Melanie Testa's Blog

Small Wonder

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:36:51 -0800

Last week I taught a class locally and really enjoyed it. I hit all the points I had hoped to make, I didn't plan too much (which is normal for me), and I didn't plan too little. It was just right, and I believe my class thought so too. They were ten women strong and they were open to possibilities. They have their own small offshoot of a larger national guild and they practice many forms of fiber art from weaving and knitting to quilting.

Here you see myself, the exuberant Glinda, Helene...

posted by Melanie Testa on December, 16

Slow Sewing

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:31:59 -0800

I am preparing for a class I will teach later this week. In this instance I was asked to do my Small Works, Big Impact class with a leaning toward painted imagery (rather than dye) and hand sewing. I love dye for its vibrancy, but paint is pretty awesome too. In this sample I used Stewart Gill paints, which are really creamy and nice. Just the organza layer is painted.

But what I am really interested in is the stitch work.

The title of this post is inspired by Jude over at Spirit Cloth, whose w...

posted by Melanie Testa on December, 08

Getting to know you.

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:31:50 -0800

I love color and color mixing. I just bought a new palette of gouache and have been recreating the tools and methods with which I have been working. Pencil cases for figure drawing sessions, a smaller pencil case for everyday use, a new palette of paint. I am no longer going to use my much loved and well used Pelikan paint set (it is time to use grown up paints and tools and I am ready.

Moving into a new manner of approach can be daunting. I don't know some of these paints or pigments. My 'go ...

posted by Melanie Testa on November, 29

The Importants and Niftiness.

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:25:57 -0800

No, the title of this post is not spelled improperly.

It is always a good thing when I delve deeply into working my journals. It means that I will have fodder for working in cloth and that I am staying actively engaged in my creative process. Nothing wrong with that.
As I have been posting, I am actively seeking new and improved journaling supplies, Roz Stendahl has helped and encouraged me in this. I went and bought a new set of gouache, cleaned out an old watercolor palette and created a...

posted by Melanie Testa on November, 28

We were tired of living in a house.

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:04:42 -0800

So we packed our bags and moved into a city apartment.

The title of this post refers to a favorite childhood book by the same name.

Last night I went to the Society of Illustrators Sketch and Jazz event. Event? It is a twice weekly gathering of people who draw figure models for 3 hours. There is a bar and a live jazz group, bass, sax and piano. The Society has been around for 105 years, it's filled with artwork from the Big'uns and is a great setting.

I went alone and had much flutterings and...

posted by Melanie Testa on November, 23

Pencils; tamed.

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:04:42 -0800

With my focus on journaling and drawing, I decided to make a pencil case for all that I will need to carry back and forth to figure drawing sessions. I had the machine quilting samples for the International Quilt Fest: Quilt Scene article I wrote and went at it.

The bag is modeled after a bag I saw while shopping at this pen store (scroll down). I didn't put the small pocket in as you see in the inspiration, though I wish I had, it would carry a sharpener and eraser quite nicely. A mod in...

posted by Melanie Testa on November, 23

The zone.

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:35:34 -0800

A famine, then a feast. That seems to be the way of life, I think.

Just before Houston, I decided it was time to make a larger piece, based on the recent painting of a Wester Tanager in my journal and I set out. I printed in a flurry, with no true thought in how to get the thing printed and made rules up as I went. I then needed to put the piece aside in order to prepare for my lecture and forums. When I came back, I made the retreat and then caught cold. But still I worked on the piece...

posted by Melanie Testa on November, 13

Anybody home?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:33:10 -0800

...and then I have been quilting up a storm and not only that but, oh wait.

Hi. How you are? Long time no see. Sorry about that. Yeah. I was away for a lil bit there and for no good reason. Or maybe there were many reasons.

I will slow down.

I did get a flu a couple of weeks ago, and it hung on, clawing, scratching and biting. I am still coughing. But it is getting better-thank goodness.

The above is a detail of the piece I am working on right now and it looks totally different now. In that...

posted by Melanie Testa on November, 11

So many shoulds, time enough to follow through.

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:15:38 -0800

There are many things I should blog about, like the ten yards of fabric that came to my door on winning the Nature's Best contest, THANKS to you! Or the fabulous review of my book in Machine Quilting Unlimited, or the fantastic blog I found this week.

But instead I want to talk about the Recycled Journals I am now in love with. Have I talked about this too much already? I used some original pages from the book, Dreams their Meaning and Significance and layered them into signatures of 140...

posted by Melanie Testa on December, 01

I am actively seeking friends!

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:42:33 -0800

Sometimes you just have to say it like it is. The statement comes out and then resonates.

I spoke about this a bit in my last post, I told you of Shirley, who approached me at Open Studios and whose name tag indicated that she was from New York City. Without thinking I reiterated where she was from and told her I was actively seeking friends.

So this post is about friends, both old and new.

Last week, I returned home from my new friend Shirley's house with a sense of excitement, vim and...

posted by Melanie Testa on November, 01