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Demonstrating at Make It University’s Open Studios!

I’m thrilled to be able to share that I will be demo-ing leaf printing at in the Open Studios part of the Make It University area( — more info is at Make It University (MIU)) at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, currently scheduled for 8-10 pm Wednesday on sneak preview evening!  MIU is sponsored by Quilting Arts, LLC, and is part of their mixed media branch of things (along with the magazine Cloth Paper Scissors which also has a cool article on sketching / journals in the issue featured on the current webpage).

leaf on cloth

For my I-hope-to-finish-it-in-this-lifetime-manuscript my last project to make is for a small quilt I’m calling First Frost.  It will be either a table runner, a wall-hanging or both.  Finished dimensions will be about 15×60 inches.  I wanted to offer a project that would entice folks to play with all the glorious metallic and holographic threads currently available….   so I dyed two-plus a bit-yards of cotton in these beautiful clear, light blues and lavender.   Then I collected leaves …..

The first time I did leaf printing I simply used a sponge paintbrush, daubed on the paint, then pressed the leaf with my fingers.  This time I have better supplies and technique (I hope).  I wanted a smooth, clear print.  To get that, it works a lot better if you pour paint on a piece of glass, roll a sponge brayer, then  roll the paint onto the leaf.

roll the paint onto the leaf

Notice there are TWO brayers in this picture…the one on the right is actually a black sponge brayer with gold paint on it.  The one to the left is a “soft” rubber roller.  In the top photo, you can see a piece of parchment paper on the side.  Place the leaf on the cloth, paint side down.  Cover with the parchment paper, then roll with the soft rubber brayer to get a smooth even print.  It is important (ahem) that you not have wrinkles in the plastic underneath and not be on the crack in the table, else they will show up in the leaf print.  Guess how I remembered that one.  A couple of times.  Ahem. (grin!)

Here’s the 30×60 inch piece of cloth…I will split it down the center to have a two-sided runner/hanging:

Full length of cloth

The paints are all metallic…blues, silver and gold (mixed with pearl).  Then I plan to quilt from both sides…with metallic in the needle and a matching heavy poly in the bobbin… then when I outline the leaves on one side, it will make a skeleton “print” on the other side…. Can’t wait to see how (if?) this works!)

Here’s a detail:

detail

I’ll be demonstrating how to do this, how to preserve leaves for leaf-printing in winter when the trees are bare (I have just harvested leaves for this coming season!) and maybe some Shiva paintstik techniques as well.  Evening is not exactly my best time of day (think snooze) so I’ll bring some chocolate…please come and help me stay lively and say hello!

3 Responses to “Demonstrating at Make It University’s Open Studios!”

  1. Donna Says:

    Very cool! As it stands now, I plan to be in Houston but I don’t think I’ll make it until Friday or Saturday. If I recognize you, I’ll certainly say hi!

  2. Valeri Says:

    I would come if I could as it looks to be an interesting evening but you are too far away. Pity!

  3. Art and Quilting in Camden » Blog Archive » Moo Cards Says:

    […] now on the QuiltArt list.  When I got the opportunity to participate in the Open Studios (blogpost here), I decided it was time for something a bit fancier than business cards made on my printer at […]