the screens themselves aren't new, but the shape is.  We took some of our existing screens and cropped them into circular shapes.  (You're not seeing the complete circles here because of how they fit on the Etsy page.)

There is one more not shown here, which is the chain link image.  The crackles, tree bark, water ripples and birds are all 5 inch diameter circles.  The ricing is about 4 inch diameter and the chain link is 3.5 inches. 

What might you do with these?   As with any of our screens, create a pattern, use the textures as a background for another image, or create the look of a circle in a square without piecing or stitching!  Sue especially likes the look of the birds in a tree against one of the other textures as a background.

The photo above shows some test prints stitched into a 9 patch that could be the start of a quilt or something smaller like a pillow.  While these were done on solids, they can just as well be used on commercial prints and batiks.  The examples below are done with discharge paste which takes color out of the fabric.

Enlarge the bottom photo to see how the pattern in the fabric still shows through the discharge.

What ideas do you have for using these screens?  We'd love to hear from you!

Fall Sale!

Do you need some screens for a fall or winter holiday project?  Or perhaps you have an image of your own you want made into a custom screen?  We are offering a fall sale in the Etsy shop!  Now through Dec. 31, get a 10% discount on screen purchases by using the coupon code FALLSALE at checkout. 

We have renewed some screen listings like pine cones and spine sprigs that you might want to incorporate in fall/winter projects.

Of course, our always popular leaves are available too for those fall projects you might have in mind, along with many other images.  Check them out in the shop!

November Screen of the Month - Peacock Feather

November will be here in a few days and we are ushering in the new month early with our "screen of the month" for November.  It is a peacock feather that makes a lovely print, in 2 sizes: 6 x 9 inches and 4.6 x 7 inches.  Check out the listing in our Etsy shop.  With holidays approaching, here's a checkout code, THANKYOU2015, that is good for a 20% discount on purchases through Dec. 31.  Watch for other new screens and our holiday/winter listings to be added soon!

New Screen of the Month in the Etsy Shop!

Our pin oak leaf screen, newly added to the Etsy shop, is our "screen of the month" for October.  Just in time for your fall-themed printing, this is the leaf Sue used as a focal point on her "Falling Leaves" quilt that was published in the October/November issue of Quilting Arts.

It is available in 3 sizes - 2x3.5 inches, 3x5 inches, and 4x6 inches - which can be purchased individually.  Or, you can choose a set of all 3 sizes at considerable savings ($18.00 for all 3 sizes).  Here are some ways we've printed with them.

Fusible applique

Commercial batik

Thickened dye on Cherrywood hand-dyed cotton

It would also be great to use with a discharge product or resist if you dye your own fabric.  Of course, this leaf is completely compatible with any of our other leaf screens.  What would you make with these fall leaves?  Perhaps a table runner, or placemats for your fall table?  

In addition to the special price on a set of 3 pin oak leaves, we now also offer a custom set of 4 small leaves; in addition to the leaf collection shown in the shop, you can customize it by substituting the other 2 leaves available - the pin oak or beech leaves.  Just send us a note along with your order or email to pgfiber2art@gmail.com. and we will be happy to create your custom set.  Happy printing!