Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Woman's Club Arts and Crafts Competition.
Every year in February our club has an A&C competition for its members. The First Place winners go to the District competition in April and those First Places go on to the State in May.
I can no longer enter quilted things because there is a limit to how much you can earn in that category before being considered a professional. I've been lucky enough to make a few good sales these past two years, so I have to enter something else. I've showed them all before in the blog, so click on the links if you want to see them.
My red silk jacket looked pretty good on the stand I concocted and I got so many compliments on it and it did win a first place in Sewing, Adult clothing. They couldn't see the poor fit on me and they loved the French knots.
My cute little purse only won a second because the judges were more impressed with the other entry's many-pocketed inside. Mine only had pockets on the outside.
I entered a fabric postcard birthday card and I forgot to take a picture. It won a First in Stationery, fabric.
I entered three photographs and won a First and Second, and Third in two different categories. Photography is a very popular category and there are always a lot of entries.
I also entered two necklaces. Jewelry is usually a small category, but this year there were several and ones much better than mine won. That's OK because now I can wear them and not have to wait to get them back in April or May. Again, I didn't photograph them.
It was a very good competition this year with many entires. For a couple of years it had been dwindling, but we've been talking it up and I guess it worked. Best of Show went to a new member with her altered book in the Creative Materials category. It was fabulous!
I think this is the first blog post I ever did without pictures. Sorry, I'll do better next time.
I can no longer enter quilted things because there is a limit to how much you can earn in that category before being considered a professional. I've been lucky enough to make a few good sales these past two years, so I have to enter something else. I've showed them all before in the blog, so click on the links if you want to see them.
My red silk jacket looked pretty good on the stand I concocted and I got so many compliments on it and it did win a first place in Sewing, Adult clothing. They couldn't see the poor fit on me and they loved the French knots.
My cute little purse only won a second because the judges were more impressed with the other entry's many-pocketed inside. Mine only had pockets on the outside.
I entered a fabric postcard birthday card and I forgot to take a picture. It won a First in Stationery, fabric.
I entered three photographs and won a First and Second, and Third in two different categories. Photography is a very popular category and there are always a lot of entries.
I also entered two necklaces. Jewelry is usually a small category, but this year there were several and ones much better than mine won. That's OK because now I can wear them and not have to wait to get them back in April or May. Again, I didn't photograph them.
It was a very good competition this year with many entires. For a couple of years it had been dwindling, but we've been talking it up and I guess it worked. Best of Show went to a new member with her altered book in the Creative Materials category. It was fabulous!
I think this is the first blog post I ever did without pictures. Sorry, I'll do better next time.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Photoshop Elements Fun
I recently downloaded Diane Rusin Doran's video, "Digital Surface Design: Simple Techniques for Hand-dyed Fabric Effects and More". She has an article in the latest issue of Quilting Arts that shows the easiest technique, making designs that look like drip dyeing.
I thought that this technique was super easy. I did several using floral pictures that had the motion blur filter applied.
I watched her video twice and then spent the better part of yesterday (another snowy day) watching segments of the video and trying to replicate what she did. These two used a cloud filter and a gradation filter. I printed these on fabric and they do look like hand dyed.
But this part was the most fun, using the "brushes" Brushes to me is a misnomer because although you can use them as brushes, many of them are really stamps and you can do so much with them, changing bushes, colors, sizes and transparencies. Most of these started with a blurred drip-dye background and then several layers of brushes (or stamps).
Once you have a design that you like, you can then change the color and saturation of the whole thing to get an entirely new look. I guess that's how fabric companies get different colorways. The possibilities are endless! I am learning this so that I can print it on fabric and therein lies the rub. I bought a new Epson WF-7510 so that I could print on fabric bigger than 8 1/2" x 11". I had no trouble printing on that size, but when I went to 8 1/2 x 14, it rebelled. It crinkled the paper, folded over edges and jammed the machine. Argh!!! What I might have to do is send things to someone that will print your images on fabric, like Spoonflower. They can make yardage for you or print really big pictures on all kinds of fabric.
