Student’s work from the Facial Expressions workshop.
Student’s work
If you have been wanting to learn all about creating fabric portraits this is your chance!
This is an online workshop that you can do from the comfort of your own home.
Check it out here.
I hope that you can join us!
These are my favourite groups/pages that focus on art quilting/fibre art on Facebook and I encourage you to check them out:
This group has some incredible fibre art posted on a regular basis. Wonderful eye candy!
2. Remade Fabric Collage Quilting
Sandra Deprey’s group is low key and engaging. Learn different techniques and follow along with interesting challenges.
A great place for beginner art quilters/fibre artists to get started and show what they are working on.
A great eclectic mix of fibre art and mixed media work.
The mission of the Collage Quilter group is to provide a welcoming community for aspiring and experienced collage quilters. Our community enables learning, provides inspiration and promotes support of one another!
This is not a group that I have joined as yet but I know that a large number of people that I know follow it.
6. Canadian Quilters Association
Promotes Canadian quilters and quilting in Canada. They have a comprehensive annual Canadian show that is scheduled in different cities across Canada.
Become a member, and you will receive 4 magazines a year jam-packed with quilting patterns, information, what is happening around the country, and much more!
The Fibre Art Network is a cooperative of Western Canadian fibre artists that have regular exhibits of their work and are an incredibly friendly, supportive group. This page features not only their art but other artists as well!
8. Walking Foot Quilting Designs
Melissa Marginet shares her wonderful quilting designs based on the techniques from her book of the same name. She also posts photos of her latest quilt patterns as well.
Maggie does wonderful collage-style portraits and often shares her step by step photos of the process.
10. Susan Carlson
Another collage artist who creates gorgeous colourful quilts using her personal collage style.
Check out these great groups/pages and enjoy the tour!
Let me know what you think of them.
I want to know how to blend values.
I want to be able to determine value in fabrics.
I want to be able to select fabrics in the right values for a portrait.
I want to be able to to use shading to create dimension
By putting into practice what I’ll be teaching in this challenge, you’ll see how easy this can be.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Val
Valerie Wilson Fibre Artist
The biggest problem with starting something new is taking that first step.
Often, we get stuck because we don’t know where to start or what that first step should be.
Part of this problem is an underlying unconscious fear. Fear that we will not be good enough, fear of not being able to do it at all, or fear of the unknown. So we procrastinate and “it”, whatever “it” is, is never attempted.
Procrastination comes into play and we never start, often using the excuse that we don’t know where to start. This is fear of the unknown or of making a mistake. Our inner critic warns us not to try as it could have horrible consequences.
I see this with people who want to create fabric portraits. Many yearn to create one but are afraid to start. They worry that the portrait will not accurately enough represent the person, or that “they” will not like it or that they do not have enough skill to create a portrait.
This fear can also generate strong emotions.
Even though I am now aware of the problem, I find that when I want to try something new that is outside my usual experience I get flustered and uptight. Have you ever had that experience?
If you take time out for a few minutes, or maybe for an hour or two, to do something pleasurable you will find that the feeling subsides. The best thing to do is something with physical activity involved.
Recently for me that meant going to Staples for some envelopes I needed, getting a latte at Starbucks (it was yummy!) and buying some embroidery floss at Michael’s.
Let your mind work on the issue in the background and later you will find that you are relaxed and have decided on a first small step.
There is an excellent book by Susan Jeffers called Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway. Susan explains that fear is a built-in natural reaction to what is new or strange.
She explains how we can reeducate our minds to accept the fear as normal and learn how to expand our zone of comfort so that the fear does not control us.
It can!
However, another aspect of this fear of starting and a way of dealing with it is to research your topic. This feels safer and you tell yourself that once you know “how to” you will proceed. This can be an excellent idea if you restrain the impulse to keep on researching looking for that final perfect, definitive answer.
The problem here is that you can get lost in the research and it becomes an end in itself or you get lost in contradictory advice which leads to analysis paralysis. The result is the same – inaction.
This happened to me when creating my first quilt. I had picked out a Kaffe Fassett design that I loved and was excited about making. Here I was taking the first step! Then I started shopping for and collecting fabrics which ultimately became a stalling manoeuver, as I continued to feel like I never had enough different fabrics to start. Sound familiar?
Researching
Eventually, I got past that hurdle. Then I made the mistake of researching. Remember this was my first quilt (so picture me nervous).
