Melanie Needs Some Subversive Stitcher Attitude!

Everyone has a burden to bear, whether it is divorce, weird relatives, budgets that won't balance or as in Mellie Testa's case -- the Big C!

She's such a giver and such a gifted artist that I just must point you to her blog. Her dear friend is speaking for her as she tries to wrap her head around the latest chapter in her life.

If you feel moved to help Mellie through this minefield she faces, there are a few suggestions of things we can do to help. And of course, hold her in your thoughts and lift her up in prayers.

And contribute, please contribute to finding a cure. Virginia Spiegel seems to always have a fundraiser in the works or give directly to the American Cancer Society or charity of your choice.

Damn! We've got your back Mel!

Here's some information about Virginia Spiegel's upcoming fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

One Cause, One Wednesday, One Hundred Collages


One Cause – The Fight Against Cancer.

One Wednesday – February 16, 2011.

One Hundred Collages – Created for this event by an all-star team of artists: Natalya Aikens, Pamela Allen, Laura Ann Beehler, Liz Berg, Pokey Bolton, Laura Cater-Woods, Jette Clover, Jane Davila, Jane Dunnewold, Jamie Fingal, Gloria Hansen, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Lyric Kinard, Jeanelle McCall, Linda Teddlie Minton, Karen Stiehl Osborn, BJ Parady, Judy Perez, Wen Redmond, Cynthia St. Charles, Virginia A. Spiegel

The goal – Raise $8,000 for the American Cancer Society in just one day. More details and a preview of artwork: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ONEFundraiserPreview.html

Fiberart For A Cause has already donated over $205,000 to the American Cancer Society through the generosity of fiber artists and their patrons.

Art + Caring = Laura Krasinski

Laura Krasinski is a refreshing breeze. She fills the room with energy, enthusiasm, boundless imagination and such generosity. You quickly see it all reflected in her art.

She thanks me for asking her to guest blog, but I'm the one who is so pleased that she's taken a moment to share herself and her art with Subversive Stitchers. You'll notice that Laura does alot of sharing. She shares below her secrets of paper fabric. And, she contributes to almost every charity.

If ever there was a reason to donate to, as well as thank scientists and doctors for their work in cancer research and treatment, it is Laura -- she's a survivor. The world's a richer place because of her.

Now, here's Laura in her own words! -- Dawn


Thank you Dawn for asking me to be a guest blogger. This is really exciting.


I found my artistic talent at a stamping up party. I loved rubber stamps and making cards. Amassed quite a collection of the various stamps before boredom set in. I can only make so many greeting cards.

Mixed media was only a step away and collage became my new passion. I loved everything from collecting interesting papers to itsy bitsy collage bits. I was really into swapping art too. But, as the years went by that fell by the wayside.


I loved being the proud owner of another artists work but, my house was busting at the seams and I had no where to go with it all. I found that Deco Books were my favorite and to this day I really miss passing them around and having all my friends do a page or two in it.


Many of my online friends started working with fabric and making postcards and small fabric books. Hmmm, that looked interesting. With no previous sewing experience, I decided to dive in with both feet. That was about 6 years ago.


I fell in love with fabric. I took my first “traditional” quilt class just to get the basics of sewing. It was pretty fun. I made a lap size quilt for my first try. I still enjoy curling under it on the couch. It was based on a pattern that Trudie Hughes made called Fun Patches. I chose Cat fabrics.

But, after that short dance with tradition, the art quilts cut in and whirled me away to the land of endless possibilities. As the years go by I’m working larger and larger.


I love taking classes and learning techniques. I think I am still in the “ sponge” mode. Soaking up all the information I can find. I love reading all the books and have a huge collection which I find so useful when I am working on a project and need more information.



I have had a few quilts in smaller shows around the state. I entered the Hoffman challenge last year and was accepted. I have a quilt in Quilt Expo in Madison this year. I have also received a state award 2009 for a quilt called High Anxiety. I have entered quilts in the State Fair and took 3rd place with Space Balls. And took 2nd place in a show in Cedarburg last fall with my one and only bed quilt called Crazy Mixed Up Chicken.


