We may need to call this year the Centennial Summer. So many days reaching 100+ degrees. As the saying goes, “if you can’t beat it, join it!”

That’s what I did last weekend with my friend Laura. We were dyeing. No…not dying from the heat, but dyeing wool using the sun (aka solar dyeing).

Laura lives on a small farm and, amongst many things, she raises fiber animals for their wool, hand spins it into yarn and knits or weaves it into things (e.g., hats, gloves, table linens, etc). She’s fabulous and her farm is so peaceful.

Last weekend she invited several of us to visit and experiment with solar dyeing wool. I know little about all of this, so it was fun for me  to watch and learn. Here’s what we did:

1) Laura pre-washed sheared wool and we soaked it  in buckets of water.

2) We mixed acid dyes in 50/50 vinegar solution in glass mayo jars. (Thanks to Renee for supplying the Jacquard dye.) You could be precise about your measurements, especially if you wanted to recreate your results at another time. Although they were at the ready, we all decided no measuring spoons or cups for us.

3) Next, we placed hunks of the wool into the jar and set them in the hot sun. For a faster reaction time, we placed the jars on a car sun-reflector.

4) The jars of wool had to stay in the sun to get hot and have the dye react with the fibers. We knew the wool was ready when the dye solution had expired, meaning all the dye had moved into the fibers which leaves the solution clear.

The process took several hours. And instead of watching the jars in the hot sun, we went inside with the a/c. We had a fabulous cool lunch, and brought out spinning wheels (my spindle) and made yarn and talked of many different things.

At the end of the day, we took our jars home and washed our wool. What a surprise to see the intense colors! The day reminds me of Don McLean’s song “Vincent”.

Summer, Summer Dayz ~sic~
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand.

Thank you Laura and Renee for the beautiful Summer, Summer Day.

Taking time to focus on my art has been very cathartic. During the process I’m contemplating on what makes me happy and where I want to be. I’m letting my art happen during this mindful experience and I’m discovering a lot. I think everyone needs to spend some time alone. Being rushed or having others demand your attention doesn’t allow you to truly focus on what’s right in front of you. Its important to understand what is driving you, or not. Taking time to reflect on your journey is very rewarding.

What also is rewarding is the art work I’m producing. Pictured on this post is my newest piece, “Solitude” (dimensions: 36” x 46″). It’s not quite a quilt and not quite a painting, but contains components of both. Its embellished with thread-painting, which is basically using thread as your paint and the sewing machine as the brush (I love doing this). The leaf is created entirely from thread. The entire piece is pure me, mixed media and fiber.

For me, the mighty silhouette of the tree (red maple) is a powerful image. Strength, beauty, patience, power, are a few words that I conjure in my mind. I’m also reminded to hang on for the ride and stay grounded, even if things don’t go so smoothly. This month has helped me realize how fortunate I am in many ways. If you can find the time, I encourage you to spend it alone with yourself. Its amazing what you can discover in the solitude.

Zip another month has passed by, summer is finally here in the south. I truly loved our mild spring. The windows were open for quite a few weeks, but now the hum of the AC keeps me company instead of the birds singing in the yard.

During May, I enjoyed the company of several talented women who joined me in a Mixed Media Surface Design class at The Artist League. Once a week, for 3 weeks, we met for playful experimenting with surface design. During each class, I showed them some techniques to add color and design to white surfaces (cloth or paper) and then they played.

I knew going into this class that I could never predict the final results. This wasn’t a project class; I didn’t want them to copy me. I wanted them to take a technique, then find something within themselves to create their own designs. Their results proved me right. I never would have been able to predict what they did. Each session I was blown away by the talent in the class. Master works of modern art were created from their spontaneous whimsy. If they wanted to try something different, I said “Why not?” or “Try it and see.”

I have 2 favorite parts of teaching. The first is watching the “ah ha!” moment happen, when the student realizes they can do something which once intimidated them. The second is when “I” learn something. In all the years I have taught, I cannot remember a time when I didn’t learn something during one of my classes. As the ladies in this class experimented, I learned with them. It was so exciting to watch how things developed. So here’s to learning, its so much fun, I never want to stop!

If you think this class sounds interesting, then join me for:
Fiber Collage: Adding Depth and Texture with Textiles
July 23, 2011 from 9:30 to 4:30
$40 member/$50 non member
Location: The Artist League of the Sandhills
For more information, contact The Artist League at 910-944-3979.

