It's easy to forget most of us come to surface design and art quilts via fashion and/or home decor and/or quilt sewing.  While these new and interesting techniques look interesting and, even, fun some are intimidating and frequently require outlays of cash for media we may never use again. I suggest a technique that uses what we have on hand. When starting out, we want to dip out toes in the water, not cannonball into the deep end screaming, "I wonder if I can swim?" I came up with the following technique by serendipity: a bunch of crazily shaped batik scraps and a new sewing machine with hundreds of stitiching designs. Here it is.

MATERIALS

1 Piece of muslin (suggest 15" x 30" *)

A LOT of small scraps, any kind of fabric (silk, rayon, cotton, linen) as long as they are the same weight

A LOT of leftover snippets of ribbon, fringe, etc.

Any spools of thread with a little bit of thread left that need to be emptied, especially polyester or rayon or metallic embroidery threads

*You want to end up with a useable piece of fabric, but a really large pieces of muslin is too much. The first time I tried this I used a yard. I didn't sound like that much, but it WAS way too much. 15" x 30" makes a nice size tote bag.

Note re: bobbin thread: This is the perfect opportunity to use up small amounts of thread on bobbins. It doesn't matter what color is on the back side of the muslin.

For this application and for my machine, a number 11 sharp needle works for me. Your machine, fabric, and thread choices may require a different size.

Thread your machine and select any fancy stitch. Lay a scrap of fabric on the muslin (you can start at the center, at the side, wherever you want) and pin at center. Lay another scrap along a side edge. Edges are NOT turned under and the second piece need not cover an entire side of the first piece. Work with pieces that are no longer than 5" - 6" on any side. Sew the overlap with the fancy stitch. Remove the pin. You wont need it again. Lay down the next scrap on top of an edge and stitch. Use the same fancy stitch until you decide you want a different one. Or give yourself a rule .. the same stitch until I run out of thread. Or not. Just have fun seeing what your sewing machine can do. If you find a stitch you like and a thread you love, meander down several of the fabric pieces just because it's pretty! Have an odd side you can't quite cover? Add one of those snippets of ribbon or fringe. End up with a crease, wrinkle, or tuck on a scrap? Who cares, this is part of surface design. Do some deliberate pleating for dimension.

The result is a very useable piece of fabric that was fun to create and used only bits and pieces you had on hand. I've seen raw pieced cotton fabric sell in fabric stores for $12 yard and yours will be much better because it has fabrics and trims you selected!

I'd love to come visit and bring my pile of thermofax screens so you could become as addicted as I am! :)

Lynn

fibraartysta.blogspot.com

I use squeeze bottles with various-sized tips to write Stacked Journaling on fabric with both paint and fabric dye. Also, I love to use grocery store bleach pens (find them in the clothing detergent aisle) to discharge hand-dyed fabrics.

Just do it!  It doesn't matter if you think it's "right" or the "correct" way you never know what you are going to discover so just go play.

I have always been a machine quilter because it happens so quickly, but took up hand quilting when a grandson was wrestling every Saturday and I definately needed something to do with my hands. I am now hand stipling a Round Robin quilt project that I was in a few years back (8 yrs or so). I am truly enjoying the calmness of hand quilting, although it sure does take many hours to get the effect. My 16 year old granddaughter and 17 year old grandson are both very interested in designing, sewing and have both tried their hands at hand pieceing and quilting. Who knows were that will go for them, but at least I know the art is not lost in my family. fungram