A rare day of medium warmth and sunshine arrived this week.
I used the opportunity for some work outside in the sun.
This simple act was energizing! And it reminded me of some good basics in creating fabric.
Here I am ready to begin:
The tools are simple: I have some blank yardage. I used a combination of unbleached cotton muslin and a recycled bed sheet. I am creating a quilt back; this became a good way to use up fabric scraps that I had available.
(An aside: If you follow my artmaking process, you’ll not this is an oddity for me. Generally, I back my quilts with a nice grey felt. But I am upcycling a previously-made quilt with some new sections and it’s already quite heavy. I need something lighter.)
Good Basic reminder 1: Organic shapes in stencils will step-and-repeat well.
Notice that the stencil I’m holding is fairly small. But, using the print-move-print again method, I created a nice length of yardage pretty quickly.
You can see the the colors are variable and loose. I had some of each of two browns in my paint tray and a bit of blue. I kept the roller pretty wet, and just rolled up paint on the roller loosely through the three colors.
You’ll also notice I have a makeshift workspace outdoors. That is:
Good Basic Reminder 2: Sometimes you have to create a space that works.
My studio is the size of a one-car garage. Sometimes I need to spread out. I use these metal sawhorse legs – very lightweight and very easy to store – and put a piece of plywood on top. Instant worktable. I use my fence as a place to hang fabric to dry.
Here’s a section of the fabric I stencil-printed:
I think the rock shapes work as an all-over pattern. If you thought ahead even more, you could cut a stencil where organic shapes tuck into each other on each side fore less noticeable start-and-stop points. For this application I’m happy with the result.
I remembered a stencil printing project from several years ago based on leaves.
Leaves are some of the most interesting shapes to play with. You can layer them in pretty endless variations. From that day working outside, I created paint-only leaves (the green ones) and then a pattern with more depth using wheat paste and black over-painting.
And that reminded me of
Good Basic Reminder 3: Fabrics that are same-but-different speak well to one another in a finished work.
This is Overlooked, the quilt using those leaf patterns.
The weather has lost its bitter nastiness – at least for now – and I look forward to enjoying more outside work time.
For all of us: focus each day on the good
that needs to be done in the world.
Be part of doing it.
Thank you for reading.
I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi
. . . . . . . . . .
EXHIBITS AND COMING EVENTS
STUDIO TOUR – IN DELAND, FLORIDA
Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8 2026 10am – 5pm
Visit MY STUDIO and other local artists’ studios and see how they work. Information about the artists and map of studio locations: www.artstours.org
In Ormond Beach, Florida . . . TRIO
through March 1, 2026 at Ormond Memorial Museum of Art
My work, Three Yellow Doors, is part of this SAQA juried regional exhibit
In Lewiston, Idaho . . . SAQA GLOBAL – PRIMAL FORCES: FIRE
January 6 – March 28, 2026 at Lewis & Clark State College
My work, Nothing Remains But the Loss, is part of this SAQA juried Global exhibit
In DeLand, Florida . . . A SENSE OF PLACE
January 8 – March 30, 2026 City Commission Chambers, DeLand City Hall
My work, Escape to Quiet Waters, is part of this exhibition by ArtsEtc Surface Design Group
How I keep in touch:
BLOG POSTS - once a week: Mostly about what I am creating in the studio. If you would enjoy receiving blog posts by e-mail, please subscribe here: I post and send by e-mail each Sunday evening. BLOGS-BY-EMAIL
NEWSLETTER – about once a month: Mostly news of exhibits and my way of introducing new work. You’ll get FIRST LOOKS at new artwork and members-only discounts. You’ll hear from me about once a month. NEWSLETTER