Franciful Fibers

Quilt Fest in La Conner, WA

2011-09-25T15:31:00.001-07:00

Two of my quilts were accepted to the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museums Quilt Fest Show next weekend.

I want to make a series out of both of them. I think there is more to explore!

Steam Punk and small purses

2011-09-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

I made two small messenger bags for a friend who is going to a big Steam Punk conference. The theme is "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", so I gave the bags an undersea and Jules Vern look. My small purses with the snap tape measure closure are selling at the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum. Here are a few. They often have slightly different patterns on each side. I haven't been able to make enough for the museum shop AND etsy, so etsy is on hold for now. I have two small quilts in the Quilt Festival in La Conner the first weekend in October. I'll post those when I'm at my home computer!

New venue for bags

2011-06-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know that The Quilt and Textile Museum in LaConner is selling some of my messenger, tote and small purse bags. More news soon!!

Card Weaving with Linda Malan

2011-03-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

I took an all day workshop with Linda Malan (from Edmonds, WA) last Saturday. This is her with some of her woven straps. She was a wonderful teacher and card/tablet weaver extraordinaire. She is well-known for her "neck pieces". You can see the cards lying on the table between her hands. We learned one technique, Diagonal Double Turn, but one can make several designs with it.

Here is what I did. Those are two patterns: One is diagonal
across the whole piece and the other is overlapping diagonals.
As you can see, it takes practice!!

The threads at the top of the picture are attached to something secure such as a C clamp, the cards do not have a rubber band around them when you weave. They have four holes, one in each corner. You can see the third pattern (diamond) at the top.

Meanwhile I am madly sewing bags for the Garden Affair craft fair in Stanwood on April 2.
Back to the machine!

Turning 60 with lots of fiber

2011-02-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

I don't usually post about personal things, but today feels like a very important milestone....my sixtieth birthday! Those of you over age 60 understand the mixture of emotions one feels at reaching the ripe old age of 60. Those who are younger may not appreciate the amazement, fear, gratitude and bewilderment that some of us feel. I'm incredibly lucky to be healthy and alive at 60, but I can't believe I'm that old! {I've noticed from my Stats for this blog that a few people have found it from a dietary search ( fiber - get it?). It seems appropriate to mention that I have all kinds of fiber in my possession these days!!!} I feel about 35. If I'm lucky, I've lived 2/3 of my life. I'm thinking about the next 1/3 a lot now. How do I want to spend the remaining time???

My goal is to keep a sense of humor and be grateful, purposeful and full of wonder each day.

Finally, a bag of my own

2011-01-31T20:02:00.000-08:00

The good news is that friends have been "ordering" bags and keeping me busy. The bad news was that I didn't have my own bag to carry around as advertisement! I finally made it. I added a colored zipper and a color coordinated inside zippered pocket. I plan to add a zipper to the inside pockets from now on. Having my own bag has made me more aware of little things I've probably missed on some others - mostly random threads still hanging around! This bag's art quilt pocket design is an assortment of African themed fabric. When we were in South Africa, we used some really interesting white on black dinnerware at a bed and breakfast. I loved it and tried to buy some at the local department store but they wouldn't send it overseas and didn't have an online store. This fabric reminds me of the designs on the black dinnerware.

My design process

2011-01-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

I am having the time of my life making these journal-page size artquilts for my bags on etsy (franciful.etsy.com). I love playing with different colors and designs and I enjoy the puzzle of coming up with a design I like. However, I find it particularly difficult to design a quilt or bag for a friend or family member. I care too much and get bogged down in indecision. My friend Jean commissioned a black messenger bag with an Asian artquilt pocket. All I knew for sure was that she didn't want a bold red and black look. So I went to my many Japanese quilting books and found some basic designs in this book by Kitty Pippen. Just looking at her lovely quilts was enough to get me started!

Here is my first design. I decided it was too symmetrical and balanced.

Attempt number two

I was getting frustrated and thought if I designed in a vertical orientation I might have more luck...didn't work.

