Film Noir - Reveal

Get ready!  This one is kinda creepy!  The challenge from the online blog, Art Quilts Around the World, is 'Film Noir'!

So what exactly is Film Noir?  This was Sharon Fitzatrick's explanation, as it was her turn to come up with the theme: 

Film Noir The phrase film noir was first coined in 1946 by a group of French critics to describe the emerging movement of mainly black and white Hollywood films with dark, pessimistic themes and signature motifs such as alienated antiheroes, rain slicked streets, dark shadows and seductive femme fatales. 

This movie was my inspiration!  

I have always loved the 1946 black and white movie, The Spiral Staircase.  George Brent is a favorite of mine and he was wonderful in this film.  I've seen it numerous times and will watch anytime I see it on TV!   The premise of the movie is a serial killer targets disabled women!  And you always see just this 'eye' looking at disabled women and at  Dorothy McGuire, who is a mute, throughout the movie.  The spiral staircase leads to the wine cellar where he tricks his housekeeper...and the plot thickens!  HA


I didn't want to do just black and white so I found a spiral staircase on Google (where else!) and printed it out on fabric.  I added the red fabric to represent blood.  I know creepy and gory isn't it!

Next up, I cut a hole in the center of the staircase and happened to have a left over 'eye' from our challenge, The Eyes Have It!  Perfect fit!

I also cross hatched/free motion quilted the red background as well as stitching around the stairs.

I can't wait to see what the others have done.  I'm sure as always they will be fantastic.  This is a talented, wonderful group of artists....BUT I am sad to say I am leaving the group.  This is my last challenge.  I joined the group November 2012 and posted my first challenge, Self Portrait January 2013.  I  have completed 25 challenges, taking a few months off when my wrists were holding me back. 

The challenges are due every two months and the size is small enough to complete  but I want to do more hand work and focus on larger pieces and designs.  I know I will miss the group but I'll continue to follow their challenges!  Hope you also check out what these talented folks do throughout the year on their blog! 

Winding down time!

Well, I finished a major..and I mean major project I've been working on since January!  Whew!  So nice to know it's finished...  This is the back of the quilt!  I can't post pics of the front of it as it's a gift.  And a big gift!  70+ on one side and larger than that on the other side!  Big for me that's for sure! HA

I also have been doing some knitting to make another cowl,  Summer Night.  This time in an indigo colored yarn.

Yarn is really darker than this photo...looks almost the same as my one below!  HA

This is what the last one I made looked like.

 I'm using the same type yarn which I really like. Not for summer but nice to have in the fall or when we return to Michigan in the spring!  HA
I also made 3 hum bug bags for the birthday tea I posted on this past week.  I do enjoy making these...once I remember how to put in the zipper!  It's a cool way to put in a zipper all in once piece!

I do have another project to finish or at least get started on! It's a piece of fabric that I need to enhance somehow!  Of course, I have lots of ideas but just need to get on board and decide what I want to do so I  can get started!  And now that my major project is out of the way, I can focus on that and other projects!

A big thank you to Sherry from Createology sent me this adorable Easter card!  The front is fabric...just lovely!  As always, Sherry is so creative and sweet in thinking of others!  Thanks to you my friend!

This is what my bud, Susan, gave me last week!  She said "it looks like something you would do or like".  And she is SO right!

Is this cool or what!  It's from 2003/newspaper and no copyright on it.   I love this and can't wait to start on it!  I can see lots of hand work in this piece and I bet beads as well!  Thank you SO much, Susan!  It's perfect for a future project...next in line on my list!!!

Playtime with bleeding tissue paper!

I do have another food/friend post but thought I'd first share what our little art group gathering did last Friday!  Bleeding tissue paper on fabric and watercolor paper! 

I think years ago we played with bleeding tissue paper, as the process seemed so familiar, but lucky for me my old age doesn't allow me to totally remember so this was a fun technique to try (again??)!  I'm going to be selfish and show my pieces since I only did 3 and they are all dry so I could take pics after they were dry.    I'll post what the ladies' did in my next post. 

First off, our instructor for the day was Beth...and she was very well prepared.  We started off with laying the tissue  paper in strips/whatever size or shape and placed any which way on our fabric.

At this point, you have lots of options....spray with water, brush water on top of the paper or use a dropper to drop water on (thanks to Nancy who gave each of us a really nice large dropper!).  Now you just wait for the tissue paper/fabric to dry!    That's always the hard part isn't it!

This was a piece of watercolor paper that Beth played with.  Cool!

circles of tissue paper cut and laid on watercolor paper and water applied

Beth tilted the paper after she applied the water.  

This was my first attempt at placing the tissue paper.  My fabric was just a cheap cotton from JoAnn's..nothing special.

And this is how it turned out after drying!  Not bad is it!

Next up I used green.  One suggestion given to us by Nancy (who has played with bleeding tissue paper before) was to layer the papers, which will give you more intense color.  Good tip!

