More Books ... About Nordic and Latvian Mittens

Oh yes, I'm still interested in those Nordic Mittens.  Life in a Northern Town makes it a requirement for survival!     I am still hibernating at home for a snowy and wet winter weekend, studying Nordic Mittens with a couple of books from my local public library:

This book, Norwegian Mittens & Gloves by Annemor Sundbo, has a fascinating STORY to it.  Sometime in the 1980s, the author purchased a woolen rags factory where old woolens go to be recycled, either turned into new yarn, or shredded and carded into fluff for furniture and stuffing.  The factory had bags and bags of sweaters with beautiful patterns and designs.  She couldn't bring herself to throw them into the hopper to be destroyed / recycled, so she started setting certain sweaters aside -- the ones that seemed to tell a story, or showed animals ...  She is credited with documenting and saving the history of Nordic knitting patterns.  It's an interesting book to read simply because the story is so compelling.    She also began to study the pattern motifs, the constant links to nature with the animals and hunting, but also the myths and stories of the land, too.   There is one pattern paying homage to Odin's 2 ravens.  It does contain patterns for 25 classic designs.

I also picked up this book, Mittens from Around Norway   by Nina Granlund Saether.        This author does mention / credit the author of the first book above.  And they show multiple historical specimens of knitted Norwegian mittens, then giving the patterns for the modern-day remakes.  I'm still not quite understanding what to do with those thumbs, but I love many of these mittens and could totally see myself making some of them -- translated to a round knitting loom, of course, which shouldn't be hard to do, since most of them are knitted in the round.  I bookmarked so many pages in this book, that I think I'm going to have to purchase a copy.  ;-)

I am also waiting for an ILLed book on Latvian Mittens.  ;-)

Books for Inspiration, Patterns and Learning More ... Band / Tape Weaving

I took advantage of my local public library to check out a few books of interest on this wet and snowy winter weekend.

I've had this book on band weaving before, and decided it was beyond me back in December.  Now I think I'm beginning to understand it better, and I do like her patterns.  She uses a double slotted (pattern) rigid heddle for tape weaving with a pick-up technique.  Her patterns are designed for 5 - 7 or 9 pattern threads -- and you can buy double-slotted heddles to accommodate 5-7-9 pattern threads.     The extra slots for the pattern threads make them easier to pick up, as they stand out on a level all their own.   I finally decided to purchase a copy of the book.  But what about the wooden heddles?

HandyWoman sells them for about $35 each.    And this is not something my husband was willing to try and make for me.  It involves too much precision.  You can also get plastic ones, but they are not all that much cheaper.

Fortunately, Foulkes has a section at the back of her book showing how to use her patterns on an inkle loom (like the one I just acquired), with just the string heddles you'd use there.   I wonder if I could but the pattern strings on separate heddles on the inkle, instead of purchasing the fancy rigid heddle?  She says the rigid heddle makes learning to weave easier, and it makes the pattern strings easier to see -- but then they are probably a different color anyway, so they would very likely stand out even without the fancy rigid heddle to set them off.  I can try it without a wooden heddle for the moment. 

Still working things out in my mind with all this.  Still trying to settle on a pattern, and colors.  Then I have to purchase the right sized yarn (Size 3/2 Pearl Cotton at Halcyon?).

Color Coded Tablet Weaving

I also decided to purchase this book, as it has come beautiful patterns and they are all color coded.  Using the cards / tablets is a different style of weaving.  This method claims to make it easier.  We shall see ...  Lots of great color pages, and good reviews on Amazon.

There's a separate set of color-coded cards (aka tablets) that you can purchase, but I think I can just as easily color code the ones I already have.

Progress on the green strap.

Heck-- At present, I'm still practicing plain weave on that variegated green acrylic (junk) yarn, just trying to master good selvedges.  Weaving on it goes pretty fast, and because I'm not worried about keeping track of a pattern, it's a nice meditation.  And those selvedges are improving the more I do.

The oddyssey continues!

Books I Bought in 2010

Beading on Fabric by Larkin van Horn
I was looking for a good bead book, and this is the one I settled on. Not only does she clearly explain each technique, she has drop-dead examples of her work. Some of the other bead books I've seen explain techniques well enough, but the inspiration sections didn't inspire me. This one did inspire!


Serendipity Quilts by Susan Carlson
I have long been a fan of Susan Carlson, so I has pleased to see that she published a new book in 2010. Her collage technique is one I want to try ...


Inspired to Quilt by Melanie Testa
I get as many art books from my local public library as I can, so I can take a good look at it. If I think it's worthwhile, I purchase my own copy. This was one of those books. She has a lot of really interesting techniques - like layering organza and stitching or cutting it away to change the look and feel of a piece. Many of the same techniques I've seen before in other books, but this book has some new perspectives ...


