“Serendipity” is the title for a body of work done by the Fiber Artists Study Group (FASG).  We meet at the Textile Center here in Minnesota.  Our mission is to grow as artists and exhibit our work.  This fall we will be exhibiting  this body of work called “Serendipity” at the Burnsville Arts Center.  The gallery has a two story curved wall that can be seen from a second floor balcony.  We ( ten artists in FASG) decided to take advantage of this beautiful space and divided it up equally so that each of us could do a 30″ x 108″ inch pieces to take advantage of the second story vantage point.

I began working on my piece several months or so a go while waiting for spring to get here.  I love flowers so I thought I would start there.  Not sure why but I chose poppies…They grow from tiny black seeds that I enjoy on my bagel, to funky lime green pods that open to reveal bright colored pedals. Then dye back to these wonderful pods that raddle with seeds to start the hole cycle all over again.  Before doing any research I took a maker and started sketching what I thought Poppies looked like.  Trying to capture the whimsical expressions of the plant before I was influenced by my research. I worked on large paper 16″x20″  with a Sharpie marker.

This is what was already rattling around in my brain.

Counting the days till the flowers were blooming at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska I finally got to there to sketch and take photos.  I tried planting some seeds in my own garden but I fear the deer or the rabbits enjoyed the before I could get them to bloom

Page from my journal

Translating the sketches into fabric I  decided to try my hand with drawing with a bleach pen.  Then going back into the bleached areas with paint and thicken dyes to add color and dimension.  Being some what of a realist I want to abstract the idea of Poppies in a garden but still have them be identifiable.  I want the freedom from my original thoughts about poppies to come through into the design.  I started by testing different fabrics to see how they would bleach out.  I found a Khaki green broad cloth that bleached out to yellow that I really liked.

1:1=30"x108"

I started by doing a drawing to scale.  Using graph paper, one square equals one inch.  This way I will have some idea where things will go on the large piece of fabric I am creating.

Ripping the fabric so that it would hang on the straight of  grain.  Evening up the edges and leaving enough to make a casing at the top I ripped the fabric to 30″ inches by 115″.  I liked the frayed torn edges so I think I am going to not hem this piece just leave it torn.

Sunny day in Minnesota meant I was woking out side on my driveway. (great ventilation cuz I hate the smell of bleach) gathered up some supplies sidewalk chalk, stiff brush (I found the brush from my dust pan and brush to work best) two bleach pens, large container, Anti Clor (stops the beach from working by balancing out the PH) and a for water garden hose.

Laying the fabric out on the driveway and using my scale drawing as a reference and drawing with the side walk chalk I transferred my design to the fabric.  I used the stiff brush to erase anything I did not like.  Once I had the elements of my design where I wanted them I started drawing with the beach pen.  Starting with the large flowers first,  then moving to the pods.  I did this because I wanted these areas to bleach out the most turning almost white. I wanted the foliage to be yellow/gold so I did these areas last with great speed.  The bleach pen turns the fabric to white in about ten minutes.  This varies on the type of fabric and if you get a Clox bleach pen or a cheepy form the Dollar store.  I found the cheep ones did not work at all on my khaki fabric

Getting ready

I bought two bleach pens thinking it would be enough for the project but I did not have enough.  I rinsed my fabric in the Anti Clor solution and water.  Soaking for about five minutes then rinsing a second time with the hose, laid my piece out to dry in the sun, and went off to by another pen.  Getting to the store to find out there were no more bleach pens was a bummer. Going on to plan “B” rather than go running all over looking for a pen I bought Soft Scrub with Beach hoping by putting it in a finer squeeze bottle it would work.  Yee ha… plan “B” worked.  I even decided to get paint brushes out and paint with the stuff too.

Running out of bleach and rinsing

Stopping the bleach using Anti Clor

Finishing up the foliage I then used  a large paint brush topaint the flower petals.  I found a piece of fencing we use in the garage to keep the deer out of our gardens  would make a great texture.  Placing the plastic fence under the fabric I dry brushes over it with the Soft Scrub.

Adding texture

This was as far as I got today I will Keep you posted on the progress of this project.

This week I met eight Brownies and three mothers to make sit-a-pons.  We used recycled materials but nothing like what I remember using.  We found water proofed fabric that was made from recycled soda bottles for one side. Cherries, Zebra stripe and a print that looked like old wall paper to me from Jo Anne’s. The other side was felt made from other recycled materials.  We used fabric crayons to color our names in big bubble letters, drew flower and hearts.  Then transfers the crayons to the felt with an iron.  The girls learned how to do the blanket stitch to hold the outside edges of their pillows together.  There was nothing but the best for these Girl Scouts they each got a 14″ pillow form for inside their sit-a-pons.  So I guess actually we made pillows but who am I to say what one’s tuffit to sit apon should be.

The Girl Scouts had the right idea in the 70’s.  They were recycling before it was “Green” to do.  The Sunday paper, the old table cloth from last summer’s barbaques can still be used the same way to create fun seats for around this summer’s camp fire.  Chenille Needle #24 found next to the embordery floss in the local craft store will make threading a needle easy.  Bright colored pearl cotton or ebrodiery thread is very inexspensive to work with.  Use chalk or water soluble fabric maker to draw on your design and try decortively stitching on one side of your cushion.  This is a great activitiy to do in the car while traveling.  When you are finished decorating your fabric with stitching, create a sandwich layering the news papers inside the vinyl table cloth pieces. Handle for carrying your seat is optional. It can be braided from 3/4’s inch stripes of the vinyl table cloth, ribbons or string pony beads on heavy cording.  Anchor to paper inside by sewing papers together and tying your cord in a knot.  Whip stitch, blanket stitch or just a simple running stitch will do to hold the edges together. Then have a seat.  This project is a great activity for boys too.  Why should girls be the only ones having the fun.  Needless to say it brought back great memories from my childhood.  My nickname was   ” Doodle Bug”