My sister, one of the reasons I’m a blogger today, used to keep her site on Diary-X. That is, until a few weeks ago when Diary-X had a catastrophic hard drive failure and went kaput. They had never backed anything up. My sister lost 3 years of entries. It’s all too horrible.
So the moral is, go run a backup. You never know what might happen.
I’m loving these
Stitched vessels, collaged cotton, silk, brocade, wool and organza strips with machine stitching and fabric glue on inside.
Check out more of Lauren’s recycled textiles here.
I’ve touched her textiles with my own fair hands, and they’re as soft and sumptuous as they are beautiful.
While Googling Lauren, I also found this wonderful jewellery by Amanda Caines.
Is there anything better than MicroRevolt’s knitPro? This can be used to adapt mega-crop logos for righteous handcrafting. Or for flowers. It superimposes a grid on top of your image, and spits it out as a PDF for printing. It also offers the appropriate stitch size.
Needlepoint, Cross Stitch, Crochet (1:1)
Knit Portrait (5:7)
Knit Landscape (7:5)
But today, I saw another tool that might be handy: Digital Stained Glass tool. Weaving Major created a butterfly that looks like stained glass using Digital Stained Glass ® and PixelBlocks. Wow that stuff is cool. Looks even better that LiteBright!
It occured to me (and probably to others!) that this could be used to make gridded -patterns, like cross-stitch. This is what the tool interface looks like below.
If you’ve ever tried to do this using Photoshop, you might be able to appreciate how handy this is. You can specify how many squares you want to to take up. In the next steps, you can enhance the image. It “dithers” the pattern so you can use a limited palette. But it only makes a square grid suitable for cross-stitching (and PixelBlocks, of course!)
Structures #29, ©2004 87″ x 61″
Lisa Call makes contemporary, geometric quilts. According to her biography, “Her work is abstract but draws elements from many places: her love of the colors and geological forms of the southwest, her interest in human-made structures for containment such as fences and stone walls, and her exploration of her own internal psychological walls and boundaries.” Her Structures series uses all hand dyed fabrics. The pieces are hand-cut, and then pieced improvisationally. The quilting is dense and meticulous. It is a slow, meditative process, and her work invokes that same calm.
Structures #29, © 2004 34″x 53″
Ms. Call also has a wonderful blog that provides insight into the “who, what, where, why, when and how” of her artwork. It’s a rare thing to be able to delve into the creation of these quilts and see her evolution as an artist over the years. She also posts workshop reviews, tutorials, and her views on the quilting world at large.
Paula Sanz Caballero is an embroidery artist living in Spain, who makes these really complex illustrations from fabric and thread. Her work appears in magazines and other publications, and she also makes cards for Roger La Borde.
Snip from an article in Embroidery Magazine on embroidery as illustration:
For almost seven years now she has been telling stories with needle, thread and fabric swatches. Born into a family of more than four generations of textile merchants, as a child she played among piles of fabric. However, her work does not draw exclusively on the past, instead it combines technology and tradition. By merging elements she feels she gains the best of both worlds. ‘Artists often feel that in order to be “contemporary” they must limit their work to new technology and that it is necessary to separate themselves from everything related to tradition. How then must the observer for whom anything related to textile work, except for fashion design, is usually considered as a domestic labour or craft, approach works in this medium? If the artist himself does not see textile art as a valid medium, it is impossible for the observer to do so.’
(via poppytalk)
William Wilson creates these ‘vintage characters‘ out of discarded soft toys. “childrens’ former companions, thrown away after years of most intimate relations. The pluche animals I collect are turned INSIDE OUT by me. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
William received a special mention at the 2005 ‘re-think and re-cycle‘ design awards, held at designboom. Some of my other favourites included bowls, baskets and hats made out of plastic bags. Then there is a wonderful organic plant pot made out of mud and stick and leaves, I also enjoyed the jeans chair and the chair legs chair.
link via art for housewives
Laura and her husband design beautiful and delicate ceramic ware: Zindel ceramics
Currently our work is inspired by the Victorian Cabinets of Curiosity. The art of collecting and displaying ones’ passions
extract about the technique from Laura’s site
Hand built and slip cast with low fire white earthenware and glazed with non-toxic low fire glazes. The images are original pencil drawings drawn by the artist. The images are then printed with enamel and become a ceramic transfer. The images are then individually collaged to each piece and fired permanently to the surface.
