FELT BEADMAKING WORKSHOP

Today we enjoyed the FELT BEADMAKING WORKSHOP with Rebecca. It was very cool to learn how to do felt beads, soaps, layers, and strips!!!! It was very fun to learn how felt works as a material to create different projects.


If you'd like to know more about felting, don't miss our upcoming Lacy Felt Class with Akemi, starting February 13.  It's a five week class that meets on Saturdays from 10-1.

Knit/ Crochet Contest!

The people at Threadless, our neighbors down the street, are sponsoring a knitting and crocheting contest!  I'm sure all of you know about the amazing t-shirts that threadless churns out every week.  If you're inspired by them, why not make a knit piece in response?  You could win up to $250!

Here are the details from their website:

Threadknits is a fun, online knitting and crocheting contest run by Chris Cardinal and Threadless.com, where knitters like you turn their favorite Threadless designs into amazing pieces! (Lovingly hosted by Synapse Studios.)

Get started by picking a design, reading the rules, and creating a Threadknits account.
(It takes about 30 seconds.)

We're accepting entries now, so get started! Signup or follow us on Twitter for notifications!
 Subscribe to our entries feed!

You should also probably check out some of the amazing prizes we're rocking this year, along with the judges of our esteemed contest.

T-shirt Workshop Update

Hi all,

I just wanted to give you guys a peak at some t-shirts being printed in Friday's popular "T-shirt Workshop" class.  These shirts were printed on highlighter yellow shirts with super-opaque white by student Mauro Longoni.  The two colors together really make your eyes vibrate!  For you printers out there, you know how important super-opaque white can be.

For those not in the know, super-opaque white is a whole different ball game than regular white ink.  Regular white ink is meant to lighten other colors when mixing your own colors.  Most textile inks, including the regular white, are meant to print onto light color fabrics.  If you were wanting to print a white on black, let's say, there would not be enough pigment concentration to block out the dark fabric underneath your image.  This is where super-opaque white can be your best friend!  

Super opaque white is super awesome for printing, but can be tricky to work with.  The ink comes in a really thick consistency, and extender base MUST BE USED.  If not, you might not be able to get even one clean print.  The ink is so thick on its own it will clog your mesh real quick without any extender.  I use about 10-15% extender mixed in with super opaque white, because too much would thin out its opacity.   That's my tip of the day!  Hey it worked for Mauro...

A Peek Into My Studio and Recent Project.

Hi! My name is Frances. I am the monitor on Thursday afternoons in the Textile Lab. Some of you may have come across me there, and, some of you may have met me in one of the many classes offered at Lill Street as a fellow classmate. My main areas of interest are printing on fabric, embroidery, and felting. I have been felting for a couple of years now and have sold my nuno-felt scarves and other felted items at craft fairs. One of the things that I am working on is setting up an online store with Artfire so I can sell online. Presently, I am cleaning up my little studio space (a small corner of the basement) and reorganizing after the chaos that came with the holidays. It looks a lot more organized now.



For the last couple of weeks I have mostly been working on embroidery projects (you can check out my blog through the link under staff at the far right of this page if you wish to see and read more regarding my embroidery projects). However, I recently started laying out wool for a wall-hanging. For Christmas my mom bought me some Finn wool directly from a place called Piiku in Finland. She got me what they call roving which is actually an even thinner version of pencil roving (next time we will get the carded fleece). I already had some natural colored Finn wool (that I hadn't really used yet) from another place here in the U.S. called Misty Mountain Farm (a form of roving I am more accustomed to). So, since I have not worked much with Finn wool outside of making a small sample, nor have I worked with such thin roving before, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to experiment. So here are a couple pictures of where I am at so far (there are still several more design elements I want to add before wetting down the wool and felting it). I will post pictures of the finished product when I am done (either here or on my personal blog).




Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this small look into my studio space and what I have been doing.

Thank you,
Frances

Blanks For All and All for Blanks!

I love blanks...that's right I love the idea of creating something out of nothing and that's what blanks are for. I can't get enough of them. The plainer, the blanker, the better!

