A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

Jan from Wyoming — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:23:27 GMT

I love Kelli's art and love the most recent Quilting Arts "Gifts" magazine. There are so MANY great projects in it. I finally had my sewing machine fixed last week and found all of the "accessories" that came with it on Saturday. I want to make handmade Christmas presents this year, rather than buy other's art for presents (not that there's anything wrong with buying other's art!).

It's been a long time since I did art, but after I found Kelli on Facebook she mentioned that the Mixed Media Art Friends group was going to do a study of her book, "Stitch Alchemy." I immediately joined the group.

My first mistake (and last, since I put the bookstudy on hold while I "dug out" from under all of the junk I had acquired that was taking over my small house)... As I was saying, my first/last mistake in the study happened after I printed an old bird print on tissue paper. I had used freezer paper as a backing to the tissue paper while printing. I had read that one must heat set ink jet prints before using them in projects, so I used my iron in an attempt to set the ink. Afterwards, I realized that I had left the freezer paper on the tissue paper, and that the two papers had become one! The result is a stiff paper, but I like the texture and "feel" of it. I haven't used it yet, but I plan to use it in a project in the future. I still like coming upon it (I'm not completely dug out) and feeling it, again. I notice that the colors are not what I would like, so next time I print something for art, I will manipulate the colors a bit.

This experience helped me to feel more free about experimentation. I quit being an artist a long time ago because my art was always so painstakingly done. And yet, after taking days to draw a realistic looking duck from a photograph, a friend who is a biologist and duck expert made the comment that he did not know what kind of duck it was! Yikes! I quit drawing right there. (Like Kelli, I am a control freak, but unlike her, I haven't been able to just let go and do art, regardless.)

In the past year, I discovered Quilting Arts and CPS as well as many lovely blogs and books, and I now feel inspired to do art from a different direction, with less concern about perfection.

While digging out, I have purchased some art supplies, tried drawing very freely and quickly (still not so satisfied, but I feel more relaxed about it), and finally feel like I have some space to make and hang, say... wet paper cloth, in my house! The digging out process has been quite freeing as well.

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

Lynne Weinberger — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:59:12 GMT

I was fusing plastic bags for the first time to make 'fabric' for a purse, and I cut the several layers I'd fused into one large piece too narrow. Rather than toss the whole thing into the recuycle bin, I decided to cut the large fused piece into several strips and weave them. I then re-fused the woven strips together and created a neat basketweave piece of plasti-fabric. The ink designs on the bags were even more random with the weaving! I get compliments on that purse everywhere I go - even from men who don't usually comment on purses - LOL It's a real conversation starter and proof that if you just keep going with a mistake, it usually turns out better than the original 'plan'.

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

lemonjello — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:48:53 GMT

My favorite mistake happened when I was teaching an art class and forgot the canvas for a painting project-I improvised with gessoed paper and found it worked great and we were able to paint,sew and stuff it as thought it were canvas-I still use it in my own projects. This book sounds wonderful-I have to get a copy.

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

leissinclair — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:08:43 GMT

I have a cookie exchange each year. I think I might make these for a gift for all my freinds. Thanks for a great project.

My mistake was just recently, I was making pumpkin pin cushions and it was late. I ended up with the wrong side of the fabric on the outside. It looked teriffic. Nobody ever knew. What happens in the sewing room stays in the sewing room.

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

pinkgypsy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:37:47 GMT

My biggest creative mistake is never giving myself permission to experiment outside of a design. I met Kelli at Chicago and learned of her book being published and preordered and waited. When it arrived I loved it. I have read and re-read her book and loved her cookies in Q.A. gifts. If I had a cookie pin perhaps I would finally step out of my box. Indy-pink gypsy.