Art Cloth by Jane Dunnewold
Step by step techniques for creating the layers that go into an "Art Cloth." I've been experimenting with surface design techniques for a few years, now. The mystery to me is how to put them together (layer them) into a cohesive whole. I'm still stuck thinking, "It looks pretty good now. What if the next layer ruins it?" And I don't go further ... Maybe I'll be able to break through that road block in 2011?


Fabric Dyers Dictionary by Linda Johansen
I had great hopes for this book unlocking the secret dye recipes to a thousand different colors. I have to say I was disappointed in the photography. Instead of the colors on the fabric, I see the weave of the fabric that was dyed in these pictures. I think the photographer should have backed up some. It's supposed to be about the color. Anyway, the recipes are there ... I'll be doing some experimenting in 2011.


Color Shuffle by Karla Alexander
I've been interested in her "stack the deck" method of mixing color in her quilt blocks. There are a few quilts in here that I have my eye on ...


Fiberart Montage by Judith Montano
This book is sheer eye candy! I purchased it site unseen because I knew it would delicious! And it is! Not only do we get to see close-up pictures of Ms. Montano's creations, she also explains how she made them.


Threadwork Unravelled by Sarah Ann Smith
Always good to have a thread reference on hand. Not only does she discuss threads, tension, and needles, she also shares some free-motion quilting designs.


Workshop with Velda Neuman
This is a book I've had my eye on for a couple of years. It's out-of-print, and used copies were so expensive I couldn't purchase it until now. She has some wonderful techniques for adding texture to her quilts (see the one about texture added to cantaloupe rinds). She also has a section on fish. Someday, I'll make some fish, following her direction.

New Books on Free Motion Quilting Patterns

I bought Sally Terry's Hooked on Feathers book.
At the FVTC Sewing Expo in March, Renee Shedivy (who first taught me to do free-motion quilting) was raving about this book. This past weekend, the local quilt shop invited Sally Terry to Oshkosh for a weekend of workshops. I was unable to attend, but I heard it was a blast!

Sally Terry is a long-arm quilter, but these patterns could easily be adapted for a regular standard size sewing machine without a quilt frame. The beauty of her feathers is that they are free-form. No tracing them out for hours beforehand. You just do it! And they look fabulous!


I also bought Dijanne Ceval's 72 More Ways not to Stipple or Meander.
Tip : She lives in Australia, so you might want to order the CD to save on shipping, then print and bind it locally. While you're at it, order the first CD/Book : 72 Ways Not to Stipple or Meander. More great ideas for free-motion quilt backgrounds.

I admit it, I get bored to pieces with stippling and meandering. So I'm always looking for other ideas. This CD/Book is packed with them.

Fabric Portrait Resources : What I've Found Helpful ...

If you haven't figured it our yet, fabric portraits is/are one of my interests as an art quilter. Here are some resources I've found to be helpful with this journey:

Tutorials / Classes :


This amazing quilt is "Rundy" by Marilyn Belford.

Realistic Fabric Portraits with Marilyn Belford is an online class through Quilt University.
If you haven't taken an online class, it's a wonderful way to
* work with world-reknown teachers
* meet people all over the world
* be inspired by your fellow students
* and get the benefit of the problem-solving brain power of the class.
* And the best part is that you work at home--no schlepping a car-load of stuff to live classroom.


I was able to finish the face of The Oliver (aka Bubble Boy) Quilt by taking Marilyn Belford's class.


Painted Face for Beginners : Workshop on DVD (ASIN: B000XTVALG) by Bonnie McCaffery
and Portrait Quilts : Painted Faces You Can Do (ISBN-13: 978-0976693437)
I got the DVD more than a year ago, watched it, but have not been brave enough to DO it yet. Mostly because the tv and dvd-player at our house are nowhere near my studio space. Bonnie is a good teacher. Have you seen her monthly vidcasts, interviews and demos with world-reknown quilt artists? They are great!



Faces on Fabric - online class with Terri Stegmiller
A class combining quilting with a painted face. This class got me drawing faces, first. Then I wondered why I haven't been drawing faces for the last 20 years!
The photo above is the work-in-progress I made in Terri's class the past few months. I think this might be my new preferred way to do portraits.

Pam Holland has a nice tutorial on her website about portrait quilts.

Although I haven't had a chance to see these DVDs by Lura Schwartz Smith, they are on my wish list :


Workshops to Go : Faces in Fabric
Jukebox Quilts Presents : From Snapshots to Art Quilts

Here's another one on my Wish List :

The Quilting Arts Workshop : Making Faces (ISBN: 9781596681880) with Maria Elkins

Books :

Portraits for Fabric Lovers (ISBN: 978-1-4116-9735-5) by Marilyn Belford. Marilyn Belford explains how to go from a photo to fabric with an applique method. See also the Realistic Fabric Portraits online class at Quilt University. Marilyn is a wonderfully encouraging teacher.



