Julie B Booth

Detail from a piece by Barbara C.

Finally catching up with my posts...and since today we are having the June Stitch-In...I wanted to get the May meeting posted!

We had a small group, but lots of interesting projects going on.

Barbara C. was finishing a piece that she starting in my To Tell a Story with Cloth: Impressions, Connections and Memories class. Her focus in class was memories of London. This piece came about after a recent visit and discovering T.S. Eliot's house...which she used as a inspiration for this and other pieces. Believe it or not...only some of the words are stitched...the rest are painted! If you want to see more work from this class go here (there will be links to the rest of the posts).

I always love seeing the back of a piece. The back of Barbara's piece is beautiful!

Susan P. worked on a bit of Boro...repairing the knee of her jeans. She's right in style these days!



Peggy G. was having fun jumping off from a black and white commercial cotton print.


Mary M. was working on a homework assignment for my Hand Stitching Continued class. If you want to see more work from this class go here and here.



Erika C was working on two commissioned dolls. We got to watch her do some needle felting and also see these incredible pieces in progress!

Erika C. making fingers!

I was finishing up these stitched word samplers. I had a lot of fun making them and trying out different stitches. The Ruby Red Fish...are the Swedish fish candies that my grandmother used to keep in her candy drawer.


Thanks for any enjoyable afternoon of stitching and sharing!

Beautiful shibori-dyed and hand stitch cloth that Ann Z. purchased in Massachusetts.

Still in catch-up mode. Here's what folks were working on at the April Stitch-In...such a variety!

We had two doll makers at the Stitch-In this month, Erika C. and Sandra O.
Erika is continuing work on her Conant Grant project: Re-Imagining Flip Dolls. She brought in a number of dolls, including these beautiful subtle ones in neutrals and white.

Flip dolls by Erika C.

Flip dolls by Erika C.

She also brought in the prototype for her Flip Doll Challenge using sticks as an armature. Erika is looking for people to take part in the Challenge which will become part of a gallery exhibit in early 2018. For more information about taking part go here.

Erika C.: Flip Doll Challenge prototype side one.

Erika C.: Flip Doll Challenge prototype side two.

Sandra brought in a "bottle" doll...worked around an empty soda bottle. Sorry that I didn't get a great photo of the face...it was exquisite!

Sandra O.: Bottle doll.

Here is a detail that will be appliqued to the doll.


Sandra and I met almost 20 years ago when she took my Fiber Sculpture workshop. Here is the doll that she made during that workshop (now owned by a student in my Hand Stitching Continued class...small world!).

Sandra O.: Wire armature doll.

And here is a chair piece that she started in the same class.

Sandra O.: Wire armature chair

Ann Z. brought in a book that she made in a class...combining paper, cloth, printing, and stitching.

Ann Z.

Ann Z.

She also brought in a few of her healing cloths...that she is making with Peggy G. as part of a church project. You can see some of  Peggy's cloths in this post.

Ann Z.

Ann Z.

Ann Z.

Cheryl C.was working on a piece for the Jumpstart in Hand Stitching workshop (The Art League School). You can see the final piece here.

Cheryl C.

Diana G. brought along some of her pieces started in the Boro and Beyond workshop that I taught at Artistic Artifacts this spring. I just love the subtle palette!

Diana G.: From Boro and Beyond workshop

Diana G.: From Boro and Beyond workshop

Holly C. was working on a large piece using a black table runner that she purchased at Ikea (she's found linen yardage there too!). Great experimenting with simple stitches!

Holly C.

Some amazing purchased textiles made there way to the Stitch-In. Ann Z brought the piece at the top of this post (I'm coveting this!!)...it's shibori-dyed and then completely stitched with Running stitch.

Cheryl brought in two embroidered pieces that caught her eye at an auction.

Cheryl C.: Purchased stitched piece

Cheryl C.: Purchased stitch piece.

Detail.

As usual...lots of great discussions and sharing! I so enjoy this get together every month!

Detail from Cheryl C.'s piece.