I read the debate about prewashing your fabrics, or not, before making a quilt. I was now worried about what would happen if I didn’t prewash the fabrics.
Time passed and I decided that I would wash them. Yes indeed, including the triangles that I had cut out! It was a fast way to find out the quality of the fabric that I was using. Can you relate?
Then I read about how difficult bias edges are to stitch as they stretch. Now I was terrified to go further. What if I wrecked it! So on the shelf, it went.
Eventually, it came out of the closet and was sewn on a vintage Singer sewing machine. That quilt turned out to be exactly the size it was supposed to be. I was thrilled! That experience gave me a larger comfort zone and a belief in my own skills.
That quilt turned out to be exactly the size it was supposed to be. I was thrilled! That experience gave me a larger comfort zone and a belief in my own skills.
Take the first step is like a leap into the unknown, but you can do it!
2. Give your self permission to make mistakes
Mistakes are a part of learning. The best advice that my mother ever gave me (when wallpapering together) was to plan ahead what to do when there was a mistake. It was inevitable that there would be mistakes. It took all the stress out of learning.
Resource: Here is an interesting discussion on the Role of Failure in your Art Practise by some artists on Alyson Stanfield’s blog.
I tell my students that if they don’t like something they are working on they don’t have to show it to anyone. They can just toss it and use it as a learning experience and try again.
On the other hand, sometimes it is great to get feedback on specific issues and find out that it isn’t so bad after all and may actually look really good to others.
We are our own worst critics!
3. Seek guidance.
A guide can help you figure out those steps and support you along the journey.
Seek out knowledgeable people, take courses or workshops and get support when trying something new, so that you don’t have to struggle to figure it all out by yourself.
You don’t always have to agree with instructors and may decide to do things your own way in time but you learn the basics and have a solid foundation for future experimentation.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject!
I have had a slump for a while in terms of creating my art by having allowed the business side of my art to take over.
That is when I came to the realization that to be more productive again, I needed to take control of my time again. Not find the time but take the time. A big difference!
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines “Take the time” as:
: to make an effort (to do something) : to attempt
Finding the time implies that there is a source out there somewhere that one needs to search for and has little control over. Taking the time gives back that control.
Once you prioritize your art, you have a clearer path. This has to be a conscious decision.
If not, you will be busy all day and find out at bedtime that you have not left room for your art.
What to do?
I keep a somewhat loose schedule as I like to be able to take advantage of spontaneous occasions.
But I do now take time for creating my art. This is what fills me up and gives me great satisfaction.
If something comes up that I really think that I would enjoy I see how it fits in terms of everything else that is on my schedule. And determine what is the greater priority at that time.
Also, whether I would need to take time at another point in my day to make up for that change.
What are your thoughts on time? How do you manage your time?
I would be most interested to know. Please comment!
My problems were identifying values, choosing fabrics and the thought of doing the stitching terrified me! My first portrait stayed in a drawer for a year before I decided I would risk stitching on it.
I wished that there was someone out there who would give me support and help me with a step by step approach.
I did finally do the stitching on the portrait and was pleased with the result. My husband who was my guinea pig for this venture loved it and has it hanging in his office.
This is where the experience of trying new things gets you; whether it be meeting new people or trying a new technique. To a point where you can see what you would do differently and you do it to get better each time.
It is the ability to say to yourself “OK, I am going to try this…..” and then to allow yourself to take the risk that the first time may not be perfect.
Perfection is over-rated! I have been a perfectionist most of my life. It sucks! Only in the past few years have I developed an ability to look forward to challenges and trying new things.
This change has transformed my life! I now seek out new opportunities.but also, look for mentors that can help me with any struggles that I may have
Now I have sold my work, done commissions and shown my work in numerous shows.
Artist Valerie Wilson and her art quilt – French Wonder.
Take the leap! Give your self permission to try creating your first portrait.
You can access the workshop on your own schedule and receive feedback and support through the private Facebook group where I am active on a daily basis.
The Live question and answer sessions will be scheduled on feedback from the students as to what times/days work best for them.
These Live sessions will be recorded and posted in the group so you can see them later if you have to miss one.
And just in case you are wondering, you don’t need to know how to draw to take this workshop!
Join us in the Facial Expressions workshop now!
If you haven’t already, join us in the Fabric Faces Facebook group where we have resources for and discuss all things relating to fabric portraits.
I hope to see you there!
Val
When creating a realistic fabric portrait you need to have a good grasp of shadows and highlights.