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

dragonfly12 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:49:03 GMT

We were having "Art Day"- gelatin printing on fabric. I got way too much green paint on my gelatin plate, smeared it around and laid a paper towel on it to soak up the excess. I put some leaves down and pulled the first print and the paper towel texture showed. Beautiful swirls and dots! It was the best print of the day- it looks like a handmade batik! It was a great "accident"

Social comments and analytics for this post

uberVU - social comments — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:48:09 GMT

This post was mentioned on Twitter by PokeyBolton: Like free stuff? Quilting Arts assistant editor Pippa is giving away Kelli Perkins fabric cookies ! http://bit.ly/1TnEkm

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

SandraB. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:44:25 GMT

The mistake that stands out in my mind is the shawl that was lace...by accident from dropping stitches and not noticing until too late. Now I check my work more carefully; as to that shawl...I added a lot of ribbons, different yarns and made the dropped stitches "just another design element".

Those no-bake cookie pins are among my favorite projects in this issue of Gifts; but I'd probably say that about all the projects. Another stellar edition!

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

QuilterBridget — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:20:27 GMT

Well, I guess I need to get this book! I always say I'm a traditional quilter, but it turns out that the "art" quilts I make for various fund raisers get the most attention. One of my really small (16x16) quilts just sold for $81 on an E-Bay fundraiser. I've sold baby quilts for less than that! Anyway, I have bought a lot of neat stuff this past year (foils, angelina, paints, beads, etc), but pretty much the only thing I do is experiment to see how they work. By the way, you gotta check out a new product called Texture Magic, put out by Superior Threads. Now THAT is a fun product and I've acually finished a few projects after my initial experimentation. Needless to say, I'm glad you mentioned this book because I think it'll be really helpful as I try to find my niche in the quilt world. For now I'm bouncing around from style to style.

And as far as a mistate turning out goes, the first one that comes to mind is when I printed out several photos on a fabric sheet (commercial, so it wasn't cheap). I accidentally had my printer set to draft mode and the pictures showed up really light. I used them anyway because it was another experimental art quilt idea that I wasn't sure about to begin with. Turns out that my embellishing worked really well and made the pictures stand out better than if they'd have been brighter.

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

Quilnan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:03:16 GMT

Yummy loooking cookies! One of my "error-turned-success" episodes was when I cut out applique shapes for needleturn without leaving a turn-under allowance. So the shapes did not match the original plan or placement. Happily skinny and small actually looked good in the end result.

I'm taking the Stitch Alchemy book study online with the group Kelli mentioned. At this point, a couple of the fabric papers I made look like mistakes... but I am confident that with added color, stitchery, and embellishment they will go from ugly duckling to swan soon. Nancy

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

dipart57 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:26:24 GMT

I ordered Kelli's book from Amazon as soon as it was available and I just love it and now it is my first reference to look for new ways to use some of the art supplies I have accumulated since I first started art quilting. Thankyou for sharing your thoughts on this site Kelli, you are an ispiration as far away as New Zealand.

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

jojo — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:09:14 GMT

Oh Pokey - I make mistakes on every project I do - seriously! Should I start the tennis outfit I sewed the zipper in the armhole? But wait - that didn't turn it into a thing of beauty. Hmmm - a mistake that turned out fortunate. I'm not a very precise piecer so I've had to applique something cute over many a hole. . .

Love Kelli's work. I'm planning a batch of cookies myself but would LOVE an original.

Thanks for the opportunity:)

jojo

re: A Convo with Kelli Perkins and Fabric Cookie Giveaway

quiltcrazygaljennalouise — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:55:56 GMT

I just love these cookies, they are my next project to try from the Quilting Arts Gifts Magazine...I made the potholders on the front cover this past weekend and gave them away already to a bride to be for her new kitchen and everyone loved them. I posted them on my blog if you would like to see...quiltcrazygaljennalouise.blogspot.com Thanks for another excellent Gifts publication!

My mistake was really a silly one. When I was just beginning to machine quilt and practice writing words, I made my nephew McKoy a quilt and instead of putting "Aunt Jenny", I put "Anut Jenny". I was so proud of the quilting and I took it into work and sure enough the gals loved it that I sitiched "Anut" instead of "Aunt":) It was really a funny mistake because I like to be "a nut" sometimes:) Thanks again for all your wonderful publications and inspiration. Jennifer Morlock