Crackpot Quilters’ Blog

I have been having lots and lots of fun in my online Mixed Media Surface Design class. I just love learning how to use new materials. However, it is important not merely to focus on the fun part and the learning part. My taking this class has a public service element.

That element is my own Economic Stimulus Package.

Note the “Iron Off Hot Iron Cleaner.” I actually had this on hand, but I am going to have to be more careful with my iron and fusible stuff or I will need the giant, economy size.

This first thing we did was make tissue paper fabric–two layers of tissue paper fused on muslin. Then it was sprayed with glittering paint and stamped with more sparkle stuff. I was a little concerned about the layers on the first piece staying together. So I did some stitching.

This piece looks pretty cool, but I haven’t decided what do do with it yet. The second piece was made the same way. I decided to use the second piece to make a little book. For the back of the book, I made random stitches with perle cotton.

For the front, I stitched with perle cotton in the same way, but put beads on the perle cotton. Then I fused some batik fabric to the back, cut out the little book covers (5″ x 6″) , and edged the covers with the perle cotton in the blanket stitch. I had some cardstock in the same color family so I used that for the pages. I stamped on the pages with a pearl ink to give a slightly mottled look. Then I sewed the covers and the pages together and added some dangling beads to the perle cotton holding the book together.

The second lesson was posted today. I still have some more things to do to finish the first lesson. That will be ok, unless I have that “It’s exam week and I haven’t opened the book” dream.

On Tuesday, I went to a multi-generational sushi workshop. It was fun, and the sushi was great. Our leader Jen had everything very well organized. And there was no raw fish!

So I decided to make sushi on Wednesday night. Here it is:

I gave it to Jen to take home last night at another meeting.

The sushi was fun to make. What took the most time was thinking of how to put it together. But the thinking can be done while something else is going on. The “rice” is several layers of Warm and White batting. Everything else is fabric. I folded the sides in so there would be no raw edges. I used a permanent fabric glue to put it together. The kind I have seems like thick airplane glue and it is messy to work with. When it runs out, I’ll look for another brand.

The Fiber Arts Guild’s February meeting will be a valentine workshop. The idea is bring it, share it, make it, take it. Everyone will bring something from her stash, and we will have a creative free-for-all. I had to make a sample for the press release and the newsletter photo. This is it:

Since the weather is too nasty to go out, my sample was made with fabrics, paint, ribbon and beads from the stash. I didn’t have a card decorate, so the valentine itself is just a piece of poster board. No room for wishes…

It was fun to root around in the stash for forgotten but valuable items. One thing I used was the heart stencil from Nicholas’s birthday banner. That brought back some great memories.

In the resulting mess, however, my only functional glue stick has escaped. And I never did find the craft knife.

I finished the beaded gift for my friend’s daughter-in-law. The “Rock of Hope” was given to all survivors at the Relay for Life, with the suggestion to pass it on to someone else at an appropriate time. I made a gift bag and a tag for it.

This is the embellished rock. I mounted it on ultrasuede and added the fringe.

I think of this project as a prayer shawl except with beads. So as you you look at it, send good thoughts along to the recipient.

Barbara from Joggles called me!!!!! This was unbelievably more exciting than all those robo-calls from John McCain and Joe Lieberman last week.

So I hear a few of you saying, “Huh?” The following are excused for not knowing who Barbara is and where Joggles is: Those whose current textile interest is in diaper wipes. Those who have Fallen into the Deep Pit of Yarn Lust. Those who have just finished Big Boy Quilts. Those who went to a new quilt store in biking distance of the Cute Little House, even if she didn’t bike.

Joggles.com is a really cool website that has just about everything a crafter, mixed media artist, or dollmaker could want. I found this website several months ago, and I signed up for the weekly newsletter. The newsletter describes all the new and back-in-stock products for the week, with links to each one. It’s a trip to go through the list each Sunday evening. I drool. And Barbara is the one who writes the newsletter and generally runs Joggles.

Of course, I would like to try almost everything they have. This may be a result of seeing all the different things members of the Fiber Arts Guild are doing. (Get a grip, Lady!) Since I have been floundering around artistically (or what passes for artistic around here…) after the Incredible Gift Bag Episode, I decided to expand my horizons and sign up for an online class. I chose Mixed Media Surfaces http://www.joggles.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=75_524&products_id=12352

I’ll get to try all sorts of things I’ve only read about. It should be fun, fun, fun–and possibly messy, messy, messy! And very crackpotty!

Yesterday I took advantage of the clear weather to search for the supplies at Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s and Michael’s. I couldn’t find everything. Paverpol and Mulberry Bark are not all that easy to find. So this afternoon I placed my order for the remaining supplies with Joggles. I also sent along an inquiry about whether the Paverpol would freeze.

I had barely logged off when Barbara–the Barbara–called with an answer about the Paverpol. Wow! What fast service! And the order will be shipped tomorrow!

I am totally pumped about this class!!! It starts a week from today, so look for a progress report in about ten days.

The Renegade Militant Seamstresses met today. We learned several nifty clothing construction techniques. It started to snow in the early afternoon so I came home without even going to the bead store. But the result of the day is that I have another beaded button gig. This will be for the sewing guild of the large city to our east. It will be at their August picnic. I’m excited. Last year they had about 40 people at the picnic so it will be a big group. Just more fun!

Wednesday was the Beaded Button Workshop for the Fiber Arts Guild. We had 22 enthusiastic beaders, several of whom admitted to having a stash of beads just waiting for the right project.

Here are the sample buttons I brought to the workshop:

I also brought along a few other beaded objects:

The two on the left are beaded pins. On the upper right is a Christmas ornament. Look carefully at the lower right. Perhaps you can see the word HOPE on the stone. The stone is one given to survivors at the Relay for Life. Survivors are encouraged to pass the stone–and the hope–along to another person affected by cancer. I added the edging and mounted the stone on an ultrasuede backing. I’m going to add some fringe and then give it to a friend for her daughter-in-law.

Jennifer brought along some of her experiments:

We got down to work right away:

Progress was rapid:

After less than two hours, beaders were getting finished:

Some added some dangles to the buttons:

We finished before the library closed at 9:00 p.m.

And how about this for a cool button?

If anyone has additional photos to add, please email them to me. You know where I am–or check the newspaper article for the email address.

Here is the angel ornament that Alice made for the Fiber Arts ornament exchange. I was the lucky one who picked it.

Alice makes paper, and the angel’s skirt is her handmade paper shaped over a shell. Last year Alice did a presentation at our guild. She brought many of her totally amazing projects and a slide show of her work.

Imagine a sculpture of a male torso (Upper body only! This is a G-rated site!). Now imagine this sculpture made of handmade paper. See what I mean? Amazing! I wish I had some more photos of Alice’s work to show you.

And the armadillo, which doesn’t have anything to do with Alice or handmade paper or much else. Many of you will remember the incident of the stolen armadillo sculpture of several years ago. A local driver found a frozen (deceased) armadillo by the side of the road in the end-of-alphabetical-order town to the east of us. He hasn’t decided what to do with it. One does wonder what the options are…