Quilting can be an expensive hobby. Any kind of DIY art – from crocheting to photography to model building – can get expensive.
The good news is that there are a lot of ways to save money on your quilting and fabric art projects without compromising the quality and beauty of the finished projects. And one of those ways is art salvage.
You Missed the Live Event – but don’t worry! You can watch the full replay NOW!
Art Salvage Mindset for Quilting & Fabric Art
Earlier this year a great writer and fabric artist with an art salvage mindset shared her story with us.
She’s back!
We’re going to be hosting Susan Rusie for an exclusive Zoom interview on how to develop a salvaging mindset while creating fabric art.
Karyl (our premier seamstress) will also be sharing some of our Princess YellowBelly secrets to salvaging the most unexpected materials to help create and enhance our original quilting designs, like how a broken, 10-year-old bracelet can add to a mermaid quilt!
If you’re interested in learning how to save money quilting with an art salvage mindset from two pros, please RSVP today!
And if you can’t make it, for any reason, please let us know. This is a limited seating event, and if you can’t attend, we’d like to be able to open up your spot for another quilting artist.
A few months ago an enterprising artist had an idea for us on how to change up one of our original patterns. It was such a fascinating idea that we offered her a series of gifts:
A FREE quilting pattern for Freedom Flight (the pattern she was interested in changing)
FREE access to the video tutorial series
Exclusive access to our help (if and as needed)
In exchange, we wanted the rights to publish her story, and follow along as she worked on adapting it. If and when she does need our help, we’ll do it via a Zoom call and then publish those videos for your viewing and learning pleasure.
In short, we saw a fantastic, fantastic opportunity to grow our own creative reach. I’m about to tell you that you have an opportunity to:
Get in on the Action!
Get any original pattern by Princess YellowBelly FREE!
Also get complimentary access to any supplementary tutorial materials – videos, articles, pictures, etc.
And get the kind of exclusive access to us that Carrie’s enjoying
That’s right! If you choose to take advantage of this offer, you won’t have to pay a cent for any one of our unique, tested, hard-won and original patterns that inspires you. We’ll send you the original pattern of your choice, access to any video tutorials we might have, and give you inside access to our hands-on help and advice, completely free.
How to Take Advantage of this Unprecedented Offer
I’d love to be able to just offer any-and-everyone this kind of insider access. Unfortunately, though, we do have to put some limits on this opportunity.
One thing that we’ve found about Princess YellowBelly is that our creativity grows from the creativity of others. Each unique artist, each Seam Ripper Champion that we’ve had the privilege of meeting and learning from has made us better.
In short, your creativity is both inspirational and vital to us.
Most Important: Have a Creative Idea
What we want – what we’re actively looking for – are your ideas of our designs. How can you think to change, update, and transform the patterns that we’ve spent so much time and love changing and transforming ourselves.
Take a look at any of the original quilting patterns in our Shop; Freedom Flight, My Pad, The Christmas Bells; and think of how you’d like to do it differently.
Would you like to change The Christmas Bells pattern (coming soon) into a runner, rather than a topper?
Could “My Pad” be made into a centerpiece for a (more) traditional quilt like Carrie’s doing with Freedom Flight?
If you’ve got an idea for us, here are the conditions to meet in order to get that FREE pattern, insider access, and supplemental tutorials.
For Newsletter Subscribers
If you’re a newsletter subscriber, congrats! Not only do you have FREE insider access to our newest content, insider access, and first-look privileges, (not to mention a copy of our 52 Fabric Art Success Tips), now you can take advantage of this offer in four easy steps.
All you (loyal subscriber) have to do is:
Open your email
Find any one of our newsletter issues
Hit “Reply”
And tell us about your brilliant idea
We’ll review your idea, offer any answers or suggestions that we can, and set up your first sharing article and receipt of your new PYB original pattern – and support elements.
For Non-Subscribers
If you’re not a subscriber yet…what are you waiting for?!?
Seriously, though, if you’re not a subscriber you’re still more than welcome to participate in this challenge and win yourself a FREE pattern, plus all the supplemental materials.
All you have to do is purchase something from our Store; anything at all:
Once you’ve purchased something from us, all you have to do is Reply to one of the confirmation emails, let us know that you’ve got an idea to change one of our original patterns, and Bob’s your uncle!
Or you could subscribe to our newsletter, and Reply to any of your “Welcome to the Family” confirmation emails.
Your choice.
We really do hope that you take advantage of this unique and brand-new opportunity to participate in our ongoing fabric art adventure! We’re all about building a community that supports real quilting creativity (what we call “quiltivity). We want to both preserve and update the traditions and memories of those who came before us, and impart this artistic passion to a new generation.
Please join us! We can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Do you like to rescue – salvage – materials for use in your arts-and-crafts projects? From quilting to felting, from beading to cross-stitch, it can be difficult to find ways to salvage materials and incorporate them in ways that look like beautiful art, and not thrift-store rejects.
Here at Princess YellowBelly Designs we love to save whatever we can and reuse it where ever it’ll work best:
Buttons off old clothes make the eyes of fabric animals
Salvaged trim off the neckline of an old T-shirt can substitute for a ribbon
Old crocheted doilies from the antique store can help create a beautiful pattern quickly and easily
Plus we keep all of the cutting scraps from our fabric that’s over about two-inches wide and 3 inches long for patching, mosaics, small appliques, and more.
Recently, we were privileged to meet a hobby-artist whose fabric passion is tying fleece. And her unique perspective on accepting a rough hand – badly damaged “brand-new” materials – salvaging what was there, and creating something truly beautiful has touched our hearts. We’re so excited for you to meet:
Fabric Salvage Artist Susan Rusie
You made some gifts for a friend out of fleece – what was the inspiration/motivation behind that?