This technique is a modern version of what was once called transferware, first introduced in the 1700s.
{link via supernaturale}
ways to use rick rack at primrose design
buzzville - cutting continuous bias binding
zibbo is good - how to make a spindle from a cd
instructables - how to make a bicycle parts belt {via make}
instructions from Jess - how to adapt one of her patterns
Martha’s tomato pincushion found out about this via small hands
free knitting patterns at hello yarn {via knitting iris} -
how to make a bubble gum wrapper chain {via the small object}
reader question - Shelly asks: “any tips on how to make felt bowls… i’ve got scraps of wool, and bits of left over wool material from recovering my dining chairs… i’d love some advice!”
use what I have month - I love this idea - I first saw this over at simple sparrow - and then sooz has taken up the challenge - anybody else out there willing to not buy any new crafting materials for a whole month and just use what you already have - go on over to simple sparrow to join the gang.
Julie a dedicated whipup reader sent in this link to artists helping children. She also writes “We all know how much art/crafts heal us, it only makes sense that Children would benefit as well. Lots of ways to contribute too!”
Artists Helping Children is a non-profit NHF.org charity dedicated to bringing comfort to children in hospitals, clinics, and shelters by brightening their environment with murals and other art. Ways to help include donating art supplies and toys, join the directory - if you are in need a mural for your organisation or are an artist who can volenteer your time - you can find each other here, you can also knit, sew or crochet items or send in supplies - read this for more info, get your children involved - read here for ideas and info
another reader (wonder thrush) sent in this link to ‘historically inaccurate decorative arts‘ - really cool and interesting embroidered cushions.
another reader sent a link to Carol Shinn, visual artist who does photo realistic embroidery - just amazing
Jill at fiftyrx3 sent me a link to a great project she is doing: here is a post with a really inventive outfit that is part of the project and here is the blurb from her site:
“the blog revolves around my attempt to combine style with sustainablility by wearing clothing based on the reduce-reuse-recycle mantra of the green movement. The goal is to have an average of 50% of my clothing for the year 2006 be:
reused - (not bought new)
recycled - (made from something else)
reduced - (environmentally friendly or long lasting items) “
Since it’s St Patrick’s Day, I thought it might be nice to post something Irish-related that wasn’t strewn shamrocks or leprechauns and doesn’t involve green beer. It is an exhibition currently running at the Linen Museum in Lisburn, N. Ireland. If you get a chance, it’s a great museum for fiber lovers! I got to try spinning there!
The exhibition shows work from a arts-in-education project I worked on called “CREATE/Trading Places“. Artists did three-year residencies in 10 schools in Ireland and Northern Ireland, working with students exploring the history of the linen industry in their local area. They explored industrialisation- and the change from small home-based crafting industry to factories, and the dangerous working conditions of fabric production. Some groups explored the linen material itself; some the manufacturing; some the fabric; some the working conditions; some the rituals around using the products.
We work with fabric everyday, and maybe we can forget the history behind it, and what it takes to make it. The work that came out of the project is interesting because it delves into the fabric.
These children worked with Ann Henderson, and over the course of this project developed some really interesting investigations. This piece is done on the Jacquard loom, which uses punchcards that looks like computer programming cards. And each line represents a secret self-portrait written in binary code by the children. It’s beautiful to boot.
They explored many aspects of weaving, see this project done with artist Anna Reitberger. The image here is from later on in the collaboration. “Copy Weaves”.
