Paintsticks Monday!

Today was a totally fun day, a great way to start the week and get my creative juices moving.  Beth Schillig, our resident art quilter, came over and showed my book designer Kim, fellow quilter, Vicki and me how to use Shiva Paintstiks to create some beautiful fabric designs. I ordered my Paintstiks from Cedar Canyon Textiles but I think they are available at quilt shops everywhere.  Basically, Paintsticks are oil paints in a fat crayon form.

Beth teaches a class about fabric design with Paintsticks. You can check her new website. Kim, Vicki, and I were lucky enough to get private lessons! Beth came with all the supplies. First, she showed us how to use rubbing plates, stencils, rubber stamps, freezer paper stencils and then let us loose.

Here is the snowflower that Kim did with rubbing plates and her own stencil design.

This one is what Vicki did with a coneflower rubbing plate. 

The blending of the colors is what makes it so nice.

I painted gingko leaves on silk dupioni. I tried to blend colors for each leaf. It will be good to design my own fabric by either adding texture to a printed fabric or creating a pattern with the rubbing plates on a solid fabric.

This has to dry for 24 hrs and then we can add stitching. It's a fun and easy medium for surface design. Try it with your friends!