I remember a couple of years ago, I wanted to make a family friend a tie blanket with her favorite team and alma mater, Purdue.
This is a family friend that I’ve known all my life. Her parents and my parents were both best friends. My dad and her dad met in college. My mom and her mom met in nursing school.
She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and I wanted to send her something to cheer her up.
What a touching angle! May I ask; what happened with your friend, why the tied fleece blanket, what was the deeper personal connection with her alma mater…?
My friend had discovered a lump in one of her breasts and got herself checked out as soon as she could. The lump ended up being malignant. Fortunately, it was caught early enough and all of the cancer was able to be removed.
Susan Rusie is actually a friend of Suzanna’s from her day-job world of copywriting and marketing.
I’m grateful to her because I know that she’s a part of the vibrant, energized community of passionate writers and creative geniuses that my daughter finds so much support and joy in.
Susan lives is Louisville, KY.
I love making tie blankets and it’s been something I like to make for friends and family to give as gifts. I knew it would be something she would appreciate and get a lot use out of and she does.
She and her brother and older sister all attended and graduated from Purdue, so her whole family always roots for Purdue anytime they play anyone else.
In your case, the materials arrived damaged. Why did you decide to “make the best of it” rather than trying for a refund? Did you enjoy the challenge…or was there a time constraint?
Have you ever had a project you needed or wanted to do, but found out that you weren’t going to be able to do it the way you planned?
This is an area where it pays off to be a creative thinker.
I had to special order four yards of material from Amazon so it would be a full-size fleece tie blanket for an adult.
When the material arrived, I checked it over.
To my dismay, a little over 3/4 of the way down, I noticed a hole right in the center of the material.
My husband asked me if wanted to return the material, but I said “No, I’m going to do something different. It’s going to be a pain to return it.”
I don’t mind a good challenge if I see a creative solution that will still give me get the result I want. Fortunately, I had no time constraint, other than that I wanted to start on it right away so she could get it sooner.
We all know what it’s like to have something go against us. How did you start the salvage process of thinking outside of the box?
So, I cut off the part that had the hole in it and turned that section that was left into a scarf and two throw pillows.
There was enough of the Purdue material to make both the scarf and throw pillows double sided.
I’m curious as to the process behind these thoughts. Did you have a scarf pattern, was that just what the strip that was left looked like? How much fabric did the hole end up costing you?
Watch the Full Interview
I didn’t have a pattern to use for the scarf.
I just folded it over horizontally and guessed on the amount of material I would need to make it, but I had to make sure I used enough material so I would have room to create the fringes I would need to tie them together.
Once I finished with the scarf, I folded the rest of the material horizontally and cut that piece right down the middle vertically so I had two separate folded pieces to create the two throw pillows.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the tie blanket double-sided to make it big enough for an adult.
It would have been a half a yard shorter than I would have liked. It might have worked for a shorter adult, but it would have been a better sized tie blanket for a child.
So I went into my local Joann Fabrics and bought black fleece to finish the blanket.
Why did you order the fleece from Amazon to begin with if you had a local Joann’s?
I would have purchased the Purdue fleece fabric if my local Joann’s Fabrics carried it, but it wasn’t available in my area. I had to special order it from Amazon.
I then went over to Joann Fabrics and bought another four yards of black fleece material to use as the backing for the tie blanket itself. I also bought some poly-fill for the throw pillows.
I still had enough fleece material to make a decent-sized tie blanket once I bought the black fleece material for the backing.
The overall project was probably in the $60 to $70 range after it was all said and done. It probably would have been less if the Purdue material had been on sale.
How About Getting Some More Fabric Art Salvage Ideas?
I don’t know about ya’ll, but I feel totally inspired by Susan’s story. Her natural thriftiness, her ease in circling around a problem to find a solution rather than simply sending the damaged stuff back, and her heart for her friend are all such valuable mindsets for any quilter or fabric artist to have.
Just re-reading our article I already had an idea about how to save some stuff that I’ve been thinking of either sending back or giving away.
If you’d like to hear more from Susan (not to mention all the other unique fabric arts we keep meeting), please subscribe to our FREE fortnightly newsletter. Among other upcoming great content, we’re scheduling a call with Susan so that we can brainstorm a little bit more about salvage ideas and the thrifty mindset.
Find Out How to Adapt & Create Original Quilting Patterns
Hello to all of our wonderful Princess YellowBelly members!
If this is your first time here, then no worries, we’re about to do a first of our own. And if you’ve been with us for a while, then you know that the announcement that we’re about to do a live interview – our first every live video event ever – isn’t an exaggeration.
We enjoy doing video, and doing live interviews has been a dream of our for over a year.
And now it’s finally about to happen, thanks to a true friend and fellow innovative fabric artist Laura Piland from Slice of Pi Quilts.
Slice of Pi Quilts – Original Quilting Patterns
Laura’s already shared a bit of her amazing story of how she creates amazing quilting patterns and how we’ve adapted one of hers. I highly recommend reading her story before you join the video, to find out more about Laura beforehand, and figure out questions that you’d like to ask her live!
We’re sure excited to get to talk to her about creating and adapting original quilting patterns. Please do make sure to join us live for an interesting conversation with questions like:
How many patterns have you adapted?
Do you have a standard method for adapting patterns?
How do you get ideas for new quilting patterns?
What’s your process for creating a new pattern?
See you there this afternoon, September 28 @ 4 PM (Eastern Standard Time)!
*If for any reason you can’t join us live, the replay will be available on our Facebook page, and we’ll be seeing what we can do to share it here, as well.
