Pieces Painting

Can a painting be layers of fabric, painted, beaded, felted and dyed, hanging in pieces?

Building a fiber art business, or any business is always a challenge.  I got to express some of my own thoughts in a FeltLOOM interview. 

This morning I learned from Seth Godin that it's important to remember that our failures are not something to flee from but experiences that tell us we are alive.

Power of Rotation

Power of Rotation

What you can do with a painting 

that you can't do with a wearable 

is rotate it if it's not working.  

What you can do with a wearable 

that you can't do with a painting 

is turn it inside out and wear it.

 What I'm doing with my paintings is rotating techniques.

After shibori dyeing pole wrapped felted alpaca and merino onto silk with the FeltLOOM

I'm taking remnants to another level by responding to the shibori line with metalic acrylic.

From +Danielle Wittler I'm learning the power of Irregular Design.

Today I turn my felted fabric inside out to make a vest with the silk side showing. 

 

Leftovers

What to do with the shibori dyed merino, alpaca and silk  felted leftovers after you've made a 

garment and you have all those beautiful remnants?   

I have begun experimenting.  I felt some on rug backings and embellish with beads and paints.  I make individual scarves out of some.  After hanging several strips on a hanger I'm intrigued with making a mobile after being inspired by my friend, Kathleen Obrien.

Irregular Design Completed

 At first I wasn't sure that I like the fact that the two front sides were not similar.  Now I like the contrast.  With the focus on color, this one has more green than I anticipated.  Thus leading me to using all yellow with purple and a dash of black next time for more copper, rust and olive.  I love color theory!  And I love irregular designs that become dramatic.

Irregular Design

A Work in Progress

Sleeves are next

What I love about Irregular Design

it's focus on the the process 

and color

A sign of the times

Never let lack of material or money stand in the way of your making art

perfection lives in timing,

the drizzle of dye

the choice of palette. 

And collaboration

+Danielle Wittler 

 

Nothing like silk blowing in the wind 

blending with leafless trees and evergreens.  

Found in a mixture of 

yellow, purple and a dash of black

Lightweight Shibori Alpaca Coat

 

 I shibori dyed two pieces of 44" x 8o" alpaca and merino felted onto silk gauze using the FeltLOOM
There was lots of white, more than I anticipated.  I presoaked the fabric,  before pole wrapping  then I used one cup each of turquoise, green and blue vinyl sulphon dye mixed according to the instructions at Dharma Trading . 

As usual, I like the finished piece better than I anticpated.  Hence, again, I remember, it's the colors I choose and the technique that are important.  Then I surrender and take what I get. 

 
In the beginning I didn't want to use my sewing machine but it is so much a part of my past that I wanted to start using it again. The secret for me is to simplify. I decided that I don't have to follow all the rules/instructions! I can improvise and let the fabric guide me. Love the pockets this time! Thank you +Arturo Alonzo Sandoval for being such a great Mentor!

Another Challenge Presents Itself

Both of these pieces started out by felting .25 alpaca/merino onto 44" silk gauze
After dyeing, steaming and rinsing, the one on the left was put in the washer on the drain spin only cycle. It is now 30" wide and fulled much  more tightly. The one on the left was line dried and is 37" wide and more soft. Hmmmm. I was going to make a coat so I guess I will re-wet the one on the right and drain spin it so they are both the same. The question is will the tighter fulling wear better?

A  Challenge Presents Itself

I shibori dyed two pieces of 44" x 8o" alpaca and merino felted onto silk gauze using the FeltLOOM
There is lots of white, more than I anticipated.  The color is darker on the part of the fabric that was on the outside.   I presoaked the fabric, then used one cup each of turquoise, green and blue vinyl sulphon dye mixed according to the instructions at Dharma Trading .  As more layers are created from pole wrapping there is less penetration.  There are so many factors that determine penetration.  How long did I wait after presoaking?  Should I have used more dye?  Shall proceed and make the coat I had planned?

I shall, putting thought into design before cutting out the front, back and sleeves.

Purple Alpaca Coat

Using the FeltLOOM I felted two bats of .25 Alpaca/merino blend onto 44" by 80" silk gauze.

 So that I would have enough for a coat I made two pieces of fabric.

The fabric was pole wrapped on two 4" pvc pipes, tied with string and scrunched.

Then I soaked it in a solution of equal parts of white vinegar and water and a tad of synthrapol

Not wanting my purple to be too bright, I added 1-3T of black to each cup of dye.

Using a total of three cups of dye on each pole I drizzled it onto the fabric, reading the flow of dye like a kayaker reads the river to determine how much dye to use.

I was able to cut the a sleeve and a front or back out of each piece.

A lining could be used.  However, wanting the coat to "move" 

and to be as lightweight as possible, I chose not to.

All the edges are finished except the bottom.  This means that it hangs a little more straight.  If
I hemmed the bottom there would be more of a ripple which could also be nice.  By not hemming the bottom it means that later it can be cut to the perfect length for whoever wears it.

I'm looking forward to working with +Margie Shay 

to develop her palette of colors!

 

Save the Date:  March 2-3, 2013

I'm only doing one show a year and this is it!!!

Can't wait!

And looking forward to more collaborations with my daughter

+Danielle Wittler