Still, Still, Still
For once, I actually thought ahead a bit. Last spring, I did a presentation for my local quilt group, the Coastal Quilters, because they had been kind enough to award me a $50 scholarship to help pay for a class. I took two online classes, one of which was lino-cutting with Dijanne Cevaal. Last Christmas I had gotten this idea to make an ornament for my Frayed Edges friends for this year, so I noodled around Google Images to find pictures of stags and reindeer and prepared a drawing to use for a new lino-cut that is really a hybrid of about 20 pictures. Then I finished the carving as part of my demonstration.
In Fall, I finally got around to printing what I needed to make some ornaments. At Thanksgiving time, I decided that I needed to make a few more, as it was time to give thanks, especially to some very special teachers at Camden-Rockport Middle School who have been wonderful to both of our kids. Our younger son is in 8th grade, so this was our last chance to say a special thank you.
The block is 6 inches, with the design carved on point. I trimmed the prints on cloth to this “onion dome” (like you see in Russian churches) shape. They are printed with Speedball Printing Ink, which I discovered the hard way last year is NOT water-fast. Like a drop from the iron will make a blotch. Erg. So after printing these I sprayed with with Krylon Spray Fixative, which I hope will help. The prints are fused to Peltex, a stiffener used in fabric postcards, and quilted with Superior Threads Glitter thread (the pearl color). Unusually, I satin-stitched around the edge instead of using a yarn…nothing I had looked as good as a nice tight satin stitch.
May tomorrow find you with those you love, with a moment of calm and joy and art and beauty.
December 24th, 2011 at 9:32 am
Wonderful card and ornament !
Merry Christmas to you and your family
December 24th, 2011 at 10:20 am
What special gifts!
December 24th, 2011 at 10:48 am
So glad you reminded me that I have Dijanne’s classes printed out and need to do some carving.
December 24th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
You made really lovely Christmas cards.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
gr. Marjolijn
December 24th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
still my old weblog was in the reply, now I have changed it in the new one.
Thanks.
December 26th, 2011 at 5:21 am
Oh wow Sarah – these linoleum cuts are absolutely amazing – and so is that deer drawing.
Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas.
As always in awe,
Wolfie in Sweden