Owl Swap

Last month I participated in a craft swap on Craftster and it was owl themed. This is what I sent:
Left to right:
- Reverse applique tshirt
- Hand made/hand embroidered Pillow cases
- Hand spun yarn
- Needle felted pin
- Knit dishcloth

Fibers West Show

Today we had a field trip to Abbotsford for the Fiberfest West Show. Look what I bought!

Starting from the top left:
- 4oz. Merino/SoySilk (multi-colored)
- 1lb Raw Polworth fleece (white)
- 100grams 80% Romney 20% Possum (dark brown/grey)
- 1.75oz. Firestar (sparkly!)
- 80grams Soysilk (natural)
- 3oz. Mohair locks (purple/red)
- 4oz. Adult Mohair locks (blue/purple)
- 4oz. Viscose Rayon (white)

The show is on until tomorrow/Saturday. Check the website for details!

Weaving project Color Teaser

Where did February go?

Well, that went by fast. I understand that February is a shorter month, but why did it seem to go by like it was only a week?! I haven't done a whole lot of art making this month, besides for school, BUT I did receive my package from the last swap, of 3, on CraftsterIt was owl related! (ignore the cheezy picture of me, modeling the jewelry I was sent) Everything is wonderful! I was spoiled rotten! I especially love the yellow wristlet!

I love craftster!

I received from another swap I did on Craftster. (2 down 1 to go) This was a small swap consisting of 2 dishcloths, but my partner decided to spoil me! and boy did she ever! I love everything!

Shopping!

On Monday morning before class M and I went touring downtown Vancouver taking pictures of monuments for our Art History class. We just "happened" to make a "quick" (I don't think you could ever just pop into this store! lol) stop at Jefferson's. The catch is, you have to either have a business account with them or spend a minimum of $50 (CAD). This isn't as hard as it may seem. All the prices are about 1/2 the cost of retail (yay!) so it's easy to get carried away, especially because they don't price anything. That's right, nothing is priced! lol. It can be a little scary, when you look at your basket and wonder what the bill is going to look like. lol.
Here is what I bought for just under $40:

- Eucalan (no rinse "soap")
-Synthrapol
-Pinking shears
-Quilting square
-Clear plastic bobbins (for sewing machine)
-Angelina sparkly fiber
-Shiney embroidery thread

I think that's quite a bit for $40, considering just the pinking shears can cost up to, or even more than $40.

The store was amazing! There was 2 full rows (that's 4 long walls) of JUST thread. 3 walls of buttons (and these walls were about 7+ feet tall and super long (I don't know how long in feet! lol)). If you're in Vancouver and love "crafting" supplies I would definetly recommend this place. Just make sure you have a few hours. lol.

wow!

It's amazing what happens when you actually follow the directions!
As you remember from this post, the fleece was quite dirty. Not as dirty as some of the fleeces I have seen, and also, not as white and fluffy as it is now!!!!

The method I used was:

-Fill sink with SUPER hot water (make sure you have gloves)
-Add a squeeze of dish soap
-Add fleece
-Do NOT man handle
-Let it sit for about 20mins (don't let the water go cold)
-Take out fleece (or use a another sink)(try not to let the water run on the fleece, this could lead to felting)
-Drain and add fresh SUPER hot water
-Let fleece soak for about 15mins (again, don't let it get cold)

I found it somewhere online and unfortunately I don't remember where so I can't credit the person. I can't wait to spin this Shetland fleece and also dye it. I just can't decide if I want to dye it as it is, or spin it first. I might do both :)

I also washed some Alpaca that Jana traded me using the same above method and it worked fairly well, but I think I should have opened up the locks a little better

Before:After:
I also think a few runs through the drum carder will help as well.

THIS is why I love swapping on Craftster

The colors are a little off, but it definitely doesn't take away from the beauty of this swap! I got spoiled rotten! The patchwork yarn is amazing! (Merino) and the batt is a mix of Merino, Soysilk, and a little Corridale and Sari Silk. And isn't the little octopus adorable! Make sure you click on the above picture so you can get a really good look at the wonderful items!

