Pieces of History - Family Trees

 This rusted cloth was the first I ever, made with a cheap piece of cotton from Jo-Anns, it even had a hole in it , but I just wanted to try some rust-dying, so I used what I had on hand at the time.Well I have been trying to recreate this type of patterning on "good" fabric ever since, I have gotten some other cool prints but nothing similar. Lesson here don't use Junk when trying a new technique, because it might be the one you like the best.

I see a tree in this, a big old knarlly river willow, leanin' over the banks of the Big Elk River.

I have been hanging on to this for a couple of years trying to decide how to implement my vision, I played with some computer doodling when I first took these pictures; to get a better vision of my tree, and to see which side of the cloth I want to use. You always get design on both sides with rust-dyeing.

So every leaf will have a photo transfer from one of my family photos. I have had fun trying different transfers for all the leafs. I am thinking either hand stiching the tree outline with some heavy hand-dyed threads I bought a while back from Artfabrik , or machine "thread-sketching I have a few different sizes, some I can run throught my machine and some I can not. I think the heavier the thread the better it will help to define the tree, but I have never really handstiched anything.

I had the idea that I needed to mark or outline my cloth to get have a better visual, I have no non-perment marking tools at the moment, so what to do... Light bulb moment! freezer paper, iron on and hang on the window and draw all you want .   I had a new idea should I cut out the tree and applique onto a different background fabric, or would I lose the effect of the whole cloth printing? More desicions...

Piles of leaves....how to make the leaves later.

Rust Quilt Entry

A House In Harlan

  

I have been making Rusted cloth for a couple of years now, and this "call for entry" came from Rust-Tex, the sponsors of the exhibit, a group of ladies that I know challenged each other to enter with some rust dyed cloth that we had created during a summer workshop,

This is the first Juried Show, I have ever entered (or any quilt show for that matter). I don't know how I will do, but it was no pressure, my Goal was to get them finished and entered which was a Big step for this procrastinator! I have about three other Rust Quilts in the works but I feel very good about finishing these  and getting them entered .

This Quilt - A House in Harlan is a very personal quilt made with old family photos, from my Dad's Mothers Family, The pictures date from the 1930's.

  A Rusted Family Tree

 this small quilt includes pictures from my Mothers, Grandmothers Family, Each leaf is constucted of a photo transfer, and layered with quilt material.

Summer Fun -Revisited

As I prepare to help teach a Gelatin Printing Class at my local Quilt Group I enjoyed looking back through last years Botanical Prints, it is always so fun and I always go way over board with the printing and still have not made any journal quilts with the prints yet . I am trying to decide if a whole Art quilt needs to be pieced with the series of prints, or do I make individual quilts? Maybe that is why I haven't decided what to do with them, right know I will enjoy reviewing them

Sword Fern

Here are some pictures of some Botanical Gelatin Prints that I made last summer.

         

Bracken Fern

As you can see there are usually two - three good prints from each subject, I have dozens more these are just a sampling.

Grasses

   

                                                                             

More Critters and Flowers and Ferns and Mushrooms

If any of the Sculpture in these past few post interest anybody feel free to contact me...

One more Post to go and that will complete my update of Inventory

Birds and Critters that are available to adopt.

Small Fish

Bird with Hinge wings

Fancy Fighting Crane

Small Peacock

Flamingo Bird

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Next post will be Botanicals( flowers and mushrooms and ferns)

Stuff in my studio right now- Recycled Tables

I have been working on a lot of Quilt projects lately but I will start posting updates of my Metal Sculpture, that I have available for sale right now, feel free to contact me if anything catches your eye.

Large Fancy Table

Large Fancy Table Details
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Medium, Gears and Chain Table

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Small Table with Railroad Spikes and Camshaft leg

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Tomorrow's Post Birds and Critters

Detailed Pictures of the New Sculpture

This one is my favorite bird I think.

These were great old things to work with.