Fiber Frenzy Exchange with FAT

If you love to make fiber art but need a "purpose" to create- I would highly recommend a yahoo group called fiber art traders. I have been involved with them for about a year now and have loved every minute of it. The latest trade is a fiber frenzy trade. The participates are not actually making something but rather trading fibers that we have.

What a fantastic idea to share some of the wonderful fibers you have collected and have the opportunity to try a new fiber from a member! These are the fibers from my stash, a few fluffy fun fur, a hand dyed, mixed yarn, ribbon like fiber, really fun white wispy fibers. I have used and love them all.

Plain To Fancy Shaving Cream Dyed Fabric

My four pieces of hand dyed fabrics for the "Plain to Fancy" Fiber Art Traders exchange.

I wish they photographed better than they did. They are really pretty in person. The first upper left corner was dyed with blue and purple shaving cream then I added floral stencils with a dark blue on top. Upper right was made with shaving cream dyeing by swirling red, orange and yellow dye then adding light red flower rubber stamp impressions. Bottom left corner was shaving cream dyed with dark red and silver then the color was scraped across the fabric. The last was shaving cream dyed dark red with dark red flower rubber stamps. The base fabrics were either muslin or silk. I made two of each.

This can be a very fun class.  The students can learn different techniques for altering fabric with Tsukineko (all purpose ink for Fantastix).  We work the the ink and several different mediums such as shaving cream (shown above), aloe vera gel, rock salt, crayons and more.  During the class I encourage them to try all the mediums on a small blank fabric, on a tone on tone fabric, and then to "color" an embroidery.

Vintage Valentines Fabric Cards

Vintage Valentines Day Cards

Made 100% from vintage fabrics. The little pink envelopes were made from scraps of pink fur fabric that came from an estate sale a few years ago. The fabric on the cards came from that estate sale and from ties from salvation army.

Fall Mixed Media Charms

Fall Mixed Media charms I made to exchange. Each charm was hand sewn with a variety of materials. Most were wrapped in wire and beaded.

Dream Mixed Media Tags

Dream Mixed Media tags I made to exchange with fiber arts traders. These looked really cool in person. Each tag had little plastic like bubbles that were a "happy" accident. I used crackle paint over the layers of blue and violet paint. Of course I did not have the patience for the crackle paint to dry so I got out the ole trusty heat gun and gave it a blast of heat. The crackle bubbled up and hardened it looked sooooo cool!

Wearing of the Green Embellished St. Patricks Day Pin

I wish the photo was more clear. The pins look so much prettier in person. Each was made from tiny little shamrock fabric fixed to a piece of fast-2-fuse. Then several different strands of decorative threads and yarns were added then tons of beads were hand sewn on.

VIP Queen For A Day Inchie Pins

This was a really fun exchange. We each made an inchie VIP Queen pin for another person. Our trade partner emailed us a photo of themselves so we could incorporate it into our art pins. I received the AWESOME Gold and Red Inchie Queen Pin from my friend Edna and I made her the Pink Fairy Princess Inchie pin. I embellished her pin with little bells, gold wings, crown and princess dress.

Dorset Button Exchange

6 Dorset buttons I made to exchange. Each is embellished with either beads, charms, wings. A really fun exchange. I had never heard of making these buttons before.

Fabric Puzzle Pieces Exchange

Two felted puzzle pieces I made for exchange.

Dottie Dolls Exchange

Fiber Art Traders Dottie Doll Exchange dolls that I made.

Bottle Cap Pin Cushions

These are the three bottle cap pincushions I made to exchange. They were super easy and fun to make.

SewStylish Gifts to Make Magazine, Holiday 2007, http://www.besewstylish.com/ had an awesome article called Pretty Pincushions that illustrated step by step how to make the bottle cap pincushions.

The cushions make great gifts and can be embellished till your hearts content! You make the pincushions from recycled bottle caps, scraps of fabric or felt, scraps of fiberfill.

Quilting Arts Magazine - Houston Quilt Show Inchie Exhibit

About a month after actively participating in Fiber Art Traders I received a group email posted by the list owner Norma Jean that Quilting Arts Magazine wanted to host an "Inchie" exchange at the 2007 Houston Quilt Show. In addition to hosting the inchie trade Quilting Arts Magazine issued a challenge to our group to see what items we could create using "Inchies" for possible inclusion in their exhibit at the Houston Quilt Show.

I was SO excited and proud to see four pieces of my "Inchie Art" on exhibit at the Houston Quilt Show:

• A journal cover embellished with an inchie tassel
• A mixed media necklace with inchie
• A mixed media pin with inchies, charms and metal work
• A silly inchie name tag

I even snuck a photo...big no, no, but I have not posted it anywhere...it was just for me to look.

Eye Mask Exchange

My first trade with Fiber Art Traders was this eye mask. It was a 1-1 trade where we could make one eye mask and then someone would trade with us.

I made my mask from a shear variegated color fabric. I placed it over a piece of organic cotton batting and then thread painted an sun like looking eyes with opposite colors on each side. I finished the mask off by laying a ribbon across the mask, they layered with a soft cotton fabric, stitching right sides together then turning right sides out. I top stitched yarn on to embellish the edges.

Fiber Arts Embellished Bookmarks

Bookmarks that I made to trade with FiberArtTraders. They were made with a layer of fast-2-fuse then I placed different fabric strips on top and used decorative stitches to top stitch each fabric down. After all the bookmark base was covered then I went back over the fabric with decorative yarns and threads to jazz it up a little. The back of the book marks were finished with a solid fabric and stamped with my handmade by Allison Ray stamps. The tops of each bookmark have fun tassels made from several yarns.

Hope my trade partners enjoy!