Lessons Learned

I mentioned that the fusing class is officially over.  I really enjoyed it and learned a lot that I can apply to my own fabric art. Melody had moved onto assignments that were puzzling to many of us...but she had given us the basics and skills we needed to keep going on our own. I opted out of submitting my last assignment to the class because I just wasn't confident. My previous one had gotten a really tough critique.....so I chickened out.

But...for the sake of full circle disclosure (and closure) and developing a thicker skin, I'm going to share it here.

Our final assignment was to THINK BIG but work small. Melody gave us this image of a Matisse piece and talked about the importance of scale.

We were to make a small piece that could be imagined large and hanging in a gallery. 

This is how it started...

.....and this is how it evolved. It was like playing with building blocks.  

I did work small and ended up with this little graphic piece that's only about 3 X 3. When I enlarged the photo (below) I could see that the hand stitching was really terrible. I should never stitch without my glasses.  I second guessed everything about it...so just couldn't put it out to the class....but here it is. Final assignment: Check! 

I had as much fun digitally adding a couple of women looking at it as in a gallery.

Here are some of the lessons learned from the fusing class:
There's always something new to learn...even with something I've done before
Don't overthink
Always stand back and look
Audition, tack....then fuse (once it's fused it's fused)
Have a good variety of fabrics prepared with fusing so I have good choices
Don't take shortcuts...do it right...use what I've learned
Be patient
Keep it simple
Take time to plan and do the stitching...it makes a big difference
Laugh at myself and my flops and move on
Public critique is tough but helpful
Make it my own

Fusing Frustration

I struggled a bit with this week's fusing assignment. Our task was to create a simple quilt block in just two colors (different values were OK) and in three sizes: small, medium, and large...then create a design around them. How hard could that be?

I made simple square within a square blocks in blues and grays. I liked the scheme and the simplicity of the squares....but now what?  I played around for a while but couldn't come up with a layout that I liked...almost giving up. But if there is one thing that is true about me...I don't easily let things go. I get a little obsessed.

So with one day left before a new assignment comes out I started sketching around the blocks and that helped me see that I needed to "build" a design...just letting it create itself. I started with the smallest block and started building around it.

I created pieces and parts and just kept fiddling. In the end I chopped things off I didn't like...covered up mistakes....added a few little elements to make it more balanced...and then I finally stopped. Sometimes you just have to move on. 

 Three sizes of a simple quilt block in two colors....done. 

I'm not sure I love it...but I continue learn and see what I need to work on.  

Maybe it needs a few buttons. Many things are better with buttons.

"Dwell in Possibility"

Melody finished covering the basics of fabric fusing in her on line class and has recently been addressing individual questions. The class will continue at an intermediate level and she will put out a challenge that we can apply to our own projects and designs using skills we have learned.  I'm in! 

This week's challenge was to do some sort of a composition that could best be done by fusing...rather than traditional stitching. It could be anything and any size.  I woke up in the middle of the night knowing I wanted to do a little fabric weaving. 

I cut random strips of fused fabric and tacked the ends to my release paper with a piece of fused muslin.  I wanted to keep one end held down while I wove in the strips going the other way.

One I had it the size I wanted I could peel it off the release paper because it was all fused together. I snipped off the muslin and cleaned up the edges a bit.

I like the way it looked on dark cobalt blue hand dyed fabric 

and I added one of the little quotes from my experiment a few days ago.

I cut out a piece of my new batik (with fusing) that would wrap all the way to the back of a 5 x 5 chunky canvas.  I cut out the middle because it would be under the design....fused fabric is precious so why hide and waste it. Thanks Melody...this is a nice little square for something else.

I also learned from Melody that you can fuse fabric right onto a canvas. Who knew?  So that's what I did....trimming and folding as I went to create a fabric covered frame.  I was giddy seeing how well this worked. 

Next I cut the middle out of a piece of gold hand dyed fabric and overlayed a piece of cobalt blue and fused it together.  After I stitched around the blue, I trimmed the gold down to an 1/8 inch.                                                                                                      

I fused the whole thing onto the canvas....added a little fused circle as a focal point and stitched on a button. 

And finally....I added a little "joy" on the side...and there you have it....a fabric project best done by fusing.
Next time I'll do more top stitching because I think it adds an interesting textural element. Stitching lines along the weaving could have been pretty cool. It's all about experimenting...and there's always a next time. I dwell in possibilities!

Paul and I are going to a wedding this weekend...and this will be part of our gift. (Paul is actually performing the wedding.)

Do you notice the sliver of soap at the top left?  Another tip from Melody for marking lines for cutting.  The marks just fade away during the ironing process.  I'm learning so many cool tips and tricks!

Checkerboard Fusing

The fusing class continues...and Melody keeps offering lessons on her tried and true techniques.  This last week she wanted us to create a Pinterest board and pin images that will inspire our work...and I spent way too much time on that.  Here's a link to my board called "fusing inspiration."

