Image transfer workshop

Remember her? Have a photo you'd like to transfer? Or other stuff? If you're in driving distance of Rahway, NJ (exit 135 on the Garden State Parkway) you might want to come and play with paper and fabric & words/images next Saturday. There are still two spots left in the image transfer workshop I'm teaching at the Arts Guild of Rahway from 10-2 on March 10th. Check out the website if you want more info.

a day at the beach

Not really at the beach, of course. But today was as relaxing as if we had been on vacation. Rachel Cochran and I went to the NJ Quilt Fest - or whatever it is called - for 3 reasons: to see Usha, to hit the other vendors, and to see Jeanne Beck's solo exhibit.

First stop, Handloom Batik - Usha's booth - a visual and sensory delight on every level. Fabrics to die for, delicious shawls (I bought one) ,gossamer scarves, journals, incense, wood printing blocks from India - and glorious t-shirts. And of course, Usha herself -- one of my favorite people on the planet! Her family prints these fabrics in India - and they are gorgeous and you will not see anything like them anywhere else! While I was there, I met a lovely customer named Susan (sorry, I don't think she told me her last name) who stopped at the booth and admired one of the quilts I had made in 2004 for Usha's booth display, using her batiks. Turns out that Susan had just seen me on Simply Quilts, so that was fun! I had made a previous one in 2003 to showcase Handloom Batiks fabrics because so many traditional quilters stopped by her booth in Lancaster and loved the fabrics, but then couldn't figure out what to do with them. So, I made a Log Cabin (could you get more traditional?) with her genuine Indian batiks and gave it to her for the booth. Fabric sales skyrocketed, I am happy to say. I loved it so much, I made another similar one for myself. The other vendors were just so-so. Rachel and I were looking for black fabric so we could discharge and compare results, but strangely, only ONE vendor had black on the bolt. In fact, almost nobody had fabric on the bolt - just those little bitty pieces they sell, which left much to be desired. Superior Threads was there - the first time I've run into them, although I have heard raves over the years. I bought 3 spools of thread and a color card. Yummy. And of course, I bought needles and nice big seam rippers. Never did find bobbins for my Janome, but that's okay.

Jeanne Beck had quite an extensive exhibit of her work (mostly done between '04 and '06, after all her stuff was stolen) - and it was the best part of the show. Jeanne's work is beautiful, interesting, and varied. Can you tell I am a fan?

While I was on a traditional kick, I hauled out all my antique quilts and tops for Rachel to see - including two that I rescued and hand quilted, and two that I had started to restore and gave up on because I didn't have time.

It was a busy day and these old bones are ready to pack it in.

oh dear oh dear

Where has the week gone? I've been scattered and have spent very little time working in the studio. A few hours yesterday playing with screens and dyes and discharge - puttering and not getting anything very satisfactory - this happens when I feel pressured for time.

See this fabric on the left? Black fabric screened with either dishwasher gel or something similar. Looks gorgeous. But I rinsed, anti-chlor'd and washed - and guess what? GONE. Back to black. You never can tell with these things. I packed up at 3:00 and went home.

Last night's meeting of my Studio Montclair crit group was a delight. There were four of us there and the chemistry was just right. Of course, crit was the least of it - LOL. Lisa and Keely came without work and I brought hand work - sewing a facing on my quilt. Susan Lisbin, an abstract expressionist painter, sculptor, printmaker, brought two paintings for feedback. Susan doesn't give her paintings titles because she doesn't want to influence the viewer. I understand that; I guess if you buy one of her pieces, you can give it your own title. But to me, "untitled" is still a bit disconcerting. I prefer to give my own work ambiguous titles.

How do YOU feel about your own work and titles?

tea

I grew up in a house where we had tea and dessert (often, cookies) after dinner every night. Tea with lemon, no sugar. Coffee was for breakfast. Somewhere along the line, I stopped putting lemon in my tea - and I'm not sure why. I actually love it with lemon. Through my marriages, the tea kettle went on after dinner - and even now, I have a cup at my right hand as I type. Much as I love coffee, I am more likely to make a cup of tea in the afternoon. Tea = comfort. Baking also=comfort. Less so the eating than the process of baking. I have had the recipe for Pepper-Cumin Cookies sitting around since the beginning of time: obviously cut from the NY Times magazine. I had not baked in a while - and last night, apparently needing comfort --I baked a half-recipe of these cookies (just in case they were terrible). Love at first bite. Snow day today. Worked at home: did paperwork, made soup, and baked another batch of these cookies, which are as divine as I had hoped they would be. Half of them I will take to the studio to share. Perfect counterpoint to tea. Of course, they might not appeal to everybody - the flavor is a bit quirky --and you might not have a big jar of cumin seeds sitting around in your pantry, as I do, but these cookies are worth a trip to the Indian grocery store. Seeds, not ground cumin. You didn't ask, but here it is. Pepper-Cumin Cookies

2 c. flour (I used whole wheat)

6 T sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1 tsp black peppercorns, cracked

1 tsp cumin seeds, cracked

1 cup unsalted butter, softened slightly and cut into pieces

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Put the first 6 ingredients into food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter & vanilla and pulse till mixture just forms a dough.