I also had a quilt in the 2007 exhibit at International Quilt Festival. Which to this day is my favorite quilt. I get asked all the time if it is for sale but, I just can’t bear to part with it. It has a special place in my heart and that is what that exhibit was all about.



This quilt was about the Blue Herons and the expansion of houses in the area where they roost. Since I finished the quilt the Blue Herons do not come back to that particular roosting area. Which to me is really sad. I loved watching them. They are incredible birds.

I also love to free form and do raw edge appliqué.

However, I still like to dabble in mixed media. I love to use fabric paper that I have made in my mixed media pieces. So I thought I would share the technique that I learned from my girlfriend. Patti Bradley, in New Hampshire when I visited with her last year.



Fabric Paper Making

This is a messy project so you will want to cover your working surface with plastic.

Materials : 100% cotton scrim, glue ( the ultimate glue, or pva works well), liquid acrylic paints, white tissue paper, colored tissue paper, various lightweight decorative papers, napkins, ephemera, fabrics, etc. Foam brushes.

Lay your scrim out on the plastic sheeting.

• Make a mixture of glue and water, 60% water and 40% glue.


• Start to paint the glue on the scrim completely covering it with the glue solution.


• Lay your decorative papers on top in one next to the other smoothing them down as you go. They can overlap however you like. Completely cover the scrim with one layer.


• Paint another layer of glue mix over the entire piece.


• Rip your white tissue paper into 5” strips. Carefully lay them over the last glue layer making sure to remove any bubbles that form. At this point you can add more paper if you would like.

While the glue is still wet paint it with diluted paints or dyes. Letting the colors blend and run freely on the paper.

Now the paper is ready to dry. Laying it in the sun works well, or just letting it dry overnight.

After the paper is dry you will want to add white felt to the back of it. You can do this with glue or fusible web. This makes it a bit stiffer and easier to work with. However you could use it without the felt too.

Photo info: 1 An example of fabric paper collage made for the American Cancer society "Eyes of the Beholder."2. Another fabric paper collage, All Birds Can Sing, will be for sale in the Art for Autism auction in October. 3. Laura's latest quilt: " The Mad Hatter's Tea Party" which is hanging in a gallery in the Anaba Tea Room. I received copyright permission to use the photo from Alpha Stamps. 4. Against the Odds as described above complete with Blue Herons. 5. This is a quilt for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative which will be for sale in Houston. 6. And the last piece is my Hoffman Challenge piece called Complete Serenity.

Bio: I live in Menomonee Falls, WI. Married to Mike with 2 children and 2 cats and a dog as well as a tarantula, and turtle. I am a 12 year breast cancer survivor. I am in love with art quilts. The whole process is just amazing to me. I have been blessed to find my talent a few years ago. The creative process, along with my faith in God, are really the glue that hold my life together.

I have participated the past 2 years in Breaking Traditions exhibit, Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative and Art Now for Autism and in Fiber Art For a Cause a few years ago. I also dabble with the Fast Fridays quilt group and am a member of the Milwaukee Art Quilters and Oconomowoc Quilt Guild.

For more about Laura, check out her blog, her mixed media pictures and more.

Update from Hearts for Anna

I want to thank you -- no pun intended -- from the bottom of my heart for contributing to a most successful "Hearts for Anna" event.

I don't know if you tracked the event, but we were nearly sold out of all artist-donated pieces within the first 2 hours. Ultimately, we sold every piece, and then added additional pieces from artfulhome.com which we called the "gallery" and from which we donated all of our profit.

Between the event pieces, the gallery pieces, and 5% of all our sales throughout the event, today we sent a check to Anna for more than $14,000!

Regardless of where you stand within the healthcare debate that is raging right now, you helped an artist who is struggling through the obstacles of our current healthcare system while she battles for her life.

