Lemonade Day 27: The Quilt Show in Long Beach

. I'm taking the opportunity of this unplanned time off to connect with the many artists and creators in this wonderful city that I love. Come with me on my 100-day odyssey - a scavenger hunt for art, creativity and community in Long Beach, CA.  I call it .

Today was Day 27 of Making Lemonade.  I visited the International Quilt Festival at Long Beach Convention Center (it wraps Sunday) and learned so much!

The International Quilt Festival continues Sunday.  There are still some great classes.  Sunday classes, Monday tour.  July 29: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.  Ticket prices: $10 daily adult, $8 seniors & students, Children 10 and under free.

Inspired by the idea of art cloth and fabric embellishment, I went to the Quilt Show today with a very specific goal.  I needed to learn as much as I could about fabric embellishment that would create a washable, sewable, wearable item.

I attended two of the Create on the Spot sessions.  Create on the Spot is a training area where you can sign up for 1-hour sessions at $10.00 each and taught by different instructors (think of it as a pop up makerspace).  I observed Easy Metal Embossing and Design your Own Fabric.

Easy Metal Embossing with Pam Damour.

I was particularly interested in metal embossing since I'd ordered (a bit ambitiously) 10 Mil copper foil for a project I was doing.  If you know about copper foil gauges, that's pretty thick.  It makes it difficult to work with.

The project today used tin floated pewter, malleable, yet strong enough to withstand the stress caused by the shaping tools..  

The class used other tools: a basic tool set n, a small sheet of tin coated pewter and a pencil-like paper stub.  A 4" x 6" plexiglass sheet Participants made a folksy yet ornate heart.

The metal works could be sewn to fabric with a machine, glued to a box, used to make a card, added to a purse exterior.  Filler can be applied to raised designs to reinforce the design from the back.  For fabric designs, you would want to use a specially distributed filler paste, but for designs that you will not be washing, spackle will do.

Design your Own Fabric with Betty Blais of Embellishment Village

The second class I observed was a walkthrough of a myriad of materials and techniques.  The class host, Embellishment Village, is an Oregon based store with an online presence.  They have a great selection of interesting products for creating art cloth.

My favorite technique involved the creation of "paper fabric" by layering of colored tissue and hand painted paper towels on a square of muslin prepared with a layer of colorless extender.  What is colorless extender?  Think Mod Podge for fabric. The papers were torn so that the edges were jagged, and additional extender was used over the top.  The result is not launderable, but can be wiped clean.  Uses?  For purses, wall hangings, journal covers.

There were many tools and techniques used during the session.  I thought it would be interesting for me to list them and write a few notes.

Glue pens - Used to draw a pattern onto a fabric prepared with a wonder under backing.  The glue was permitted to dry for most of the session, then a foil sheet was applied.

Foil sheet - Set onto tacky glue from glue pen (color side up) and scrape over the top.

Metal ribbon with holes - Used as a stencil to sponge color onto the fabric.  Apparently it comes in a grid, circles, with hearts.

Smooch spritz - Heat settable (iron to set) pearlized ink.  Sprayable color to apply a light, irregular layer onto the fabric.

Jacquard textile paints - small bottles. use tiny amounts.  Heat settable, washable after set.

Large rubber pattern stamps - Apply the textile paint with a brush and stamp fabric.

Pearlex - a very fine colored mica powder.  Used to apply over color extender then covered with more extender.  Adds texture, color.  Apply by taking a little onto a brush and tap the brush to release the mica in small amounts.

Notes from discussions with classmates:  Discount school paint (heat settable color) and set-a-color from Dharma Trading.  Once heat set, can be washed.  Procion dyes preferred over other brands.  Try hand dyeing with ice (as ice melts, the effect is very interesting).

Embellishment Village Demos

I was so thrilled by the class in creating your own art cloth, that I followed Betty back to the booth.  Lookie here!  There was a demo being performed right at the booth!  I observed, chatted with travelling instructor Diane Carter (from San Diego) and videotaped the demo.  Diane is self-employed under the name Cow Girl Quilt Designs.  Diane is working on a book about painting on textiles and has done an extremely interesting experiment with a variety of stamp pads, testing each one for its' heat settable color fastness.  Stamp pads are usually used to apply color to paper, but Diane has found a couple that work really well on fabric too!

Angelina - light, hair-like strands that can be ironed (on silk setting, between a goddess sheet) onto a stamp and will create a textured, sewable, washable applique.

007 Polymer powder - A very light powder that can be used to repair holes in fabric (simply sprinkle and iron) or to fuse any material to fabric.

Look who else is here!  Fiber and fabric in Long Beach usually involves Sew Vac to some degree. Scott Noble, Sew Vac owner, is supporting the Handi Quilt demonstrations.

Tidbits, Things, Trails

• I came away with a trail to follow.  Nancy McCarthy, M.D. was observing the demos at Embellishment Village and is an avid Mask-maker in her spare time!  Cool!
• It is so, so, so hard not to shop, especially with the show specials some are offering.  I must try my best not to break the rules of .  I know the rules would let me buy things if I don't use them for the game, but so as to not muddy the water, I am trying not to introduce any items newly purchased by me into my environment.

Next up?   

Possibly returning to the International Quilt Festival.

I also would like to start trying some techniques on fabric.

Want more lemonade?   

Need to contact me?  info@handmadepenguin.com

Trish Tsoiasue writes as herself about creative and maker topics for the Belmont Shore Patch and as Handmade Penguin for the Handmade Penguin Blog.