Always Learning

The boat didn't take long....and I was pretty excited to get it connected to the bottom.  

It's always better when you can shore up the borders....pun intended. The bottom of the boat IS along a waterline after all.

It's simple things like a good pun and assembling a boat that put a little spring in my step on any given day.

I was compelled to trace and "CREATE" this painting a couple days ago. I dropped in color or water drops to create some texture in the letters.  Not sure I love it...but I do kind of like it.

I have no idea what I'll do with the rest of the page....but an idea will present itself at some point.  There's no rush.

Fusing 101 Lesson #3: Tracing

General fusing note: Most commercial fabrics...and this would include batiks...have chemicals in them making them harder to fuse. Prewashing probably helps with that. For what art I do I generally don't had any trouble....and when I'm working on an art quilt I often top stitch anyway.  But even the commercial fabrics seem to fuse to paper pretty well for me so I've never been too worried.  And they seem to adhere to paper pretty well.  If anything pulls up....the glue can always be reactivated by ironing the piece down again.

Hand dyed fabric is the BEST for fusing because it doesn't have chemicals.

Now onto tracing:

When the release paper is fused on the back of your fabric....you can draw or trace anything you want and cut it out.  You just have to remember that it will be in reverse when you turn it over.  For many things that doesn't matter like leaves and hearts. If you're using a stencil...just can just trace it backwards on the release paper...so it's right side up on the front.  

When we made this banner back in 2015 as a going away present for Dana, at Hancock Church, we traced the letters on release paper while it was on the back of the black fabric making sure to place the letter stencils backwards. We could arrange the stencils however we wanted to get the most out of the fabric.

I made a little JOY today...to show how to do a small project with different fabrics. This little fabric joy is ready to fuse to anything I want.

I traced the stencils backwards on the release paper....and ironed them on the back of the pre-fused fabric.  Anytime you iron fabric onto the release paper (or parchment) you reactivate the glue...but it's not permanent. It can easily be pulled off.  Then all I had to do was cut them out.

Here's another way....when it's hard to trace it in reverse. 

I wanted to overlay a few more flowers on this watercolor piece.  I found some fabric that has both the purples and the corals that I thought would work well.

I traced the flower from my watercolor onto a piece of release paper with a sharpie. (I was going to cut it from the opposite side...so a pencil wasn't dark enough) Then I fused it sharpie side down on the back so it would be oriented the right way from the front.  I hope it makes sense.  And at this point.....I hope you're only reading this if you have interest. 

I did notice that the sharpie transferred a bit to the back of the fabric with the heat...but since this is my cutting line...it didn't seem to matter.  But you only need to tack it well enough to hold for cutting. Using just the tip of your iron you can touch it in a couple key places and possibly avoid any transfer at all.

   

I decided to cut the stem separately and tuck it under the flower. I used my rotary cutter to cut a skinny strip...and fused it on first.

Using a pressing cloth over and under I ironed the flower in place.

I used paper under the piece because I had a few overhanging petals and I didn't want to fuse them to my wool pressing mat.  I wanted the flowers offset a bit so the coral paint would be like a shadow and I wanted plenty of petal to work with. I trimmed it up after.  

There are a few things I would have done differently...but I like it well enough. 

The leaves at the bottom should have been smaller...and I think the long stem on the right and maybe even the flower are a little dark. I think a contrasting lighter stem would have been nice. 

The flower on the lower left is not over a watercolor flower...and I do like that look the best.  Next time I do something like this I'll leave more white space so I can place these random fabric flowers in their own space.  

Always learning.

Last tip for today:

Beware of little scraps and bits of fusible fabric.  If the release paper is off...and you iron over them.....they WILL stick to something!  Been there done that!

I do save small scraps...but not this small.  You never know when you're going to need a center for a flower...or a dot for and i.

Every piece of pre-fused fabric is precious.  

Tomorrow I'll talk about building a motif.

Building a Boat!

I'm going to build a boat!  Not really....but I am going sort of assemble one.

I really thought this was a puzzle I would do from top to bottom. But I got bogged down there in the middle and I needed a change of scenery.  

So I slid it all the way up on my table and tucked it under my lamp and birds...and put the rest of the border together.  

And now....I'm going to build that big boat at the bottom!

Before I finished breakfast....I gathered most of the pieces supplies for the boat so I'd be ready to start building next time I sat down. 

Prep is important when you're building anything!

Fusing 101 lesson #2

Once the fabric has fusible on the back it's generally pretty clear which side has the glue. You can usually see it...and feel it. On some fabrics you really have to look closely once you take the paper off.  It's important that you pay attention to this...you always want to fuse the pieces GLUE SIDE DOWN! 