This is what is meant by value.
I have created a Free 5-day challenge on the topic of value and its use in fabric portraits.
What would it be like to easily identify value and choose fabrics effortlessly?
What if you could create depth and shading in a portrait?
This can happen to you.
The challenge starts on Friday, April 26 so sign up now!
In this my new year 2019, I have been working on a variety of new ventures:
The hockey boys in progress
Included is some information on posterizing your photographs (in the files) and we recently had a challenge on the effective use of value in a portrait quilt.
The FB Live that I did as a summary of the challenge on value is now posted on my FB page.
This workshop starts next Saturday, January 26, 2019, and registration is now open. I am offering a discount of 35% off to those interested, and who contact me by midnight Wednesday, January 23, 2019.
I will send you a discount coupon that you can use when you sign up for the workshop before midnight January 25, 2019.
My plans for this year are:
What are your plans for the year? COmment and let me know!
A number of people asked me about enlarging and printing a photo at home with a MAC computer after I posted on this blog about this process on a PC.
There are several ways to accomplish this task!
Here is what you need to do to resize a photo in Photoscape X:
There are at least 2 options:
This is program is a free download.
It allows you to save your photo as a PDF which can be printed on multiple pages.
Go to the MAC App Store and look for Split Print.
The app costs $8.49. It allows you to print an enlarged photo over multiple pages on your home computer.
Comments welcome! I would love to hear from MAC users about whether this process works for them!
If you would like a copy of this article as a PDF click here.
Have you wondered about enlarging a picture to print on multiple pages at home?
One of the big issues when teaching a portraits workshop is finding a way for students to easily resize and print their photos.
I have suggested a variety of options such as Block Poster (not really accurate enough for what we want to do), taking the photo to a printing shop or Staples. Or using a program such as Rapid Resizer.
I resize photos all the time for my portraits and use Rapid Resizer to enlarge and print them. This is a great program and I will continue to use it.
Recently I was at a Fibre Art Network Conference and had a wonderful time catching up with other members. A big part of the conference is sharing information.
Terry Aske mentioned that she uses a program called Microsoft Paint for enlarging and printing her patterns. Paint is a program that comes pre-installed on Windows computers.
Eureka! Problem solved!
Terry was kind enough to send me the instructions that she gives to her students. I have taken them and added detail and photos to make it super easy to follow along.
The program Paint is found under:
Start Menu: All Programs: Accessories in Windows 2007
Windows 2010 – it is under Accessories in 2010.
The icon looks like this:
2. Browse to where your photo is on your computer, select the photo and then click “Open”.
3. Open “Properties” by clicking on the file icon (in the upper left corner) and selecting “Properties” to see the current size of your photo
4. Click on the circle next to “Inches“. It will be black when you click on it.
5. Note the size of the photo shown in the boxes. The key measurement for portraits is the height. Changing the height will resize the rest of the photo.
Close Properties.
Properties screen
6. Determine what size you want your full-size photo or drawing and thus how much you need to enlarge the photo (percentage). The current size of your photo is 100%.
So if your photo is now 6” H and you want it 18” H, you would set the percentage increase at 300% (18 divided by 6 =3) and 3 x 100, so the photo would be enlarged by 300%.
7. Next, click the file icon again and select “Print” – “Page Setup”.
8. Check that you have set the “Orientation” for the direction you want – either Portrait or Landscape.
The orientation for the above photo is “portrait”. Note the box on the left showing the orientation.
9. Find “Scaling” in the lower right and then click on “Adjust to” and enter the percentage for enlarging. Click OK.
Choose “Adjust To”
10. Click on the file icon and select “Print” – “Print Preview”.
11. Look at the enlarged photo or drawing and check that it isn’t too pixelated to use. You can also see how many pages will print by counting the pages that you view (click on the down arrow repeatedly).
12. To print: select “Print” and choose the size of paper that you want to use (letter or legal). You can usually find this setting under “Preferences” and then click on Print.
13. Lay out the printed pages and number them in the order that you want them.
14. Trim the borders, allowing some overlap for the adjacent page(s) and tape them together in order.
I have presented here a simple way to enlarge and print your photos or patterns at home on your own printer. I would love to hear what you think about this idea and what solutions you may have found. Leave a reply below!
I look forward to hearing from you!
If you would like to get a PDF of these instructions (for a PC) so that you can have it handy when resizing your photos, you can get it here.
