Summer Green at the Water's Edge

We took a mini vacation at the end of May where we took the Badger carferry across Lake Michigan to Luddington.  We spent a whole day hiking and biking around the Dunes State Park nearby.

That's where this photo was taken.  I loved the impressionist reflection of the trees in the water, and the textures of the foot bridge curving through this photo. 

In-the-Buff Bath Sheets

 

Scrumptious Texture n these 5/2 American Made Cotton Towels!

Made on my sturdy Kessenish 4-shaft Floor Loom

Yes-- this is the 4-shaft pattern.

All straight lines creating lovely circles!

I am in love! 

And they are really nice and soft, too.

I had to make a few adjustments from the Lunatic Fringe pattern kit since my weaving width is only 30 inches, not 36. 

I changed the pattern to run 29 inches.

On the loom, in formation even with stretcher bars, it shrank down to 26 inches.

After washing and fulling, it narrowed down to just over 23 inches.

That's to be expected.

3 62-inch towels on an 8-yard warp.  

Plus an shorter half-size towel with the remainder.

I expected that I would have to bind 2 towels together to make it truly spa size.

Here is a shot comparing the textured pattern weave with the modified plain weave for the hems.

 

 

For the washing and fulling, I left some fringe on, knowing it would be cut off when I got around to the hems.  I put a piece of the 5/2 cotton along side for comparison, so you can see just how much this yarn puffed up after being washed and fulled.  It's quite a lovely transformation.

 

This is really nice yarn to work with!  I didn't break a single warp thread on this project! 

 

Be brave!  Weavers are often reluctant to cut their handwoven cloth -- as if it will fall apart!

Here I am cutting the 3-1/2 towels apart.  I used a purple contrasting thread to be a divider.  

Easier to cut straight too.

 

Because my weaving width is narrower than the pattern was designed for, I had to make some adjustments.  I planned to weave a 30-inch width, that wound up being 29 inches -- rather than the 34-inches in the pattern.  By the time it was washed and fulled, that width was down to a little over 23 inches.  

 

The pattern had more than enough cotton yarn for 3 towels, so I took the third towel and split it in half. 

Zigzagged down the raw edges with my walking foot.

And then lapped it to the 2 remaining whole towels.

 

The photo above shows that lapped edge -- it blends so nicely, you can barely see the seams!

In the end, I think  my towels are just a little wider than the ones the pattern called for.

The textured part is woven to 62 inches under tension on the loom.  I think I'd make them just a little longer next time, too.

 

On the back side, I covered the "raw" edge with cotton twill tape 1-inch wide.

Yes-- I pre-washed the twill tape so I wouldn't have problems with differential shrinkage.

This also matches well enough. 

 

Here's the top side of the seam. 

 

This one shows the top side of the seam, and the underside with the twill tape.

This worked out better than I thought it would.

 

Here's I'm trying to show off the scalloped border.

 

 

Here you see the plain weave hem at the top of the photo.

 

Here is is stacked nice and neat.

I wish I would have planned better --  I'd have put on a longer warp to make another towel.  I had 1 whole cone leftover (about 1 pound +) 

I am so pleased with these, I think I will definitely make more cotton towels.

Maybe even some cotton blankets someday, too?

We'll see ...

Comparing the weave structure before (below) and after (above) washing and fulling.

 

This is what it looked like fresh off the loom, but before washing and fulling.

It's starting to take shape. 

 

 

 Another one showing it fresh off the loom.  The strings are still coming into formation.

 

 

Here's one while it was still on the loom, under tension.

 

Just to refresh your memory,  this is what it looked like on the loom, under tension.

 

 Here is the weave structure mapped out on my iWeaveIt App.

The 1-2 sequence in the plain weave for the hems.

The Fiesty Knitter did this project a while back on her 8-shaft loom.  

It's a more complicated version, but essentially the same. 

 

See previous posts about this project:

New Project Proposed for My 4-Shaft Floor Loom

Ready - Set - Weave Part 1: Step-by-Step Warping the Loom for a New Project

Ready - Set - Weave: Part 2

A Little Bitta Light : Textures

Feeling the need for a little Texture this morning.

Any guesses as to what this might be?

Scroll down for the answer ...

