Pillow Project Update

So far, I'm spreading out piles of fabric scraps leftover from projects. The idea is to piece together pillow tops roughly the same size - about 15 of them. I also will add some transferred images with words, small mandalas, birds, and other healing elements. The first pillow I did as a sample has decorative top stitching at the seams, which I really like as a finishing touch, so I'll add some to each of the pillows. More later as I peck my way to my goal!

Pillow Project

I was asked by the Jude Kellor, the healing arts director for Centura hospitals in the Denver area, to speak to a cancer survivors group at Porter Hospital in Littleton. I was honored to be asked, along with three other artists who were also juried into the Creation fiber art exhibit at Parker Centura. I decided not only to speak to the group about the healing power of art, but to do a workshop with them along with fellow artist Christi Beckmann. Some of the ideas we're throwing around are: fabric journals and pillows with healing imagery and words. As I create some pillows to bring, the ideas are coming in droves!! Here's the first pillow - I need to add a healing quote of some kind before I put the stuffing in and finish it.

Pencil Drawing Transfers

First, I drew the bird in my sketchbook. After that, I copied the image (on my printer) onto some fabric transfer paper, then ironed it down onto fabric. (You can see that it flips the image). One tip: Make sure the image is dark enough to stand up to the other colors in the fabric swatch. Sometimes a very soft pencil drawing fades out, so I add darker areas in pencil or Sharpie.