Textile Design School

As some of you readers may know (and some may not...) I am a student at the California School of Professional Fabric Design in Berkeley, Ca. I am finishing up a design portfoilio that includes, among the many original designs, traditional textile designs--like this one...a traditional Jacquard design. This one is designed to be printed on fabric, rather than woven as Jacquards frequently are produced. This is the color rough for the handpainted design which is 18" x 24"---I am currently painting this in gouache; a lovely monotone in creams.

At the school we are learning many techniques for hand painted designs, as well as computer aided designing. The designs are surface pattern designs, and can be used on textiles, wallpaper, stationary, wrapping paper, rugs, dishes--any object that has an illustration or design on it.

In completing this school program I am following a dream I have had since I was in my teens----I have always wanted to design surface patterns for fabrics and paper goods, but never knew where to go to learn the process. Then, I discovered through a friend — this school right where I live---here in North Berkeley!

I plan to find work as a designer when I finish. I would love to work full time for a company who prefers me to create handpainted designs. I enjoy creating on the computer, but I love painting — it’s my ambition to get paid to design and paint all day

ah! and I also believe that ...way will open...when the time is right. Meanwhile, back to painting...

Alameda Antique Market

I spent part of last Sunday at the Alameda Antique Market...it was a lovely spring (?? yes, spring in the Bay Area starts in Feb) sunny day...so here is some eye candy ---a few photos I shot with my point-and-shoot camera...I love going to the "flea market" (oops! I mean antique market) ---because I always see all these great fabrics, rugs, linens, art and jewelry --as well as kitsch ---and so you will see many of the photos are rugs and linens or fabrics...

the clouds a real in this photo--a reflection in the mirror...















However, I do also try to remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends.

'Nother textile design

Last winter I found this cool old book on cut paper designs at a thrift store which inspired me to create a design by cutting paper--using an exacto knife. This past week I have been playing with my papercut design in Photoshop to make it into a textile design....

I have been rather absent here on my blog---I had blogger's "block"---but I have vowed to find something to post about at least every other day from now on.....so now I have published this---that vow should keep me posting...

so, dear readers, whom ever you may be--do check back here....as the creativity is again flowing...I hope your creativity is flowing, also!

Ghana Kente Cloth #2

After visiting the Craft Market, we went to another small village and visited a facility with numerous Kente cloth weavers, and glorious colorful Kente cloth covering all the walls. Here is one corner of the room.



The colors and variety of patterns were stunning--and admidst all this vibrant Kente cloth we began to bargain with the men selling the cloth.






Here is one weaver--weaving a Kente cloth strip on a loom



We could purchase the strips of handwoven cloth or a large piece with the strips sewn together





I couldn't quit taking photos of all the different colorways and patterns...


Among the handwoven Kente cloth--the vendors were also selling some printed cotton fabrics...and sometimes the Kente cloth was sewn together with the printed cloth, like this piece



I snapped a few pics of some of the printed cloth, also




I find myself wishing I had taken a few more close-up photos of the Kente cloth, but came home with one beautiful strip and a larger piece--for some reason, I was attracted to blues that day...

California School of Professional Fabric Design

• Many thanks to Kim at the excellent and always interesting blog TRUE UP ("all about fabric, all the time..") who interviewed me about my life as a student at the California School of Professional Fabric Design. You can see her excellent interview here, and you can check out the school online here. Thanks Kim!

also here are some links to my own blog posts about my fabric design(ing):
Jungle Surface Pattern Design
Creative Every Day!
Painting Flowers
Plaids
Toiles de Jouy

Today's Quote: "You don't have to see the top of the staircase to take the first step." -- Martin Luther King

NEW HEADER

Well, I decided it was time for a new header for my blog (see above)--what do you think? I used some small portions of 2 of my own textile designs....feedback welcome! and thanks!

Swatches : creative every darn day!

I have always loved old swatch books---both books of handpainted fabric designs or real fabric swatches---they draw me in like a magnet. Lately I have been knitting swatches---some of these swatches I'm using as squares in a project, and some I just make to try out a new stitch. I'm decided to knit 1 (one!--at least one, maybe more more) swatch a week and blog it here...