This is the final drawing that I decided I liked.

I chose a flowery Asian fabric with some elements of black and white and then added from there.

Here is the final design with some blue fabric auditioning to be the binding.

Messenger bag evolution continues....

2011-01-04T21:44:00.000-08:00

I became dissatisfied with the size and loose body of the messenger bag. I have the strap down, but the bottom of the bag sags when you put things in it and it seemed big to me. So, I found a Vogue pattern, altered it a bit and now have an 11 x 14 inch messenger bag with a 2 inch gusset all the way around. The bag now holds its shape much better. It also takes much longer to make and I haven't made one without using a seam ripper yet. But I'm sure I will eventually!! I have two made and will put them on etsy soon!

Messenger bag learning curve

2010-12-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

I wasn't happy with my simple D ring one inch wide strap on my black lizard messenger bag. A tail of strap was left hanging that didn't look good at all. So I examined some bags and realized I needed a "thingy" I eventually learned was called a triglide! Triglides are not easy to find in Bellingham, WA. REI may have them, but not the corresponding rectangular ring that goes with it. Also, I decided I wanted metal and REI only has black plastic. So...the search was on! I found two stores that carry all kinds of webbing and hardware for the bag maker: Countrybrookdesign.com and Strapworks.com. I easily found 1.5 inch webbing in different colors and the same size triglides and rectangle rings! I think my bag is much nicer now.

D ring strap

Triglide and rectangle ring wider strap

2010-12-05T21:37:00.000-08:00

Slideshow of Artquilt bags

Artquilt bags

2010-12-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

I participated in my church's Holiday Festival, selling artquilt bags. Hmm, you might ask, what are those? Well, they are journal sized quilts (approx 8x12) that are sewn onto a zippered cotton tote bag as an outside pocket. I have had so much fun making them because I get to play with different fabrics and a different design in a very short amount of time. I appreciate large quilts, but I rarely can keep my interest in making one; these small quilts keep my interest and have a purpose to boot! The bags were well received and I got two orders for a messenger bag design; basically just a longer adjustable strap. I'm in the process of opening an etsy shop so checkout "franciful.etsy.com" soon!

Second chance for "failed" art quilt

2010-11-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

I had an idea for another Breaking out of the box piece using wire and smaller "boxes". Then I looked at my quilt from August 2008 and realized that I could cut it up and use it for my new piece. The old piece wasn't "working" as it was, so it didn't seem unreasonable to cut it up. I must say, however, that it was surprising to me how easily the blade cut through this finished quilt. I think I expected it to hesitate a little, or grunt or something...some sign that the cutter was having second thoughts. But no, it slipped easily through the three layers. I bound each block and mounted them on screening for what I named "Break out of the box III". I just learned tonight that it was accepted into the West Hartford Art League fiber art show "Out of the Loop"! The show is November 11-Dec 5.

African Quilt

2009-03-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

I'm squeaking this post in before the end of the month....keeping my goal of posting once per month. I bought the elephant batik piece in a park in South Africa two years ago. I finally figured out what to do with it! The fabrics in the quilt are about half African and half American. I've machine quilted it a bit, to stabilize it. I plan to quilt it with pearl cotton to add texture. (you can click on any of my pictures to enlarge them)

Color with Confidence Class

2009-02-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

I did it! I taught my first class on color for quilters on Valentine's Day at Fabric Etc. (fabric shop in Bellingham). Five women signed up which was just right for the intimate space. We made color wheels in paint and fabric and analyzed pictures for their particular colors and the proportion of each color. We didn't have time to make up sample blocks on paper, but they took supplies home with them. Next time I'll add more time to the class. They want more....so I'll have to get more sophisticated....this was definitely a beginning class. One of the books I recommended was Color and Composition for the Creative Quilter by Katie Pasquini Masopust and Brett Barker. I think it's terrific.

