Now that my arm problem appears to be “shoulder impingement” (doesn’t that sound like a traffic offense?) I realize I need to change the kind of art I make for a while. No more quilts that involve lots of pieces and cutting and sewing. And no more quilts larger than about 40 inches.
My response has been to gather information about other art techniques that are similar to quilting but are considered more surface design or mixed media. Besides, I always welcome a chance to take in some eye candy. I visited my library and hauled off several books about surface design. Some are already back on the library shelves, but some I’d like to share with you.
Today I’ll go over Reclaimed Textiles by Kim Thittichai and Sew Wild by Alisa Burke. The former book has crossed the pond so the artists, materials and resources pertain to the UK. I have no idea what the US equivalents are to solufleece and bondaweb. That said, the book features some seriously inventive artists who reuse waste, including plastic bags. I’d love to take an experimental textile course from Kim and plan to take a closer look at the projects on her blog.
Orange Lace Dress by Judith Hammond
All that lace is melted supermarket plastic bags. And how about these cunning repurposed satin bridal shoes decorated with felt and tulle by Helen McKenna?
I have no idea how wearable they are, but they look great and, according to Kim, show the influences of South America, Frida Kahlo, and the Day of the Dead on Helen’s work.
Reclaimed Textiles has a few projects, but I’m using it more for the possibilities it presents. I don’t know if I’m ready to make fabric by ironing several plastic bags together, but you never know.
Speaking of plastic bags, they’re just one of the materials Alisa Burke uses in Sew Wild. This book leans heavily to the DIY craft side of mixed media. The two main sections cover surface design (painting, printing, resist, discharge) and stitching techniques. There are a dozen projects that I think would appeal more to teenage girls than to me. They feature lots of raw fabric edges and what Alisa calls messy stitches.
Here’s her version of an art quilt.
The DVD included with the book shows the various processes nicely. It seems Alisa has produced online classes about her techniques, which can be accessed on her website. I think this book would be helpful to someone just beginning to experiment with mixed media techniques, but I find the work somewhat slapdash and there’s little design guidance.
On the next leg of my trip through mixed media land I’ll feature compilations of work by mixed media artists.
The Snarky Quilter 
A few years ago I watched a couple YouTube videos featuring Kim Thittichai. It was really fun to watch her, see her artwork, and hear her explain some of it. Love the shoes!
I just subscribed to her blog where her latest post talked about her 5 day workshop (in the UK). It looked like such fun.
The big benefit of resources like this, even in kids’ crafts, is the connections that you can make with what you already know. All that stuff gets stored in our brains (okay, not always) and is ready to tap when we’re ready to use it. Glad you’re figuring out some interesting ways to use your talents.
To say nothing of finally having a use for all those supplies.
You’re certainly finding ways to make lemonade out of the shoulder lemons!
I need to find a use for all the supplies I’ve bought over the years.