Quilters aren’t running for public office, that I know of (although some probably are in their community or state).  However, quilters are expressing their support for Barack Obama through their art.

At Kyra’s Black Threads, I read a post, Fiber Artists for Obama, about the artists who are using their talents to support the candidate of their choice.  Kyra directs you to Cultural Expressions for more information.

Are there quilters and fiber artists supporting other candidates through quilting or who simply are raising the consiciousness of citizens to take an interest in the political scene and vote?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Quilters Enter the Political Arena

I visit Jen’s Domestick Goddess blog regularly and always find fascinating ideas.  The latest that captured my attention is Virginia Fleck Mandala Art, guest posted by Pelf Nyok.

Virginia Fleck creates strikingly colorful mandalas from….Guess what?  Plastic bags!  As Pelf says:

With all the hoo-haas around the excessive use of plastic bags, it is heartening to learn that there are people who turn these plastic bags into beautiful art pieces!

Virginia’s art is displayed in galleries, public buildings, and private homes.  At Domestik Goddess and Virginia’s web site, you can view her work.

Even though the mandalas are not made of fabric as quilters think of it, I’m sure you can appreciate the colorful approach Virginia has used with this mixed media.  Think what you could do with fabric.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Quilting With a Different Approach

If your quilting interests have taken you into the quilting and mixed media arts world, you’ll find these ideas (may complete with instructions) a bonanza for you.

(The same company that publishes Cloth Paper Scissors also puts out Quilting Arts magazine, another innovative resource in the quilting and fabric art world.)

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Great Ideas for Quilters & Mixed Media Artists

Katelyn is way ahead of me and has some posted on her blog, Artful Monday – Paper Quilts.   They are lovely.  I’m impressed! 

 Click over to Katelyn’s blog and take a look.

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Katelyn’s Paper Quilts

This has me wondering about adding fabric scraps, rick-rack, lace, etc. to the paper scraps for a mixed media piece of art.  Just as Katelyn wants to try the paper quilt/post cards, I should try some of the mixed media variation.

Another term for paper quilts and mixed media art is collage, an art form that’s becoming very popular.

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Converting Paper Quilts into Mixed Media Ones

Ann makes these cards with fabric kaleidoscope shapes in the center of each.  They are coordinated with colored envelopes.  On her web site, you’ll find a colorful array of cards.  She also explains how she creates them.

If you’d like further inspiration for fabric and mixed media cards, check out various books that have been written on this topic.  These are just one of the variations that have evolved in the field of quilting and patchwork.

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The Kaleidoscope Card – a Variation that Inspires Quilters

Mixed media consists of adding other materials, such as fiber, wood, metal, mica, beads, buttons and paper to fabric.  These items are wall hangings, art objects, postcards, clothing, sculpture and books rather than bed quilts.

My daughter, Beth, discovered the world of mixed media and began introducing it to me.  We’ve had fun exploring this realm and stretching our creativity.  We still can make bed quilts if we need.  But I find the smaller mixed media projects ones I can take with me when traveling.

For instance, here is a piece in which Beth incorporated a brown paper bag!

The center is a green piece of fabric with painted wonder under fused to it.  That is sewed onto a bronw paper bag that has been crumpled and colored with stamp pads and gold paint.  I added two gold skeleton leaves.  I still need to attach this to the fabric background.

Beth often adds pieces of wood, buttons, beads, and other embellishments to mixed media art like this.  To see more of her work, check out her Meandering Threads blog.

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The Lure of Mixed Media for Quilters

One of the ideas she’s considering involves Artist Trading Cards (ATCs), those playing card size creations from fabric or fabric and paper.  These have become very popular and are traded and sold among quilters and collectors.

Katelyn has created the Stamp Out Alzheimer’s Yahoo Group so she can find out what form of fund raiser would be most popular.  Check out more information about this at Katelyn’s Life Without Memories blog.

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Using Your Quilting or Craft to Stamp Out Alzheimer’s

I’ve found quiltmaking has changed so much over the years, from the “traditional” patterns and styles I made with my grandmother in the 1940s and then during our country’s Bicentennial Years of 1975-76.  Quiltmakering has grown from a utilitarian craft into an art form.  Quilts have become wall hangings of various sizes, even postcards and calling cards. 

Then quilters began experimenting with many types of fabric and fibers to become fabric and fiber artists.  My daughter who started out has a traditional quilter, learning the craft as she grew up around my sewing maching, has evolved into a fiber artist enjoying the freedom to experiment.

Most recently she has begun to do a great deal with mixed media, using fabric, fiber and paper to create wall hangings, book covers, and post cards.  From her I acquire the desire to try new directions in my quilting world and enjoyed creating a fabric postcard. 

The other day, she was painting paper towels. 

 ”Whatever for?” I asked her.  This is something I’d imagine doing with kindergarteners when I substitute teach in schools.

“I’m making something to use in my fabric art,” she explained.  She still had me puzzled.

Yesterday, Beth showed me the paper towel that was transformed into a work of mixed media art.  After it dried, she put on a backing, then added fabric, decorative stitching and other embellishments. 

This has become the “something new” I want to try in my quilting world.

(To see Beth’s converted paper towel, before it was completely finished, visit her Meandering Threads blog and scroll to the bottom of the Postcards and Playtime post.) 

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“All Things New” in My Quilting World