Welcome to a new segment for Princess YellowBelly Designs! We’ve shared amazing artists with you before (and we’re about to again), but we’ve realized that there’s another kind of category.
Really we should have figured it out before, because it’s our own category. And it’s artists’ sharing their creativity so other’s can use their ideas.
It’s a beautiful place to be.
And since we’ve narrowed it down, we’ve realized that a lot of these wonderful artists are in the sphere of Etsy. Again, it shouldn’t have surprised us because we ourselves got our start on Etsy.
Yet we didn’t think of sharing our unique product suppliers – patterns, knickknacks, specialty beads, trims, and ideas in general – until we purchased a very special pattern.
How We Met a Unique Product Supplier
And now we at Princess YellowBelly Designs would like to introduce to our first brave, unique, and wonderful Unique Product Supplier: Laura from Slice of Pi Quilts.
What made you start creating your own patterns?
Joining Instagram! A friend encouraged me to join the social media platform to share my quilts. Once I did, I found a wonderful community of other quilters that I had no idea existed! Other people began asking for patterns for the quilts I was making, and it turns out, that was my dream job!
What inspires you?
I’m *always* hunting for quilt inspiration! I take photos of floor tiles, tissue boxes, walls, shadows…anything and everything that catches my eye. I keep those photos in a folder in my phone, then I scroll through them when I’m in the mood to start a quilt!
Why do you enjoy making your own patterns – and inventing your own techniques?
When I made my first quilt, I had no idea what I was doing. I watched YouTube videos and called my mom and grandmothers dozens of times to ask questions. I loved the thrill of figuring it out! I promised myself right then that I wanted to try something new with every quilt that I made!
Biography
I’m Laura! I’m a quilter, pattern designer, deal hunter, and homeschooling mom of three boys! I’m also an ex-math teacher – and with a last name like Piland – there’s a strong love of pi in our house!
I started quilting in 2010, then started Slice of Pi Quilts in 2016. I have made over 400 quilts in that time! I love inspiring others to quilt and am always trying something new!
I live outside of Kansas City, MO.
*We’ve used your Hydra scales pattern ourselves (and it’s awesome!)In fact, hang around till the end, and we’ll give you a glimpse of just what we did with Laura’s pattern…
How did you come up with that one? How many different places/ways have you used it?
That’s such a fun quilt! I had just finished making a quilt with prairie points, and wondered if I could make other shapes instead of triangles.
Turns out, you can!
Teresa Coates of Shannon Fabrics made the quilt using their Cuddle! I think that’s a brilliant use of the pattern! Wouldn’t it be so fun to make each scale with a different textured fabric! What a great baby quilt that would be!
What materials do you use?
I’m always trying new tools and techniques, but I do sometimes use non-traditional fabric too! I have made quilts with selvages, minky, fleece, lace, and even rayon fabric!
How long does it take to design something new?
Sometimes, inspiration strikes and I can’t scribble the design on the back of a napkin fast enough! Other times, it takes months for an idea to simmer long enough to be ready for cutting up fabric.
How many have you made in all (or a rough estimate)?
I have finished 403 quilts since 2010. Yes, I have a spreadsheet! That does not include other projects like pillowcases, zipper pouches, or other non-quilty projects, which I usually have a dozen or so of those each year too.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever made?
It’s not sewing, but I recently made a giant white flower fascinator with cardstock and hot glue for a local Kentucky Derby themed party! I even won first prize for it!
Do you do any selling or displaying at fairs?
I teach quilting to kids in our local 4-H club, and they display their quilts at our county fair! I do not sell any quilts, but I will occasionally take quilts to the local quilt show.
How do your boys and homeschooling affect your quilting passion?
Our days are definitely a blend of school and work! While the boys are doing school, I’m often multi-tasking and filling pattern orders or writing a blog post. The boys are also quick to point out barn quilt blocks, quilt shops, or quilts in books and movies!
Coming soon…
What’s new or coming next for you?
I have three new quilt patterns coming out next month! I’m working behind the scenes now on making the samples and finalizing the patterns!
What’s the best place for our readers to find and/or contact you?
If you’re on Facebook or Instagram, I’m Slice of Pi Quilts there.
And whatever else you do, I highly recommend that you sign up for my newsletter on my website!
Princess YellowBelly Highly Recommends Slice of Pi
Laura is, in our humble opinion, a brilliant artist. We can also tell you that we’ve made her Hydra scales pattern for ourselves. Her pattern style is clear, cohesive, easy to follow, and really a lot of fun.
From all those hundreds of little hydra scales, we managed to adapt and change her idea to suit our needs.
*Incidentally, that’s a great metric for whether or not a pattern is good: it should be easy to adapt.
Now that we have the Hydra Scales pattern, I know that we’ll be using it many, many times in the future. Probably – sorry Laura – in ways that our wonderful Unique Product Supplier wouldn’t even recognize.
If you want to, you can watch the whole interview with Laura, FREE, on our official YouTube channel. If you want to be notified (and reminded) when we next go live with a unique artist like Laura, subscribe to our newsletter! It’s fast, it’s free, and you get a great gift as well.
This has been a year of unique fabric artists! So far we’ve met two amazing women who take fabric art to new and dizzying heights of creative genius. And now, we have another one to share with you.
More than that, courtesy of our lovely new guest, we’ve discovered a whole new type of fabric art that we’d never heard of before!
It’s a type of street art, or graffiti (as some call it), where the artist takes a leftover bit of knitting or yarn and wraps it around something.