Over the years, I’ve explored a great many techniques for adding color to fabric. Why? Because, sometimes pre-designed materials you find in stores just won’t work for a given project. Other times, you just want to create something that’s totally you.

For a fiber artist, facing a blank piece of fabric is very similar to a painter facing a blank sheet of canvas… the possibilities are endless. In fact, when it comes to surface design many of the tools available to the fiber artist can can also be used on painter’s canvas or water color paper. And, many techniques that the painter is using can be used by the fiber artist.

You may be asking what is surface design? Just what is says, simply a way to add design to a surface using a variety of techniques and media to alter appearances.  These days, the term is most commonly heard amongst quilting and mixed media artists. The use of surface design has played a critical role in the recent advancement of non-traditional art quilts. Quilters are painting their designs on fabric and quilting them to create stunning works of art. You can see some of this in action by viewing the works of Susan Brubaker-Knapp.

The exciting thing is that many surface design techniques that art quilters are using can, with equal success, cross media into traditional 2-dimensional artwork and collage. The processes are fun and liberating, because they open up opportunities for experimentation. Its like being a kid again…rules are few and its acceptable to break them.

Are you curious about surface design? Do you want to find out more? Better yet, do you want to enjoy some creative play? Then join me for a class at:

Artists League of the Sandhills

6-8:30 pm, Wednesdays, April 28, May 5, and May 12

Price: $50 League Members/ $70 Non-members

Class: Surface Design Using Mixed Media
Instructor: Nanette S. Zeller

Short synopsis:
During  this 3-session course, students will use creative play to explore a variety of surface design techniques using acrylic paints, watercolor pencils, Shiva Painsticks, and other tools. In class, the student can choose to apply the techniques to either fabric or watercolor paper, or experiment with both surfaces. The resulting designs can be applied to 2-dimensional surfaces, used as collage elements, or incorporated into art quilts. This workshop is intended to inspire both new and experienced artists to include surface design into their artwork.

If you want to find out more, contact the Artist League at 910-944-3979 or visit their web site at www.artistleague.org. I really hope you will join me and don’t forget to tell your friends. I’m sure you will have fun.

He came to us named “Luke,” as in “Luke Skywalker” from Star Wars fame. We decided that name just didn’t fit his personality. At the time, Desert Storm (the first Gulf War) was in full swing and there was one name that was frequently in the headlines. “Stormin’ Norman” Swartkoff. This Army General had an attitude that you knew would win the war, but you could also sense he had a big soft side. General Swartkoff’s personality, matched that of our new German shepherd pup. So, we decided to name our pup in honor of this Army hero. We called him “Storm.”

Storm filled the void of the child I would never have. He and I attended obedience classes and competed in agility competitions. He won ribbons and made me smile. Storm was always the center of attention. Always! And seemed to love letting me take pictures of him, such beautiful pictures. It was a sad, sad time for me last August, when I had to make the decision to put his old body out of pain. Although we had other animals in our home, Storm was my life. Everything revolved around him, he always needed special attention.

Around the same time that I had to make the decision, Quilting Arts Magazine announced their 2012 calendar contest. The theme: “Feeling Pet-ty.” I decided to use this opportunity to challenge myself and apply some techniques that I had been dabbling with. I definitely was feeling “Pet-ty.”

I submitted my entry “A Perfect Storm” and waited. Mid-January (a day before my birthday) I got word that out of hundreds of entries, “Storm” was one of  the 23 finalists. I had to pack him up and send him to Massachusetts and wait to hear the 13 winners. Yesterday, a day before Valentine’s Day, I got the word…Storm made it!!!! My buddy will be featured in the 2012 Quilting Arts Magazine. They won’t return him to me until late 2012, while he’s gone he’ll be traveling the quilt show circuit. I’ll try to catch up with him when I can.

So even after he left my life…this dog continues to be an important part of it. What a wonderful birthday and Valentine’s gift he’s given me! For without him, I would have never entered this contest. Little buddy, you have truly left your paw prints on my heart.

Note: In respect to Quilting Arts, I will refrain from showing a full photo of my finished piece. You’ll have to wait  to see it when the calendar come out later this year.

I’m a designer; I take fabric, textiles and fibers and develop projects. I have always loved making stuff for around the house. In the past year or so, I’ve spent more time designing things that could be sold (see my etsy shop) or projects that I could use to teach. So besides the pincushions, I have another idea to use Weeks Wool. Problem is finding the time to get the idea out of my head and into a prototype. Sometimes I find, just having the idea sit in my head for awhile helps me work out the kinks in the design.