Deidre Scherer does some amazing work! Her books, Threads of Experience (ISBN 0918949920) and Work in Fabric & Thread (ISBN 1571200444) are worth a look just for the inspiration factor alone.



Photo Album Quilts (ISBN-13: 978-1600591891) by Wendy Bulter Berns
Another book the explains the process of taking one of your treasured family photos and rendering it in fabric. Wendy is also an encouraging and enthusiastic teacher. Take one of her classes if you ever have the chance!


Free-Style Quilts : A No-Rules Approach (ISBN-13: 978-1571201027) by Susan Carlson
Susan Carlson is an amazing artist ... The book contains some amazing portraits like this one called Twilight :

I even purchased the autographed lithograph poster (and framed it!) just so I could study her amazing work. This is absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to see what Susan Carlson does next!



Faces & Places (ISBN-13: 978-1571200006) and Focus on Features (ISBN-13: 978-1571200532) by Charlotte Warr Andersen are two excellent books that explain the process of going from photo to finished quilt. Very useful for drafting patterns from photos, though I admit, I never did figure out her method of reverse applique. Faces and Places, if available is out-of-print and expensive. Don't forget to try your local public library if you want to look at at these books.


The Dog Lady Speaks (ISBN-13: 978-0970349606) by Sharon Malec is about pet portraits. It contains step-by -step instructions for Sharon's unique free standing applique plus a section on how to design your own Picture Quilt pattern. The how-to-do-it section is useful in creating your own patterns (not just for dogs). Although Sharon has patterns for various dog breeds, you'll want to make your own if your dog is a mutt (like mine).


Photo Fabrications (ISBN-13: 978-0952106074) by Angela Madden offers a good basic process for going from a family photo to a pattern to a finished quilt. Look at some of the other resources listed above for the details you'll want to add.

Do you know of other tutorials, classes, books, resources on fabric portraits? Please leave a comment and I'll add it to the list.

Paulette Insall offers an online mixed media class called All About Faces.

New Books for Inspiration & Ideas

This book is tasty enough to eat!

Amazon said that this book was out-of-print when I bought it in January.
"What?" It just came out in October 2007!
At the time, no US Libraries listed ownership in WorldCat. I wound up ordering it directly from D4Daisy in Great Britain. It only took 1 week to arrive at my door.

This is a BEAUTIFUL mixed media book, with lots of bling. Even better, Maggie Grey, the author, includes extra online lessons, free with the purchase of the book.



Another one by Maggie Grey and Jane Wild. It's full of bling--another feast for the eyes.
Who would have thought you could sew through metal? There's just something about the way Maggie Gray puts together colors and textures ... everything comes out rich and interesting. I wonder what some of her not-so-great pieces look like? Everything she touches seems to turn to gold.

It also includes a good description on how to make your own cast paper (Though I think this might work with some of the paper clays available these days ...)



Mixed Media Nature Journals by LK Ludwig
Apart from it being about books and book-making (another one of my interests), this book contains all kinds of interesting and new (to me) techniques that I want to try ... like :
1) Mono-printing with gelatin
2) Dye and Salt nature printing
3) Nature printing onto metal mesh
4) Printing natural texture onto metal foil
5) Image transfer
6) Mica ( I remember seeing bits of mica on the ground in Nigeria when I was there in 1993)


Shibori for Textile Artists is another beautiful how-to book for Shibori.
It's even got me inspired to fire up my Indigo dye pot this summer.

My interest in indigo-dyed cloth stems from West Africa's Adire cloth. Most people think of Japan with this tradition of dyeing. This book does give a nod to the African tradition, as well.

New Book : Fabric Art Workshop

My original thought was to use this book for a technique-a-week this summer. There are lots of things I want to try ...

But summer is already getting away from me. It seems like all the weekends have been scheduled with no time for my experiments and creations. Sigh!

I used to keep Sundays as sacred time where I didn't have to go anywhere (really, I don't have to leave the house) or do anything but putter about in my sewing room or dye studio. The chores get done on Saturday, and my husband is the cook at our house. I've been very fortunate to have a husband who doesn't complain about my creative time, or the money I spend on it (Quilting is better than gambling or a drug addiction, he says.)

It occurs to me now that I really do need that Sunday time for more than just "making stuff." That time helps me to get grounded and re-charge for the rest of the week at work and in the world.

A few chores today and Farmer's Market, then I hope to get back to experimenting ...