tip: free eBook "Freestyle Mixed-Media Stitch Projects"

4 Freestyle Mixed-Media Stitch Projects, from Cloth Paper Scissors with the following topics:

• #1: Fabric Art Quilts - True confessions of a rebellious quilter
  by Debbi Crane
• #2: Canvas, Fabric Collage, and Surface Design - Get a grid
  by Debbi Crane
• #3: Prompts in Fiber Art Projects - Spontaneous combustion: using prompts to spark design
  by Robin Olsen
• #4: Easy Sewing in Fabric Art - Stuffed horse ornaments
  by Samantha Jenkins

You can find the eBook at Make Fabric Art with 4 Free Projects.
Thank you for your visit!

tip: free eBook "Handmade books"

4 articles on handmade books: learn how to make a book using mixed-media techniques from Cloth Paper Scissors with the following topics:

• Collage boards: a cardboard journal by Katie Kendrick
• Fabric scraps & vintage photos: creating treasure booklets by Jen Osborn
• Get the skinny on mixed-media books by Chrysti Hydeck
• Books with a repurpose by Jeannine Stein

You can find the eBook here. Thanks for your visit!

tip: free eBook "Art Journaling Techniques"

Art Journaling Techniques:
"5 Ways to Use Mixed Media and Collage"
from Cloth Paper Scissors

• If these walls could talk
  by Lynn Whipple
• The ubiquitous muse of visual journalIng
  by Violette
• A year captured in fabrIc
  by Tracie Lyn Huskamp
• A paper napkin garden Journal
  by Sharon Tomlinson
• Add pattern to journals with ZenTangles and transfers
  by Sandy Steen Bartholomew

You can find the eBook here. Thanks for your visit!

tip: free eBook "Learn How to Make a Collage"

4 Free Mixed Media Collage Techniques
from Cloth Paper Scissors

• What’s left collages
  by Charlotte Lyons
• Something to crow about: a mixed-media fabric collage
  by Diane Taylor
• Creating custom paper for collage
  by Liz Berg
• Painted paper collage
  by Serena Wilson Stubson

You can find the eBook here.
Thanks for your visit!

Mixed Media: new studio techniques

From Reviewed & Wished for

What a nice surprise; I was one of the 4 lucky winners of this new book from D4Daisy Books!
Being an absolute newbie on mixed media but very eager to learn more about the topic, my first impressions of the book are positive. It is a real teaching aid and very well written by Isobel Hall and Maggie Grey with clear step-by-step photos made by Michael Wicks.

Isobel Hall is a teacher and textile designer who specializes in creating handmade paper to make embroidered bags. She teaches papermaking, bookmaking, and bag making. Isobel lives in Almeria, Spain.

Maggie Grey is a cutting-edge textile artist and editor of Workshop on the Web, an internet-based magazine. She founded D4Daisy Books in partnership with photographer Michael Wicks. Maggie lives in the south of England.

Thank you for your visit!



More info:

• Maggie Grey's blog
• Michael Wicks Photography
• I-zine Workshop on the Web
• More D4Daisy books

Guerrilla Art!

from How to Secretly Give Art Away… by Jenn Mason.

Thank you for your visit!

book review: Susan Stein's Fabric Art Workshop

The author Susan Stein started quilting in 1977. She is a former president and show chairman for Minnesota quilters and was named Minnesota Quilter of the Year in 2003.

Fabric Art Workshop: Exploring Techniques & Materials for Fabric Artists and Quilters, is a craftroom companion:

Each unique technique is presented with an inspirational, full-page brilliant photo of a fabric journal page. Next to this page you find a short description of the material to be explored and a list of materials and tools needed for the technique. On the next two pages step-by-step instructions illustrated with clear photos show the possible processing.

Binding and finishing methods for showing your results in a quilt are not extensively covered, because that is not the true goal of this book.

Already having books who do cover the subject of binding and finishing quilts, I don't mind. If you do mind, reading this free eBook with 12 methods for binding and finishing could be very useful.

Susan Stein's book takes you through a wide selection of mixed media materials to experiment and play with. The table of contents and the index pages here give a nice impression of the techniques and materials used.

Overall I highly recommend the book for 'home tutoring' and exploring the world of fiber artistry.
The book Fabric Art Workshop is amongst others online available at:

• Amazon.com in the USA: paperback& digital
• Amazon.co.uk in the UK: paperback
• Amazon.de in Germany: Taschenbuch
• Bol.com in the Netherlands: paperback & digitaal

Thank you for your visit!

tip: free eBook with 4 Mixed Media Art Techniques

• Who Can Resist Magic
  by Moira Ackers
• Fusion-Dyed Collage
  by Traci Bautista
• Mixed Media Watercolor Techniques
  by Jacqueline Sullivan
• Textured Backgrounds for Collage
  by Misty Mawn

You can find the free eBook from Cloth Paper Scissors here.

Thank you for your visit!

Creative Quilts: Inspration, Texture & Stitch

The book I have been longing for, has been delivered today:

From Books

In "Creative Quilts: Inspration, Texture & Stitch" the artist Sandra Meech shows you how to take inspiration from art, architecture and world textiles.

The book contains instructions for techniques like surface embellishment, mixed-media and three dimensional quilt work. The artist also gives practical advice on exhibiting work. In a nutshell:

click for bigger picture

The hardcovered book which is illustrated with work from the world's leading quilt and textile artists and clear drawings, offers lots of design exercises and gives special emphasis to journals and sketchbooks.

