The Evolution of Glory

Yesterday I talked about the things that sparked the idea for Glory, a work that is currently on display at the Herbert C. Young Community Center in Cary, NC.

Sometimes it's a visual stimulation that sparks an idea - like walking ankle deep through colorful leaves. Sometimes it's a technique I want to play with - like digital printing on fabric. Sometimes its' a deadline - most often - it's a deadline. This time it was the convergence of all three.

Step one - pick up a handful of irresistibly glorious fall leaves every morning. Scan them at a very high resolution (600dpi).

Step two - Cut my Fabrisign2 Cotton Sateen into the sized sheets I want. Realize that while 13" leaves are amazingly cool - the canvases I've prepared for them are only 12".

Step 3 - Play around in photoshop and smoosh in as many colorful leaves per piece of fabric as I can. Print out tests of each printer setting to figure out how to get the best color on the fabric. Print leaves. Go OOOH!

Step 4- Fuse leaves to timtex - or whatever super heavy stabilizer I happen to have on hand.

Step 5- Free motion quilt the veins of each leaf. Straight stitch around the edge, cut it out, then free motion zig-zag around the edges.

Step 6- 10 year old computerized machine finally fries the board. Go on Ebay and buy a Bernina 930 in frustration. I've wanted one for years anyway right? No computer. Workhorse! I'll be passing it on my my kids. Give up sewing for the night.

Step 7- Borrow a friend's machine, finish the edges. Use matt gel medium to glue each leaf to the painted canvas. Paint over the whole thing with gloss gel medium. I think I like the shine and it gives the leaves a bit more richness and depth but the stitching is still a wonderful element.

 

THIS one is my favorite. I love the decay.

Which one is your favorite?

The Beginnings of Glory

It's been a glorious walk up to the bus stop every morning the past two months. Here in North Carolina it seems that a tree grows pretty much everywhere that isn't mowed or paved. That is a far cry from Salt Lake City where I grew up. There you plant and carefully water any green thing that isn't sage brush. Those leaves on the ground look brown and dried up from afar but stop and take a look by your feet and there is a world of color and beauty.

Add to that one Epson R1900 wide format printer with amazingly wonderful Ultrachrome ink. It's been sitting and waiting for too long.  I've had an idea in mind and it just needed (as is my usual modus operandi) a looming deadline!

Gloria Hansen, the guru of all things printed and fabric, recommended the inks and the paper backed fabric from Jacquard Inkjet Fabric Systems. When I know someone is the kind of person who tests everything and is very particular about their outcomes, I simply follow their advice and save myself some time. 

I also highly recommend her book, Digital Essentials, the Quilt Makers Must Have Guide to Files, Images, and More. It is a truly helpful book if you have questions about printing on fabric, sizing images, and anything else a quilter might need to know about working with digital images. I do believe she is having a sale on the book before Christmas (hint, hint!)

I'll introduce you to more of Gloria's work in a few weeks. You're going to love it! And her.

Tomorrow I'll show you what happens when all of these wonderful things come together.