So here's a few of my favorite blanks:

1. Aunt Martha's Dish Towels

Check out these multi-striped towels to the left. They are adorable, so vintage, and oh so lovely! They're dishtowels are flour sack, and they also have the cutest vintage embroidery transfers still exactly the same since the 40's. So screen printed or embroidered, these are hands down the best blank dishtowels! www.colonialpatterns.com

2. Cheap Totes

The name says it all because they are so cheap (only $0.89 for the colored ones)! They are thin but I find that the colored ones are a little thicker. They make fantastic market bags because you can easily throw them in your purse because they aren't too bulky. www.cheaptotes.com

3. Dharma Trading Co.

So most of these blanks you can buy in the Lillstreet sales locker! Dharma Trading Co. is still my very favorite for blanks. My absolute favorite are their silk scarves. I especially love the silk charmeuse scarves because they soak up dyes like a sponge. I have printed with thickened dyes, washed it out, and over-dyed all in the same day yielding great, super bright, results. www.dharmatrading.com

Empty Bowls- Thirsty Napkins?

EMPTY BOWLS
Friday, March 5, 2010, 5-8pm   

The Empty Bowls Project is a nationwide effort by potters to end hunger. Lillstreet Art Center is proud to host this 4th annual event to benefit First Slice, a local hunger-fighting organization. 

Join us for a modest meal of soup and bread, served in a bowl donated by a ceramic artist that you may take home as a reminder of all the other bowls you will have helped to fill.  

Bowls are $20 each, and there is no limit to the number of bowls you may purchase. Sales begin at 5pm on a first-come, first-served basis. We will also be hosting a silent auction of artist-crafted items from each of our departments, and there will be live music and entertainment.  

 

Printers, Sewers, Embroiderers-----Are you interested in donating handmade napkins, place- mats, tablecloths for the silent auction?   All proceeds benefit First Slice.   Please contact Jane  jane@lillstreet.com

Prettiness

I just wanted to share with you all the beautiful work being done by Elizabeth Kumor and Jackie Pogue in the Repeats class. Check it out!

Jackie Pogue's Chinese Lantern Print

Elizabeth Kumor's overdyed charmuese scarves

Student Work At Lill Street

Its great to be back teaching at Lill Street this winter, I missed it! Many students have kicked off the new year with the resolution to learn how to sew so that they can start making their own clothes and repairing what they already own. We are already through the 1st half of Sew 1, which is the perfect class if you already know a little bit about your sewing machine and are ready to dive in and really start to learn how to make garments.

On the first night, the class learned how to read a commercial garment pattern. When I first started sewing, patterns always intimidated me, they can make sewing seem as complicated as assembling a model airplane! But by the first night, after we discussed all of the symbols, sizing, and cutting instructions, the Sew 1 class was ready to move on to their first projects.

The students are creating their own fit patterns. A fit pattern is a pattern that has been manipulated to fit your measurements-perfectly! After spending the time to make a fit pattern, you can use it to make the same alterations to any other pattern that you use after taking the class at Lill Street so that the garments you make for yourself fit every time.

We are also in the middle of our main project, sewing a robe from start to finish. Most of the students have decided to make warm, fuzzy, fleece robes to help make it through the winter. In the picture, Maureen has just set her first sleeve, a big accomplishment for a first time sewer!

Studio visit at Artistry Design

Taking some leaf and flower patterns I used to make a line of silk meditation pillows, I bought some T's at the thrift store in many colors and styles and made holiday gifts for all those on my list. They were a big hit.

If you would like to see the meditation pillows and photos of my exhibit this past summer at the Catholic Theological Union Gallery in Hyde Park where all my silk pieces were shown just go to my facebook page. I got lots more to show so I'll be back with an update soon.
The following pieces were done at Lill Street studio and this photo shows the many things I used to get a texture that looks to me like lightning or under water effects. I was pushing thickened dye through a blank screen. It was many layers and hard work.


Here's a finished piece called Kintu Tryptich. It is dyes on silk in three panels and hangs from a bamboo pole. It is composed of many different leaf prints; coca leaves, bodhi leaves and the leaf of a plant called Dutchman's pipe. They're all powerful medicinals. I just sold it so I hung it in my dining room so I could shoot it before it left for good. It's going to a massage therapist's room. Isn't that perfect?

These are parts of larger silk pieces and works in progress that are hanging in my studio proper. (Actually every room of my house is my studio). I'm now in the process of grouping the squares and connecting them and figuring out a way to hang them so they don't look like laundry. I'm now thinking in vertical patterns with a "leader" of white silk at the top and hanging them from the ceiling. I think they might serve as a room divider or could be hung in an entranceway. I'll be sure to post the finished pieces as they develop.