Also in last week's lesson called "composition and design," we were to create our own little piece from start to finish using what we have learned. It was a busy week and I haven't quite finished it yet...and I got a little sidetracked making my own fused checkerboard fabric.


I started with 3/4 inch strips of green and blue hand dyed fabric.  I fused them together by overlapping them just a bit.

Next I squared off the end and sliced 3/4 in strips again going the opposite direction.   

Then I fused those strips together.  It looks like it's weaved...but it's not...there is literally no waste.

Here are some of the elements I might use in my piece...

some of them from other lessons.

All Stitched

I finished the machine stitching on my little class quilt. I may add a little hand stitching and embellishment...and I may mount it on a canvas.  We'll see.

After the top stitching was done...following Melody's instruction on finishing techniques...I cut squares out of the corners....

folded the edges over and fused them to the back.

Then I fused another piece of fabric to the back to cover all the mess. Pretty slick...and pretty easy....a technique I will use again and again.

Now I just need to practice my stitching and get a little more creative and brave about stitching patterns. There are some problems....but I learned a lot that I can apply to the next one. Yes...there will be a next one to be sure. 

I'm sketching and collecting all kinds of ideas for more fused quilts.

Ready to Stitch

This week's "Focus on Fusing" lesson is on "finishing techniques" focusing on machine quilting. Remember this whole quilt has fusible webbing on the back....and this week we are supposed to fuse it to a piece of batting that is cut just a little bit smaller. We are going to fold the edges over and fuse it to the back rather than creating a binding. (see Melody's lesson...or stay tuned for my attempt)

I was worried about my initial small size...not having enough room to get any interesting effect with the stitching and folding over the dots and stripes. In hindsight I should have copied Melody's actual pattern like I was supposed to.  So....I fused on a simple border....which changes it from a 6 by 8 to an 8 by 10.  I actually think it improves the piece and it will be easier to quilt.




My batting is fused to the back and I was ready to stitch.

  

I was a little hesitant to get started....but I did some of the stitching this afternoon. I'm keeping it really simple...most of it stitched in the ditch. I will look at it with a fresh eye in the next couple of days and finish it up....maybe even with some hand stitching.

What a difference a little stitching makes! More to do.

Pattern Assignment

I finished this week's fusing from a pattern assignment.  It's a tiny little thing....only 6 by 8. Next week we are going to fuse it to batting and finish it with stitching....I may regret all the fussy details when it's time to stitch...we'll see.

Here are some of my little pattern pieces cut from the release paper. I lightly fused them to the fabric pieces with the "G" facing the glue side. After cutting them out just a little bigger I assembled the whole thing on the whole pattern piece above overlapping pieces just a bit.

Melody does a much better job describing it on the class site using the link above or below. It's a handy technique.

 Here's Melody's example for the class assignment.

A Tree!

I started working on my small art quilt this morning for my fusing class. It was a little painful to cut into my green strip fusing piece....but I did....and I'm pretty happy with my funky little tree.

 

If you check out the lesson here you can see we were to draw a simple pattern on release paper....and using another sheet of release paper trace and cut out the individual pieces and parts to make patterns for our fabrics. This was my simple little design....I'll add in details as I go.

The tree was easy....picking the other fabrics was tough.

Greens

Green strip fusing for the "Focus on Fusing" class....nice and calm after the rainbow experiment.

This week's lesson is "Fusing From a Pattern"  and we will be putting a small art quilt together. I have to give it some thought...so stay tuned.


Some of this green piece may find it's way into my little quilt.

Fusing Experiment

A new lesson comes out tomorrow for the "Focus on Fusing" class....so today I played around a little more with strip fusing.

I wanted to do a rainbow spectrum (surprise surprise) but the transitions felt a little harsh in my first draft. (I didn't take a picture at that point.)  So I overlayed some narrow strips to make it flow a little better. I can see in this photo where it's still a little harsh but I think some top stitching will add more interest and help a with the transitions.

I decided to add black
and white strips.
hmmmm

I haven't actually framed it....I just set the matt and frame on top to 

check it out...I think there's potential for something interesting. 

I'll try some machine quilting at some point.

Strip Fusing

So far in the fusing class we've been fusing shapes on to a base fabric and playing with leaves. This weeks "Focus on Fusing" lesson is strip fusing.  Rather than fusing shapes onto a base fabric...we are slightly overlapping strips of fabric and fusing a seam of sorts. As you can see...some of my strips have fused parts also. It's actually quite fun and somewhat addicting.....and pretty easy to overdo. I'll have to keep that in check.  I think it will look even better when I add some borders and do some top stitching or quilting and maybe a bit of embellishment.


And...I can start to see how the pieces and parts of what we have been making can start working together to form an art quilt. I'll keep you posted!