This piece was very wet and I didn't want to get another piece of fabric/tissue paper out so I placed a small piece of white commercial tone on tone fabric on top! 

This is the piece dried (the bottom piece!)...actually, this was a piece of screen printing that lost some of it's color...here's what it looked like before I washed it and lost all of the color....long story but I forgot to wrap the print and let cure for 24-48 hours.  UGH...dumb mistake...see it's that memory thing again!

You can see some of the brown showing through.  Really the piece looks pretty good and I know I can use it.

This is the front of the commerical tone on tone, which was laid on top.

and the back of it...which I really like...

This was a piece of deli paper that Nancy gave each of us to play with.  It's really cool and and I can't wait to do something with it. I'm thinking using it in some paper/fabric piece. 

I have to say this was quite an easy technique.  But I also have to say I don't intend to wash my pieces.  First off, some say the dye from the tissue paper will fad but Beth did have us use soda ash water to spray with, so we're hoping that will help with retaining most of the color.  I don't want to take a chance because I love the colors I got.

 99% of my work is to hang on walls...if I'm making hum bug bags or some other gift for others, then I make sure to use my hand dyes or commercial fabric I have washed.  Next post I will show what the other ladies did with the tissue paper.  I won't have their end result pictures until next month but at least you'll see can see how they started out.   Stay tuned!

Birthday Tea!

First off, my blog is just that...my blog...hence, as the title states..."a little chatter and fiber work"....HA  I know of late my blog contains more eating than fiber but that seems to be my life in the winter!  Honest, I am working on some fiber work...but in between....

This past Thursday, Verna (our resident baker phenomenal!) prepared a Birthday Tea for 8 of us!  Three of the ladies, who were visiting, each have a March birthday.  Hence, a reason for a celebration!  Verna, as always, outdid herself starting with the drinks, table setting and food!!!  Pictures 'say a thousand words' so here they are! 

Our beautiful hostess, Verna!

Birthday Girl, Barb!

Birthday Girl, Mary Lee

Birthday Girl, Bonnie

Verna's lovely table setting

The menu

Verna embroidered each pansy for the napkin rings

Each table setting

My first plate!  Yes, I refilled it a few times!

Almost...key word almost...had a hard time eating these cuties!

Favor boxes filled with chocolate for the BD girls

And we each received one as well

Just another cute touch from Verna

Jan M. made each of us a flower basket

I made each of the birthday girls a hum bug bag.  They got to pic by the 1st BD girl, who was Mary Lee, then Barb and Bonnie's BD is later this month. 

Back Row:  Susan, Barb, Jan F., Mary Lee, Jan M
Middle Row:  Bonnie, Marilyn
Front:  Verna and me!

What a wonderful afternoon!!!!  Thanks again Verna!!!!

Yep, another food post!

Well, what else do you do while on vacation!  Eat, right!!  OK, we aren't really on vacation when we stay for the winter so we should do other things.  ha   I do but eating is sometimes more interesting! 
St. Patrick's day was spent at Marilyn and John's for a celebration with 14 others.  What a fun afternoon and food was delicious as usual.  Laplante's are great hosts and go out of their way to entertain us.

Yep, there was a lot of green!

Monday evening we happen to meet up with John and Marilyn at Craft Cuisine and it was delicious!!!  Monday's are their special meal night - a four course meal.  We each had something different and the dessert (the 4th course) was also excellent!  It was Panna Cotta, which is a cold Italian type custard topped with fruit and a sauce..yum!!!

  For some reason, I forgot all about taking pictures of our courses.  But not to worry, Bob said we are going back before we leave.
Tuesday I made meat loaf and mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot..yum!!!  Who knows where we will go on Wednesday...could be eating at home using leftovers or out to eat!  Thursday I am headed to a tea hosted by Verna along with 8 other ladies.  Should be a fun afternoon...Friday we are invited to Karah and Howard's to join in welcoming their one time foreign exchange student from years ago!  We met her several years ago when she and her family visited from Mexico.  This year she is just here with her daughter.  I'll make stuffed Jalapenos to take with us for an appetizer. 

And I am finishing up a big project that is due in May!  Woohoo...almost finished...and if we stayed home I could probably have finished it in February!!

Queen of Ice!

Yesterday, was Kay's opening exhibit, FLORIDA ICE, at the Ocala City Hall!  It was a great get together of friends, both old and new, to see Kay's beautiful 'ice dyed' tapestries.  I hope, if you are in the Ocala area, you can stop by to see her work in person.  I'm sharing a few photos just to wet your appetite.

The Queen of Ice!

The Queen of Ice and her Court!
Carol Gordhamer, Kay, Beth Sherman and me!

Some of Kay's beautiful ice dyed tapestries!

Friends and family!

Kay's exhibit is on until Friday, April 27th.  Stop by for some inspiration or even to purchase a tapestry!  If you're not in the Florida area, then do stop by Kay's blog.  She is always posting wonderful pictures of her hand dyes and other art work!