New Embroidery

This piece doesn't have a name yet and I'm not sure if it will work its way into a larger piece, but it seems almost resolved.

Gift for Bird Lover

This was a gift from a done nesting finch last year which I saved.  I then printed the fabric with a nice tree scene completely ignoring that the tree was in full autumn colors when no bird would ever nest!!  The eggs are made of felt and beads.

Guess What is Being "Re-homed"

Wood Cells, which toured a couple of years ago with SAQA in their Art Meets Science exhibit, has found a buyer, someone with a good memory!  It went to the UK, Visions Art Museum, Pfizer and the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta among other venues.  Wish it well in its new home!

Night Vision

This is a small (18") contemporary embroidery.  It started as one image but it just was too glitzy and unfocused so I chopped it into 4 units and now it seems more constrained, more under control.    Could send it off to the Surface Design Association conference members' show but I doubt those guys would like sparkles!  A serious group, that, and not really needle workers.  This is all hand done, of course.

Last Day of Art Cloth/Quilt Workshop

This is just a tiny taste of the range of creativity exercised by my FANTASTIC students.    Each piece resonates with ideas and new techniques developed by their artistic creators.    I'm so impressed with how much work everyone put forth in a very intense series of meetings.  Can't wait to see pix of all of these finished!

Day Three - Embellishments

In our third week of the "everything" workshop we are working on a wide variety of techniques for enhancing art cloth or an art quilt.  Here students are working outside painting Tyvek and WonderUnder, using bleach pens, and generally brightening up the world!

Retired Neckties

They have shared their dye with those beautiful scarves and are resting until their next adventure!

Dye Transfer Workshop

32 ladies got together at the Palos Verdes Art Center for an evening of food, wine and the joy of transferring that extra dye from old silk neckties onto plain white silk scarves.  Difficult???   Not at all.  The results???  Magnifique!!!   Fun was had by all.  Here are some pix from the evening.

Day Two of the Everything Workshop

On top of the beautifully dyed fabric which the students did last week, today they used paint to print and stamp and otherwise add amazing design and color.  At the end of the day some went in with water soluble media - pens and other colorants - to add more background and begin to tie the elements together.  Some GORGEOUS results and we're only half way through!

Class is In Session

This week I began teaching a four part series at FiberFly Studios on creating an art quilt from start to completion.  Here are a few photos of some of the dyeing techniques we covered: tray dyeing, parfaits, various resist techniques (clothes pins, rubber bands, stitching, etc.).     Next week we'll be printing on these same fabrics and students will continue developing their skills and creating materials for their final project.   So far WAY fun!!

Starting Some Color Studies

4 Day Workshop Coming Up

Dye!  Print!  Embellish!  Finish an Art Quilt!

            Workshop :  4 Days of Hands-on Studio Work

Deborah  Weir (nationally known textile artist) will take  students through all the basic steps to making an intricate, contemporary fine art quilt. 

4 Wednesdays: February 27, March 6, March 13, March 20     from   10am-4pm

Cost: $320 (includes lunches and most supplies).   Payment reserves your spot. Email or call for more details.  Supply list upon registration.    All levels.

At FiberFly Studios:

Deborah Weir    21 Encanto Dr. Rolling Hills Estates CA 90274    310 325-1895   FiberFly@cox.net   DeborahWeir.net    FiberFly.blogspot.com

                                         BrickFielder (from the Fierce Winds series)

Here are some of the specific techniques we will be focusing on:

 1.  Dyeing – Overall, shibori (various techniques), color layering, soy wax resist, over-dyeing. 

 2.  Printing with paint  - Using the Thermofax machine, screen printing, soy wax resist, masking tape resist, sponges, plastic page protectors

3.  Surface Design – Design/color basics, Tyvek, Angelina, handstitching, water soluble lace, synthetics/heat, bleach PEN, painted fusible, foiling, Paintsticks, DecolourantPlus

4.  Putting It All Together – Cutting, piecing, batting, edges,quilting, matt/frame vs. sleeve

Each student will go home with a small quilt and a notebook filled with samples of techniques for reference.