2. Place dough on work surface and shape into 1" balls. Put on parchment-lined baking sheets and flaten each cookie with palm of hand.

3. Bake till lightly browned, about 15 min. Remove and cool on rack. Makes about 3-4 doz.

remember yesterday's salad bowl?

Me, too. It now has a new owner. My daughter Jessica made the trek from Brooklyn to visit her Nana. Afterwards, she came back to the house and spotted the bowl. It was so whimsical that it made me think she should have it, so I gave it to her. It just suited her, so I'm happy.

Now on to other business. Grace asked how to use a laser printer to cut a Thermofax stencil. Uh- it's not that simple. First, you need a Thermofax Assuming you have one, or access to one, you need special Thermofax screen, available only from Welsh Products in California. I was going to show you how I make my screens, but I left them all in the studio and forgot to take pictures. We are expecting snow tonight into tomorrow, so I guess this will have to wait till later in the week. Oops.

Shall I go onto another topic or just forget it and go watch the Oscars? Maybe. I DID take pictures of my steaming process the other night while I was steaming a bunch of things I had printed with thickened dyes. But I think I'll save that till tomorrow, too. I shall, instead, either go bake cookies, use my new sewing machine, or read a smarmy novel. Come back tomorrow night; I will probably be here.

Salad Days

I never did understand what that expression meant, but it makes me think the reference must be to carefree youth. Remember that? I don't think it exists. Ah - I just googled the expression and I wasn't far off.

At any rate, here's what started the whole thing. Isn't it fun? My studio neighbor, Claire Baker, has the most wonderful inventory of inexpensive goodies in her studio and on her blog - and I had to have this bowl. There's a fruit bowl, too. She's an artist with a wonderful sense of whimsy and is making fabulous dolls from orphaned gloves, among other things.

There were four of us at the studios today and we spent as much time chatting as working.
We are still getting to know one another, so today was special. I had said some time ago that everybody has brought in at least one chair and that I wanted to photograph all the chairs because I think they say something about the owners' personalities. What, I don't know. I'll let you play "analyze this."

Here's mine - which you have seen umpteen times. It now has a partner, but this is really my favorite. (Not that I ever SIT in it, but I will.)

Today, I borrowed Claire's ladder and put up a layer of batting over the felt. It's not as neat looking because batting stretches -- but it does mute the pink a bit more. So, it will do for the time being, till I find something better. I worked most of the day and left it in some disarray, which Claire's studio mate Kathryn says is a good thing because it means we're starting to treat it like a real working studio. Kathryn makes her living painting dog portraits, although she does other art for herself.

She brought her cute little Yorkie in today and for me to say "cute" is a big deal, since I am not an animal person. All in all, a good day.

something old/something new

No big deal to a lot of you out there, but to me, this is major! Pam Morris did me the supreme favor of selling me her beautiful 6500 and it arrived last night. I have been thinking about a new/used machine for many moons and was debating between this one or a Bernina 1230 or 1260. Meanwhile, this beauty fell into my lap, so to speak (the miracles bracelet my daughter gave me for my b.d. is apparently still working). Decision made.

I haven't the vaguest idea how to use a computerized machine -- but if I go to the studio early and come home early, maybe I'll have time to sit with it and read the manual. I am taking my Viking 210 (a BASIC but good machine) to the studio, just in case --- and it is lightweight enough to schlepp up all those stairs. SO - off I go to make breakfast and lunch and load up my car so I can get outa here sometime in the next hour. Later.

Oh, gosh

Working with the new blogger and still feeling my way. I started to post this afternoon but guess I didn't save it. Whatever. Spent another day at home - I think I must be fighting off a bug of some kind because there is no rational explanation for why I am so lethargic and sleepy.

Tried to do some more sorting out of my sewing studio to make room for the new 6500 that should be arriving any day now. A hopeless task. But I did do one other experiment: life is always a learning curve, even if you are teaching. Someone told me that HP inkjet printers have black ink with a high enough carbon content to make Thermofax screens with. So, I printed something out with my HP inkjet. Interestingly, it did cut a Thermofax screen. But the same ink evidently did not have enough carbon to transfer when I used CitraSolv. Dommage.

