The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (or AAQI) is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization that raises funds through fiber art.

They have two different projects on the go right now, the first is a traveling quilt show the acknowledges the impact of Alzheimer’s.  It’s currently touring through the USA until 2010.

The project is currently in the call for entries stage.  “Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts” is for quilts that measure 9″ by 12″ - a very do-able size!  The quilts will be auctioned off to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.  You can even donate multiple quilts to help the cause.

There are several rules that must be followed, so read the entry requirements carefully

image: Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative

Make Art Monday!

I got on a fabric kick recently, and took a couple of days to whip up some painted fabrics that I could use as backgrounds for other projects. Part of the fabric piece shown below ended up as a small beaded quilt.   For the next couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing some fabric painting techniques with you.  To get ready, gather up some plain muslin, acrylic paints (they don’t have to be fabric paints), sponges and brushes, and some stencils or stamps.  Tomorrow, we’ll look at how to paint fabric in a plastic bag!

Okay, fabric itself can’t rust, but you can use rusty metal to print on fabric - and get some really incredible effects.

The basic technique involves wetting the fabric either with water, vinegar (for a faster process) or a combination of both.  The wet fabric is used to wrap around rusting iron pieces, covered and then left to work.  Of course, the sky is the limit for what kind of effects you can get - think about all the different interesting metal shapes are out there!

Rust-Tex wants to encourage the use of rusted fabric in fiber art and has put together a competition and  exhibition of art quilts using rusted fabric.  You can find the call for entry and more information here .  The competition closes on January 10th, 2010 with the winning quilts being exhibited at the Festival of Quilts in England during August 2010.

image: Stock.xchg

I’ve found that many mixed media artists become inspired to try art quilting, but do not have a traditional quilting background, thus, some of the basics of design, assembly, and finishing may be unknown to them.  If you’ve ever wanted to just dive in and start, this is a good book for you to check out.

The Quilting Arts Book
Patricia Bolton, editor

I really enjoyed reading through the collected articles in this book: the tagline is “Techniques and inspiration for creating one-of-a-kind quilts”, and this book is full of exactly that.  From composition to piecing, applique, embellishing, machine or hand stitching, The Quilting Arts Book covers it all.

The Quilting Arts Book is available through Interweave Press at the website link above.  Check out The Bookshop for lots more links to books about art quilts in addition to this fine guide!

Artwork should be no larger than 30 inches on any side. Artwork must be able to hang on the wall, and come “ready to hang”, with any required hanging system intact.

Deadline: 05/30/09

All information on entering

My Heart

ART QUILTS LOWELL 2009 is a juried exhibition, organized by the Brush Art Gallery, to identify and encourage quilt artists. The exhibition will include art quilts from artists throughout the United States and Canada. The exhibition will provide an overview of some of the finest quilts being produced; it is a feature of the 2009 Lowell Quilt Festival August 5-9.

Deadline for entries: 05/28/09

ELIGIBILITY: Artists who are residents of the United States or Canada

All the information on entering

Arline Mathieu, Autumn Waves
Art Quilts Lowell 2007

***Free Stuff Alert!!!***

Want to dye and paint your own fabrics, but don’t know where to start?  This is the book for you, with all the beginner information you need on different types of dyes and paints that you can choose from, the minimal tools and equipment that you’ll need, and some wonderful techniques to get you started!

The Basic Guide to Dyeing and Painting Fabric
by Cindy Walter & Jennifer Priestley

There are dozens of inspiring photos for you to drool over, step by step instructions for 20 different techniques, and even some full-sized patterns if you’d like to make the exact fabric projects that are featured.

To win a copy of this book, leave me a comment below telling me what you like to make with fabric, and next week I will draw a winner!

I’ve finally got my last couple of photos done from the great Christmas craft-a-thon

While Tangled Thread isn’t a quilting blog (go to Quilting & Patchwork for that one!) making art quilts is one of my great passions.  I seem to create at least one art quilt as a Christmas gift for someone in my family every year.

Last year it was my brother & sister-in-law’s turn - this year it was my parents:

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay

My brother took the photos of my parent’s pets and I Photoshopped them.  The photots were then printed directly onto specially treated silk sheets (the silk sheets are fused to paper and are treated so that you can run them through your printer).  I appliqued the photos onto fabric, stitched them onto the background (which was created by appliquing more strips of fabric onto a “sandwich” of fabric and quilt batting).  I then mounted it onto a stretcher frame and covered the back with more fabric.

I also enjoy giving home-made candy at Christmas.  I bought some yummy black organza that had been printed with silver snowflakes - which I thought would make a great way to wrap the candy:

image: C Findlay-Harder

I cut rectangles of the fabric, wrapped the cellophane-bagged candy in it and then topped it all off with a matching silver ribbon.  The organza tended to fray a little so I trimmed off the ends with my pinking sheers.

Voila!  Quick, easy and festive wrapping - just the way I like it

Check out Sharon Schamber’s “The Spirit of Mother Earth“, the best of show quilt at this year’s Houston Quilt Festival.

Seriously, click on the link!

Now look at the closeups.

Isn’t that the most spectacular free motion quilting you’ve seen!?

Back to practicing my free motion stitching…

I think this is such an amazing project - and a great way to try out some new fiber art techniques too!

“I am very pleased to announce the next project at hand for the 2008-2009 year for the International Fiber Collective.  The title of this sculpture is called Interdependence. We will create a full sized tree that will be on display in April 09′ at Big Springs International Park in Huntsville, AL.
Much like a live tree is interdependent on it’s leaves/roots for survival, like minded societies are interdependent on the greater whole, family units, communities, countries.

The collective is calling for participants around the world to create leaves to contribute to the creation of the tree. In total I am looking for 30,000 leaves.

Your leaf can be fiber/fiber technique related. Example: you can think about the ecologically interdependence of societies and then think about recycling and reusing of materials. (Plastics, Old Fabric, etc.) You can be as creative as you will for what materials and techniches you use, you can paint, stitch, crochet, patch, quilt, knit, glue (water resistant glue), just keep a fiber twist to it in some way.

Each Leaf should measure roughly 2 1/2″ wide (at it’s thickest point) x 4 1/2″ from end to end. You do have the option to give it shape and dimension.”

Need some suggestions on creating your own leaves?

How about…

• Use plastic needlepoint canvas or cross-stitch paper and embroider leaves (need a pattern?  Here’s several free ones).
• Paint heavy weight, non-woven interfacing in leaf colors and cut them out - this would be a great way to make a lot of leaves!  Heavy weight interfacing is sturdy enough that you can even machine embroider it too.
• Crochet or knit leaves - I did this for an art quilt I made a few years ago.
• Fuse two fabrics together and cut out leaf shapes - this is another method that would work for machine embroidery.
• Paint water color paper and hand-embroider the edges of the leaf - this could be a great family project too.

image: Stock.xchg