Category Archives: Art Making

Bridge House Process #1

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Ever have a vague idea but no plan for how to execute that vague idea? That’s me! Here you see step-outs from my book Playful Free-Form Stitching. I want to combine them somehow to create a new embroidery (vague idea) but have no idea where I’m going (no plan).

So I put on my thinking cap, as my 3rd-grade teacher said, and try to visualize a composition. After discarding all of the houses but one, I decide to join it to the circular shape. You may recognize this as the background fabric and brush handle from the Painting the Town project.

After auditioning different arrangements of the house on the brush handle, I give up. Instead, I cut the confounded circle in half. I’ll use the top arc and the orange house and quietly slip the brush handle part into a secret drawer. There, I feel much better and may even have a plan.

Stay tuned!

Give Yourself a Break

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Once in a while I need a break from this crazy world. So I keep a sketch book and doodle in it. Doodling is a great way to let the creative side of your brain refresh itself. It’s also a way to work out new quilt designs and use up all that paper you have.

In my new online class, Fused Art Quilts: Zen Doodle Quilts, I’ll show you my method of converting sketches or doodles into an art quilt. I’ll guide you through the doodling, pattern making, fusing, stitching, and binding processes. So from start to finish, you’ll be making an original piece of artwork.

I know the idea of drawing or sketching is scary for some of us. But in this class we keep everything simple. Cause once in a while you need a break from this crazy world!

Read more about Fused Art Quilts: Zen Doodle Quilts here. (Note the bonus materials you are given when you join the class too.)

Make Your Own Artwork the Easy Way!

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Here’s what I like about creating fused art quilts: it’s easy. And having an impatient nature, the fine art of fusing lets me get right to the design process without worrying about seam allowances. Not that I don’t make a few pieced quilts with bad seam allowances. But when it comes to making a wall quilt, fusing is the method for me.

So I’ve come up with a method of making patterns from my doodles or sketches that lets me get right to the making of the artwork.

In my new online class, Zen Doodle Art Quilts, I’ll show how easy it is to make artwork with fusing techniques. Sure, we’ll adhere to the Rules of Fusing from the Chicago School of Fusing (where I am Dean of Corrections). But you’ll also enjoy the freedom of creating our own artwork.

I hope you’ll join my new online class. Read more about it here: Zen Doodle Art Quilts here.