A small group for this month's Stitch-In...the "old gang" (some of the original members). Great conversations and lots of interesting work.

Cheryl blew us away with her new piece in-process and her plans for a piece utilizing the sampler from last month. This piece is the start of a new autobiographical series. Cheryl is looking ahead to these pieces becoming a published book and an exhibit. Her excitement is really contagious!

Cheryl C.: In-process piece.

Peggy is working on a series of  "healing cloths". These are part of a ministry for her church. She is making them and they will be given to others in need of healing. She decided to use a soft flannel as a background so that they will be comfortable to hold in addition to the healing colors, designs and words. This is so inspiring to me!

Peggy G.: Healing cloth.

Peggy G.: Healing cloth.

Peggy G.: Healing cloth.

Susan came straight from the Woodlawn Needlework Show. She brought along the catalog that had an interesting photo of an embroidery leaf. So Susan decided to create one of her own!

Susan P.: Inspired by the cover design.

Susan P.: Stitched leaf.

In addition, Susan continued work on a patchwork design she started at the last Stitch-In. She is adding couched details.

Susan P.: Couching on patchwork.

Barbara was inspired by the designs on her scarf (from Anthropologie).

Barbara C.'s scarf : Front side with stitch details.

Barbara C.'s scarf: Back side

She used this wooden piece as a stencil.

Barbara C. used this as a stencil! Ingenious!

And then started stitching on her beautiful hand-dyed fabric with variegated perle cotton  WonderFil threads from Artistic Artifacts (BTW: Artistic Artifacts is having a WonderFil Show and Tell on March 25). 

Barbara C.: Stitched designs. She's planning to turn this into a pillow.

I continued work on some samplers for the Boro and Beyond: The Versatile Running Stitch weekend workshop at Artistic Artifacts (this weekend!)

Some of my Boro samplers in-process.

Thanks for a great Stitch-In!

Erika C. Flip Doll Torso side one.

I'm finishing up the backlog of blog posts!

The Stitch-In!

For the February Stitch-In we had a large group (12) and a number of large pieces!

Erika C.: Hand painted and stitched whale.

Erika C.: Side two of the flip doll.

Erika C. brought in her life-size flip doll...part of her Potomac Fiber Arts Guild grant project. She is finishing up the torso and skirt before working on the heads of this two-part doll. I love the details...all the hand-painted and hand-stitched animals. I can't wait to see how this piece continues to progress! It will be part of an exhibit at her gallery at the Torpedo Factory Art Center and also her grant project exhibit. To find out more about Erika's work: http://www.transformativehealingdolls.com/

Holly C.: Finished art quilt featuring hand dyed, painted and stitched work.

Holly C.: Detail.

Holly C.: Detail.

Another large piece was this art quilt by Holly C. This piece was painted by Holly and includes both hand and machine stitching. She is planning to enter it in a show.

Barbara C.

Barbara C.: Detail.

Barbara C. is also starting in on a large piece. Love the shape of the hummingbird...looking forward to seeing where this piece goes.

Ann Z.: Sculpture

Jodie F.: Sculpture

Ann Z. and Jodie F. both worked on their sculptures for the Hand Stitching Continued class. You can see finished sculptures here.

Kate M. working on her Healing Cloth.

Peggy G.: Working on a new Healing Cloth.

Kate and Peggy were both working on Healing Cloths. Kate started hers in the Fall Healing Cloth workshop (I'm holding this workshop again in June.). Peggy is planning (along with Ann Z.) to create Healing Cloths for members of her church in need of healing.

Imani R.

Imani brought in her completed fabric collage. She is working on a number of large dolls for an upcoming show. Imani is both a clothing designer and doll maker. Here is a link to her website:  http://indigosfriends.com/about/

Sampler that Cheryl C. brought in to share.

Cheryl brought in this sampler that she purchased at a flea market. She is starting in on a new series that jumps off from the sayings and sampler concept...really cutting edge stuff! She's in the seminal stages and asked that I wait to share.

Another great month...thanks stitchers!!