These kids worked with dancer Nicola Curry and created a structure and did several performances literally ‘weaving’ their bodies through the structure.
This is work by Irish artist, Angela Ginn. The painting is drawn from a projection of Irish lace into fabric. And then the shapes are cut out. You can see more like this from a mid-project exhibition at the Millenium Court in Portadown.
subversive cross stitch - book is coming - available march 30 or march 13 through the site
they also have calendars, notebooks and the kits…
In this wicked little book, Julie Jackson reinvents the age-old craft of cross-stitch, finally putting an end to all that saccharine sentimentalism and giving modern stitchers the chance to say what’s really on their minds.
{via 30gms}
stamp swap - sign up with Moki {via craftlog}
FIVAV - a festival of clay and glass {via clog}
Yoga socks at kpixie look pretty cool - I saw something similar at Just jussi a while ago but can no longer find the free pattern over there - is it still available? {kpixie link via the silent K}
- updated - link to just jussi free pattern for yoga socks is here
mediatinker made a very cool plush of the bizarro furry lobster thing (aka the “yeti crab”) some enterprising scientists dredged up out of a hydrothermal vent. I love how the news story was out for only a couple of days before the stuffed version appeared. And there’s a pattern!
stuffed
real
Have you gazed longingly at the beautiful lace shawls and scarves being knit by all your friends? Lace charts too confusing? No idea where to begin?
Well, thank goodness for Eunny! She’ll answer all your questions and then some with her online tutorials: Majoring in Lace: Introduction & Majoring in Lace - Part II.
(Eunny’s site could keep you busy for quite a while. While looking through her archives I came across another great tutorial. This one was for dyeing your own self-striping yarns. How cool is that?
A colleague of mine from ArtPlay in Melbourne sent me this link. I wish I could be there now. Common Goods - this cultural exchange is happening alongside the Commonwealth Games in Australia. It includes a residency program, exhibition and publication. The exhibition is from Thursday 9 March - 1 April 2006 for any lucky people nearby there!
It’s great to see government-level events like these with blogs. The blog is for “recording the stories associated with the residencies associated with Common Goods”.
For example these miniature watercolours…
“Khadim Ali is an Afghan-born artist from Pakistan who paints miniature watercolours. This work (Heroes with Weapons I-III) features the dandelion, which during the harsh time of the Taliban was a symbol of hope - a plant that survived even the harshest of environments. As a work, it evokes the barrelism of Chandraguptha Thenuwara.
(tangent: shame they don’t allow non-blogger comments, i wonder if this decreases the audience participation?)
Feli asks: Dear Whipup girls, I found some beautiful old Linen Handkerchief and want to turn them into something interesting and beautiful. Please Help. - Anyone have any ideas?
The workhouse in Scotland handspun yarns and Hand-made shoulder purses Hand-spun, knitted and felted purses with bead/felt ball decoration and strong knitted cord.
She’s crafty - New Zealand knitting site free patterns for knitting for babies, and lots of lovely handknitted marino wool gifts for babies. They use New Zealand organic marino wool, and also do custom knitting projects.
A plea from Eliza:
Hi there, all you craftistas –
A friend of mine, Sara of the incredible manitov found out that her husband, Dante, was diagnosed with a very large brain tumor in a very sensitive part of his brain. (It’s about the size of a plum, right behind his right eye, in the frontal lobe that deals with communication.) The medical bills are starting to mount for them, and a few of us put together the idea of having a raffle of some crafty artsy bits of goodness to try and help out.
Right now, there are about ten of us contributing stuff for the raffle, including artists Claudine Hellmuth (collageartist.com) and Lynne Perella. We may break everything up into two lots, if there are enough people contributing to the cause. We’re actively seeking contributions of small craftybits — anything handmade — to add to the lots. We’re accepting things through the end of the month, and hope to open up the raffle part of it after the first, just after Dante’s first surgery.