If you don't....it will stick to your iron and make a mess.  I've done it many times!  BUT...if you do end up with glue on your iron there's a solution.  While the iron is HOT....scrub it with a used dry dryer sheet.  Yes...you heard that right...it smokes a bit...but cleans up the iron nicely. Just be sure to protect your hand with a glove or a rag. 

To avoid the possibility of a sticky iron....I always use a pressing cloth...usually the release paper that I peeled off the fabric. I just learned from Elle that kitchen parchment paper works well too....and that makes perfect sense and most of us have it in our cupboard.  If I inadvertently have a piece going the wrong way....it will stick to the release paper or the parchment and you can peel it right off and refuse it.   

I had another polka dot painting that was marginally successful...but I knew I could improve it with fabric like I did for the denim dots.  

I have a lot of fun bright colorful fabric and I was certain I would go that route.  But then I found this batik which was both vibrant and muted...and it even had dots! It would tone down this very bright watercolor piece. Note to self: add more mud to the paint.

It's pretty easy to cut the circles freehand....no tracing needed. I often cut strips and curvy shapes with with my rotary cutter. Tomorrow I'll share some tips on using the release paper to trace shapes and letters....but there's so much you can do freehand.

I arranged the dots glue side down and pressed them with my small iron.  It's possible to lightly tack down a fusible piece with the tip of your iron so you can audition it and still pull it up and make adjustments as needed.    

Once your happy...give it a good press with the pressing cloth and a hot dry iron. It only takes a few seconds on paper....and just a little longer on fabric.

 I ended up cutting this piece into two 4 x 6 pieces...and added just a few more fused dots here and there. They may not be done...but it's where they're landing for now. The fabric dots look better in person....they're not as dark as they look in this photo.

Fusing 101

I absolutely love a dramatic late afternoon sky through the bare winter trees!  

It's so easy to see and appreciate the complexity of the trees in the winter!  This is the time of year the branches are the star!

Remember my blue denim circles?  

I cut them into two pieces...and mounted them on a piece of 4 x 4 watercolor paper so will fit nicely into a little black frame.

I think I love the precious little scraps as much as the bigger pieces.

I'll figure out something to do with these.

Here is one of the current watercolor projects I'm working on as I continue practicing blooms and bleeds. I used the same floral stencil from before but I sized it down. I painted a very light value background with the plan to overlay fused fabric stems and flowers on top...letting them be the star.

But I found that I didn't leave enough white space...so it was going to be too busy go use my initial plan. I'm going to have to be very strategic about how and where I place just a few fabric flowers....o far there are two. Stay tuned.

Because my recent Your Joyful Puttering offering is An Ounce of Fusing Fun....I thought I would do a series of posts on the very basics of fusing.  I will tuck these little lessons at the end of my posts for a few days and will label them "fusing 101" so they can easily be referenced from the label menu along the side of my blog. 

Fusing lesson #1...for those who are interested:

For all of my fusing projects I use Pellon 805 Wonder-Under....it's available at any fabric store or online. It comes in a small roll or by the bolt. I use it for art...on quilts and paper....so the end result doesn't go in the wash.  If you are going to wash something I would reinforce it with stitching.  Even with that...you might get some fraying....which could be desirable.

There is fusible webbing (the glue) on one side of the Wonder-Under...and release paper on the other.

With a hot dry iron I iron the webbing onto the fabric with the GLUE SIDE DOWN!  The heat activates the glue and transfers it to the fabric.  I iron it from both sides...for 10 to 15 seconds.  If its doesn't stick...you can iron it again.  

Once it has cooled, I trim the extra fabric off on three of the edges before I take the paper off. Once I peel the paper off...I trim that 4th edge.  It's just easier to grab the corner of paper this way.

  

Why trim? because I want to be sure there is fusible in every inch and every edge of the fabric. I keep this pre-fused fabric separate from my other fabric.

Why take the paper off?  The fabric is easier to store, and you can always fuse the paper back on if you want to draw a design...more on that later.  And the larger pieces of release paper come in handy for so many things.  I save EVERY SINGLE PIECE of release paper because it's so useful for creating motifs, as a pressing cloth, and for protecting surfaces.  Stay tuned for lesson #2.

An Ounce of Fusing Fun

Every time I see this quote on Pinterest....it makes me chuckle. Too true sometimes!

How many times have we invested in all the supplies for a new hobby or craft only to find out that it might not be for us. I know I have!

I have been playing with fusible fabric for a long time. I've done large wall quits....small greeting cards...and everything in between including most recently embellishing my Watercolor for Relaxation projects.

