quilting

Esmerelda, Art Piece 55 Renovation

Court House Friends, AP 55
| Cindy Anderson

Operation Renovation:

Very early this year I challenged myself to update a number of my fiber art pieces. My goal was to improve their curb appeal and adjust their measurements to make them suitable for mounting on a stretched canvas frame.

Humble Beginnings:

The teeny tiny center, of this art specimen, could very easily have been tossed into the trash; the remnant was leftover from one of my earlier projects. Not wanting to waste a speck of color I challenged myself to turn it into something spectacular. In its original format, this small art piece was surrounded by a blue border and measured only 5” x 6 1/4”.

Court House Friends, AP 55
Court House Friends 10 of 14, AP # 55

Upsizing:

To elevate the status of this small art piece I sought out a combination of fabrics that would create an eye-catching ensemble. The first to be selected was a multi-colored batik. The colors included in the batik provided lots of inspiration for other companions. Pulled to accompany the batik was a beautiful lilac and a lively chartreuse.

A Wonderful Surprise:

After adding the three new borders I studied my composition to establish my next move. As I focused on the tiny fabric scraps I began to notice the image of a long-necked bird with a small purple beak. Once I identified that vision it was full speed ahead. The first change to take place was the orientation. In its original state the bird would have been positioned upside down. I solved that dilemma by simply turning the composition 180°. To fully outfit my stately bird I added a blue bead for an eye and spiraled locks of hair. Her coiffed hair is her most striking feature. The colors chosen for her locks were inspired by the three added borders.

Fancy Stitching:

Continuing on my quest for panache I embellished all four borders. The original blue material was decorated with a running stitch in a matching colored thread. On the lovely lilac, between the rows of machine stitching, I added color coordinated + signs. The bold chartreuse, rather glitzy all on its own, received an extra nudge as well. To this third border I added a simple running stitch. The fourth and final border was embellished with straight lines of machine-stitching.

I Christen Thee:

The regal bird, with her stately attire and her lavish furnishings, was an accomplishment beyond my imagination. In her former life she was known as Court House Friends # 10 of 14. The name recognized her former life as a repurposed ugly quilt block. Given the elevated status this gorgeous lady had achieved I simply couldn’t make her retain that name; that would be unheard of! To find a more appropriate identity I began auditioning names, pausing long enough to consider their suitability. After considering a number of options I decided to christen my feathered friend Esmerelda. The name sounds royal, which suits her perfectly.

Final Details:

Esmerelda sits on top of a 12” x 12” stretched canvas frame. To the back I added a protective layer of paper. The barrier serves as protection from dust and bugs. To make it easy for her to be displayed on a wall two d-rings and a length of wire were attached. Also present is silicone bumpers to provide ventilation and help her with stability.

Time to take a look at my latest triumph!

Esmerelda, AP 55
Esmerelda, Art Piece # 55

Thank You:

I am so happy that you were able to be here and witness the joyful unveiling of my newest accomplishment…Esmerelda!

Thank you for being my audience!

Fiber Art By Cindy Anderson

Up The Ladder, Art Piece # 52’s Renovation

Court House Friends 7 of 16, AP 52
| Cindy Anderson

Renovation:

In April I began retrofitting many of my smaller art pieces to make them suitable for attaching to a stretched canvas frames. I call this adventure Operation Renovation. The topic of today’s journal entry is an item that I first revealed in July, 2018. This specimen was called Court House Friends 7 of 14. Court house friends is a reference to a grouping of court house blocks I received in a block swap. The blocks had colors that I was not particularly fond of. Rather than leaving them as is I opted to turn them into improv art pieces; sixteen different art projects resulted from that experiment. The pieced center, with its surrounding white border, looked like this in July, 2018.

Court House Friends 7 of 16, AP 52 Court House Friends 7 of 14, AP # 52

In The Beginning:

To modify Court House Friends 7 of 14 I began by removing the facings and other components that had been attached to the back. After carefully trimming and pressing my small art piece I went in search of a fabric that would compliment the colors already present in the small quilt. I found a lovely purple and teal batik with accents of rust and burgundy. I chose this one because not only did it match with the colors in the existing art piece but it also added an interesting element that didn’t provide a distraction.

Wrapping It Up:

Court House Friends 7 of 14 originally measured 5 7/8” x 10 7/8”. The target frame size was 11” x 14”. After making a few calculations I cut properly sized strips of fabric to add as borders. With the borders attached I created a quilt sandwich by stacking the renovated art quilt with a layer of batting and backing. The last step, in this renovation process, was quilting. The new borders were the only items that needed quilting; to those I added a zig zag pattern with a multi-colored variegated thread.