If you could pass this on to your audience, we’d be much obliged. The initial call for contributions is here, And there will be more information, both about the donations and the raffle(s) itself/themselves, when we get a better idea of how many people will be participating.
Thank you so much,
Eliza Metz
i love to shop for fabric. and fortunately for those of us with a fabric addiction, there are several online fabric shops that offer some of the latest designs and hippest patterns at reasonable prices. in this week’s bird*buzz, i’m going to tell you about my favorite online fabric shops and offer some tips for shopping for fabric online.
aside from thrift stores and the local SCRAP, i purchase most of my fabric online. i do love fabric stores, but i don’t have time to get out to them as often as i’d like, so shopping for fabric online is perfect for me. one of my favorite online fabric shops is cia’s palette. their selection isn’t huge, although it is growing, and i have never visited this shop and not found something special. for example, right now they are carrying the new line of denyse schmidt fabrics. they also carry most of the whimsical heather ross prints, and great japanese prints.
i also love repro depot fabrics. the best thing about repro depot is their gorgeous selection of big, bold, colorful modern prints and mid-century reproductions. they carry both lighter cottons and heavier linens and barkcloths for upholstery.
if you love coordinated collections, then the fat quarter shop is for you! they have beautiful pre-cut collections for purchase. i just got an amy butler collection and it came so beautifully folded that i almost don’t want to use it! they are also carrying the new denyse schmidt line, which you can buy in a coordinated bundle or individually.
and, finally, there’s equilter. what’s amazing about equilter–besides the fact that luana rubin started this shop in her basement seven years ago and that she donates 2% of all purchases to charity–is the selection. it’s enormous. and there is something for everybody. to navigate equilter, it’s important to know what you are looking for or have a lot of patience. i have found some amazing stuff on equilter. scandinavian-inspired prints, large contemporary prints, and cool novelty. i love to use their search engine to see what they’ve got. i’m known to type “trees” or “wood” or “dots” or “modern” just to see what falls into those categories. and sometimes what comes up is pretty awful (to me), but i rarely shop there without finding something delightful. their selection is always changing and growing. and each package comes personally signed by the person who put it together for you with a color receipt so you can check your order. i love equilter.
shopping for fabric online is not the same as shopping for fabric in a regular store. so here are some tips:
:: read the description next to the thumbnail. it’s hardest to gauge the size of the print. usually shops will tell you the size of the swatch that the thumbnail represents. get out your ruler if you have to and picture the real size in your head. that way you won’t be as surprised when you open the package and the print is bigger or smaller than you’d hoped for.
:: make sure you really want a whole yard. most online fabric shops, except shops that sell fat quarters, will sell you nothing less than a half yard. some will only sell by the yard. to pay attention to what you are ordering before you make the commitment.
:: check out what’s on sale. equilter is having a huge sale right now and have some great prints available for around $4.00 a yard!
:: check the return policy. most do take returns, but there is a limit to how long you can keep the fabric before you return it.
:: if you have questions about the color, thickness, durability or washability of the fabric, email customer service and ask. it’s important to treat this transaction in the same way you would if you were shopping in a store. since you can’t actually see or feel the fabric you are buying, good shops should do their best to help you know what you are purchasing before you put down your credit card.
:: if you are looking for a particular print, check all the major fabric shops before you buy. prices can vary and there are frequently sales on particular prints or collections on some online fabric shops.
enjoy your online shopping!
Valerie Goodwin took an unusual path to becoming a fiber artist. She is a professor of Architecture at Florida A&M University and has (amazingly) only been quilting since 1998. The design principles found in both disciplines inform her university teaching and her quilt workshops. She makes quilts inspired by maps/aerial views of landscapes and cityscapes, real and imagined. Some are quite literally city grids, others more abstract. Most of her works, including the dazzlingly detailed architectural quilt above, are small-scale or minature.