 

It's a light grate near the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland.  I think this is right at the entrance at Pret, where we liked to have breakfast on our 2017 trip.

What do I mean by light grate?  This was built into the sidewalk with glass blocks built into it, to allow light through ...  There's a city underground in Edinburgh.     I've seen a few of these around downtown Oshkosh, too. ;-)

I love how each block is different, aged, cracked, rusty and grungy, but nicely ordered and presented on this grid.    Each block could have it's own closeup, and be it's own texture in and of itself.  Maybe I'll bother to isolate them sometime ...

Scrap Abstracts

 Scrap Abstract #1

These card-making "sketch" layouts have been running across my feed on Pinterest in the last week.  Although card making is not my thing / medium, it occurred to me that these layouts were transferable to my world of fabric and stitch.  I didn't actually use the layouts as given, but it did get my mind thinking in terms of layering the elements.

 

Scrap Abstract #2

I was looking at my pile of scraps -- too big to throw out -- not really big enough to sew with ...  and I remembered a creativity warm-up that I learned about during The Creative Jumpstart Project a few years ago with Dina Wakely.   She recommends doing some "creative calisthenics" for 10 minutes to warm-up in your creative space, before you start your "real" projects.  Playing with color and shapes, and seeing what comes of it ...  That's what this reminds me of.

Scrap Abstract #3

I didn't want to invest a lot of time or effort in stitching these down, so I thought the easiest option wold be to glue-stick them into a sketchbook.  I suppose I could have turned them into fabric postcards, but again, I didn't want to take the time -- maybe someday I will take it to the next level.

So for now, I am enjoying playing with the colors and shapes to make these little abstracts.  Also reminds me of the waste-not-want not notebook/cards I started to use up paints, inks and wet media. 

My Choice : Week 25 Let's Do 52

My Choice - Abstract Textures

It's no secret I am a lover of textures and patterns.

This photo was taken at The Little Farmer last fall--a lace in Fond du Lac, WI,  with an apple orchard, and wonderful caramel apples.

 Me and Vicki last Fall at Little Farmer

It's the place where my friend Vicki and I have been going to celebrate Fall. 
The old roofing shingles are on the side of their apple shed, along with the top of an apple basket.
You can see the same apple basket cover on the wall just behind us and over to the right.

I am participating in Denise Love's 2017 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!

Leading Lines : Week 8 Let's do 52

Leading Lines

Eroded Sandstone

I am participating in Denise Love's 2017 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!

Texture with Hole (and More Rust)

I haven't been posting many Photos or texture work lately.  Believe me, it's one of my abiding loves in this life!  I found these at my dad's place a few weeks ago.  I loved the juxtoposition of the "black hole" next to the swirly lush nebulae-y greens ...  and of course, the rust!

Same but different :

Things like this give me a chance to practice "seeing," to compose a shot.  
Here's a different view of the same subject :

Lantern and Stone

 

[Please click on the photo to see a larger version : It will be worth it to see more detail!]

I've been thinking about this one for months ...  Back in January, in the depths of winter, I took this little candle lantern down to the basement, along with the camera.  I wanted it to light the stone wall with the drama I knew it could capture.

And of course it needed an appropriate quote.  What better than this one attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt? 

I also used one of my very own recent gold and purple gelatine prints on this one.  I was really surprised how it brought warm reds to the image.  It was one of those perfect texture applications, that you know works, and there's no going back to a time before it!

Photo-processing Layer-by-Layer (a simple recipe) :
Layer 1) Background image #4179
Layer 2) Text : Blue Cabin Font with Bronze Medium Style
Layer 3) Purple and Gold Gelatine Plate Texture (Scan 4) (my own)- Soft Light blend mode at 100%

 

Sharing with The Texture Artists FaceBook Group.

Celebrating 2015 with my One Word : Light.

Everyday Inspiration : Blue Light Abstract and Ponderings

 Blue Light Abstract (1)

This was a broken glass bowl that shattered on the kitchen counter recently.  

I purposely moved the camera as I took the shots to blur and streak the color.

This one kind of looks like a school of flying fish jumping and leaping --
like in the fountain at the Detroit airport. (Gosh I love that fountain!)

