Pretties Done Pretty Well

I'm still thinking about this composition by Ann Marie from my "Cutting Up the Pretties" class. Her sketch is the small bit at left, the right is the drawn out version with her hand painted fabric cut and placed. I know it is not easy to use forms that are not solid fabric, and this piece works.

More Eyes on Your Work

Fiber artists often work alone. A retreat, class, or collaboration allows us to get a second opinion or fresh look at our work and our process. So, my class had lots of attention as they took to "Cutting Up the Pretties". Or maybe it was just the newcomer from New York they wanted to see.

You Make What You Wear Take #2

It was too obvious who was working on this quilt. For my Cutting Up the Pretties, we found a design, drew it full scale, made freezer paper templates, then populated with fabric. Well done, Sandi. Can't wait to see it finished.

Starting With a Blank Page

Jennifer, Karen, and Eileen were the three hosts with the most for my Langely, British Columbia stay. After a morning of sketches, the task was to transfer it to freezer paper. No mean feat.

Leap of Faith

Thought you would like to see the final quilt that I made from that sketch. It is one of my favorite ways to work, that is, to take a small sketch and interpret large. This is about 4' x 6', I think.

You Art What You Wear

Sher was in my class today at AQS Des Moines for "Cutting Up the Pretties" and I couldn't help but notice she WAS her art. Great class, great work, great fun.

Too Much Fun in Heidelberg

Cynthia put new meaning in "mind the grate" today, when the "Pretties" class heard her tales of touring. What a fun group, we hardly minded working so hard.

Off to Meet My Waterloo

My seminar for Friday and Saturday meets just outside of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. I'm bringing the quilt I made from this sketch for when we talk about (and then do) "Cutting Up the Pretties".

Full Size Sketch

Encouraged to "go big, or go home", Pam is setting up her full sized draft for her work in the "Cutting Up the Pretties" class in Lancaster. Check out that dizzy flooring. Hard to concentrate, but we managed -- with great results.

Cutting Up in Lancaster

Now working with a full scale drawing as a guide, the intrepid Kathy decides just what will work, and what will go in my class for AQS called "Cutting Up the Pretties". Tomorrow I'm on to "The Big Leaf".

Sketch to Fiber

Nancy interpreted the little sketch (on the right) with her hand-dyed fabrics. She intends the panel for the back of a jacket. It was fun having her in class. Now, those pretties don't have to sit on the shelf.

Cutting Up the Pretties Workshop

Nancy's hand dyed fabrics wait to be selected for her composition on the first day of the two-day "Cutting Up the Pretties" class at Marcia's. There was so much smoke in the air, I almost had to run for the fire extinguisher. Day two will have no thinking!

Screen Prints on the Design Wall

When asked what she would do with these "deconstructed" screened fabrics she made, Linda had no hesitation indicating she would be just cutting them up. Way to go. Got Pretties? Cut them up. This after a day out at Marcia's studio.

More Hard Work (and Lots of Fun)

We needed all the space we could get, worked till our feet hurt, and had loads of fun. Here the "inspectors" are checking Anne's progress, while others just try to keep ahead. From the workshop in Toronto this weekend.

Cat and Mouse

Some while ago (9/2/2011) I posted a photo given to me by my daughter. I loved the shapes there, and used it in my finished piece "Cat and Mouse" . I used my own technique for cutting up the pretties, a workshop I teach where I draft the image and then use freezer paper templates. The hard part is cutting up that one-of-a-kind fabric. But with this result, easy to do.

Fort Myers Revisited

Oh, hooray! I found the photos from the class this October. Now I can show how great that workshop "Cutting Up the Pretties" really was with all the BIGNESS in the composition, the great precious fabric, the sweat coming off the brow! It was amazing to see how these intrepid Art Quilters Unlimited themselves.