Most books on knitting discuss the importance of knitting a swatch to check one's gauge before starting a project--- ideally knit in the stitch pattern used in the garment. I suppose if I was more organized I would record the yarn, needle size and other info on each swatch and then keep all this in one notebook--so far, this has not happened. In knitting--as with most art I create--I am much more into the process than the finished project...or in record keeping of any sort.

Here is an "all over cable" knit swatch--I used some left over variegated colored yarn.


and here is a slip stitch pattern I made up--the dark grey verticle lines are made from slipping a stitch, and the dark grey horizontal lines are made by purling....I think this would make an interesting sweater---with the right colors...maybe a pale variegated with a dark color for the squares? the greys here aren't very exciting, but one can see the pattern easily with them.

and lastly--in the center here--a "slip stitch herringbone" pattern---this one sure needs contrasting colors.



So anyhow, the long term plan is to put these all into my own handmade swatch book...even if all I put in is a photo of the swatch (because I used the "swatch" in a project.)

Creative Every Day!

I've joined an online "challenge"---to be creative every day--and to post my daily creative endeavor on this blog. I may not post an image every day, but I will be CREATIVE EVERY DAY.
So, here is my creative piece for today---postage stamps from Zazzle.com with one of my flower designs. I originally created this all-over flower design for my textile and surface pattern design portfolio, and now I am using the design for postage stamps to promote my design business. The original design is painted in gouache. And yes, these are actual U. S. postage stamps which I can (and do!) use to mail letters.

Fabric Inchies!

My friend Kari--from Sitka, Alaska--came for a visit and to play in my studio---we made fabric INCHIES! only ours are "inchie +" because we made ours 1.5" x 1.5" ---instead of 1 inch by 1 inch---so we call them "inchie plus" or "plus size inchies" or just "PSI"....
These were a fun quick project---here are some of mine--or the ones I have finished so far...I'm planning to sew pinbacks on these---and presto! instant holiday gifts ;-)




For those who are wondering--an "inchie" is a 1" x1" (or 1.5" x 1.5") fiber square which you can embellish any way you want. This is great way to use up all those tiny bits of interesting fabrics and papers you just could not throw away. Then pull out your fun beads, buttons, and other trims and embellish away.



For great directions on how to make these--via the Quilting Arts Magazine website-- go here and scroll down--the directions area pdf file available for free.



Besides pins--I can think of so many other ways to use these---on a bag or purse as an accent, or even on a sweater. How about ear rings? or a colorful mobile to hang above a baby crib? they are fun to trade with other artists, also...anyone want to trade? just e-mail me.....

TODAYS QUOTE:

"The single clenched fist lifted and ready,
Or the open hand held out and waiting.
Choose:
For we meet by one or the other."
----Carl Sandburg

Tapestry Weaver

My friend Linda Rees, who lives in Eugene, OR is a tapestry weaver. She has been weaving for over 40 years, and has created a stunning body of work over the years. I love her sense of color and design, and the palettes she chooses, so I am showing a few of her more recent hand woven tapestries here--with her permission. I have included the dimensions of each tapestry here, so you can get some idea of how large these are.

Title: Tropical Serape 55" x 39"
Title: The Speckled Space 56" x 39"


Linda often includes interesting pictorial images in her tapestries--like this series she created on the stages of womanhood, titled : The Doors Open on Aging



here is a close up of one of these tapestries, titled: Sighs for a Sagging Body

17" x 21"
Linda says of her work: "Tapestry weaving has been my primary creative outlet for forty years. I have exhibited extensively and segued into writing about the medium and its artists during the last two decades. However, weaving has been a relatively personal pursuit, focusing my energy towards developing artistic skills. The one consistant feature of my artwork is the persistent use of a limited number of yarns for any one piece, preferably no more than six colors or yarns. The challenge to depict geometric or figurative imagery within the confines of a restricted palette excites me. It is how I think, how I visualize."

I also usually enjoy the titles Linda gives her tapestries--this one is titled:
Goin' Places
36" x 29"


This one is titled: Possession 956
47" x 31"



And here are a few more geometric ones.

Title: Context
62" x 38"
Title: The Trickster's Day
68" x 40"