Cyndi’s art quilts continue to entrall me.  (I must take time in my busy days to try some of her techniques with my scraps.)  Over at Layers Upon Layers, Cyndi has two posts you’ll want to check out. 
Making an Art Quilt compares techniques used in two similar quilts.  A technique she used in the beige colored piece consisted of staining with coffee.  (My daughter has used tea to dye some of her fabrics, lace, and other accessories.  I don’t think she’s tried it with coffee.)
Making a Monochromatic Art Quilt with the coffee stained pieces results in a lovely antique type …read more

Quilter Jane Burch Cochran utilizes multitudes of beads and buttons for her extraordinary and eye-catching works of fabric art.  Combining her training as a painter with love of fabric, along with beads and buttons and other embellishments, she creates spectacular pieces like “Crossing to Freedom” which hangs in the Group Entrance of the Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. 
“Her process is mind-boggline and free-flowing,” says staff writer Marilyn Bauer at Cincinnati.com.
(There’s also a photo of this fantastic quilt with Ms. Bauer’s article.)
You now may find ideas for using an accumulation of beads and buttoms you may have cached away!

As I was checking out Katelyn’s post, Gift Tags From Scraps, over at Stamping Mad, I was stuck with the idea, “What about using fabric scraps from our quilting?  These would make neat patchwork gift tags.”
So often, techniques for one type of art or craft can be utilized in another.  Also, you could combine paper scraps with fabric for a mixed media effect collage gift tags.
Katelyn has given directions for making these gift tags at her blog. 

Fabric postcards with a “triangle” theme provide  intriguing pieces of art in one of my daughter’s quilting groups.  This exchange involved triangles; the previous one had a theme of circles.
Beth has posted two of her cards at Meandering Threads.  I’ve included one here.

She fused the blue background strips to the card backing, then secured them in place by stitching.  The three orange/gold triangles are appliqued onto the card.  The small gold triangles Beth made by stamping.  You can see that she combined several techniques on this triangle card. 

Katelyn at Stamping Mad, with her post, Paper Quilts, called my attention to Chrysti’s delightful collection of these items, on her Art by Chrysti blog .  Using leftover paper scraps, Chrysti created lovely postcard art.  Katelyn mentioned she is going to try some, and I hope she posts her results on her blog.
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 …read more

Previously I wrote about “inchies” in the post, Discovering “Inchies” in the Quilting World.  These are the little one inch embellished squares (or slightly larger for “plus size inchies”) that quilters have discovered and are trading, using as decorations, and purely having fun making.
My daughter decided they are the right size for pins so converted two into something to wear by attaching a pin back.  She also used as embellishments beads she had created from fabric.

Why don’t you give “inchies” a try!
(These “inchie” pins appear on Meandering Threads.)

Yesterday I posted my daughter Beth’s photo of lilacs and a butterfly as a possible inspiration for quilting.  I didn’t realize at the time Beth was printing the photo on fabric for the final panel of her round robin book project.
When I saw her compiling the pages today and spied the butterfly and lilacs, I realized Beth had used her photo as inspiration for this project.  It captured her imagination as it did mine.
Check this post, Quilting Inspiration from Your Photos, for the photograph.
Here is the book page made from the photo printed onto fabric.  (Photo and book page from Meandering Threads.)  …read more

Keep your camera handy!  Don’t let those interesting photos escape you.  My daughter continually looks for inspiration for her quilting and fabric art in the world around here.  Recently she found some lovely spring flowers in thearea around  our home.   From lilacs, butterflies and lady slippers she gains inspiration and ideas. 
She also created a trillium design for one of her contributions to a round robin project.This is an example of a page for a round robin book created from a picture of trillium Beth took on one of her photography expeditions around our woodland last year.  When she needed something to …read more

I thoroughly enjoyed Cyndi’s interview of Angie Platten at Layers Upon Layers.  Angie, a multi-faceted artist, does lovely work.
Cyndi has a number of photos of some Angie’s various types of work….journal quilts, fabric postcards, altered books, handmade books, ATC’s, altered CD’s, and fiber art.  I particularly like the journal quilt Cyndi shows on her blog.
(To see more of Angie’s work, visit her web site and her blog.)

One of the attractive innovations in the quilting and fabric art world consists of adding beads, buttons, and other adornment or embellishment to your project. 
Some of these involve using only a few beads (of different types, colors, and sizes) for highlights.  With other projects, the quilt artist may almost cover entirely the fabric surface. 
How about expanding your creativity with beads and buttons interwoven into your art?  I’d enjoy hearing what you’re doing.