Dreaming

I got to use the new Jane Girls Petite Series stencils this week.  I adore Jane and her art and I'm thrilled to get to use these new stencils.  I decided to use the front facing stencil to make an art quilt.  The stencil allows me to focus on the details and not worry about getting the face drawn just right.  I went back in time to my girlhood and explored the world of daydreams.  My girl is dreaming about who she could be.  Where will you allow your dreams to take you? Placing the stenciled images on the fabric. I started with a piece of white cotton that was 16" X 34".  I divided the space into a grid and placed the stencil into each one.  I lightly drew the lines of the stencil with my Bohin mechanical extra fine marking pencil for fabric.  Then I sketched the rest of each girl. I layered my batting and backing fabric and pin basted it.  I used free motion stitching and stitched over select lines of the quilt with cream colored thread to give it some form and to stabilize it for painting. I used Derwent Inktense blocks and pencils to paint the quilt.  I painted in a small area with transparent textile medium and then while it was wet I used the Inktense to apply the color. Then I used more of the textile medium to blend the color.  It is possible to get a wide range of colors using this method, from very intense to very light depending on how hard you press the block on the fabric.  You can apply a light layer of color or a dark layer of color.  On my quilt the color was lighter after it dried than when it was wet.  If you want part of the painting to be more intense you can add more color while it is still wet.  It is also possible to add more layers of color after it has dried.   I went section by section until I had painted the whole quilt. After it had dried I heat set, by ironing with a dry iron each part for a couple of minutes, to make sure that the color was completely set.  Each textile medium has instructions on heat setting, so follow the guidelines for the one that you decide to use.  There is a great article in Quilting Arts Magazine, issue 64, explaining using the Derwent products on fabric in more detail. After the painting was done I used more free motion stitching to make the girls come to life.  I used a mix of rayon and cotton threads.  I love the shine of the rayon threads. Next I added metallic paints to highlight certain areas and to add some sparkle.  I used Stewart Gill Metamica paint and Lumiere paints by Jacquard.  I also mixed Pearl-Ex powders into textile medium and painted that in some areas.  I love adding a lot of sparkle and shine to my art, especially when I'm painting a fantasy world.  When the paint dried I heat set it according the manufacturer’s directions.  I always heat set the paint on my textile creations just in case they are ever washed.  I don’t want the paint to wash out and heat setting prevents this. After all the painting and stitching were done I squared up the quilt.  I sewed a satin stitch around the edge to finish off the quilt. The finished size is 15" X 33". Metallic paint accents on her tail and bikini top. Sparkly tiara Copper in the tree trunks and on her hair I love that Artistcellar stencils are perfect for all kinds of art.  I can use them in my textile art as well as in my art journal. I hope that I inspired you to go out and make something and to allow your dreams to take you away every now and then. Janelle