New Identity:

Since the visual identity of my fiber art piece had been changed I decided its name should be as well. While viewing the composition I studied the arrangement of the fabrics in the pieced center. The single vertical line with the horizontal protrusions reminded me of the rungs on a ladder. Identifying that image gave me the inspiration to name my art quilt Up The Ladder, Art Piece # 52.

When my new and improved project was finished, this is how it appeared.

Up The Ladder, AP 52 Up The Ladder, Art Piece # 52

Even though the changes were relatively minor I think she looks much prettier now. How about you?

Thank You:

Thank you for being here and for reading until the very end!

Warm Wishes,

Cindy Anderson

Fiber Art By Cindy Anderson

Abstract Log Cabin, Art Piece # 38

Bubbles, AP 38
| Cindy Anderson

Operation Renovation:

On my agenda today is the continuation of Operation renovation. I began a series earlier this year to adapt several of my fiber art pieces for mounting on stretched canvas frames. The candidates chosen were items that had been completed months or even years ago. In my opinion, all of them had a mediocre existence.

To prepare my subjects for a make-over I first stripped away their bindings and other finishing touches. Once that was complete the renovation process could begin. Some of the changes were subtle while others were quite dramatic; watching each one morph from its original status to a freshly refurbished fiber art piece was amazing.

In The Beginning:

This specimen was originally created as a building block for Neighbors, Art Piece # 37.

Neighbors, AP 37 Neighbors, Art Piece # 37

 

After struggling to fit it into the design I made the decision to keep it as a solo specimen.

Bubbles, AP 38 Bubbles, Art Piece # 38

 

 

 

The center of the block was a leftover scrap from one of my earlier art pieces. Thankfully I saved the remnant because it made a great building block for this one. The pieced center is surrounded by two borders; the first is a shade of magenta and the second a faded denim. In it’s original version, the fiber art piece was quilted with a straight-line motif using a variegated thread.

The Renovation:

During my quest to repurpose/reinvent a number of my specimens I chose this one as a candidate. Not too much had to be done to adapt it for mounting on a stretched canvas frame. The original facings were stripped away. The resulting raw edges were then trimmed to freshen them up. A new border was added to adapt it for mounting on canvas. To blend the original faded denim border with the new addition I chose to use the same color fabric. Once the size was adequate for mounting I added a layer of batting and backing, then attached the sandwich to the frame.

Hand-Stitching:

Typically once the fiber art quilt is attached no further stitching is required; however, lately I have been adding a variety of hand stitches to some of my smaller pieces. The hand stitches add an element of design that would not be possible with a sewing machine. When the items are small they are easy to work with because the wooden frame acts as an embroidery hoop, giving the fabric stability.

Essential Element:

For this item hand stitching was essential. While the colors of the specimen were interesting they lacked the luster I desired. To initiate my embellishment process I selected an overly large button with numerous holes. Rather than stitching it to the frame with the button perpendicular to its edges  I chose to place it on the diagonal. Next I secured the button in place by running a few simple stitches through the holes; which by the way are difficult to see now.

Drizzle Stitch:

Sue Spargo has a book called Creative Stitching, Second Edition. I enjoy reading through and experimenting with some of the stitches in her book. One of my favorites is the drizzle stitch. The three dimensional stitch creates twisted protrusions that extend above the fabric surface. The holes of my added button seemed like the perfect place to insert them.

Look closely and you will see that I used a variety of thread colors and lengths of drizzle stitch to fill in the holes of the button. The combination of the on-point button and the drizzle stitches reminded me of a flower’s center. To capitalize on that idea I added four groupings of hand-applied stitching along the sides of the button. Each of the lines is capped-off with a matching colored French knot. The added lines represent the petals of a flower.

Wow:

With the addition of the button, and hand stitching this composition went from ho hum to WOW; which makes this operation renovation project an obvious success. I’m so glad I decided to give this small fiber art piece a second chance.

New Identity:

Originally titled Bubbles because of the circles seen throughout many of the fabrics, I decided the title no longer applied. While pondering the many available options,  I very easily could have selected something with a floral theme; instead I chose to identify the structure of the original block as the basis for the new name. This block has the essence of a log cabin design. Going with that as my significant feature I have named this item Abstract Log Cabin, Art Piece # 38.

This is how my newly renovated project looked when she left the studio.

Abstract Log Cabin, AP 38 Abstract Log Cabin, Art Piece # 38

 

Final Details:

In it final form Abstract Log Cabin measures 12” x 12” x 1 1/2”. Added to the back of the frame is a paper barrier to protect the art piece from dust and bugs. Two d-rings and wire were attached to make it easy to be hung on a wall. Also added are silicone bumpers to help with stability and encourage ventilation.

Opinions Wanted:

So, what do you think? Was this a worthwhile project? Does the composition look better now than she did before?

Thank You:

Thank you for reading to the very end!

Have a grand day!

Cindy Anderson

Fiber Art By Cindy Anderson