Jodie joins Melanie Testa in her apartment studio. Jodie asked if they could make their own quilt fabric with mono-printing techniques to capture the image of a mule and Melanie demonstrates the process. She uses her computer to size a picture of a mule, traces the form and transfers it to a rubber block. Using a carving tool she makes a stamp and prints it onto the cotton fabric. She then masks out the mule with freezer paper and proceeds to paint the background onto a sheet of Plexiglas using Procion dyes then uses tools to add texture. The fabric is laid over the paint, lifted off and the mask removed revealing a finished project. Jodie tries her hand at the background printing and is pleased with the result. Mark shows Melanie’s book Inspired to Quilt – Creative Experiments in Art Quilt Imagery which can be purchased from her website.
Quilts of 1930’s is the theme of this month’s book reviews. Jodie and Mark show a collection of books highlighting quilt blocks popular in the 30’s using today’s updated retro fabrics.
