I had to paint some more cheesecloth but that went quickly. It was a novel experience to use this flimsy material and I was a…
I decided to cut away the green background and then I prepared my long-arm for the next step. I still had a lot of green…
While pondering what would give my dragon quilt more life, I asked for help. SAQA MA/RI is an unwieldy name for the local chapter of…
The sharp edge between painted and not painted will be hard to cover up. I extend the painted area, attempting to match the colors and…
I like the painted flames. Textile paint applies nicely to Evolon, a non-woven (and thus, non-fraying) material. I can cut all kinds of detailed, curving…
The stitching is about complete. Since I’ve done this on my mid-arm (a Handi-Quilter Sweet 16) I can easily take it away from the machine…
I’ve been free motion stitching on my Handi-Quilter Sweet 16 machine. It’s a “sit down mid-arm” sewing machine. There is some confusion about nomenclature –…
Making it up as I go, I’ve decided to layer the air-brushing and batting onto the right side of the backing fabric. My thought is…
Taking the masking off the edges is fun because a clean edge is revealed and so much messiness is instantly cleared away. However, in this…
As the name implies, super opaque white has pretty good coverage. I used some on the palette to make a brighter base for the color…
Just love that chartreuse color! I had wanted to use some metallic color on the dragon, but the pigment particles are coarser and clog up…
I protect my work area from overspray. Lots of newsprint pinned up around the general area as it is surprising how much spray can go…
To work on the dragons, I’ll need to protect what I’ve already done. I need to make some small areas of color, and tracing vellum…
At this point, I’m totally into what I’m doing, even though I know I’ve strayed from my original concept. This is not the minimally detailed,…
Traditionally, the painting process requires masking – exposing areas to be painted while protecting other areas from un-wanted spray. Frisket (a thin, sticky plastic film)…
An airbrush is slightly larger than a pen, having an attached cup or bottle to contain paint and connected to a compressed air source. Air…
Dabbling with different supplies is part of the fun of being an artist, but I really have to restrain myself in an art supply store.…
My composition is decided, airbrush equipment is in working order, paints and mediums are at the ready. What about the fabric? Cotton readily absorbs paint,…
Finally, I found my stand-in…Why, yes, of course this is me! I have often battled demons trying to crush my artistic soul: “That’s not good…
Even when I am not concerned about copyright infringement as I know that the final form will be a far cry from any original source,…
A carved wooden dragon traveled home with me from Thailand. It will be the model for the dragons I want to air-brush. I sketched out…
Amusement carnival art may have a certain naivety but also a definitive “look” to it. Bright color, outlining, bold imagery often with condensed space in…
I hope to duplicate the look of a spray-painted mural with air-brushing. My experience with air-brushing is limited, more because of time limitations than lack…
We’ve all had times when the original plan didn’t work. How did you proceed after facing the unexpected? Many artists happily embrace those moments, looking…
It took longer to finish up this quilt than I expected, though it wasn't the quilt's fault. Life just got in the way, but I…
The assembled quilt has been loaded onto my A-1 longarm sewing machine. Not only will the stitching hold down the fabric collage elements, but it…
Before quilting, I need to play with the position of flowers (I’ve painted a smaller second one) and butterfly on the painted background. #flowersandbutterflies #fabricpainting…
Added some paint to soften the edges between black border and fused color spots. I’m liking it! #butterfly #wings #fabriccollage #saqawip #fabricpainting #realism #susanpolansky
Building a butterfly with fabric -the photo shows back and front. The black fabric has fusible on it, which made it easier to cut out…
Flower painting has been put aside – now for something completely different, creating the butterfly. Hard to go to straight black after working with bright…
My painted flower had a transparency problem. The background was showing through, especially the trellis lines, even with a white backing applied. So next I…
There’s a problem here-do you see it? (Painted flower from Andrea Brokenshire’s workshop and painted background from my photo reference.) #paintedfabric #paintingproblems #wip #saqawip #fabriccollage…
First steps…painting a background for a new quilt using my photo for reference. I’ve maintained some areas of white by ironing on freezer paper templates,…
“Controlled mess” is so much fun in painting! Here I’ve protected areas that I want to keep white with freezer paper templates, painted a streaky…
Using a black and white photocopy enlargement underneath the fabric, I’ve painted the main structures. I can wing it from here by referring to my…
The background begins! #artworkinprogress #paintedquilt #saqawip #susanpolansky
My photo from the summer is perfect for the background of the flower I painted in Andrea Brokenshire’s fabric painting workshop! #artstart #artoninstagram #artworkinprogress #fabricpaint…
