Image: sxc.hu

“Where do you get your design ideas?” I’ve been asked 

My designs include:

•  Reproductions of my paintings  (Artists often reproduce their paintings as posters and postcards nowadays to get further mileage and income from their art work.  They may keep or eventually sell the original.)
•  Reproductions of photos (My family members are avid photographers, so I often use my husband’s and mine for cards.)
•  Sketches I make for particular cards, then scan them (This is so easy to do nowadays, when before scanners and computers, I had to draw each individually or take them to a commercial printer.)
•  Fabric postcards that I scan (With all the work that goes into them, it’s a shame to use these pieces of art only once.)

What has been your experience in creating notepaper and postcards?  Where do you get your ideas?

Post from: Blisstree

My Designs for Greeting Cards & Notepaper

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

How sad, I thought, that this young mother of four boys didn’t feel she could pursue arts and crafts or anything creative.  How sad that she couldn’t find activities to interest her…and teach them to her children.

Creativity was instinctive when I was growing up in a household without much money and before television.  My siblings and I, with our mother’s encouragement, made our toys and dolls and games.

It seemed natural to include my daughter in the crafts I enjoyed, and quilt business I operated, when she was young.  If her cousins and friends were around, they became involved, too.  I had a 4-H club and found new arts and crafts projects for the youngsters.  My daughter and I have continued this with her children, their cousins and friends.

Some crafty ideas with inexpensive materials:

• Fabric and mixed media collages
• Creating paper dolls and their clothing from magazines and catalogs
• Making fabric postcards
• Making mosaic pictures with buttons, beads, and/or grains.
• Scrapbooking and card making
• Looping potholders on a loom
• Painting fabric with special crayons
• Writing and sketching in journals

What types of crafts do your children enjoy?
Image: sxc.hu

Post from: Blisstree

Crafts for Kids…Important for Creativity

My daughter just learned that the Fabric Postcards and ATC’s (Artists Trading Cards) have been posted at Cyber Fyber Online and the postcard she submitted is included.  Check out her Meandering Threads blog for more details.

Incidentally Beth’s postcard is Number 96. 

Do any of you have a postcard or ATC at Cyber Fyber?  If so, which one?

Post from: Blisstree

Fabric Postcards Up at Cyber Fyber Online, My Daughter’s Included

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

  When you’re at a standstill on a project (”writer’s block” in the literary field), turn to something different for awhile.  Here are some ideas to pursue until you get your inspiration back.

1. Look through magazines for something new.
2. Take photos of interesting scenes and objects for different ideas.
3. Make a fabric postcard for a change of pace.
4. Try working on an “inchie.”
5. Sort your fabrics and try different color schemes.
6. Take a turorial on TV or the Internet.
7. Visit a fabric shop and chat with quilters.  (You don’t need to buy anything!!)
8. Read a quilting novel.
9. Make a mixed media collage
10. Take a walk and your sketch book.  Find inspiration in the world around you.

What do you do when you can’t seem to progress on a quilting or fabric art project?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

10 Fabric & Quilting Ideas When You Need Inspiration

  Valentine’s Day brings many thoughts to mind and can revolve around numerous activities.  Caring and sharing, giving thoughtful gifts and cards, special foods and favors, creating memories that last throughout the years.

What can quilters and fabric artists do for Valentine’s Day?

1. 1. Make fabric Valentine postcards with lace and flowers and old-fashioned themes.
2. Hold a Valentine’s Day quilting bee or gathering with each working on hearts and flowers themed pieces.
3. Exchange Valentine colored fabrics and those with heart designs.
4. Arrange a grab bag of accessories for quilting friends to select from.  
5. Or make small bags of accessories you give as favors…containing lace, buttons, charms and threads and yarns.
6. Organize a Valentine’s cookie exchange at a gathering.
7.  Have a family party with Valentine’s, treats, and something you’ve made from your stash.

What do you do for Valentine’s Day in your quilting world?

Do you make cards and postcards to share?  Between now and Valentine’s Day, share some of your ideas of cards and gifts you give to family, friends, and fellow quilters.

(2008) Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

7 Ideas for Quilters as They Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Cyndi at Layers Upon Layers and Noreen at Hankering for Yarn tagged me for the 7 Random Facts Meme that has been going around.  I participated in it previously, but there are always facts and ideas I can relate that you’ve not heard before.

1. I like old quilts and finding the stories connected to them.
2. My granddaughter is making a quilt for a school project using a Civil War theme with reproduction fabrics from that era.
3. My daughter had one of her fabric art pieces displayed at a gallery in Costa Rica.
4. I like to work on the smaller pieces since they’re easier to take with me when I travel.
5. My daughter makes exquisite fabric postcards.  (Check out more of them at her Meandering Threads blog.)
6. I’m researching my family’s quilting history for a series about the Trails End Quilters, along with family recipes, note cards, and reproductions of my painting of the Trails End Farm.  I currently have a blog about this, Tales of the Trails End Quilters,  http://trailsendquilters.blogspot.com . 
7. The Missouri Star design was one of the most difficult I’ve made, especially when I jumped into it during the early days of my quiltmaking.  However, the quilt for a customer turned out lovely.

I’m not going to tag anyone for this meme because it has been making the rounds in some form or fashion for quite some time.  However, I’d love to have you participate voluntarily by naming 7 Random Facts about you and your quilting, either here in the comments or on your blog and linking back to Quilting and Patchwork.

(c)2008  Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

7 Random Facts About Quilting & Me

“Sew mine, Mommy,” she’d say.  So I’d sew where she pinned and she was happy with something for her imaginary world.

I also worked with my 4-H girls on sewing and quilting projects when Beth and her cousins were young.  We got involved with many projects that resulted in gifts for grandmothers and moms.

So I related when I read Sarah Ann Smith’s blog entry, A little bit of art,  as she helped her son make a fabric postcard gift for a friend.  She has pictures of her card of a horse as well as her son’s. 

Some projects for children:

*Pillows

*Potholders

*Aprons

*Fabric postcards

*Tote bags

*Doll or mini quilts

What projects have you been working on with your children? 

Post from: Blisstree

Helping Youngsters Make a Quilting Christmas Gift