'WOYWW - 11/30/11: Blasts from the Past!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

For WOYWW this week, I thought I'd share some 'vintage' documents I rediscovered while organizing my jewelry studio/dining room/sun parlor. These old books were in my art portfolio, for some illogical reason. I plan to put them in acid free photo albums or page protectors in 3-ring binders.

In second photo are other projects I need to 'tidy up' the table in this multi-purpose room. Which seems to be a never ending task - sometimes I feel like Sisyphus pushing his boulder up the mountain! Setup all the supplies, work on project, put away supplies, and repeat! Argh! Of course, I shouldn't complain - I DO have another art studio, where I can leave stuff setup. But the table is really tiny in that room and there is no 'view' out the window...

Do you keep projects out and ready to go? Or do you have to put stuff away and setup all the time?

Thanks for stopping by - would love for you to become a Follower while you're here. And don't forget to take the POLL in right sidebar! You can visit other artist studios playing in the WOYWW blog hop here.

Peace,
LuLu

'Noonian Soong! - my 1st designer scarf'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes


Howdy and welcome,


For some reason, during the past few weeks, I've had a burning desire to create scarves and shawls.

I really, really wanted to construct and wear my original 'LuLu Too Beaucoup' scarf to Thanksgiving dinner this year. It was all I could think about while working on my textile commission. I've already started an eleaborate woven scarf - which is still in the works, and would not be ready for Thanksgiving. That woven scarf was taking too long so here's what I created late Wednesday night/early Thursday moring. 

Techniques I used were English braiding, crochet and macrame. This skinny scarf  was nice and toasty!

'Noonian Soong' -

handmade scarf, braid, crochet, macrame.

Materials: yarns ( acrylic, novelty, wool)

This scarf is more of an experiment than a finished product, because the patterns are more dramatic than I wanted. Something a bit more suble and monochromatic will be created in the next iteration.

What do you think of this skinny scarf? Do you ever wear fashion scarves? How do you store your ribbon stash.

Thnaks for stopping by. Please visit my Blogoversary for some FREEBIES. Don't forget to vote in the right-sidebar.

Peace,

LuLu

'My 1st Textile Art Commission!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,
Here are W-I-P pix from the textile art commission I completed last Friday. This is the prototype wearable art for fitness dance instuctors.

My approach to this project was to think of it as a quilt sandwich - with top, batting, backing and quilting.

iTop badge - paper test

Left: 12 luxury fabrics - cut into 3" squares, and labled with their placement positions

Right: iTop tool and iTop badge - fabric test

'Sandwich' Layers - squared up for trimming

Sandwich - trimmed and ready for 'hemming'

(Turns out that I did not use the fancy white and gold trim or the travel quilting iron)

Hemmd quilt sandwich - ready for trimming, and my signature on reverse

Supplies List

---------------------------------------

Acrylic paints - various golds, Aluminum repair tape, Baggies,

Basic Grey Notch & Die cutting tool, Die cutting machine (Big Shot),

Brass grommets, Brass Stencil, Cutting mats (Fiskars 2-sided Craft), Olfa Rotary - 36" x 24"),

Embossing folders, Embossing stylus,

Fabrics (Cottons, Emroidered Satin Brocades, Linen, Silk, Velvet),

Fusible web (Steam-a-seam, Stitch Witchery),

Galaxy marker, Glitter, Gold Leaf - faux,

Golden Soft Gel medium (semi-gloss), Gel pens, Heat/craft sheet (Ranger),

Hammer, Iron (Hamilton Beach Professional steam), Iron on hem tape,

 iTop tool, iTop backings, iTop badges,

JoAnns EZView Press cloth, JoAnns Teflon Pressing sheet,

Lighting (OttLite Craft Caddy Light, Magnifying lamp with storage base),

Needle tool, Sakura Pens (Gel, Glitter), Pins, Pin cushion - vintage tomato,

Pinking shears - vintage, Punches - circles,

Quilting rulers, Reading glasses, Recycled clear divided salad plates (Dominicks),

Remote control for iPod docking station/radio, Run 'n Buff - gold,

Rotary cutter, Tassels / napkin rings - gold (Domestications),

Tattered Florals 'Bigz' die (Tim Holtz Alterations), Scissors (Fiskars),

THE FOLDWAY: Portable Cutting and Pressing Station (Omnigrid),

Sharpie marker - black, Water spritzer bottle, Xyron 'X' sticker maker - perm,

Zig silver pigment ink pen

The happy client!

