Then she incorporates them into many of her small quilts, utilizing a variety of techniques.

Image: sxc.hu

This photo of barn siding offers suggestions for textural ideas you may want to try.

Sometimes you might get ideas from a single photo.  Other times you can try combining a variety of close-ups.  Or you can vary the close photos with distant scenery to give you a fascinating combination.

Post from: Blisstree

Use Textural Photos for Quilt Designs

Image: sxc.hu

The “Kids’ Stash” would be odds and ends of buttons you’ve collected, taken off old clothing, saved for mending and other utilitarian tasks.  These are great for youngsters to use for crafts and creativity(as long as they’re beyond the “putting everything into their mouth” stage of life).

My daughter became interested in buttons when I did dressmaking for a lady who was an avid button collector.  When Miss Ida realized Beth’s fascination, she gave Beth a jar of buttons that she didn’t need.  This certainly piqued Beth’s interest in button collecting and crafting.

So we:

• Made collages with button accents, gluing these on pictures Beth drew.
• Sewed buttons on heavy stock paper to make floral arrangements.
• Collected more buttons over the years

Beth now collects buttons and beads for her fabric art, using them as embellishments that add accents to whatever she’s doing.  Currently, Beth is sewing beads and small buttons to miniature felted quilts.

Beth also makes buttons from various materials for her fabric art.  Did her interest in buttons carry over from those days we visited Miss Ida?

Are you a button collector?  Do you have unique ways to use buttons in your art and share with your youngsters?

Post from: Blisstree

A Button Stash for Creative Kids

Sometimes you find them simply as pieces of fabric.  More commonly, vintage fabric comes from clothing, coverlets, and even quilts.

According to Mary Engelbreit’s book, Winter, you’re most likely to find these vintage treasures in small pieces.  So…what kind of small projects would you use them for?

Mary Engelbreit suggests “Fancy Pockets” made into cases for eyeglasses, limpstick tubes or combs.  In the book, there are directions for these.

What about other vintage fabric projects?

• Add a pocket to a skirt, apron, or dress.
• Combine several pieces for a patchwork or applique pillow.
• Make a decorative evening purse.
• Collect enough pieces and you can make a crazy quilt.
• What about appliquing vintage pieces onto clothing for decorative effects.
• Use these fabrics for postcards and inchies.

Do you have any vintage fabric ideas?

Post from: Blisstree

Using Vintage Fabrics in Small Doses

With quilters and fabric artists concerned about others “borrowing” their designs and patterns, it’s nice to know that quilters’ etiquette exists…that some quilters ask permission to use photos and designs.

Some time ago, my daughter posted a photo of one of her original fabric art hangings on her blog with a description of how she created it.  Today she received an e-mail from a fabric artist who visited her blog, liked that particular work and wondered if Beth would give her permission to use the design as inspiration.  The other quilter wasn’t planning to copy Beth’s work, but wanted to make something similar.

Because she wasn’t going to duplicate the hanging, perhaps permission wasn’t necessary.  However, we were impressed because she did contact Beth for permission.  And Beth had no problem with her creating something similar.

Whenever in doubt, get permission.  You will feel better and your name will be associated with integrity.  

(Amazon image)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Practicing Quilting Etiquette & Integrity

As much as we enjoy posting on our blogs, sometimes life interferes and we have to put this on hold temporarily.  I’ve often referred to my daughter’s Meandering Threads blog, showcasing her quilting and fabric art work.

If you visit Meandering Threads, you’ll notice that Beth hasn’t posted anything new lately.   She has had a health situation to deal with the past month, so has not been up to quilting, writing or taking photos of her work.

 I’ll let you know when Beth is back to blogging. You may want to visit and enjoy some of her previous posts though. 

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Meandering Threads Quilting Blog on Hiatus

Quilters and fabric artists may like to join Katelyn at Stamping Mad by contributing their Alzheimer’s related art for a zine to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research.  She’s initiating this project, Giving Back – A Call for Alzheimer’s Related Art, at her blog.

I was thinking to do something a bit different [from last year]. I want to create a zine (a type of magazine) called “A Portrait of Alzheimer’s” and am looking for people to make art that fits this theme to include in the zine. Since you can just take a good, high resolution photo for me instead of sending in original art, it should be less costly for everyone to do. Of course, all net proceeds from zine sales will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Foundation at Alz.org.

Check out the link above and read all the details at Stamping Mad.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Call for Artists, including Quilters, to Contribute their Art for Alzheimer’s Research

 Quilters find many sources of inspiration, and pictures of unusual buildings often play a role.  In this year’s round robin for my daughter’s quilt group, each quilter submits a photo and the others design small quilt hangings inspired by it.

A photo of an outhouse has yielded interesting results.

Check out Beth’s Meandering Threads blog, particularly the post, Quilt Group Pictures, and see two fiber artists’ variations on the outhouse theme.  The group meets again this week, so perhaps they’ll have more outhouse designs to display…along with those inspired by other photos. 

What unusual pictures or objects have you used as quilting or fabric art inspiration?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Quilting the Outhouse!

Quilters and fabric artists, with their ingenuity, have come up with numerous types of projects in addition to the traditional bed quilt. I’m wondering how long the list could be.

I’ll start with ten.  Why don’t you add some more in the comments and I’ll include them in a future post?

1.  Fabric bowls
2.  Placemats
3. Table cloths
4. Inchies
5. Collages
6. Wall hangings
7. Fabric books
8. Clothing of many types
9. Potholders
10. Fabric postcards

How do you use your fabric?  What do you create?  Let us know and point us to your blogs or web sites where you have some of your projects displayed.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

10 Ways Quilters Use Their Fabric