So -- if you are doing a Citrasolv transfer, you must have something printed out on either a REAL laser printer or copied with a copier that uses old fashioned carbon toner. If in doubt, take Citrasolv and a cotton ball & spoon with you and make ONE copy at the copy shop. Turn it face down on either another piece of paper or a piece of fabric, moisten the cotton ball and rub it on the back of the copy, burnish with spoon and see what happens. If it transfers, great! If not, do not spend another penny - leave and go elsewhere. Like maybe your local library, which still has an old photocopier that charges@ 10 cents. This is akin to going to the fabric store armed with discharge paste or bleach gel or whatever, and squirtiing it on the scrap you bought. Good grief, the machinations we go through!

The other thing I did, while going through my fabrics, was to throw some stuff on my home design wall. While I was doing my discharge experiments yesterday (which turned out lousy) I found a bunch of fabric that I did a while ago. Depends on who the mfg is and what the weather is like, and how the stars are lined up, and what you use, and what mood the discharge gods are in that day. This may turn into something. Or not. It is kinda growing on me. Tomorrow is another day. (who said that/??) Perhaps I will have a chance to organize a few more things here. The problem is PackRAT syndrome. Not sure there is a cure.

Yesterday

I got to the studio early so I could do some work before my visitors came. Rachel and Diane braved the cold and winds to bring their work over for our crit meeting. The others couldn't make it, so it was just the three of us. It was great to have a big (albeit pink-tinted) design wall for everybody to put their pieces up on - but I shall have to follow your suggestions and do something about that pink. Yecch. I think JoAnn's white felt is a bit on the thin side. Another example of you get what you pay for.

In any case, after lunch and our crit, I was doing some screenprinting and Rachel picked up my camera and started shooting. My, my, don't I look busy! No wonder I went home and crashed at 3:00 pm. The top left and right, by the way, are before and after of one of my "can this fabric be saved?"

I stayed home today and worked sorting fabric, filled up a big trash bag with miscellaneous falderol,and did some experimenting with discharge. The results were too boring to even photograph. The rest of the week holds too many appointments and potential unknowns and I probably won't be in the studio till Friday - if I am lucky.

It's addictive

Today, I finally got my design wall up. Big hooray! It took me all day of climbing on a stepstool to get on this table - don't ask. Cheesh - I am too OLD to do all this climbing and stretching. Here is a picture of what it looked like halfway through the job. I didn't bother taking a picture of it all done because after all, who wants to look at a blank wall? The heavy white felt I spoke about yesterday did NOT, in fact, make a white design wall, The pink still shows through (as you can see) - but it is at least, softer. Some day when I get the energy (and 1000 more pins) I will redux and put a layer of batting on top of the felt. Felt doesn't really work all that well, anyway, if you just want to adhere fabric without pinning it. Nevertheless, I am happy. Do you see my grin?

Going to the studio is the addictive part. Not just for me, but for all of us. I was talking to Kathryn in the next door studio and she was so happy to get out of her home studio! Yep. I understand. All seven of us feel the same way - and while we are still getting to know each other, we are kindred spirits. Kathryn is a painter who does dog portraits on commission. But her REAL work is nature-oriented. We all do what we have to do to earn a living, but our hearts are often someplace else. Not mine. My heart is everywhere. I love to teach. I love to print. I love to experiment. I love to work alone, and I love having neighbors I can talk to when I need company.

This morning, I was there by 11 and didn't get home till after 5:30. When I was working at a REAL job,I left the house at 8:20 am and didn't leave the office till 5:30 - was a single parent with 3 children under the age of 11,and actually served dinner every night. Was I nuts? No. I was 39 years old. You can do anything when you are 39 and in your 40's. This went on for many years, during which time my children got older and so did I (surprise!). But never mind all of that.

Remember that really ugly piece of fabric on yesterday's blog? I screened on top of it with thickened dyes and brought it home and steamed it. I'll post the before and after when I can...part of my continuing "Can this Fabric be Saved?" program.

Meantime, busy weekend. My husband's birhday is Sunday and tomorrow, after doing errands and going to visit my mother (who will not remember that I was there yesterday) it is my turn to treat him to dinner. The one time a year I pay and he gets to pick the restaurant. Tonight, he paid and I picked the place. LOL.

P.S.

Thanks to everybody who sent "oops" art and the anecdotes to go with them. I had a few chuckles and one LOL. I have time before I have to give the lecture, so any time - if you have potential disasters that turned into art, send me your stories and pix.