From her website : “Her work as an artist uses architectural elements such as built form, city grid, mapping and composition as a source of inspiration. These pieces are part of a continuing investigation of ideas that focus on geometrical relationships, patterns and ordering principles found in architecture. Her work conveys these ideas abstractly, through the use of collage, layering, transparency, density and improvisation.”
Wouldn’t you just love to live in a space she designed?
Kwytza Kraft is a company that makes household products from recycled, single use chopsticks, which is a big waste problem, particularly in China. It is estimated that 25 million trees and bamboo plants are used annually in single-use chopstick manufacturing in China. Kwytza Kraft collects chopsticks from restaurants, santizes and pressure cleans them, and then turns them into everything from lampshades to furniture. I think that if I saved and cleaned all the disposable chopsticks I used in a few months, I might have enough to construct a lamp shade, or perhaps a cd rack, how about you?
Making-do is having the ingenuity and creativity to not see an object for what it is, but to see the many ways it could be used. It takes a certain kind of respect for not-wasting things, and having the intelligence to not assume you have to buy something for a use, but knowing you can make it.
I’ve seen some great ingenuity, and admire it… like ‘how did you think of THAT?’ I wish I was better at it! I would not only like to strengthen my ability to ‘do more with less’, but also support people who are. When I was in Cuba, I saw amazing examples of how people had customized, refashioned, reconditioned and repaired many items that would be thrown away in more affluent countries. In many ways, they are living more intelligently. See images of reinvented objects at Designboom and Formula 1 cars made from little glue bottles
“In Cuba, objects are reinvented every day in ways that transcend basic recycling. A telephone becomes an electric fan; a plastic bottle, a taxi sign; a squeeze toy, a bike horn.”
From Viva Recycling at Fast Company
“Cubans value their objects. No matter how old or new you are - no matter how big or small, dull or shiny, sleek or clunky - there’s sure to be someone who wants you. Who needs you. Who maybe can’t do without you. As an object in Cuba, you are essential. Nondisposable. Indispensable… Say that, by a stroke of luck, you catch the eye of a Cuban with some need to fill (or just some time to kill). He or she discerns some special quality in you - some hidden purpose, secret potential, deeper meaning - and brings you back to life as something else.” Originally from Philly.com
In Osaka, Adam Yoshida writes about the homeless people in his area. “‘Osaka Homeless: Lessons in Sustainability from the Invisible Caste‘ “. I love his perspective that these people are living sustainably, intelligently. They don’t need handouts or pity; they need real help in changing the political situation in Japan.
The homeless around my area maintain gardens, and live a much more sustainable lifestyle than you or I or any average person. …The city officials are kicking out the very people who are living more at harmony with the landscape and urban environment than any other segment of the population… It’s the homeless people, the ones who live in these commons, who pick up after the visitors after they go home. It’s the homeless people who “Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse” other people’s refuse to make or maintain their shelters
It’s easy to go and buy the fabric, the new materials, and not consider the environmental costs of that. Thiftcraft (by Hillary Lang) is dedicated her searches for ‘previously owned’ fabric.
Cardboard boxes are one of those nice kinds of left-overs to use. They are so purposeful. My friend made an apartment block for her cats out of smallish stacked cardboard boxes. She cut out doors and windows- and holes between the boxes so they could move from room to room. It is in front of a window, so the upstairs of the cat-apartment block gets some nice sun for them. The whole thing is big enough that the top serves as a handy table. Oh yeah, my sister once made a cool play house for my nephew out of a big box.
But searching online for inspiration, I find some of the ‘recylced crafts’ ideas are a little… tacky… is that OK to say that? I’m going to be nice and not link to some of the things I have seen online. it’s probably because the material itself is not very nice to start with. What do you expect from a stack of old VCR tapes?
Some ideas for reusing commonly thrown away materials:
Keyboard keys somehow integrated as ‘fabric’ for a bag
Purses made out of candy wrappers
Slightly creepy stuffed animals turned inside out
This page lists “Things you can do with…”