The Best Online Resources

I just wanted to take a minute to tell you about some of my favorite online sewing sites. Sew Hip is a great site where sewers, crafters and designers post about there adventures in sewing. There's alot of self promoting that goes on at this site, but there's also alot of great tips, ideas, patterns and projects. I like to sift through it while I'm watching TV, I always manage to find something interesting.
Another great site is The Sewing Divas. This one is great for just straight up sewing instructions. If you are working on something and you're not sure if you are doing it right, check it out they have easy step by step instructions with diagrams for just about everything.

Half Off At Most Thrifts Today!

Lest you think we've turned into one of those "sales" blogs, let me reassure you that this is the last sales announcement for awhile.  However, there has been a lot of talk about thrifting for materials around the studios lately, and since lots of people have the day off today, I wanted to let everyone know that both Unique Thrifts and the Village Discount Outlet Thrifts have everything marked at half price for the holiday today.  I can say from experience that the stores will be swamped with shoppers , but it could be worth it to go have a look, especially if you've got something specific in mind that you're looking for.  If you hit either of the above links, it will help you find the store nearest you.

Good luck!

Oh, The Sales!

I just ran into Camille at Lillstreet who let me know that Pearl Paints on Chicago and Franklin is having a going out of business sale.  While I am sad to see this place go (and sad for those who are losing their jobs) I can't resist a 50% off everything sale.  Hello cheap art supplies.

Don't forget this weekend is also the liquidation sale at Noon Solar. 

FREE.99

Hi all!

I have a sweet deal for "FREE.99"!  I acquired a 1940's Pfaff sewing machine from craigslist a few  years back, but have never used it.  Space is limited in our house, so unfortunately I have to get rid of it.  As you can see the table drawers have some damage, but other than that I think the belt needs to be changed for it to work.  Basically some TLC.  It comes with instructions, a ton of attachments, and can do decorative stitches.  It is electric, but has no pedal.  Instead it uses a thigh crank to get it moving.  It is a solid metal, heavy duty machine.  I do mean HEAVY.  The machine folds into the table when you are not using it, and there are extensions that can be opened for working and closed when not.  I really hate to get rid of it, but I need the space.  You would also have to come by home in Chicago to pick it up.  You can leave a comment or contact me directly at camilleccanales@gmail.com.  

Repeats. The Sequel.

Hi Everyone! I am so excited for the new term and the work and ideas that are already coming out of The Advanced Screenprinting Class. Next week I will be posting some of the new work by the student but I wanted to share with you some textiles we have been looking at and talking about in class. To defeat the winter doldrums and the grayness of everyday we've totally excited by vintage prints in psychadelic colors and cheery motifs. I hope this inspires you too!

Mushrooms, Monograms, and.....Making Out?

Do you know about the Harold Washington Library Image Files?  On the eighth floor of the downtown library here in Chicago are thousands of images, organized categorically.  There for your perusal (or photocopying if you wish) are piles and piles of beautiful images, carefully selected and cut out by the librarians over the years.

For a piece I am working on in my studio, I went downtown yesterday looking for images of mushrooms.  Low and behold there were hundreds of them ranging from a recent Time magazine photograph to images cut from brochures in the mid fifties.   I was overwhelmed in the best way. 

However, just like a Google search, it's easy to get distracted.   So, mushrooms led to monograms (they are alphabetical, after all) and monograms led to.....well, actually the old soda ad had been left on top of the vertical files by someone else, and I couldn't resist snapping a photograph of it.

Anyhow, as you're searching around this year for inspiration, I recommend checking out this amazing local resource.  You could stay home in your pj's and search google, but nothing compares to holding a clipping from a vintage Life magazine in your hand. 

Noon Solar Liquidation Sale

Noon Solar, makers of beautiful solar powered bags is having a liquidation sale this weekend.  There's lots of great stuff on the list, especially for someone who might be setting up a print/ sewing studio.  

some highlights:
 
italian veggie dyed and tanned leather hides
italian antique brass handbag hardware
8x4' work tables with shelves underneath $75 each
24' x 4' print table $300
100% wool industrial felt  $10 per yard
assorted naturally dyed fabrics
buttons, beads, hardware
office supplies
pattern paper
spray paint
flexible solar panels
lithium ion batteries for solar panels
miscellaneous electronics
and tons and tons more!

