The Austin Fiber Artists’ monthly presentations are wonderful ways to learn new things, with the added bonus of having people to share the experience with. During their presentation last month, the lace-maker speakers showed lace styles that I had previously encountered by reading historic romance novels but was unsure what they actually looked like. Sometimes the styles were distinguished by the technique used and sometimes by motif or design approach. It was an impressive survey of history- see the earlier blog entry for sample pictures.

Embroidery styles are more familiar to modern eyes and are also named for the technique or the design. Here’s a selection of pictures of embroidery types- can YOU match up the style to its name?

A) Assisi B) Bargello C) Broderie Anglais D) Drawn Thread E) Hardanger F) Cross-stitch G) Crewel H) Smocking

Assisi is a particular Italian style of counted cross-stick where the background is filled but the design motifs are outlined but not stitched. See the samples in picture #7.

Bargello, another Italian style, is a geometric satin stitch that is frequently used to make flame-like patterns. See picture #1 for examples.

Broderie Anglais, which means English Embroidery in French, is a form of cut-work where eyelets are bound with the button-hole stitch. It sometimes included satin stitched dots. See picture #8.

Drawn Thread Work is made by pulling out threads from the fabric, then sewing the remaining looser woven thread into bundles that make patterns of holes. See picture #4.

Hardanger is a particular type of drawn thread work, usually worked white thread on white, even weave cloth (cloth with the same number of threads measured along the width and the length). It uses square or other geometric blocks of satin stitches to enclose an area of the fabric, which is then cut to make a hole, as shown n picture #2.

Cross-Stitch is embroidery consisting of X-shaped stitches. It is usually done by counting thread of an even weave fabric but can be done following a printed design over any type of fabric. Picture 6 shows cross stitch on even weave fabric.

Crewel is surface design embroidery made using wool thread and a variety of stitches. Silk or cotton threads are sometimes used for shading or highlighting. Picture 3 shows crewel embroidery.

Smocking is embroidery done over pleated fabric. Gathering fabric is useful in clothes-making, such as such as taking in the fullness of a sleeve to form a cuff. If the embroidery is worked in a zigzag over the pleats, it is stretchy, which was useful in the days before elastic was invented. Picture 6 shows smocking.

You probably had a run-in with paper mache during grade school- remember dipping strips of newspaper in a mixture of water and flour, then slapped over an armature of rolled newspaper? But time and technology move forward: now paper mache techniques have improved, as I learned after volunteering to restore the pink landmark paper mache elephant at the Carousel Lounge. As an occassional performer at the belly dance show every third Saturday at 8pm, I had an interest in having a good-looking pink elephant backing me up. Besides, it’s a fiber art!

Scanning the web to refresh my memory after 20 years of paper mache hiatus, I found Jonni Good’s website “Ultimate Paper Mache” and her recipe for paper mache clay. Also capitalizing on the grade school experience of spit wads, she uses cheap toilet paper, flour, wall joint compound and a white glue to create a spreadable claylike substance that really does resemble, well, spit wads. It drys HARD. Like REALLY HARD. Do NOT make your pinatas out of this stuff if you ever hope to break them open.

I rebuilt a missing tusk, patched up the 50 years of wear and tear on Pinky and put on a coat of bubble gum pink paint. Voila! Good for another 50 years. Next, the opportunity for more applied fiber arts as I make him a glitzy new headpiece. Stop by the bar near the corner of 51st and Cameron and take a look. There’s still the 8 foot giraffe to someone to restore….

“Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” made a big splash when it came out decades ago, but the title made me think it was some sort of feel-good manual where any exercises would include a chorus of Kumbaya. Boy, was I wrong! It is a prescriptive and concrete guide to the physical activity of translating observation of surroundings into realistic representations, so useful that it’s in its 4th edition.  The author Betty Edwards does not claim that accurate drawing makes you an artist and she actually points out that there are many artists who cannot draw; the two are not necessarily related.  However, the ability to sketch your visions and ideas is a useful skill, no matter what your working media normally is.  If you aren’t confident in your drawing abilities, I recommend at least reading the intro and first chapter while standing in the bookstore.  Better yet, buy it, read it, do it!

Yes, like we fabric stashers need one, I found another source of fabric that I’d like to share. The best part is that it’s cheap and you’re actually doing good deeds; supporting a charity and reducing the landfill. Goodwill’s last chance for merchandise sales occur at the Blue Hanger, on Burleson near Montopolis. Goods are sold by the pound- $1.40. Pictured is my haul from one shopping trip; several yards of unused upholstry fabric, a long curtain, a sarong, and an evening jacket, all useful for fabric arts.
Take a trip there, but beware! It’s like Filene’s Bargain Basement when they wheel the fresh carts out: a shark tank feeding frenzy for garage sale items. Insider tip; do NOT approach the new bins until the official ‘Go’ signal is given or you will be chastized! (And no pictures either, which I found out the hard way.) They cycle the carts of merchandize all…day… long… til 9 pm! You might want to wear soft garden gloves if you go through the housewares. http://www.austingoodwill.org/shop/locations/outlet.html

It’s finally here! We have been waiting for a long time for this great event! “Fast Forward,” AFA’s Winter 2013 exhibit, opens on February 6, 2013, at the gallery at Tokyo Electron. Join us!

Juror, Mary Mikel Stump (Gallery Director/Curator with the School of Art & Design at Texas State University), has selected 25 pieces from the 71 pieces entered.

Artists selected by the juror are (alphabetical by last name):

In addition to the pieces that have been juried into the show, Outrageous Red, our non-juried members’ wall, will include 27 clipboards embellished with a variety of gorgeous fiber art techniques.

Public Reception:

Wednesday, February 6, 2013 6pm

Show Duration:

Through Thursday, February 28, 2013

Where:

Tokyo Electron
2400 Grove Blvd., Austin, TX

 Zig Zigler said “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Fair enough! It also is a fine way to explain why being part of the Austin Fiber Artists’ group is a great idea. Being exposed to a wide range of creative talents motivates me, even if their style of fiber arts differs from mine.

Motivation or inspiration can find you where you least expect it. I visited Hearst Castle over the holidays and discovered there were 16th century tapestries on the walls. Yes, the workshops that produced the tapestries for the prominent and wealthy knew they were creating fine art, but did they ever imagine that the works would be treasured centuries later and studied so extensively?  That idea intrigues and comforts me when I think of the work we put in some of our pieces. Here’s to hoping that all the beautiful jewels that I saw at the recent Quilt exhibition will be treasured in future centuries as well!