As I get older (into bifocals now, so maybe it's just harder to focus), I have more and more appreciation for abstract art -- especially textures.   Color, texture, movement, even a mood.  They can be quite complex with many layers incorporated.  And yes, they can have an emotional impact, too.  But sometimes, I just want to settle down and enjoy the abstract -- the colors and the textures without a big important and heavy message to change the world.  I don't have to DO anything with abstract textures.  I can just enjoy them.  Sometimes, I just want the Calm. 

I used to think -- What's the point of abstract art?  What's it's trying to tell me?  What's the hidden meaning?  Maybe there isn't any -- maybe it is just a feeling -- calm or chaos, or something else ... 

I've been thinking about the emotional impact of my photography -- or rather, how to get it?  What makes some pics get so many likes, and others barely get any?  Not just mine ...  In some of the photography groups I'm in, some of the posts are really wonderful--well composed, well-executed, well done--a complete package, yet they hardly seem to get noticed.  Some are just blah, and they still get lots of likes.  Maybe it's who you know, or how you market it?  It's all in the networking and connections these days, right?  Maybe this Like-economy isn't all it's cracked up to be?  It's not really a popularity contest, or is it? 

There are times when I've really done it well--gotten that emotional impact that connects with other people.  The barns seem to do it -- Is that because people get sentimental with a past that is no more.  With barns falling down around us, they are no longer the center of most rural families' livelihoods. When I do manage to hit that holy grail of emotional connection in my art, either I know it and love it myself, or it looks and feels so foreign, I barely recognize it.  

Other times, I make something, and I absolutely love it, and no one else seems to notice or care.   Maybe those are the times that I myself may know the emotional impact of a piece which is why it's so powerful in my own personal mythology, but doesn't quite connect with other people who don't know the full story.

Other times, an image or symbol is so iconic, it connects with people because the myth or stories about it are so well known, it's almost a cliche.   Those are things that need no introduction, as everyone knows the context. 

I do know that I don't hit that home run of great art and emotional connection every time I finish a piece.   In reality, no one does.  Maybe I just need to do more work to hone my skills in whatever medium I'm working in?  Ira Glass, Patty Smith, and Neil Gaiman [Sheila -- Pay attention to the NG link.  There are some gold nuggets for you there, too.]  say : Do the work.  Keep putting your stuff out there.  Hone your skills.  Make good Art--with a capital A. You'll only get better ....  It just takes time to master these skills.  It's not a contest.  I only have to be better than I was.  And I see the progress I've made over the years -- just look back at all the stuff in over 700 posts on this blog.  I am always learning, developing a sense of composition, and what works, and what doesn't (I don't post the disasters too often--I'll spare you that!)  Good taste.

And I have to ask myself : Why am I doing this?  I'm not seeking to make a living from my art.  I do it because I have to ...  If I didn't make stuff, I'd go crazy (Been there, done that in post partum days.  Not a happy place--and not a good place for my family, either.)  It brings me great satisfaction to know I've brought something beautiful into the world--my work.  My process.  My journey to make it real--whatever it is.  And in the end, the only one who needs to like what I see, is ME. If someone else likes my stuff, that's just icing on the cake.  But not expected.  Just me in my own little world.

Then again, part of the point of Liberate Your Art is to put your stuff out into the world and to share it with other people.  Kat had another project called The Photo-Heart Connection --- those photos were not necessarily great art, but they did require a heart connection.   Two very different things.

There's a skill to putting out what people will like (and be willing to purchase) vs. just doing what pleases me.  I'm not about to start posting LOL Cats or Hey Kitty-type cutesie stuff, so it's good I'm not counting on my art to make a living.   I don't do cutesie.  Still finding my voice ...  and I don't think it's in still lifes either -- at least not at the moment.  

Maybe my work just hasn't found it's audience yet?  Kind of an ugly duckling scenario (Weren't we talking about personal mythologies a little bit ago?)

Blue Light Abstract (2)

Although the texture pieces can be layered into other photos, sometimes it's just nice to look at them on their own merits.  They hold their own.  This one is kind of like shooting stars, or a meteor shower.