The supports of a bridge
The limbs of a tree
The spokes of a bicycle
Yarnbombing has become a way of saving and repurposing “junk” destined for the landfill, and salvaging those odd ends and pieces that always seem to hang around after a knitting project.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for such an outside-the-box endeavor, yarnbombing seems to have originated in Texas, with those saucy southern Belles who needed something to do with their leftover knitting.
Now, however, it’s a practice that’s already migrated across America and over the Pond, and is now adorning everything from New York City Streets to Italian Bridges.
So without any further ado, please encounter our newest unique fabric artist, and give her a warm greeting!
Yarnbomber Ola O’Shea
You do a very different kind of art. It’s fresh, different, and evidently means different things to different people and artists:
How do You Define Your Specific Type of Yarnbombing?
My art is unique, every single piece is like no other. I started with knitting sweaters, hats etc., but I always felt a need to create things that were more unique. I connected with a yarnbombing crowd and took part in large group projects internationally.
I start with an object and my yarn selection.
I do not buy yarn
Therefore I work with what I have on hand. Minimizing waste I use small scraps of yarn first.
Ola O’Shea
Rather than spending a lot of time on personal stuff, I will focus on my journey with yarn artwork.
I have worked with yarn all my life, knitting and crocheting. Later in life I started to incorporate my craft into art and now I’m saving items from the landfill.
In the very beginning, I was loading kids’ bicycles into the car. One bicycle was left behind which I did not notice. I drove over it. I had a broken bike and decided to save it from the landfill.
That is how my yarnbombing of broken bicycles started.
I cover many items in yarn, making them not only into décor but also great for practical use. My yarn covered stools can be used as plant stands etc.
Interesting Trivia about Me
I love colors, primary colors.
My style is boho.
I never use a pattern.
I create items that are unique.
And no 2 items are exactly the same.
I do not coordinate colors
I go by how it feels.
I do not plan my projects
They are very spontaneous depending what I have on hand.
Can You Tell Us More About the Culture and Community Surrounding Yarnbombing?
Yarnbombing is unique form of art, which comes with the responsibility of removing a display within an appropriate timeframe, so it does not turn into littering. Knitted/crocheted pieces can be turned into blankets and donated to people in need.
What’s Your Response to Environmental Criticisms of Yarnbombing?
Yes, there is an environmental criticism. I believe a yarnbombing carries responsibility, otherwise it becomes littering. I always make sure the projects I take part in, have zero waste and are environmentally friendly. I do not create art that interferes with wildlife, nature and I always make sure my display is removed in the timely matter.
Where Do You Find Inspiration for Your Ideas?
I find inspirations daily. I see what supplies I have on hand and what I can create. Everything I use is recycled. I do not buy yarn, I accept donations. I look for broken items, cover them with yarn and save them from landfill.
What Motivates You to Create Yarnbombing?
What motivates me to create is recycling items which would end up in landfill.
I do not purchase anything for my art; so I’m recycling yarn as well. I also use fabric. I look for colors and texture.
Why Did You Start Specifically with Yarnbombing?
I started my art, because I want zero waste. Too many items get discarded.
Did you start with a standard pattern or design, or was this all your own creation?
Everything I do is my own creation. I do not follow patterns; I don’t know how to read them. I pick up yarn and go by how it feels.
What is your process; design, prep, work, completion, etc.?
I look for items that are unusable, discarded. I will even pick them up from the side of the road. Then, I open my trunk, where I store yarn and fabric. The rest is spontaneous creation. I do not have the finished object in my head when I start. I never know what end result would be like.
Which is how it all got started with yarn covered bicycles.
Bicycle was broken.
I was knitting, crocheting pieces, and adding them to the bike.
No pattern, no plan.
Just plain creation.
How long does each finished (item) take to complete?
Hard to say, because I work on few projects at the time. I consider it completed when I am satisfied with the outcome.
How many have you made in all (or a rough estimate)?
Lots. I’ve lost count, but the projects include bicycles, plant stands, wheels, paper lanterns, and (in part) a plane, and everything in between!
Do You Display Your Yarnbombing Art Publicly? Exhibits, Contests, Events?
I do participate in exhibits, although I’ve never entered a contest.
And yes, I do events.
My yarnbombing art has been displayed in LA and other cities in the US, as well as Hawaii, London, Canada etc.
I made my part, mailed it and it was incorporated into a large project. We covered façade of art gallery in LA, and a plane in Yukon, Canada.
What’s the best place for our readers to find and/or contact you?
Being able to showcase unique artists like Ola is one of the best parts of being Princess YellowBelly Designs. We love discovering new artists, learning about their techniques, and getting to experience their amazing works of art. If you know of someone – or are someone – who practices a unique form of fabric art, please use the form below to let us know!
Princess YellowBelly Designs loves, loves, LOVES finding fabric art and artists who are unique, amazing, and oh-so-special. The art we especially love to find is when an artist has tried several different mediums, like quilting and crochet, for example, and has found some way to combine the two into an amazing new style – something you can’t find in any pattern book.
Here at PYB we do it with quilts, we start with quilting patterns, add in some applique, include embroidery techniques, buttons, etc. But recently we’ve shared people who do it with crochet, clothing, and – now – weaving!
And, really, wow. What weaving. We’ve found someone who not only loves bright colors, but combines a truly staggering number of different artforms and influences. And, while it may not be humanly possible to become proficient at each and every type of fabric art – our new unique artist may very well have at least tried just about every way to apply art to piece of thread or fabric.
So, without any further ado, please help us welcome a truly amazing, unique fabric artist:
Nancy Lattier Hinsey
What inspired you to start weaving?
In 1974 I visited Salem, MA and took a docent-led tour. The main room in one house featured a 6’ wide loom. I’d never seen a loom before and was fascinated. I decided then that one day I would own a loom and know how to weave.