You didn't have to do it, but you did.

You didn't have to care, but you did.

You didn't have to give your time, energy, and materials, but you did.

Thank you so very much.

My best wishes to you,

Lisa Bayne

NOTE: Lisa Bayne was the driving force behind this Artful Home fundraiser to benefit fabric artist Anna Millea. She deserves a hearty thank you and pat on the back for a job well done!

Lisa added in an email: "In addition, we were thrilled that our site did not crash, as traffic to the site quadrupled from normal, with much of it happening in the first hour!" That gives you an idea of how many of you stepped up to help.

Let me add my thanks to all of you who stepped up and made a difference -- a $14,000 difference! And in addition, you reassured Anna that we find her, AND her life, AND her health valuable!

We love you Anna -- now get well soon! -- Dawn

Collage Mania: Don't delay, choose your purchase!

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO OWN A PIECE OF FINE FABRIC ART AND AT THE SAME TIME, KNOW YOUR MONEY SUPPORTS A WORTHY CAUSE.

by Guest Blogger Virginia Spiegel

One hundred and sixty-one artists have donated artwork to Collage Mania 2009 to raise funds for the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause.

The 383 fiber collages can now be previewed here.

Photos:
1. Buy Organic by Virginia Spiegel
2. Forever by Linda B. Dunn for her grandmother
3. Flames of Hope by Cindy Simms a one year survivor and counting
4. Connections by Sue Bleiweiss
5. Serenity 1 by Sharon Tootles: In memory of my family and friends who have survived, died or who are battling cancer. I love you all.

Collage Mania opens May 5 with an $80 minimum donation for each artwork.

On May 6 and 7, the minimum donation drops to $40.

The goal of this three-day art extravaganza is to raise at least $20,000 For the American Cancer Society. Fiberart For A Cause (FFAC) has already donated more than $170,000.

When I began Fiberart For A Cause five years ago, my goal was to raise $90 for the American Cancer Society using fiberart. My sister, Nancy J. Spiegel Rosman, is chair of the Forest Lake, MN Relay For Life and I wanted to support her fundraising efforts. We are both so thankful for the cancer research that made it possible for our Dad to be a colon cancer survivor.

Before I knew it, my tiny effort had been expanded through the support of the online group Quiltart. Karey Bresenhan, Director of International Quilt Festival - Houston, Chicago and Long Beach, became FFAC's Honorary Chairperson and guided the Postcard Project toward an amazing $120,000 raised for the ACS. Fiber artists have been beyond generous donating their artwork to the Postcard Project, the Invitational Reverse Auctions, and Collage Mania.

There are very few families whose lives have not been touched by cancer. That is one reason why dedications in honor of and in memory of those fighting cancer are so important in the Collage Mania pages. It's great art, but it's art with a meaning and a purpose also.

Collage Mania is the final big FFAC fundraiser as I return to my studio fulltime.

I treasure all the friendships I have made with artists and patrons during the five-year run of FFAC and salute their generosity and kindness.

Sue Bleiweiss adds: "Unfortunately I am not a stranger to having lost loved ones to cancer so for me, to decide to contribute a small piece of artwork for such a worthy cause is an easy one.

It's a fantastic feeling when your collage sells because not only have you helped raise money for the American Cancer Society but there's validation for the artwork that you've submitted.

Virginia has done an incredible thing with Collage Mania. Not only has she raised the level of awareness of the importance of coming forward and getting involved she's
created a community of goodwill, cooperation and given artists who have lost someone to cancer an outlet to create a piece of artwork to celebrate the lives of the ones they want to remember.

Knowing that the artwork will raise money for research and hang in someones home where it will be admired and cherished is really icing on the cake. I have nothing but admiration for all that Virginia has done with Collage Mania and I wish her much success with all her future endeavors."

-- Sue Bleiweiss is a mixed media fiber artist living in Massachusetts USA. This is her second year contributing to Collagemania. You can see more of her work at www.suebleiweiss.com.