Fibre Artist
This thread painting is inspired by my photo taken on the Trans Canada Trail near my home. I painted the background on white cotton fabric and brought it to life with texture using free motion embroidery on my home sewing machine using rayon threads. It is available for sale at the Artisan District Fredericton NB.
My piece titled Shades of Spring II will be in the SAQA benefit auction being held Sept 13-Oct 6. It is #419 in Section 2. It features photo transfers from my early spring rambles. To participate go to www.saqa.com/auction. You could become the owner of a lovely piece of fibre art.
My sunprint piece, In my Backyard, was chosen for the Navigating Exhibition. I made the sunprint from milkweed that grows in our backyard. I created the monarch butterfly using inktense pencils. The piece is 14 by 14 1/4 inches. The Exhibition opens at the Museum of Industry in Stellarton NS and runs July1- October 19, 2024 before moving to the Saint John Art Centre January 17-March 7, 2025 and the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design August-mid October 2025.
I was very excited when on July 5, 2021, I was notified by Martha Sielman that she had chosen one of my pieces, Bank Machine Blues, for the book she was writing on birds created with fibre art. It has taken over two years for her to put this book together and have it published by Schiffer publishing but it is a beautiful book entitled Stitched Journeys with Birds. I received my copy in mid October 2023.
You were allowed to submit 3 pieces for consideration.
Bank Machine Blues was created for the 2005 Grand National Quilt Exhibition with the theme : Airborne. I painted my background fabric and used free motion embroidery on warm and natural quilt batt to make the loons. I attached the loons so that they were 3-d. My inspiration was the $20 bill that was in circulation at the time but I wanted it in colour rather than the drab green that it currently was. I used my family initials and order of birth for the serial numbers. In my artist statement I said that you go to the bank Machine, take out $20 bills and they become airborne and fly away. The section above the $20 bill represents those that got away.
Use free motion embroidery on your regular zigzag sewing machine to create a beautiful goldfinch totally from thread. Once the bird is created, it will be cut out and appliqued onto your background fabric . Once learned the method can be used to create other birds, animals and flowers . These can be used for wall pieces, bags, wearable art etc. Extensive notes will be provided. This class takes place in my home studio at 683 Route 104 Burtts Corner on Sat. Oct 7 from 10-4. The cost is $60. For more information or to register contact me at kathy@kathytidswell.com or 506-429-2148.
I will be teaching a 1 day workshop on Free Motion Embroidery on Oct. 14- 9 to 4 . For more information and to register see https://honeybeefolkschool.ca/course/free-motion-embroidery-kathy-tidswell/
-On Sat. Sept. 2 3 I will be offering an inktense pencil class at my home studio in Burtts Corner. The class runs from 1- 4 pm and the Fee is $40. To register call 506-429-2148 or email kathy@kathytidswell.com.
Using Inktense pencils to create fabric. Put your adult colouring skills to work and play with inktense pencils to create flowers and leaves that can be cut out and used to create appliqués. This is a fun workshop where you will learn some of the tricks for colouring realistic images of your choice and then adding liquid to turn them into beautifully shaded fabrics.
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I will have 5 wall quilts in the Fredericton Quilters’ Guild show May 5 and 6th 2023 at New Maryland Centre.
I was very pleased to hear that I had a piece accepted into the CQA National Juried Show which will be in Halifax June 6-8 2023.