Fusible webbing is versatile...and there are so many applications in art and quilting. Once the fusible webbing is on the back of the fabric (or even paper)....all you have to do is cut out your shape and iron it on.  No gluing necessary.

It might not be everyone's cup of tea...but if you want to play around with it before investing time and money....then maybe you would like An Ounce of Fusing Fun!

I have started a new "page" along the sidebar of my actual blog called "Your Joyful Puttering." Unlike blog posts...these sidebar pages are static...and always there.  All the details for the Ounce of Fusing Fun are there and this is where I'll be posting any artful things I have to offer.

If you are reading this by email, you will have to link to the blog itself to get to the Your Joyful Puttering sidebar page: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/  Or you can click the title of the post in the email....or the "read on" note at the bottom of the email to get to the blog site. 

Can't find it?  Questions?  Email me at joyfulputtering@gmail.com

If you want to get closer look at my fusing projects you can click on the label "fabric fusing" along the side of the blog.  There are dozens and dozens of project posts and in several of those posts I've shared my process in great detail.  

Here are a just few of the many pieces I've done with fused fabric over the years.  

A JOY banner I made for Hancock Church when Paul retired. It hangs in a niche going up the central stairwell.

I fused random pieces of batik fabrics arranged in rainbow order. When I held it to the light...it's easy to see the overlap of the fabric pieces. The JOY is black hand dyed fabric fused onto the piece.

Once the fabric was fused...I topstitched for interest and texture.

You can see the banner at the top...and another fused banner I made with Joan there at the bottom.  

This was a stained glass look commission I did for my friends Amy and Lisle in Lexington.

Again...I used batik fabric with hand dyed black trees.

I did  whole year long series projects for Folt Bolt based on their monthly color scheme...and every piece I used fusible fabric. 

All 12 project under the Folt Bolt label along the side of the blog.        

 

I've done a lots and lots of small stuff too.  Cards for our art exchanges...

and I even covered a box top for my sister Nancy.

So if you have interest in An Ounce of Fabric Fun...hop on over to the blog to the Your Joyful Puttering sidebar page and have a look.  You can alway contact me directly at joyfulputtering@gmail.com.  Thank you!

Light

My goddaughter Emily's birthday is coming up soon and I struggled figuring out what to do for her.  We all have so much stuff.....and most of us don't need another thing. So whatever I did....it had to be fabulous....useful....or just thoughtful.  

Emily and I have a "light" connection....and I've been giving her things that light up for as long as I can remember. I've given her night lights, Christmas lights, flashlights, and light up toys when she was young. I even gave her the same favorite task light I use on my puzzle table and the starburst  light I wrote about this last Christmas.

Yes.....we have a thing for lights. 

When I photograph something I made with gold accents...

I often have to tilt the piece towards the light in order to share the shimmer.

During the last art exchange with my Madison art group....I was working on my card for Becky (Emily's mom) and put a tiny little lighthouse on the horizon...with a tiny little spot of gold for the light. I had to tilt the card so you could see the light. It's tiny...but it's there.

Dotty commented that she thought it was fun that I could make the lighthouse light go on by tilting the card. It made me chuckle.

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2023/12/anchor-image-exchange-3.html

So in keeping with our theme...I wrote Emily a letter and told her this story of Dotty's comment about turning on the light....

...and I made her an Art Heart with painted papers with gold accents.

And when Emily tilts the card....she can turn on the light!  

It just occurred to me....that I should have made a cake with candles that would turn on!  Maybe next year! 

I added a simple little stand for the back. I glued on a folded piece of paper...and attached a piece of floss to hold the stand in place. 

Emily is not a blog reader....so my silly little gift is our secret for a few days. It's in the mail....and she should get it early next week.  Happy Birthday Emily!

Patience

"Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while you're waiting."  Joyce Meyer

I mixed up a denim blue color I liked....and painted circles until the paint was gone.  I was trying to practice the kissing technique where one shape bleeds into the next. 

I think I had too much water and not enough pigment in my wash so there wasn't a lot of kissing going on. Even the value differences were not as pronounced once it dried.    

I'll keep practicing....next time with a few different colors. I find painting circles and patterns quite relaxing. 

And even though it didn't dry like I had hoped... I might have saved it by adding fabric.

I auditioned several contrasting colors....but the tone on tone denim blue was the winner for this one! And maybe....this is better than too much kissing! 

I think this is my version of acting in a positive way while practicing patience with painting skills.

I think I'll be playing with the mix of watercolor and fabric for a while....it's still most definitely a thing! And I actually see one pretty juicy kiss there near the bottom!