Stamp Your Art Out

I had a wonderful time yesterday with members of the Piedmont Quilters' Guild in Greensboro NC. On a chilly, rainy day, we painted and stamped our art out. The morning was spent on surface design, transforming white fabrics into pastel backgrounds with paints, pigments and a little salt. The plan was to let the fabrics dry outside in the sun. Instead, we placed the wet pieces on aluminum foil in a 200 degree oven for 15 minutes. Voila! We were ready to stamp.

At day's end, students had a nice collection of unique pieces. We used not only commercial rubber stamps, but found objects, kitchen tools and stamps made from cut foamies and the insides of light bulb boxes.

Below are just a couple of photos from the day. Click on images for a closer view.

Linda organized my day with the Piedmont Quilters' Guild.

Linda's pastel painted fabrics were then stamped with dragonflies (one of her favorite images), hearts and words of kindness.

Mary Jo, who minored in art in college, created very innovative fabrics.

A beige linen-like fabric Mary Jo said she never liked was transformed with a wash of red paint before being stamped with delicate flower outlines and circles. Plans for a surface-designed jacket are underway.

More of Mary Jo's fabrics.

Connie had already packed her wonderful fabrics away, but stayed
to help gather my quilts together.

The workshop was held in the huge classroom at Randy's Quilt Shop. We all practiced a little retail therapy. And every time I stepped into the shop, I ran into another person I knew. Fun! Quilters share a common bond and are friends forever.