Where Do You Find Inspiration for Your Ideas?
I’ve lived alone since 2015, for the first time in my life. This has led to an explosion of creativity and revealed the true artistic soul inside me – one that can finally express herself in any way she chooses! At age 73, I feel like I am finally living my “true life.” Even dinner becomes an artistic expression and the consumption of a meal a gift to myself!
Many ideas appear in my dreams!
My Fall and Winter plans include new experiments with Fabric Layering and Manipulation, Shibori dyeing, new Overshot weaving patterns and fibers, and a promise to myself to learn to “COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES.”
Nancy Lattier Hinsey
I was an Escrow Officer in So. Calif and lost my job in 2007 when the R.E. & Mortgage Loan-stoked recession hit. I’d always wanted to learn to weave, so I bought a loom and enlisted 2 weaver friends to mentor me.
2 years later, I lost my home.
But I had my small but unencumbered home in Baja, Mexico, on the shores of the Sea of Cortez, so I packed myself, my looms (2 now) and the 2 cats and headed south in 2009.
I’m the only weaver around and as such I generate a lot of interest. I sell to people here, Americans and Canadians, who (used to) visit my home studio, opened an Etsy shop 2 years ago to showcase my wares and promote/sell on Facebook. And, until Covid, I participated in 4 – 6 Art Shows in San Felipe per season. 90% of the gringos leave by June 1st, before Summer hits with high temps and humidity!
I feel like I am finally living the artistic life I was destined to live, but kept circumventing due to career and job pressures. Every day is now devoted to creation, expression, experimentation and presentation of Wearable and Practical Art:
Rugs
Scarves
Boho bags
What Motivates You to Create Fabric Art?
I am motivated by Curiosity and Boredom. A compelling combination that has led me to explore many aspects of life and creative expression.
I’m mostly self-taught and have created in, or at the very least experimented with, numerous art forms including:
Cut paper
Quilling
Calligraphy
Illumination
Beading
Crochet
Knitting
Macramé
Oil painting
Candle making
Pen and ink
Shibori and tie-dye
And silk screening.
My silk screened “Jelly Bean Bags” found their way to Ronald Reagan’s desk.
Yes – she said Ronald Reagan’s desk! Email if you’d like to hear more!
Scarves – Saori style and traditional patterns – (Saori is an organic Japanese weaving style of flowing consciousness)
Purses
Fabric
Boho Bags
Hat Bands
Clothing – pants, caps, blouses
I believe my multi-media “work” represents a respectful combination of Arts and Crafts.
Why did you start making Boho bags?
I began weaving Boho Bags in 2013. At the time, I was weaving Rag Rugs from fabric strips, and had lots of fabric people had donated for my use in weaving these. (I tear or cut the material into 1 ½” strips for weaving.)
One day I noticed a stack of fabrics that looked so great together I decided to do a patchwork piece of fabric and Boho Bags were born!
While I love the colors, textures and patterns available to me through weaving, the fabric manipulation satisfied a craving for a more immediate tactile experience. I re-acquainted myself with my sewing machine (an antique Singer) and started to sew; the old Singer only lasted a couple of months.
I put out a request for a machine on my local Facebook page and was gifted a Kenmore that has become my work horse! I was also given a programmable Pfaff with all the bells and whistles, but I still do all the basics with the Kenmore.
The Boho Bags are one-of-a-kind and wildly popular. Several clients have bought numerous bags.
Did you start with a standard pattern or design, or was this all your own creation?
I started with a simple woven rectangle 15” wide and 30” long, resulting in a 14 X 14 bag when stitched. I keep it simple, though I do experiment with various closures, over flaps and straps. I recently found a woman in WA who now weaves custom-order straps in specific color combos, for specific purses.
And I’m always on the prowl for fobs, focals, lace, trims, beads, sequins, fringe and anything sparkly to add to the bags.
I follow many people on Pinterest and occasionally see a purse style that grabs me. Otherwise, I feel the purpose of the bags I create is to evoke a visceral reaction to the color and texture, and this size fits the bill to express that.
Practicality is important but secondary.
Each bag, whether fabric or woven, has interior pockets. Most feature outside pockets as well. Some fabric bags are constructed with a flat bottom and sides, creating a more voluminous tote. Some have pockets on the sides as well, perfect for sun and reading glasses. People LOVE pockets! And always one pocket slot that fits the phone!
What is your process; design, prep, work, completion, etc.?
I don’t do a lot of planning!! It all starts with the visual for me.
I browse fabrics, either on hand or on-line. Sometimes I wake up with a certain color or trio of colors dancing in my head. The search begins. I pull out anything that fits the bill, without stopping to evaluate. I often end up with a large stack of fabrics on my dining room table aka Work Space. (Fortunately I live alone!) I work on a “base” piece out of muslin, (my palette), and affix my fabric designs to that. And finally, each purse is fully lined with at least one interior pocket.
I fall under the category of Obsessive-Compulsive I’m sure! Which works fine for me.
I work on the new purse till I’m either stumped or bored. But since I always have at least three projects going at once…. I go on to the next one and keep the creative juices flowing. I call it Multi-Tasking. And it makes for a very full, exciting and productive day/week/month/year! The weaving process though requires a Zen focus – when I’m weaving, I weave.
Is there anything you can tell our readers about how to integrate two very different fabric art styles into one finished piece?
I don’t really do much of this. I have used some of my woven fabrics as over flaps on the fabric Bohos, but otherwise I prefer similar fabric textures on a bag.
How long does each finished bag or scarf take to complete?
THE most often asked question at shows!
