People Quilting People

I did a post about quilts last year discussing how much I love them. In recent years I've seen more and more quilters taking the art of quilting to levels I didn't know existing. Over the years I've noted the quilt artist whose work I've enjoyed seeing. Now thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest I've been exposed to even more. One technique that I have found exciting is quilting images of faces and figures. They way these artists are able to piece together fabric in a way that makes it look like they were using a paintbrush completely amazes me. 

Two artist in particular really exited me. First is Bisa Butler. I love the bright, intense colors she sometimes uses and how she can take simple fabrics that you probably have in your home and piece them together into such beautiful, dramatic and unforgettable faces. Ian Berry is another quilt artist I admire. He uses denim fabric to create images of everyday scenes and people. When I first saw his Denimu website, I did a double take and zoomed in to see his works really were made from everyday, ordinary bluejeans. 

There are many quilt artist around that quilt images of people. Here are some of the artist's and their works that I found fascinating and want to share with you. I hope you enjoy them too.

Luke Haynes

Valerie White

Alice Beasley

Tanya Brown

Bisa Butler

Bisa Butler

Bisa Butler

Maggie Dillon

Maggie Dillon

Alice Beasley

Ian Berry

Ian Berry

Debra Hyde

Debra Hyde

Thrift Store Treasure

I've mentioned before that I go to the thrift store regularly. Every Saturday I have two main stops, the Salvation Army thrift store and the Habitat Restore. It's always so fun and exciting for me because I never know what I'll find. I may leave the store empty handed but I always go with an open mind. If you go looking for something specific you are likely to overlook a treasure. 

Here is my latest find. They are 30 x 30 solid wood frames with a white mat and glass fronts for $7 each. Now that's a deal. You could pay more than $7 for the print, the glass, the frame or even the mat so this is truly a bargain.

Since they are solid wood I can paint, stain or tile them, add a mirror, change the artwork or maybe frame a really special piece of fabric. They came with black and white photos but I'm not sure of what or where. Maybe they are old photographs of Italy. 

They are most likely just prints but I really bought them for the frames. I've always liked square frames because they are not as common as rectangular frames and are more versatile. These are very simple and plain which is perfect for color or black and white artwork. I don't really know what I will do with them but I'll figure that out later.

One of a Kind Art

I know I've said it before, and trust me, I'll say it again, one of my favorite things to do is shop thrift stores. I go every week to see what's new. Sometimes I leave empty handed but most times I leave with a bargin. I will often buy something and hold on to it knowing eventually I'd find something special to use it for. Shopping thrift stores gives me an opportunity to be creative. The key is to go regularly and go with an open mind. Case in point, about three years ago I found this wood and ironwork picture frame at the Salvation Army thrift store.

I used it to frame some old family pictures but I was never really happy with it. I finally got bored and stored it in the basement. I was so tempted to re-donate it but I decided to keep it until I could find another use for it. Then a few weeks ago I found these cute little placards with images of vintage posters at the Habitat Restore for $5. Each are about the size of an index card, have a felt back and are laminated.

They probably were once in small table top picture frames but who knows. I thought they were cute and at $5 for the set I was sure I could find a use for them. It wasn't until a month or so later that I got the idea to use the wrought iron picture frame I had tucked away in the basement. The frames had no backing so I needed to attach them to a background that I could then clamp to the frame. I had a set of old woven placemats I wasn't using and thought they would make a nice textured background. I cut them into the 8x10 inch pieces and hot glued them to a piece of cardboard to give it a sold  background. 

I tried spray glue but because of the open weave it wouldn't stick to the cardboard. I then centered the pictures on the placemat and attached them with hot glue. 

Next I attached the pictures to the back of the frame and secured them with fasteners. The whole project only took a couple of hours to complete. And there you have it. From an old wrought iron frame and a $5 set of mini posters I created a one of a kind piece of artwork.

What one of kind artwork have you created for your home? I'd love to see pictures.