Tracy McCabe Stewart - Contemporary Fiber

I know I haven’t posted in ages.  I’ve been absorbed in revamping my garden.  I downsized my big pond to a smaller one that requires less upkeep.  It involved moving tons of flagstone in the summer heat.  I wasn’t really feeling too creative afterwards. 

I fished this dragonfly out of the pond and he seemed quite content to dry off on my fingertip:

My Pet Dragonfly

Here’s a shot of the new pond.  I dismantled the waterfall, but have water bubbling through this millstone:

New Pond (c) Tracy McCabe Stewart

Three of these cute green frogs moved in the new pond.  So far, my big frogs haven’t returned.  This guy likes to hide in my lotus plant:

Green Frog with a Personal Umbrella

Here’s a couple of shots of parts of my garden.  I have gone heavy on the grasses and shrubs because my Great Dane and other big mutt mow down anything much daintier:

Tiger Eye Sumac, Hibiscus and Grasses (C) Tracy McCabe Stewart

and here’s more grasses in front of my garden shed:

Garden Shed (C) Tracy McCabe Stewart

and a shot of my old pond:

Fish! (c) Tracy McCabe Stewart

and I did manage to put multiple layers of screening on my latest piece.  It combines both regular and metallic paints:

Screened Layers (c) Tracy McCabe Stewart

Here it is with hand dyed silk organza over it.  I like the look; a bit more subtle:

I am headed out for a 10 day trip to Japan this Wednesday.  My daughter has been finishing her last year of university in Kobe and staying with a host family there.  she has a minor in Asian studies. 

Big in Japan is a fun song from the 80′s by Alphaville.  It’s one of the worst music videos ever; complete with Robin Hood sort of outfits that don’t really have much to do with Japan, as far as I can see.  See it here.   We hum it around here because I am 6’2″ and going to the land of 5′ people.  I’m guessing I won’t exactly blend in. 

Right now, I am trying to get gifts together for Ashley’s host  family.  The Japanese have a somewhat complicated ritual of gift giving.  Here’s what I know:  gifts from/related to your geographical location are appreciated.  The presentation is really important, too.  I will wrap my presents in hand dyed fabric to try to make them extra special.  

I am from Chicago, so I am bringing them a book on Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.  I am also making a hand dyed scarf for my daughter’s host mother.   Apparently she wears very plain, dark clothing, so I am trying to do something pretty subdued.  I started by dyeing silk scarves blue grey and screened them with vat dye solution.  Here are the results form the vat dyeing.  They will probably get a layer of fabric paint before they are complete. 

Here’s a picture.  I am having a hard time getting the colors true because the silk is so reflective.  I barely got any haloing on these-too bad.  She wants plain, so I won’t add another design layer, but may screen some paint to make the effect more monochromatic.  

Hand Dyed Scarves by Tracy McCabe Stewart

Here’s the final piece of that reddish egret I’ve been working on:

Reddish Egret (C) 2010 by Tracy McCabe Stewart

“Reddish Egret”

(C)2010 by Tracy McCabe Stewart

Hand dyed silks and cottons, Shiva paintsticks, colored pencil.  Fused, machine quilted.

We are off to Cedarburg, WI for a weekend with our neighbors and to see the fabulous musician, Marcia Ball.  I already have another wading bird piece in the planning stages to begin when I return.

Have a great weekend!

Tracy

I am reducing prices on my work for the remainder of 2009-Read more here

I am featuring a piece of my work every day or so through the end of the year.  Here’s today’s piece:

"Antlers II" (c) 2008 by Tracy McCabe Stewart

“Antlers II”

2008

By Tracy McCabe Stewart

33”lx24”w

Hand dyed, painted and commercial cottons. Machine quilted.

2010 price: $1200

2009 price: $890

I have also been working away at a new heron piece.  Here are some pictures of the process:

I start by having an outline of the shapes of the birds cut out in batting.  I then fuse on a base fabric, in this case black and start cutting and fusing on individual feathers.  I build them up in layers.  Here I am using a hand dyed fabric of mine.  Here are the larger tailfeathers.

larger feathers are fused on individually

From there I cut out individual stringier breeding plumage and add those individually:

individual feathers for breeding plumage

Here’s the whole bird.  I have yet to add legs, eyes and beak color.  I will be shading with colored pencils and paintsticks to add depth, as well.  I’ll post more as I go:

I am reducing prices on my work for the remainder of 2009-Read more here

I am featuring a piece of my work every day or so through the end of the year.  Here’s today’s piece:

2006
46″ l x 30″w
hand dyed/hand painted silks and cottons, commercial cottons, stones, fossils, shells, paintsticks.

Machine quilted.

2010 Price: $2070-

2009 Price: $1545-

Email me for more information or for higher resolution photos

I never did get pictures up from the fantastic workshop I did with the fabulous  Jeanne Beck in September.  Better late than never .  We played with a number of techniques, but one that I had lots of fun with was making string stamps and heat mold stamps.

String stamps are about as low tech as you can get; that’s part of what I like about them.   Armed with a ball of twine and a scrap piece of wood, you’re in business.  Here was my effort; inspired by endless games of cat’s cradle as a kid.