New Year

2009-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

One of my goals this coming year is to post at least once a month. I've had such mixed feelings about blogging in the past, but now I want to maintain some connections to others and also show what I'm working on. This ties into one of my other goals which is to do more fiber work. I'm very busy with my jobs as a parenting instructor (which I love), but I also want to become a better artist and I finally understand that the only way to become better is to DO THE WORK. So, with the intention of posting about fiber art I will need to make more of it. I think these goals will support each other.

I have many many books on color and another goal is to create and teach a class on color for quilters. I thoroughly enjoy teaching and have taught a journal quilt class (and many parenting classes). I plan to talk to a local quilt shop about teaching, set a date and then work like heck to prepare!

My last two goals are to hang my art quilts in a small venue such as a coffee shop. I have an in at one, so I just need to set a date. And finally, I would like to explore weaving. I've been interested in weaving for quite some time and recently took a backstrap weaving class at the Coupeville Arts Center from a Peruvian woman who started a textile center in Cusco.

I took a wonderful "mudpies for adults" class from Anita Mayer in Sept. in LaConner. She is so dynamic and ageless!! As it turns out, I know her niece, Mary Ennes Davis, a collage artist who was featured in an art show in LaConner in October! They are both such talented artists and nice people.

My next post will have some pictures. Here's to hope in 2009!

APNQ show

2008-08-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

I've just come back from the Assoc. of Pacific Northwest Quilters show in Seattle. It was held at the Convention Center this year which was a wonderful venue because it wasn't crowded or noisy! This small quilt, "Danish Houses" was accepted. The quilt above it "Breaking out of the box" was NOT accepted. The consensus of my friends is that I need to make the "breaks" larger for the composition.

April Snow

2008-04-20T10:59:00.001-07:00

We had snow on March 29 this year, but April 20 is amazing! Bellingham didn't get much accumulation as you can see, but areas closer to Seattle got several inches. The flowers are lasting a long time....just hope the lettuce I planted didn't freeze!

My favorite thing

2008-04-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

I've joined an online group called the Bakersdozen. We are members of the quiltart list who want to challenge ourselves on a regular basis. It was supposed to be for 13 (baker's dozen) people but about 30 of us really wanted to participate, so we have limited each challenge to 13 (though even that isn't hard and fast). The first challenge was to make a 13"x 13" quilt about your "favorite thing". My favorite thing is sailing. I spent many many summers sailing in a small bathtub of a boat called a turnabout on the coast of Maine. I wanted the viewer to get a Sense of sailing, rather than just a view of a sailboat. I agonized over this perspective. I think it works, but after getting the boat "right", I probably could have paid more attention to the rest of the scene....anyway, hope you can feel the salty wind and sun on your face!

Some of my recent works

2008-02-07T15:53:00.001-08:00

I made this piece "All Boxed In" specifically for a fiber arts show in Sequim, WA. The theme was domestic art, with political overtones. My idea was that these loop potholders from my childhoood days brought back sweet memories but also all the restrictions of that time. The potholders are attached to wire mesh which is stapled to the wood frame and the mesh has small squares cut out at the corners of the center potholder. It looks simple, but it took me a lot of time. It gave me a new appreciation for weaving! The center black square in the potholder took me several tries to get just right. Anyway, it was fun for me to break out of strictly quilting and broaden into fiber art.

This is one of three pieces using iris stalks and framing. I like 3D pieces and simplicity. This piece is called Iris Shadows and needs to be lit correctly to get the effect I wanted. The iris stalks are handtied to a piece of tulle which is hung on rods about an inch away from the quilted back.

So for a brief view of my recent works here are a variety of pieces from the last two years. "Good Girl" was a very important piece for me to make. I needed to put "that dress" in it's place on the wall - never to be worn by another child. The dress has embroidered on it "I am a good girl". Nice labels can be burdens also. The red hand at the bottom of the quilt is me putting a stop to the innocent passing down of labels.

2008-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

I suspect my love of fiber originated when I was four years old and slept under this crazy quilt. It was made in 1898. Fifty plus years ago it was still in great shape and I had favorite fabric pieces and crazy stitches that I looked at over and over.