I do know that I'm feeling more comfortable sharing my abstract texture pieces.   It's a chance to just BE and not have to DO.  Breathe and enjoy these quiet moments, and quit talking so much!  That feels like HOME these days, so come on in, sit down and have a cuppa tea with me ... We don't even have to talk -- just bask in the blue and golden light of these new textures.

New Texture Class by 2 Lil Owls

 Coffee Stain on Blue

Beautiful grunge.

I just started a new online class by Denise Love at 2 Lil Owls.  It's called the Art of Texture-Making Workshop.

I just finished the first watercolor  lesson and I am blown away!  So much content to her classes -- so much practical info along with the video demonstrations of the various techniques.  Worth every penny!  In the images below, I'm listing the technique so I can keep it straight in my own mind, but I am consciously NOT explaining each technique here as that would steal the thunder from Denise's class.  Sign up for the class if you want to know more.  ;-)

Here's a sampling of what we learned so far :

Tap Technique in Gold

Tap and Drag Technique in Blue

Spatter Technique

Salt Resist

 Blotted with a Paper Towel

 Blotted with Paper Towel

Blotted with crumpled Saran Wrap

 

Impressionist Sponge Painting

 Blotted with Sponge

(Dry) Tea Stain

Of course, just because I'm learning how to make some of my own textures (again--I've long been studying various surface design techniques), it won't stop me from buying Denise's beautiful textures.  Sometimes I just like to go to her site, and watch the textures roll through ...  If I've had a rough day, her beautiful texture abstracts have the power to settle me down and re-ground me : Calming Art Therapy.  See for yourself ...

These are two of Denise's texture sets that used the techniques taught in Lesson 1 :

Speckled Garden by 2 Lil Owls (Denise Love)

Watercolor Impressions by 2 Lil Owls (Denise Love)

If you'd like to join the class, sign-up info is here : Art of Making Textures Online Workshop.

*************************************************************
A few more tips for my readers and classmates ...

 

1)  I tend to keep a few extra watercolor cards as "sop cloths."  This one was made entirely by picking up the excess paint on my work surface.  I simply press the card face down in the color, and pull it off -- kind of like pulling from a glass or a gelli plate.  This one came out very similar to spatter painting, in this case--probably because I used the spray bottle on my work surface.  I just keep these going until I have something I like.  I do stay aware of what colors will make mud, so I may decide to keep a "warm" and "cool" set going.

 2) I also have a journal specifically for cleaning off my brushes, sponges, and utensils.  [The cover of the journal above was a sop cloth from my dye studio.  It's actually much more vibrant than the photo shows.]    I've started calling it my Waste-Not/Want Not Journal.   This way, I don't waste any of that valuable color and paint.   The following resulting textures are pretty subtle -- remember I was trying to clean off my tools.  It's enough color and texture to use one way or another ...  sometimes subtle is just the thing!

 Over time, the journal fills up with nice backgrounds that I can use for warm-up pieces-- or even textures if I bother to photograph them.  I learned this from a mixed media artist named Dina Wakely. 

 

3) I like to use Viva paper towels as sop cloths.  They are THICK -- almost like fabric.  (You could also use cotton rags, too--sometimes it depends on the color medium.  Some things do better on fabric than paper.) The sop cloths are truly works of serendipity.  I keep them around as I work, and wipe up the surface to start a new piece.  Meanwhile, all that residual color is (again) not wasted.  I learned this a long time ago from my days hand-dying fabric.  You'll come up with color combinations that you probably wouldn't put together otherwise.  And they usually "work" by the time the sop cloth / serendipity cloth is finished.   This one is still a work in progress. 

 4) I now have a nice deck of watercolor texture cards after this first lesson (and looking forward to the rest of the class!).  I've been trying to write a few notes on the back of each one so I can re-create it in future, if I so desire.   It would also be cool to shuffle the deck and randomly pull out a texture card and then let that guide a future (post-class) texture-making session.

5)   I worked out this nifty technique for photographing the texture cards.  The watercolor paper tends to curl a bit after color has been applied and dried.  To alleviate this, I use a pane of glass to hold the texture card flat for photographing.  Works great!    Although I have a scanner at home now, it's easier for me to simply photograph the textures and work with them this way.   Maybe I'll learn something new in that regard, too. 

On to the next lesson ....