Handprinting fabric and more

I'm so excited to be participating in this fabric swap, hosted by Leslie of Maze & Vale!  Not only do I have an excuse to play around with printing on textiles, but I will also receive a hand printed fat quarter of fabric from each of the other four members of my group.  I can't wait to start experimenting with my own designs... and to see what my group-mates come up with!!

I haven't decided yet if I'll be screen printing, block printing, potato printing, or something else.  In the meantime, I'd like to experiment with all of these methods.  If you'd like to play around with printing on fabric, too, check out all the great resources on Leslie's blog.  To make this all even better... after I told my friend Lori about the swap, she stopped by to drop off two books from the 1950s and 60s about block printing on fabric.  I've really only had a chance to skim the books so far, but they seem fabulous and inspiring.  I had to share some images from them with you.

The image on the left reads: "The simplest and most direct way to apply pressure in block printing."  And I love the two-color pattern on the right.

A great illustration on the left; an inspiring modern sunburst graphic on the right.

The only bad thing about all of this is that I need to wait to start on this project until next week!  I have submissions due by Friday for a possible book project (Exciting!), and am also preparing for one of my all time favorite craft fairs -- happening this Saturday.  The Constructor Craft Fair is a little like a mini-Renegade.  In addition to the amazing assortment of handmade goods, there is beer and food to be had, fun (sometimes-live) music, and the first fifty people in the door get a nifty swag bag.

If you're in the Chicago area, I'd love to see you at Constructor.  Stop by on Saturday and say "Hello!"

A winner! (And art fair wrap-up)

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by and visited my blog during the Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway.  I really enjoyed reading all of your comments and hearing from each and every one of you!  Plus, I now have some new books to check out for summer reading.

I used the random number generator on Random.org to draw the winner of the apron.  And the apron goes to... drum roll, please... comment number 3:

thehappycrochetchic said:

This is soo pretty.. I just read the new Lyndsay Sands book, I love her stuff

May 21, 2012 12:03 PM

Congratulations, Happy-crochet-chic-person!  I'll be contacting you for your mailing info.

The art fair yesterday was really fun.  I was a bit worried about the weather forecast (gusty winds and a chance of thunderstorms!), but the day, and my location under big shade trees, turned out to be perfect!  I loved seeing many friends and familiar faces, and enjoyed the excuse to just hang out a bit.  I've been making and making non-stop lately, but yesterday I only made one itty bitty thing during the entire ten or so hours of the fair!  Aside from the setting up and taking down, it was sort of a day off for me.  That's me, setting up in the morning!

I arranged my tent with t-shirts on one side and all my other stuff (paper goods, felted things, bags, tea towels, etc) on the other.  I think the display turned out pretty well, but I'm always learning when I do these events, and I've got some new ideas for next time.  Applications are due soon for Chicago's Renegade Craft Fair... and I think I'm finally gathering the courage to apply.

What's Blooming

Pricing, packing up, and generally getting ready for the art fair tomorrow.  I'll be set up (under my new canopy!) from 10am to 8pm at What's Blooming on Harrison.  I'm looking forward to hanging the new banner that I finished this weekend, and hoping it doesn't rain too hard!

Another giveaway!

Hey ya folks!  SewMamaSew! is having another Giveaway Day (really several days... so you have plenty of time to peruse all the blogs and goodies).  It was so much fun participating last time that I just had to do it again.  Click the icon below to check out all the generous giveaways being offered.  In addition to the chance of winning a fabulous prize, you might even discover a great new blog... or two... or three... to follow.

I'll be giving away a cotton canvas apron in a black and white IKEA faux wood grain print.  Comfortable.  Durable.  Designed for gardening, but also great for crafting, cooking, or anything else for which you might possibly need an apron.

Simply comment on this post anytime before Friday, May 25 at 5 pm PST.  You can write whatever you want in your comment, but if you're looking for a specific topic, feel free to share the name of a great book you've read lately... or your favorite vegetable to grow... or something you're looking forward to this summer.  Please be sure that I have a way to contact you if you are the winner!!  If your email is not connected to your blogger profile, please include it in your comment.  I will use Random.org to chose the recipient of this indispensable apron.  I'll announce the winner by May 27.  I am happy to ship domestically or internationally.

If you like my blog, I'd love to have you as a follower.  But that's up to you... I'm just sayin'.

Random moments

Feeling like I have a lot to post about, and at the same time, very little.  Really there's just so much going on around here -- it's hard to catch my breath sometimes... or have a complete thought.  Mostly, in a good way.  Work has become less crazy for the husband and more crazy for me.  The kids are finishing up their school year -- Ellie has one more week, Henry has two.  We're all looking forward to Summer and, in the meantime, enjoying this amazing Spring weather!  Just wanting to document some of this life... right now.

