Fabric Art, Science & Magic

Technology and Fabric Art

No one creates anything without the proper equipment and tools. Even the cavemen (and women) needed to mix pigments and form drawing instruments to paint their fascinating designs on stone walls which have miraculously lasted for thousands of years.

With the advancement of technology (which I thoroughly celebrate), craftspeople are now afforded opportunities never even dreamt of in past times. My grandmother must have felt very lucky just to have had her own treadle sewing machine on which she could fashion clothes as well as home furnishings, although it could only perform a “straight stitch.” In fact, my mother used the very same machine to make clothes for my sister and I as kids.

Leaping ahead to 2010, I own a computer that lets me draw my own designs (it’s called a “digitizer”) and a Janome 350E machine that will embroider the design onto different fabrics of my choice--most recently my quilt blocks. Just picturing the expression on the faces of my grandmother and mother watching this process is enough to keep me grateful for these inventions in my lifetime.

Here is an example of my latest creation using the Janome to make a wall hanging that will perfectly match the colors in my entry hall.

It’s not to say that this process isn’t difficult or tedious at times but the payoff is immense, as you can see, when the whole project comes together after many hours of work.

Next blog, I will get into more detail about the "digitizer."

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