I made this painted flower in a workshop taught by Andrea Brokenshire. She’s a very talented quilt artist and generous teacher. Only problem is the…
Sorry to string you along, but I couldn’t resist, especially when I want to show how I sewed the kite strings. I use a not-so-sticky…
Ah, I just showed my quilt getting loaded onto my long arm yesterday, and-TaDah! it’s done and photographed! Not a super fast quilter, just my…
My A-1 longarm machine, ready to sew! #indiaquilt #lovemylongarm #saqawip #neqmexplorations #deadlineistomorrow #susanpolansky
Composition is off the design wall! Ironing with a press cloth to make sure everything is fused completely. Next step: quilting. #indiaquilt #neqmexplorations #saqawip #ironing…
Going going gone – biggest section of stitching and wash away stabilizer in the bathtub. I put an envelope of netting to provide support during…
What a mess, right? After stitching on a section of my quilt-before quilting-and before washing away the stabilizer (clear, shiny on the front and white…
When I remove a section of my quilt composition to do some stitch work, I carefully mark with pins the space it needs to go…
Sewing a section of #indiaquilt. This isn’t the quilting stage yet. Here I am securing bits of fabric(they have already been fused) and also adding…
I’m in the final stretch of making my complicated #indiaquilt for #neqmexplorations ,- it has to be finished and photographed by Aug. 1. This tiny…
After stitching a section and washing stabilizer away, I add it back to the rest of the quilt. #indiaquilt #fabriccollage #saqawip #neqmexplorations #artistsoninstagram #artquilt #susanpolansky…
A horizontal section of #indiaquilt removed to do some stitching. If you’ve been following from the beginning, you’ll remember that I didn’t trace my original…
My version of life on the wild side: I haven’t used this kind of wash away stabilizer before, so here it goes…and the result is…
Small fabric scraps can get out of hand quickly when doing a complicated #fabriccollage like my #indiaquilt. I use a hanging organizer (like for shoes…
I pin up bits of fabric that I cut with a freezer paper template or by freehand guesstimating the shape, but none of these pieces…
When work becomes “precious” because you like it, it’s difficult not to get caught up in playing it safe, but that sucks the fun right…
This will be a billboard on #indiaquilt – don’t know if it’s legible, but it doesn’t need to be. (a number of people kindly translated…
I’m going to make a billboard sign with thread work. Not sure how legible the characters will come out, if it will be more about…
Fabric auditions. Worst part about this is putting away all the ones that don’t make it! #indiaquilt #saqawip #neqmexplorations #fabriccollage #susanpolansky
Time to work on one of the bigger people, but I’m still using tweezers. #indiaquilt #saqawip #neqmexplorations #jaipur #fabriccollage #susanpolansky
I showed the green sari woman getting created, but here she is in position with some company. #indiaquilt #saqawip #jaipur #neqmexplorations #susanpolansky
Working on the little people; saris are fun because you can sneak in an unexpected burst of color. #indiaquilt #saqawip #neqmexplorations #jaipur #fabriccollage #susanpolansky
Are any of the fabrics in my #indiaquilt from India? No, but I did come home with a suitcase full! South of Jaipur is Sanganer,…
Tools I use for cutting freezer paper templates for #indiaquilt A mini cutting mat is easy to move around, making it quicker to cut with…
Some fabrics might be replaced a few times, just as a painter would revise their colors, until the right balance is created. For now, I…
Beginning to put together a complicated quilt, when I am facing the actuality of the how many steps it will take for completion, I can…
I’ve been cutting out lots of freezer paper templates. For my non-quilting friends, freezer paper(from the supermarket,) when ironed onto fabric, sticks and peels off…
#indiaquilt – full size at 30” x 50.” I use an improvised plumb line (a string with a weight on the end) to begin with…
Gathering building materials for my India quilt. On the left are printed bricks and stones, on the right are similar textures. And yes, I do…
It’s not a perfect photoshop edit, but it’s what I need to make a quilt from. I love making my own reality! #neqmexplorations #fabriccollage #photoshopedit…
If you’re wondering how I’m working with photos for my India quilt… #photoshopedit #fabriccollage #neqmexplorations #susanpolansky
Once I created the background for my #indiaquilt I can figure out how to bring it to life, and the foreground figures will be central…
India quilt composition. So many hours in and I haven’t even started thinking about the fabric! Need to buy some “building materials.” #neqmexplorations #saqawip #jaipur…
India quilt composition in progress. #photoshopedit #ilovephotoshop #artistsoninstagram #neqmexplorations #saqawip #jaipur #susanpolansky
Of course my India quilt will have people, and maybe a few animals (like the cattle and dogs that were everywhere.) Fantastic people watching there,…
Kites dotted the skies wherever we traveled in India. I like my quilts to have meaning, and kite flying seems so symbolic of what I…
India quilt begins. I’m not sure what to post of my progress. I make lots of small changes on photoshop to create the final composition…
I’ve begun my next quilt, and as a departure from my usual method, I am making it specifically for an exhibit at The New England…