WHEN:  Saturday, January 16 from 10am to 3pm
WHERE:  1757 N. Kimball Ave.  South side entrance in parking lot (free parking), ring noon solar buzzer
WHO:  noon solar

Need an Ironing Board?

In the process of cleaning out the Textiles rooms today, I came across this "over the door" ironing board.   Since we have six ironing tables as well as one deluxe ironing board, we have no space to put this item that was kindly donated.  Do you?  If you would like to have this perfectly nice ironing board, complete with polka-dot cover, it can be yours.  Leave a comment if you are interested.  First come, first served.  Please note that the new owner has to pick it up by next Monday.

Open Studio Starts MONDAY!

The Hours for Lillstreet Textiles Open Studio for the Winter Session are as follows:

Monday 2-6

Tuesday 2-6
Wednesday 6-10
Thursday 2-6
Friday no open studio
Saturday 10-2 and 6-9

Sunday 10-2

Student Spotlight: Nina Lichtenstein

This week's student spotlight is from the archives....but it's one worth remembering!  Nina Lichtenstein took my print for fabric class several years ago, and designed this print based on traditional buildings in Morocco.   She made a top out of the cloth and wore it on a trip to Marrakesh, where she snapped this photograph.  Isn't it fabulous?  The whole print is made with paper stencils.....so low tech, and so, so, cool. 

Faculty Spotlight: Rebecca Ringquist

As director of the department, I've had a chance to meet lots of our students and blog followers, but for those of you who don't know me, I thought I'd take a minute to introduce myself by showing a bit of what I've been working on this week in particular.   

I'm actually on my way out the door to UPS to ship a collaborative project that I've been working on with Ursula McCarty to a show at Buena Vista University.    I've posted a few details here-

We started the project ten years ago, when Ursula was teaching in Georgia and I was in grad school at SAIC.  We've never lived in the same place during the project, so we mail the pieces back and forth.   All of them are the same size (18x36), and I think by now there are about 20  in circulation, including the three I started this week.  For me they are a great chance to be playful in the studio.  I think of each one very much like a sketchbook page, and as such I feel free to experiment.  Combining screen-printed cloth, found cloth, machine stitching, and hand embroidery, we work back into each others' progress and learn something about the work by making it.  I'm so grateful to have this project as part of my studio practice.

I'll post a link here if one goes up for the show at Buena Vista University.  In the meanwhile, please visit the link to another group show that I'm a part of called Connective Threads, which opens this weekend in Brooklyn, NY.  I wish I could be there for both openings......I'll be here in Chicago working on a new body of work instead.

Favorite Resources: TEXTILE DISCOUNT OUTLET

Welcome to a new series of Tuesday morning posts about the Textile Department's favorite resources.  This week, I'm kicking off the series with an old favorite- The Textile Discount Outlet.   When I was a grad student at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I always called this place 2121, due to its location at 2121 West 21st street.  It was quicker and easier to say the shortened version.  I used to head down to this place all the time to spend hours digging through buckets of buttons, walking up and down long aisles of zippers, vintage safety pins, and piles upon piles upon piles of fabric, some reaching higher than me and spanning accross what might have once been an aisle to walk through.

If you are a fabric shopper who thrives on finding the perfect piece in a pile of bad calicos, this place is for you.  I once found a bolt of vintage flannel printed with a frosted donut repeat (with sprinkles!).  Another trip I found an entire closet full of spools of vintage embroidered ribbons.

In my opinion, the Textile Discount Outlet has: the best selection of colored velcro, the best variety of ball fringe, the most piles of scrap fabrics, sold per pound.  They are also the most amazing place to explore for bizarre notions: vintage plastic doll faces, sequined taxi cab appliques, embroidered baseball iron-ons.  If you like the search, if you like the vintage, if you lke the bargain, you have got to check it out.  As one yelp reviewer wrote " bring a snack, you're going to be here for awhile."

If you haven't made it down to Pilsen to check this place out, it's time.  Hours and directions are all available here on their yelp review page.  They're closed Saturday.

Wrap Yourself in “Red” for Valentine’s Day

Trying to decide what to make for yourself or that “special someone” for Valentine’s Day? Check out the natural dye scarf dyeing workshop on Thursday, January 28. Our pots will be brewing colors from hot pink to deep red. Sign-up early to reserve your spot and join the fun.

Pamela Feldman