The entire student body at Henry's school making a giant sun on the "playground" as part of an ongoing effort to raise money for new green space to replace their blacktop.  Pretty awesome, don't you think?!

Making mini chocolate chip cookies (one chip each!) with Henry, just because.  Ellie wanting me to french braid her hair, despite the pinching and pulling, and me trying to do it as quickly and neatly as possible.

Making beer.  The husband, not me.  I just cheer him on and drink it when it's ready!

Sewing (and screenprinting) bags and many other objects.  Me, not the husband.  Getting ready for an art fair next weekend and, two weeks later, one of my favorite craft fairs ever!  See the side bar for more info.

Screen printing machine

... at least that's what I hope to be this weekend.  I'm spending the weekend at my screen printing "studio" (aka my mother-in-law's lake house) which has space in the basement for me to work.  (Unlike the basement at my house which I'm too embarrassed to let most people see because it's so full of piles of out-of-season clothes, old toys, mementos, and, mostly, stuff that we don't really need!)  [I could go on, but back to my point.]  I picked up a big box of new t-shirts yesterday.  Grown-up sizes this time.  Yup, that's right.  Until now I've only printed tees in little kid sizes.  Now the big kids (adults) will have their turn, too.  After days of staring at all the style and color options available (there are way too many options!!), I selected the ones below.  Women's tees are on top.  Men's on the bottom.  I'm pretty happy with the variety of colors, and I'm hoping there's something for everyone.

In addition to some of the usual print designs (robot and mantis), I'll be printing this screaming alien for the guys.  This design is a modification of a drawing my son made for one of his comic book creations, so it's got special meaning for me.  Oh, who am I kidding?  Mostly, I just think it's kind of hilarious.

The girls will get the robot, too... plus the dandelion.  For the third shirt, though, I'm still undecided.  I'm planning to make a new screen this weekend -- hand painted instead of burned with photo emulsion.  I've narrowed it down to one of the two images below.  It'll be printed on the silver tee -- I'm going for a subtler effect here.  What do you think?!  Do you like the image on the left or right?  Maybe neither?  I'd love if you could help me decide!!

P.S.: The tees will be for sale at my booth at What's Blooming on Harrison on May 26 and at the Constructor Craft Fair on June 9.  If they do well, I'll have them up in my shop after that.

Birds on the brain...

This is my entry in the Feather Your Nest contest, put on by the folks at Stumbles & Stitches blog.  I committed to making something about two and a half weeks ago, but I wasn't sure what I'd make.  The first requirement is that the entry be something for myself, for my own home -- since I don't make much for myself, I thought the contest would be a good motivator for that.  Secondly, it must be made with stitches -- easy peasy (at least for me)!  And third, it must use repurposed or upcycled materials -- even though I generally use a lot of upcycled materials, this part was harder than I thought!

I thought and thought about what I would make.  I considered a throw pillow of felted sweaters as I've made in the past, but that seemed to "Winter-y" to me.  I also had an idea for a wool pillow covered in red felted sweater hearts (something I've sketched in the past), but that, too, didn't seem to fit the season.  I wanted this pillow to be about now -- about Spring!  I bought an inexpensive ($1.99!) tea towel with birds and flowers on it that called out "Spring" to me (see below), but I just wasn't sure how I'd use it for this project... so I kept thinking.

Then yesterday, it hit me.  I have two pairs of white wool trousers that once belonged to my grandmother, and I've been wanting to repurpose them.  Then I came across some of the Joel Dewberry wood grain fabric in my stash (I love that fabric!), and had the idea to use it for a branch.  The idea of using my sweater stash for a bird and leaves came next.  After all, my daughter's been talking about birds in preschool all week and the contest is titled "Feather Your Nest." The bird's shape was inspired by the birds on the tea towel.  I even found a slightly-coming-apart pillow form in the basement that just needed a bit of reconstructive stitching.  So, yesterday I applied the fusible backing to the applique fabrics and cut everything out.  I was so proud of myself -- all I had to do was stitch it up the next day.

This morning I woke up and all of a sudden, Duh!, it hit me.  Hadn't I seen a similar image before?!  I went back to the Stumbles & Stitches blog and found the image they're using as an icon for the contest and coordinating stitch-along.  See for yourself.  Here it is:

Yeah, I know.  Pretty similar!  I now realize that the image was subliminally in my head all along as I designed my pillow yesterday.  Still, it is not exactly the same (my son pointed out that mine doesn't have a nest... or a feather!), and I did really like my design... so I stitched it up anyway and am entering it in the contest.  I'll definitely use it in my house, even if the base color is an impractical white.  I like the Spring-like feeling it evokes and the fact that it repurposes so many materials.

Here's to Spring!