Especially with my woven rugs. Most of my wool rugs are 2 ft. X 3 ft. And depending on the intricacy of the pattern, each rug takes an average of 12 hours to weave. Add to that the preparatory steps of winding a warp, threading and dressing the loom, and then the final process of tying and twisting fringe and in some cases, wet finishing. I weave a special wool rug I call a “Kaleidoscope Rug,” woven with the remnants of the many colors of wool left over from previously woven rugs.
I weave most of my wool rugs in the “Indian Saddle Blanket” style with the color scheme the only pre-determined element. I weave in a “stream of consciousness” fashion, changing colors when it feels right to do so. This makes each rug an adventure and suprise for me!
The Boho Bags vary from 6 to 10 hours, and the woven rugs can take as many as 20 hours total!
How many have you made in all (or a rough estimate)?
In my 13 years of weaving:
Wool rugs – probably 80…..all but 3 have found homes.
Rag Rugs – 40. Woven Bags – 60.
Fabric Bohos – 60.
I also weave Table Runners (10), and Scarves (100). The woven scarves are very popular as Christmas gifts! Last year alone I had orders for 20 of them. It was a very busy 3 months for me!
I’m currently exploring Fabric Layering and Manipulation including Appliques and Reverse appliques, various forms of stitching, embroidery and “slow stitch” ala Alabama Chanin. I do have four stitched Hat Bands (Head Bands) available. These are done in the reverse applique method with floss stitching and embroidery. And of course, the fabric bags make the perfect base for exploring these techniques.
Also, I’ve recently begun a love affair with African print fabrics. Oh, what dynamic colors and bold geometry!! I’ve sold a few pair of African style pants in these prints as well as the retro Newsboy Caps.
And, next up will be a Japanese Hapi Jacket in a wildly colorful African print. The perfect pairing of cultures.
And, in a commitment to forward movement and further expanding my ability to “think outside the box” and “paint outside the lines,” I’ve begun daily entries into a new Artist’s Sketch Book.
I love the bold look of a black Sharpie, so that’s my first line of expression on the page. Then, I embellish with watercolors – also a new endeavor. I share each day’s sketches on Facebook. So many people enjoy sharing in the process of discovery. I am finding that sketching from “real life” enhances my perception and attention to details, shading and shape.
Who knows where this may lead? Also a new adventure for me.
I hear you’ve won quite a few contests, can you tell us more about that?
My dear friend and weaving mentor, Suzanne, bought one of my first woven wool rugs. It was a unique design in the “Indian Saddle Blanket” style which features alternating blocks of color and solid stripes of varying depths. This one was black, red, white and turquoise. She entered it in the annual Riverside County Fair & Expo and shocked the heck outta me when she told me the rug had won “Best of Weaving” and “Best Woven Rug” divisions!
Plus I received a small check and two blue ribbons!
In 2013 I created the First Annual South Campos ART TOUR.
This is a unique celebration of the colorful local art I enjoy so much. It consists of 8 local artists, visitors purchase a ticket and drive to their home/studio to see demo, view and purchase original art, then enjoy events like Lunch, Raffle and Silent Auction at Community Center, proceeds to local middle school ART AND ESL programs, which we established and staff.
Do you display at fairs or events?
I participated in approx. 6 Art Shows/Sales per Season (Oct – May) here in San Felipe, where there is a large community of retired Americans and Canadians. Those are on hold till it becomes safe to be in crowds again!
I have also just made arrangements with a friend/customer who is opening a Tourist Gift Shop in Poncha Springs, CO to provide some of my woven pieces for sale there.
SALES: Most of my sales are made in-person at local San Felipe Art Shows and to visitors to my home studio (PRE COVID). I certainly miss those visits with coffee and convo!
My Etsy shop serves as a tableau for all of my current inventory. The Covid virus has hit San Felipe hard, and mask and in-home precautions are still in effect. Thus, on-line sales, mostly through Facebook, are especially important to this solo artist living on a sand dune in Mexico!
What’s the best place for our readers to find and/or contact you?
Being able to showcase unique artists like Nancy is one of the best parts of being Princess YellowBelly Designs. We love discovering new artists, learning about their techniques, and getting to experience their amazing works of art. If you know of someone – or are someone – who practices a unique form of fabric art, please use the form below to let us know!
Princess YellowBelly Designs is all about celebrating the most unique and creative ways that fabric can possibly go together – and if these artistic creations happen to be useful as well, all the better! From quilts to wall hangings, from table toppers to mug rugs, from patterns to printed photo panels – we’re all about the magic in the art.
Which is why we’re so excited to welcome an incredibly unique artist that we just met on Facebook!
Please give a warm welcome to our wonderful guest star:
Marijke van Welzen!
The Art
Marijke does something with the basic idea of quilts and fabric art that we’d never considered – she creates mesmerizing art that you can wear!
Her amazing long coats and jackets look as if a field of flowers, or butterflies, or dandelions decided to wrap themselves up in silks and watercolors and grace a quilt. Everything, from the stunning overall effect, to the unbelievably perfect fine details and embellishments, to her picture-perfect stitching make Marijke’s art2wear creations beyond stunning.
What inspires you to make wearable art?
Marijke van Welzen is an amazing and truly unique textile artist. Under the label art2wear she makes high-end wearable art and accessories with a story to tell. From her home in the beautiful Netherlands she works at combining multiple fabric art disciplines and techniques to create one-of-a-kind show-stoppers. As if that wasn’t awe-inspiring enough, she also makes quilts and teaches.
Read to the end of the article to see a video of Marijke creating this art!