These last few that I showed are using brushes that are in the program and there are many, many. Next I have to learn how to make custom bushes. I'll have to watch that part of the video again (and again), but in the meantime I'll show you some more of my creations on Wordless Wednesdays, so stay tuned.
I've linked up with Off The Wall Friday again.
I watched her video twice and then spent the better part of yesterday (another snowy day) watching segments of the video and trying to replicate what she did. These two used a cloud filter and a gradation filter. I printed these on fabric and they do look like hand dyed.
Once you have a design that you like, you can then change the color and saturation of the whole thing to get an entirely new look. I guess that's how fabric companies get different colorways. The possibilities are endless! I am learning this so that I can print it on fabric and therein lies the rub. I bought a new Epson WF-7510 so that I could print on fabric bigger than 8 1/2" x 11". I had no trouble printing on that size, but when I went to 8 1/2 x 14, it rebelled. It crinkled the paper, folded over edges and jammed the machine. Argh!!! What I might have to do is send things to someone that will print your images on fabric, like Spoonflower. They can make yardage for you or print really big pictures on all kinds of fabric.
These last few that I showed are using brushes that are in the program and there are many, many. Next I have to learn how to make custom bushes. I'll have to watch that part of the video again (and again), but in the meantime I'll show you some more of my creations on Wordless Wednesdays, so stay tuned.
I've linked up with Off The Wall Friday again.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Done and done!
Last night I hand-sewed the binding down on the ginkgo quilt while watching the much heralded NBC live version of The Sound of Music. It showed before Christmas and I had recorded it because I was out that evening. While it was nowhere near as good as the Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer version (how could you top that?) I still enjoyed the music and it was a pleasant background to my sewing.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Deja Vu
all over again! Remember that I showed you my deck table piled with snow on Tuesday?
I went out shoveled it off on Wednesday. The bowl in the center of the table was frozen down and I made no attempt to remove it. There was a layer of ice about a half inch thick.
After yesterday's snow, here it is again. I didn't get the official snow total for our area, but I think it was 10 to 12 inches. It stopped snowing for a while in the afternoon then we had some freezing rain, where some of the snow may have compacted and then it snowed some more overnight.
This much snow would have crippled some cities and while not too many ventured out yesterday (including yours truly) today all the roads was clear by midmorning. I had an errand to run around noon and had no trouble at all.
Today is Valentine's Day and if you leave me a comment you will get a surprise when you see the Word Verification for today. I guess that Google has a heart and a sense of humor after all.
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!
After yesterday's snow, here it is again. I didn't get the official snow total for our area, but I think it was 10 to 12 inches. It stopped snowing for a while in the afternoon then we had some freezing rain, where some of the snow may have compacted and then it snowed some more overnight.
This much snow would have crippled some cities and while not too many ventured out yesterday (including yours truly) today all the roads was clear by midmorning. I had an errand to run around noon and had no trouble at all.
Today is Valentine's Day and if you leave me a comment you will get a surprise when you see the Word Verification for today. I guess that Google has a heart and a sense of humor after all.
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Ginkgo quilt finished
While some of my friends are getting cabin fever, I am happy to get all this bonus studio time. Yesterday I finished the quilting on my Ginkgo quilt. I was so pleased to see that there was no distortion, in spite of the intense quilting and it only shrank about a half inch on the width and length.
I quilted the background in a variegated blue thread. I frequently use variegated thread and this was Sulky rayon.
I am so glad that I took the extra time to piece the back. I love the way it looks.
Today I will bind it in a medium blue and then I will have hand work to do during the Olympics. I actually have a place for this in my house when the exhibit is over. It should look great in my upstairs hallway.
Please click on any picture to see a bigger view of all.
I'm linking up with Off the Wall Fridays. Go see what everyone is up to.
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