Since 2001, I've been a scrapbooker. So this textile art was a GI-norm-ous stetch for me! I did a lot of problem solving on this commission. It was challenging - and fun to play outside of my comfort zone!


Do you sew with a machine - or by hand? Have you ever made art from fabric? Have you ever made art journals with fabric? Lace? Have you attempted Quilts? I aspire to making Crazy Quilt tops someday....


Thanks for stopping by. Would love for you to comment and please become a Follower while you're here. Spread the word about my 2nd Blogoversary Freebies and - please come back again soon!


Peace,
LuLu

Giveaway! LuLu's 2nd Blogoversary Freebies!!!

'WOYWW - 11/23/11 - Weaving My Way with a Web!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

This  week, after completing my 1st Textile Art Commission (yeah! photos coming soon), I was so jazzed and inspired that I decided to WEAVE a scarf! Mind you, I have only ever woven some paper strips on a scrapbook layout. Have never even woven a potholder!

But I want a new scarf for the holidays, and decided that I can make a scarf. How hard can it be? I haven't crocheted or knitted in over 4 decades, and decided to use a combination of macrame, crochet chains and weaving.

After days of researching looms, terms, yarns and weaving supplies on the 'net, I designed a modified plain-weave structure to create a 'freeform'' extreme style woven scarf using a 'cobbled together' loom and a custom 'web/net/mesh'! I'm using wool, eyelash, novelty yarns and a handspun yarn made by my artist friend Meredith B!

My design is inspired by a fantabulous piece of handmade art paper, found at this artist blog - click here for Renate Kirkpatrick.

  Top of my 'cobbled together' door loom

Yarns and ribbons

Have you ever made a scarf? What technique did you use - weaving, crochet, knitting or other?

Come back soon to see how the finished scarf turns out! Meanwhile check out other artists studios at WOYWW!

Peace,
LuLu

'Racine, WI - Day Trip Back in Time!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

Hubby and I spent a wonderful Saturday exploring the town of Racine WI - just 2 hours from our house. We drove around after visiting the Racine Art Museum's polymer clay exhibit Terra Nova - which was intoxicatingly inspirational!

We found a couple of mansions for sale that we aspire to - ha! ha! Plus we discovered this antique complex - now a sprawling retreat center and art school. I hope to teach some art journal workshops here next summer! In it's heyday, it was the Racine College campus, where rumor has it, President Linclon's son was to have attended.

Photos courtesy D. C. Daruszka for  Creative Media Wizards

c 2011

What do you think of this vintage architecture? I think it's breathtaking!

Please check out my 2nd Blogoversary freebies - and spread the word. Thanks for stopping by and please come back soon!

Peace,
LuLu

'WOYWW - 11-16-11: My First Ever Textile Art Commission!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome!

For WOYWW this week, I'm working on my very first textile art commission!

Stay tuned for textile project details when it's completed. After I finish this commission, my next project is a fiber art piece -I can't wait to finish it. I can't sleep, I'm so excited thinking about it!

Have you ever worked or played with textiles? What's your fave luxury fabric? Do you ever use exotic/novelty yarns in your work? any ribbons? Nowadays, I am loving ribbons!

Don't forget to see my 2nd Blogoversary FREEBIES post! See more artist studios here at WOYWW.

Thanks for stopping by - and please come back soon.

Peace,

LuLu