“I love the 3D aspects of Wearable art. I’m inspired by:
Art
Other artists
Fabric
Fibers
Fashion
People
Fairy-tales
And the natural world
I like to participate in contests, I pick the ones with themes that inspire me. When I read the theme it has to be catchy at once. I start thinking about it, doing research, reading articles, looking at images at Google etc.
An idea comes to my mind, has to whirl around in my head for some time, then I start working.
The rest is very intuitive, once I start, it works like a kind of puzzle, I find another piece, or I just have to wait until some more pieces turn up. I never know exactly beforehand what the end result will look like.”
Was there anything in your life story that led to you making these beautiful works of art?
I already made a lot of my own clothes, but I had not done something like that, I decided to try it out.
I now have made more than 50 jackets and coats.
Why do you enjoy making these jaw-dropping creations?
I love working with textiles. I love the tactile aspect (to feel the different textures, soft, rough, hairy, smooth etc.) the flexibility, the unlimited color range and the visual texture (shiny, muted, glittering etc.). I usually work very intuitively, sometimes I use a Mandala drawing I made for inspiration.
Daily life can be very hectic, my art helps me to balance my life; it gives me a way to escape everyday life, relax my mind.
I occasionally work on commission. The garment is tailor-made for that particular client. I keep in mind wishes like favorite color, design, shape etc.
I start with an interview with the client, we talk about their life, pets, work, that way I get an idea about what they would like in their jacket. Then I take measurements. It is a time-consuming process, which make the garments quite pricey.
Did you start with a standard pattern or design, or was this all your own creation?
I learned how to draw patterns. I use basic patterns which I adapt.
Do you make a lot of different designs or variations of a basic one?
I make one-of a-kind garments. Each one is different.
What is your process; design, prep, work, completion, etc.?
I love to use fabric collage. Using many tiny pieces of commercial fabric prints and colorful machine threads I ‘paint’ my designs.
I usually work very intuitively. I collect fabrics around the theme I want to work on and things like ribbons, lace, buttons, charms, beads and anything else I think I can use.
Sometimes I use stencils or stamps and fabric paint to enhance the piece.
Is there anything you can tell our readers about how to integrate so many different techniques and materials into one piece of finished art?
I work on a base, like interfacing, or thin quilter’s batting. Everything is pinned to that base.
Dutch-language video – to watch with English-captions: 1. Click on the double “CC” button to turn on captions. 2. Click the gear icon settings button & select “Auto-translate” 3. Select your language from the drop-down menu that appears Video credit goes to the late Jacques van Herten – media used with permission
I work on a base, like interfacing, or thin quilter’s batting. Everything is pinned to that base.
I love to use all sorts of materials, mixing and matching cotton,silk, synthetics. Then I stitch it all down. After that come the embellishments.
I like to explore and use other techniques as well for my garments e.g. working with water-soluble fabric to make lace-like effects or using wet and dry felting in combination with the textile collage.
How long does each finished design take to complete?
I work a couple of months on one large coat. I do 1 or 2 large ones a year. In between I make small quilts or other things.
How many have you made in all (or a rough estimate)?
I think around 60 jackets and coats in all in 20 years. And about 20 quilts.
Do you do a lot displaying at fairs?
I try to have expositions regularly. I had solo exhibits in 2019 and 2020 of my coats in the Netherlands and Germany. Many of my pieces are shown in quilt shows and museums worldwide in group exhibits.
I like to take part in calls-for-entry, I find on the World Wide Web. These are calls for exhibitions. The artwork is juried. Sometimes there are prizes to win, sometimes it’s only a ribbon.
I also teach workshops in the techniques I use. We work in small groups, the sewing machines are ready and waiting. On request I teach on location too. I am looking into teaching online, as travelling is not an option now.
What’s the best place for our readers to find and/or contact you?
Being able to showcase unique artists like Marijke is one of the best parts of being Princess YellowBelly Designs. We love discovering new artists, learning about their techniques, and getting to experience their amazing works of art. If you know of someone – or are someone – who practices a unique form of fabric art, please use the form below to let us know!
Jolene Noyes is a unique artist. She has come up with a way to make something valuable, beautiful, and unique using something that most other people would consider trash, at best.
*We would like to thank this artist for agreeing to be interviewed as our first ever unique encounter with a brilliant artist to be featured on Princess YellowBelly.
The Art
Jolene takes plastic shopping bags from stores like Walmart and City Market, and repurposes them into plastic yarn which she then crochets into a variety of beautiful projects like bags, rugs, mats, and even clothing.
This past year she started making her own yarn combinations.
What inspired you to make these larger bags out of plastic bags?
“Roughly 5 years ago – when I was living in Bloomfield, NM – I read an article about some ladies at a church in Farmington who were using plastic bags in this type of project to make mats for homeless people.
I made a mat – then, living in the Southwest – I was inspired to make water battle carriers. That was where I started, then it went to bigger bags.
I tried making bleacher buddy bags – to carry stuff during games – but they didn’t go over too well in Bloomfield (a lot of stuff didn’t go to well in Bloomfield).”
Do you make a lot of different designs or a basic one?
“My designs are always different, but so far I’ve made water bags, big bags, buddy bags, diaper bags, pipe bags, wallets (custom designed for business cards and money for carrying in a woman’s pocket.)”
The Project
Jolene is very modest about her art, seeing the completed projects as a sort of extension of her life, a natural product of an ordinary appreciation of beauty and economy.
Yet for those of us who never thought of turning trashy plastic bags into a work of art, the idea is both compelling and fascinating. It’s even more amazing because, like many people, when she’s home she turns on the TV. But Jolene uses that time to be productive, because she can’t just sit, and so she crochets.