Both a practical workbook and a precious source of inspiration, the book is best digested in small bites. This weekend I first will enjoy just looking at the photographs and drawings. Thank you for your visit!

Related links:

• Price indication and more helpful reviews
• Art quilts and textiles by Sandra Meech

Talking Threads: Angie Hughes

Foils, hot spots and velvets are the subjects brought to you by multimedia artist Angie Hughes in episode 9 of Talking Threads.
In Angie's book you can find more of her inspiring ideas:

Stitch, Cloth, Paper & Paint: Mixed Media Ideas & Inspiration

The book Stitch, Cloth, Paper & Paint is amongst others online available at:

• USA: Amazon.com
• UK: Amazon.co.uk
• Germany: Amazon.de
• the Netherlands: Bol.com

Regretfully the direct link to this episode went offline.
In this video from Colouricious Angie tells more about here work and landscape making on velvet:

Angie's DVD Inspired Velvet shows you how to combine velvets with organza's, foils and sweet papersand silk paints to create exciting layers, adding depth to your work. A taster:

Have a nice day!

More links with info:

• Overview of all Talking Threads episode
• Angie Hughes website

Talking Threads: Kim Thittichai's Hot Textiles

Did you ever wonder how to work with heat to change the structure of textile surfaces?
Then you might be very pleased with episode 4 of "Talking Threads" in which Kim Thittichai shows some of the most experimental techniques and materials in textile design.
Kim is the author of the books:

	Hot Textiles: Inspiration and Techniques with Heat Tools
	Experimental Textiles: A Journey Through Design, Interpretation and Inspiration

The Hot Textiles book is amongst others online available at following links in the USA,the UK,Germanyand the Netherlands.

The Experimental Textiles book is also online available in the USA,the UK,Germany and the Netherlands

The books and lots of other goodies are also available at Kim's home of Hot Textiles.

Regretfully the direct link to this episode went offline, but you can watch a demo and a taster where Kim shares with us a fast decorating idea using Hot Spots:

Have a nice day!

More links with info:

• Overview of all Talking Threads episodes
• Kim Thittichai's website

Talking Threads: Di Wells

In the free online episode 3 of Talking Threads Di Wells shows how to use several layers of tissue paper to make quilted surfaces.
Regretfully the direct link to this episode went offline.

A demo of Di's work is brought to you by Coloricious:

You can order a DVD. Featuring 9 artists this DVD allows you to gain an insight into what inspires each of them and how they develop their work through stitch, mixed media and fabric manipulation.

Have a nice day!

More links with info:

• Overview of all Talking Threads episodes
• Di Wells's website

Talking Threads: Gilda Baron

Are you amazed by the magic of dimension some textile artist are able to put in their work?
In episode 2 of "Talking Threads" Gilda Baron shows us how she uses painted and dyed backgrounds and machine embroidery to make wonderful dimensional landscapes and flowered embroideries.
Regretfully the direct link to this episode went offline.

Watch Gilda Baron reveal simple but stunning stitching techniques to embroider flowers and landscapes:

You can catch a sneaky peek of the 10 Chapter workshop DVD, led by the world- renowned textile artist Gilda Baron:

Gilda Baron is also  the author of the book:

The Art of Embroidered Flowers book is amongst others online available at:

• USA: Amazon.com
• UK: Amazon.co.uk
• Germany: Amazon.de
• the Netherlands: Bol.com
• Gilda Baron's website

Have a nice day!

More links with info:

• Overview of all Talking Threads free online episodes

Talking Threads: Jill Kennedy

Do you love painted silk?
Just watch part of this week free online episode 1 of Talking Threads in which Jill Kennedy teaches us how to create an image and to color it on silk. Regretfully the direct link to this episode went offline.
You can watch part of the episode at YouTube:

In next video from Colouricious Jill Kennedy tells more about her beautiful style of silk art painting. You can learn from her how to get started on this creative ancient textile technique:

Jill Kennedy and Jane Varrall are the authors of the book:

Silk Painting Techniques and Ideas: Create Beautiful and Original Designs on Silk Simply and Effectively

The book Silk Painting Techniques and Ideas is amongst others online available at:

• USA: Amazon.com
• Germany: Amazon.de
• the Netherlands: Bol.com

Have a nice day!

More links with info:

• Overview of all Talking Threads episodes
• Jill Kennedy's website

Between two worlds

Like most quilters, I began with quilt making the traditional way. A long that way I find myself more attracted to the "artsy" kind of quilts.
At this moment I am in a transitional phase, searching my way between traditional and contemporary. While using other materials to enhance fabrics and fibers I get challenged to explore more possibilities to express myself. The need to do this seems not compatible with my technical education and work (chemical science and information technology). But it is clear and visible that I have a passion to do so by making quilts.

To learn other techniques, I recently bought one new and four second-hand books (click the picture for more info):

• The Quilting Arts Book:
  
  
  
  
• Surfaces For Stitch:
  
  
  
  
• Layers Of Stitch; Contemporary Machine Embroidery
  
  
  
  
• Raising The Surface With Machine Embroidery:
  
  
  
  
• Embellish And Stitch:
  
  
  
  

If you know these books, do you recommend them for a 'transitional' quilter?
Perhaps you are a kindred spirit, someone who has the same interest of learning how to work non-traditional with fibers and fabrics.
Interested or not, I love to hear from you. Please, don't hesitate to leave your comments and share your vision on this subject.
Thank you for your visit!

P.S.
I saw the term 'transitional' for the first time at Suzanne Engler's blog.