Tracy' fabulous string stamp

and that stamp in action:

stamp action!

here were some more from other participants and Jeanne’s own stash:

more string stamps

and more:

more stamps

when you use the stamps once, the paint dries and the seals the string:

string stamps continued

Then we played with heat and mold stamps.  You heat these up a bit and impress texture on them.   We had fun with Shelley’s shoe:

Shelley's shoe gets pressed into service

Here’s the stamp it made:

Shelley's shoe stamp

Shelley's shoe stamp in action

Someone made an impression of a wad of string

String wad stamp in action

I haven’t done much experimenting with these.  I’ve been so heavy on the wrokshops lately that I haven’t really had time to assimilate the new skills and tools.  I’ll post as I get to it.

Midnight River (C)2009 Tracy McCabe Stewart

“Midnight River” 2009 by Tracy McCabe Stewart.  Hand dyed silks and cottons, commercial cottons, fabric paint.  Thermofax screened with Lumiere metallic paints, fused, machine quilted.

 I have been working on this commission pretty steadily this summer.  It is finally finished, approved by the client and ready to go to her home.  Yippee!!!

I am now moving on to getting small pieces together for various galleries and and the Fine Art of Fiber Show which will take place in Early November at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  My pal Shelley and I are running a  table in the boutique for the first time this year on top of our regular contribution of work to the main show.  This is a truly beautiful show and well worth the trip if you are in the Chicago area this fall. 

Additionally, I am working on a large heron pieces for shows jurying later in the year.   

My daughter leaves early next week for 9 month’s study in Japan.  After I have my emotional meltdown, I will settle down and get some work done. 

Fall always feels like the beginning of the new year for me.  I guess it’s all those years attending and working in the schools. 

What projects do you have planned this fall?

My gal pal, Shelley and I got a personal tour of the beautiful ArtCloth Network show at the Legacy Arts Center in Crystal Lake, IL from artist extraordinaire, Barbara Schneider (she’s in the show) before doing our photography workshop with her later that day.  Barbara led us around the mansion as well.  The venue for the show is in a fascinating old mansion that is in the midst of renovation.  The mansion currently houses a music school, artist studios and other various community arts spaces.  It’s a great space.  Read more about the center by clicking the link above.    Here are some of the more “in progress” parts of the house. 

Great wordwork all over the house

All the old fireplaces were intact

more great woodwork

This hall is a s big as my living room!

beautiful staircase woodwork

And pieces from the actual show.  It was really hard to shoot-odd angles and lots of windows.  As usual, I forgot to note the individual artists’ names.  Artcloth is made with numerous layers and techniques of surface design:  dye, paint, discharge, screening, stenciling, etc.  The piece below was beautiful.  Lots of beautiful copper metallics:

a great piece from the show

a beautiful mosiac piece

Barabara's Schneider's piece

Shelley and Barabara look at another of Barbara's pieces

artcloth!

Judy Langille's pieces

"Ammonite" by Tracy McCabe Stewart

I belong to a fantastic Needle Arts Guild in the Chicago area.  This year my friend Shelley and I planned the guild workshops for the fall of 2009 through May 2010.  We have some truly excellent teachers coming to teach and I am really excited about the workshops they are offering.  The workshops are open to non-guild members (Add $20 to each class as a non-member or join the guild for $40 and get the workshops for the member price listed below).  If you are going to be in the Chicago area, take advantage of them.  All are 2 day workshops from 9-4pm.   Here is the line up.  Click on artist’s name for their websites and click on North Suburban Needle Arts Guild  for complete workshop descriptions and information about the guild.  I hope to meet some blog people there!  If you have any questions, put it in the comment section.  I’ll answer them as best I can.

September 2-3, 2009

Jeanne Beck:

Workshop fee $110 Supply fee $35

Total $145

 ______

 October 7-8, 2009

 Laura Cater Woods:

 Inspiration of the Elements,

 Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

 Workshop fee $130 Supply fee TBD

Total $130+supply fee 

________

  January 6-7, 2010

 Katie Pasquini Masopust:

 Abstract Quilt Design

 Workshop fee $130 Supply fee $20

 Total $150

 __________

February 3-4, 2010

 Mary Hettsmansperger:

 Mixed Media Quilts

 Workshop fee $115

 Total $115+supply fee 

 ________

  March 3-4, 2010

 Barbara Schneider:

 Improvisational Fabric Working

 Workshop fee $120 Supply fee $20

 Total $140

________

 April 7-8, 2010

Carol Owen:

 Personal Spirit Houses/Shrines

 Total $120

________

Mickey Lawler:

 Painting Landscape FabricsWorkshop fee $120 Supply fee $25

 Total $145

________

There is a really good Shiva paintstick tutorial on Rebecca Reasons Edward’s blog:  This is My Brain on Quilts.  She discusses using stencils, stamps and below that making your own rubbing plates with puff paint.  It sounds intriguing.  I will be experimenting soon.  The piece of mine below has some of my own Shiva paintstick experiments on it.

Cave Series IV