Jolene Noyesis a fascinating and unique Coloradan fabric artist who has found a way to overcome the challenges of being a creative person on a low income, and at the same time created a brilliant new way to recycle plastic bags!
Jolene was born in Tecate, Mexico, but moved to Laguna Beach, California with her mother as a child. Over the years they slowly moved up the coast from Southern California to Northern California, eventually settling in Sanoma County, Pattaluma. Jolene remembers it as a country farm town, but notes that San Francisco has “crossed the bridge” and changed her old home town.
Jolene has been a lifelong traveler. As a child she remembers traveling to Alaska, and then to the Far East in exotic ports of call like Japan, Hong Kong, and across Asia. As an adult she has lived in New England, and in Southwestern states like New Mexico and Colorado. Her latest adventure was spending two years on a houseboat in her birthplace – Mexico.
In the midst of her travels Jolene also raised 3 children, and worked as an administrative assistant and secretary/book-keeper for civil engineers. Keeping in mind that was before they had automated computer programs, and she would write her own programs to keep time and payrolls.
She also worked 4 years in a library, and she fondly recalls some years she spent driving senior citizens and Meals-on-Wheels.
She has finally settled in the beautiful Four Corners town of Cortez, Colorado.
What materials do you basically use…plastic bags, crochet hook (what size), anything else?
“I use a variety of yarns and make my own yarn out of (plastic) bags. I cut the tops and bottoms off of the bags, then cut them in strips and knot them (together to form yarn-length strings). All the bags are woven from “double plastic yarn.”
Do you use a standard pattern or is this your own design?
“I’m always learning new combinations as I go along.”
At first I started with just squares, but then I found a couple of circle building patterns in a book.
So I really make my own patterns, but they’re not strictly patterns, I just crochet and then it works out.
How long does each bag take to complete?
“The little water bag takes about a half a day, went to work on the plastic and later that afternoon.
The bigger bags take 3-4 days, the middle bags just a couple of days. I work for hours at a time, watching TV.”
How many have you made in all (or a rough estimate)?
“Maybe a hundred. No real idea. I used to have whole bags filled with the water-bottle bags.”
The Finished Product
Jolene uses her experience to build the next project.
During our interview Jolene told me that she’s been crocheting for roughly 40 years. She also admits to having tried knitting, but she didn’t enjoy it enough to be good at it.
Her pattern is free style. She started making handles for a project – now she’s going to figure out a middle insert for a large bag. Lately she’s also been working on making more patterns in color (theming them) than just letting them grow by themselves.
What is your process; design, prep, work, completion, etc.?
“I come up with the patterns in my head and work it out as I go.
It’s an ever-changing, growing technique. I’d never made pockets before, but the ones to the show in Santa Fe all had pockets.
I make them in the shapes that they are – rectangular, square, ovalish.
Why do you enjoy making them?
“It makes me feel so great when I can make something for someone (like the wallet) that turns out just really great and works for what they wanted.”
What’s the Weirdest Thing You’ve Ever Made?
“Some of my little bags – clutch purse wallet sizes – are being used as pipe bags for recreational marijuana.
Lots of applications. [This is Colorado after all, and it’s good business!]
Once I started to make a bathing suit top – and maybe one day I’ll make a skirt to go with it. My friend wants a clothing design in plastic for her wedding vow renewals. I’m not sure why she wants that – I find it weird-cool (but it should be a challenge).”
Do you have any other hobbies?
I’m taking up drawing, and would like to get into more arts. My direction right now is in stones, bones, and bags (crochet).”
I’m trying to find a way to use stones that I pick up during my daily walks in my art – either to use with the bags or maybe on some other project.
Investment & Return
The yarn costs her about 50 cents a roll – she gets the cheap stuff at local markets. The plastic shopping bags are free, most of them she just takes from the free bins at places like Safeway and City Market.
To her own admission, Jolene is not money-oriented. However, her natural creativity is starting to take off; a friend just took a whole bunch of her bags down to several shows in Santa Fe, and was planning to charge roughly $20 per bag.
What’s Next for Jolene
Jolene’s has also enjoyed making rugs, with the really thick sets of yarn, but lately she’s started to make custom designs for what people ask for. As long as the project falls within her guidelines, simple crochet patterns, nothing too weird.
Jolene’s next project is a diaper bag for her daughter’s new baby. She going to try lining it, maybe using an old batik skirt. The diaper bag is also going to have a snap-over top, then an insert in the middle, plus pockets inside and outside. She’s really excited about the diaper bag because it’s all new, which means new things to figure out.
She uses reclaimed hardware on a lot of these projects (buckles, D-rings, buttons), which is another example of how thriftiness can turn into something really beautiful.
We all wish Jolene the best life has to offer as she follows her own unique blend of life-experience, irrepressible creativity, and good old-fashioned thriftiness to create wonderful art.
A close-up view of Jolene’s beautiful hand-crocheting work
One of Jolene’s water bottle carrying bags
A large wallet made using a combination of plastic yarn and purple acrylic yarn
This bag with both pockets and handles is an example of Jolene’s ever-evolving free-style
A close-up of the comfort-grip handles shows the thoughtfulness Jolene puts into each project
A roll of plastic yarn made from a gray plastic shopping bag
On this bag Jolene used a small piece of net and seashells she collected during her stay in Mexico
Does this close-up look like a cartoon face or what?!?
The inside of this wallet is simple, yet the thickness of the bag makes it both durable and valuable
Jolene often uses reclaimed hardware, like these gold buttons, to add functionality and style to her beautiful bags
*Jolene is open to taking custom orders – if you are interested in having her make a bag, purse, or wallet to fit your needs please drop us a line below to request her contact info.