Photo Transfers

On Wednesday in Surface Design class we learned a few techniques for photo transferring. I think it was a total of 5 and I did 3 of them. The first technique was using Medium and a photocopy of a picture (that has no copyright! lol) using a dry toner (key ingredient, (besides the medium ;) hehe) otherwise it won't work)

You lay down the photocopy and use the Medium and "paint" over it. Making sure to cover the whole surface and let it dry for about 24 hours.

(other side of the fabric)

Once it's dry you rinse it in cold water (hot will make the glue pliable and might ruin your print) and rub away the paper.

This is a really easy technique and the supplies are fairly inexpensive the only thing I'm not a super fan of, is the fact that the medium makes the fabric a little stiff. I think it would be a good transfer method for something that was not going to be worn, like a purse/bag, or maybe a wall hanging (?). It could work on a t-shirt if you don't mind the rough medium.

The second technique was also using Medium, but to make a "decal". This one didn't turn out for me very well, because the Medium wasn't thick enough. So you use the same technique as above, just minus the fabric and you'll want to paint the medium on the front of the photocopy.

I took a photocopy of an owl "painted" over with the Medium and let it dry/set for 24 hours. Then I rinsed it in cold water and rubbed away the paper backing.

As you can tell, the Medium was not thick enough and I got some tearing. The owl is a little transparent, but it was hard to capture in the photo. I'm definitely going to try this technique again, but I will glob on the Medium so the photocopy won't tear.

The third technique we learned (of the 5, I still need to do the other 2, which I will post hopefully by the end of next week) was using xylene or "Goof Off". This was my favorite technique of all because it was SOOO simple and super cheap! (which is great, because I'm a student.) I also really liked how it turned out.
The tools you need:

- A Respirator with cartridges for gases or vapors. Even though this product is designed for being used at home for "sticker remover" or "easy clean up" it is HIGHLY toxic and can cause health problems. Please use in a well ventilated area.

(sorry, it's kind of blurry)

Told you it was cheap! lol The technique: Tape down your fabric and photocopy on a surface that will not be ruined by the "Goof Off" (we used a glass plate) If you're unsure of the surface, do a test. (If you're printing on a piece of fabric, like a t-shirt make sure you put something inbetween to protect the other side of the shirt) Place the photocopy image (remember: dry toner) face down on a piece of fabric and dip the q-tip in a little "Goof Off". Do NOT get it too wet. (I can't remember why, but I remember the teacher making a point of this! lol) Rub the q-tip on the back of the photo transfer

Make sure you do this in small sections so that the "Goof Off" doesn't dry. After you apply "Goof Off" take the back edge of the spoon and rub the wet area. Make sure to put a little muscle into it, but not too much, you'll rip the paper ;) lol. If you're not sure the image is transferring, you can always take a little peak, just make sure you don't move the paper around too much. Finished result:

I also did a second print with the same image to see how it would turn out, and I got this:

It worked, but wasn't as clear (obviously) as the first one.

I hope you enjoyed this post, even though it was super long. If you try any of the techniques I would love to see them. Also, if you have any questions, please leave a comment.
Thanks!

oOo.. ahhhh

On Thursdays I have Design class in the morning. Um, I don't really know what to say about this class. lol. I find it challenging (mostly because of personal reasons, that I won't go into) but this week I am really proud of what I made and wanted to share it with the world!

One of our in class assignments was to create a self portrait and then create two design templates. The whole class was just doing this on a whim because the teacher was guiding us through it step by step. When we finished the three pieces the teacher told us to cut up our self portraits (I know, I couldn't believe it either, especially because I really liked mine! A lot of us did.) And then use the portrait for pieces in the templates. (Confusing, I know. I'm going to add pictures. It will all make sense. lol) One of the templates was supposed to be symmetrical and the other asymmetrical. (Apparently, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be) I really liked my symmetrical one (I actually "hung" (by hung I mean used masking tape to put it up. lol) it on my wall) I had a harder time with the asymmetrical one beacuse apparently there was too much negative space, but I was fairly happy with how it turned out.

On to the pictures!

(love this one!)

(the art work is lacking in text because I didn't have ink for my printer for about 2 weeks)