So with ideas of future wool projects dancing in my head, I opened the box from Weeks and was surprised to see a couple of samples of their hand dyed weavers cloth (Thanks, Kelly!). Oh dear! I knew they carried other types of fabric, but I never saw this in real life. This stuff is wonderful. Its all about the “hand” (how it feels when you touch it). My experience has been that most people use this fabric for embroidery, but lately I’ve been seeing a lot of new designers are using unusual fabrics, like linen, in their sewing projects. Linen and weaver’s cloth are old timey fabrics, that are getting a revised appreciation from the trendier designers like Rashida Coleman-Hale with her “I Love Patchwork” book. So, when I touched the Weeks weaver’s cloth my senses were sparked. This fabric feels so good, I know something cool has to come of it. So stay tuned to see what I do with it, my brain is humming.

Note: I am going to start selling Weeks wool through my etsy store later in February. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know when its available.

The good news is as I am moving forward on my journey, I planted seeds for new things. It takes awhile…but I’m starting to see the potential of my efforts. Friday, I received the community college catalog and there it was, the sewing classes I developed are advertised and I’m already getting great response. No worries about canceled classes here.

Tuesday I’ll be pitching another class to someone else. This one will emphasize my skills as a C&T Surface Design Ambassador. You can see an example of my surface design in the featured picture. Surface design is a wide ranging variety of concepts that focus on altering fabric with paint and other media. In July, I’m scheduled to teach fabric painting to the local guild.

I have some other ideas to pitch around town and the big secret that I anxiously can’t tell you about until it happens. In the mean time, I’m working through what I have and where I’m going. This year I’ve discovered a lot about me. I’ve always loved to teach, so I’ll be teaching. And I’ve re-discovered that I love making my own painted fabric. My new work features painted fabrics that I made a few years ago and am finally figuring out what to do with it. I think I made a full circle. These fabrics inspire me, but they also remind me that sometimes you have to step back and review what you’ve been doing in order to move forward. All it takes is to continually put one foot in front of the other and it all will work out.

I have worn many hats, but none of them ever really fit right. Like Goldilocks, I had trouble finding the one that was “just right.” Over the last few months, I’ve been pondering whether my current career choice was the right one. Was it time to re-invent myself…again? As I pondered the options, I became more and more resistant to the idea of change.

Its finally dawning on me. I’m resistant, because I’m not suppose to change. I found my niche. I am an artist. There is something about making objects from fiber that breathes life into me. I want to share the excitement, because I’m a teacher. I want to explore, create, and bring inspiration. I can’t do that behind a computer or stuck in some cubicle all day.

This self-realization has motivated me. The motivation has brought opportunities that I didn’t realize were there. I am on the right path.

The motivation helped me find the elusive creativity bug. The other night, I assembled my first quilt top in over year.  What was exciting for me is that I used up a lot of material I already had (I need to thin the stash). I’m excited to be creating again, even if its only in baby-steps. Soon, I’ll have something to show you when you ask “What’s new pussy cat?”

Finally, I’m able to display the complete finished piece of the Carolina Mixed Media Artists Guild M4 Challenge. My process was posted on C&T Publishing’s blog today. Check it out:

Altered Timtex Background Up For the Challenge

This piece is available for purchase on my Etsy Store:  http://nanettesayz.etsy.com/

My thoughts are “How did they envision that?” But mostly I think “Wow!” This is the one event that I think captures the essence of this Guild, we are mixed media artists

Another sneak peek

Although I consider myself a fiber artist, my piece doesn’t “feel” fibery. That’s what the challenge is all about to me.  I’m stretching and forcing myself to try something different. I got frustrated with it during the process. “Now What?” was my biggest question along the way. Yeah…I could piece a quilt and hang things from it. Or knit a sweater embedded with challenge “ornaments.” Or laminate adornments within the layers of needle felt. But that’s ordinary to my life. I chose to stretch myself, do something kind of out of my comfort zone, try new things.

My idea came early, primarily since I have a history with the Long Leaf Pine tree. In my “other career,” I spent a lot of time studying plants and animals that live in the long leaf ecosystem. I roughly sketched my idea on paper (an unusual step for me), then spent weeks thinking and processing. The thought process happened while I was busy with everything else going on in my life the last 2 months. Then I finally “started”…and it just happened. The “now what’s?” came, but each time they resolved themselves. Little by little the components came together.  I am pleased with my final piece. I used techniques I was comfortable with, but I also experimented a lot. I learned a lot. That’s why I love this challenge. I learn.