art challenge family fiber art projects work in progress

Returning to an Old Fiber Arts Project

I recently returned to an old fiber arts project that I started probably 20 years ago. It’s not uncommon for artists to have multiple projects going at any one time, or for us to start a project and either set it aside for a [long] while or abandon it altogether. This particular project started with a challenge fabric. I was part of a quilting group at the time and that’s where the challenge came from.…

Continue reading

fiber art how-to reading

Book Review: The Dressmaker’s Companion by Elizabeth Haywood

Since receiving “The Dressmaker’s Companion: A Practical Guide to Sewing Clothes” by Elizabeth “Liz” Haywood for Christmas, I’ve wanted to write a review of it. I haven’t gotten around to it until now because every time I dive into this treasure to figure out what to write, I get lost in all the fabulous information presented. When I first opened the book, which is a hefty 449 pages, I landed on the section discussing the…

Continue reading

art challenge fiber art observations

A Little Color-Matching Test

When I was earning my BFA degree for visual arts, one of the required classes was on color theory. It makes sense seeing as how so much of art depends on how colors interact with each other. During the class, the professor, Merle Sykora, who also happened to be my weaving professor, gave us an interesting color challenge. He provided each of us with 2 index cards. We were to combine two colors of gouache…

Continue reading