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.

Post from: Blisstree

The Lure of Mixed Media for Quilters

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.) 

Post from: Blisstree

“All Things New” in My Quilting World

Cyndi also writes a b5media blog about multi media art, Layers Upon Layers (www.layersuponlayers.com)  She says she’s not a traditional quilter, although she’s done traditional quilting. 

MEA:  Cyndi, would you tell us something about you, your art, and your blog?

CYNDI:  I’m a mixed media artist who mostly makes jewelry, but I also play around with all different forms of collage, from purely digital, to traditional, to experimental art quilts.  I make quite a few mixed media quilts, combining paper and fabric.  In fact, I’ve got a little tutorial on the blog about it:  http://www.layersuponlayers.com/paper-quilting/

MEA:  How/why did you start collecting old fabrics?

CYNDI: I started my fabric collecting with old pieces of lace and clothing that had interesting beadwork or buttons. I did a lot of altered clothing for myself as I was growing up, using some of these finds, and was also lucky enough to have inherited many of my grandmother’s fine couture pieces.  She was quite a fashion-plate, not a milk-and-cookies grandma.

I kept many articles of my own clothing that meant something to me, and one day woke up to find they had become vintage!  I started to disassemble clothing that I had made or embellished and reworking it into other art forms.  From there, the need developed to collect pieces I might want to use in my collage and quilt work. 

I have always been drawn to fabrics that are older.  Since many of them are extremely delicate, good solid stabilized pieces like collages are the perfect way to show them off.

MEA:  Where do you find old fabrics [for those who would like to start collecting]?

CYNDI:  Mostly at antique malls.  I live near an old mill area, where textiles were once the major industry.  Even though I usually go to antique shops rather than junk shops, I find that the fabrics are pretty reasonable around here in New England.  I also have purchased some fabrics on eBay when I needed a specific piece, but this is pretty unusual.  It will be easier on a collector who is fortunate enough to like the products of the local industry, and it will be much cheaper.

MEA:  Do you have any projects planned with these fabrics?

CYNDI:  Constantly!  There are always pieces in the works or in the sketchbook: http://www.why-not-art.com/collages-quilts.html

Thanks, Cyndi, for sharing your experiences about old fabrics.  You’ve inspired me and I’m sure other readers will glean ideas from you.

Post from: Blisstree

Cyndi Lavin, Mixed Media Artist & Fabric Collector