How to Sew Art – Part One
Believe it or not, all of us can be textile artists—one step at a time—with Tammie Bowser’s stitched art techniques. You may not have considered yourself an artist, but with Tammie’s help and demonstration, that notion will change! Tammie is an award-winning, international quilter, and Nancy Zieman’s guest on The Best of Sewing With Nancy—How to Sew Art, part one.
Often the first reaction to Tammie’s stitched art is, “That looks too difficult to make—I could never do that!” In the How to Sew Art TV show, book, and DVD, Tammie shares how starting with a great photo, choosing 9–12 fabrics, and then following her steps, you too can make fabric art projects that you’ll be proud to show.
In How to Sew Art, part one, you’ll learn:
- Tips for choosing a great photo
- How to make a pattern from the Stitch A Sketch Art Quilt Software or Quilted Photo Deluxe 2.0 Art Quilt Software, and how to download a free trial at Tammie’s web site, howtosewart.com.
- How to print and tile the pattern pieces
- How to create a fusible foundation for an art quilt with parchment paper, Wonder-Web Fusible and 505 Spray and Fix Adhesive
- How to choose 9–12 batik fabrics
In How to Sew Art, part one, Tammie also shares her techniques for preparing the pattern for cutting fabrics.
Thank you to Nancy’s guest Tammie Bowser for sharing How to Sew Art with fabric and photos. Tune in next week for part two—when fabrics are cut, positioned, and quilted into art.
Watch How to Sew Art (Part One and Part Two) on The Best of Sewing With Nancy.
Tell us who you would choose for a Sew Art photo in a comment below, for a chance to be the winner of an electronic quilt pattern created by Tammie Bowser, plus a video course in her stitched art techniques. Tammie will personally create the winner’s quilt pattern using their random photo.
The randomly selected winner of a copy of the Fearless Quilting Finishes book from Nancy’s Notions, is Barbara Howes.
Her comment is: Stippling is still kind of scary to me. I primarily stitch in the ditch or outline. I’d like to be confident trying it on a quilt—small projects first!
Happy Sewing!
Team Nancy Zieman
Nancy Zieman Productions. LLC.
diane c
It would be a difficult choice — either my parents or my grandchild?
Kay Huchteman
I have done 2 of these quilts. First wa a close-up snapshot I had taken of my grand daughter. It was fabulous! Her parents had never seen the original photo, so the surprise was complete. Second was a long-range shot of my daughter sitting on a river bank – much easier, an still everybody recognizes her image. I urge y’all to give it a try.
Susan
The creativity in this electronic quilt pattern is incredible as the portraits are so realistic and it is like painting with fabric. I would choose one of my grandchildren as it would be a wonderful family keepsake. Of course, I may have to consider one of my pets!
Midge
I love to paint and this is so intriguing to me to go a different way without paint! I’d probably go with my little Yorker!
Jackie Cheek
I have two thoughts in mind, iI would lIke to do one of my family when we were all much younger. My mom’s birthday is in November and it would be such a surprise for her. I think I only have the picture in black and white but I can check on it. I have it electronically and it would need to be enlarged. The other idea is to surprise my brother with his because he’s always been supportive of my creative interests.
Julie Kill
I would choose my Grandmother. She was a true matriarch! She raised 6 children on her own, and was a wonderful Friend to me! She always understood me, when I couldn’t talk to my mom, She was ALWAYS there. She wasn’t fancy, famous, or rich, but she changed the world on a at the roots type basis. She hunted, gardened, sewed, and did everything to make sure her family was taken care of. She was a true inspiration to 24 grand children, and 60-70 greats.
I would very dearly love to learn these techniques!
Ann West
This would be a really hard decision as to which of my three grandchildren I would start with! Looks like a lot of fun – how quick could I get one of each of them done.
Karen Poole
I would choose my Mother, who passed away eight years ago! She was such an inspiration to me and my five siblings. She was both Mom and Dad to us all, she worked as a special education teacher for many years, then when we moved to California she was told her teaching credentials were no good here so she bought a used typewriter at a second hand store, checked out some typing books from the library and taught herself to type so she could get a decent job (all while working three part time jobs to put food on the table). Later in life she owned and ran a very successful store that sold plaster crafts and ceramics, and being an art lover she was able to teach this to others. After closing the store after many successful years she went on to babysit two of her grandsons from six weeks old all while volunteering at her church and attending mass daily! She visited shutins so they were not alone, she brought communion to those who could get out to church, she volunteered in her grandsons school! Sadly she developed dementia and we began the long goodbye! I miss her every day and would make six art quilts, one for each of my siblings and one for myself!
Judy Schulte
I would choose our 50th anniversary portrait. My hope would be future generations would be inspired to reach for the same goal with love and respect for each other.
Carolyn T
My Sew Art subject would be me! My sister would love to have the finished product.
Clovis
My Sew Art picture would be of me as a little girl.
Linda Johnson
I would choose my daughter who passed away one year ago from Host vs Graft disease. She was 44 years old. Rather mourn her flame I would choose to celebrate how brightly it burned.
Kathryn Englebretsen
I would love to make a quilt of a whimsical artwork that I photographed.
Shirley C
What an amazing way to preserve someone’s photo. I have never imagined how someone could do this on our home sewing machine, so I definitely hope I win this.
Barb K
Would be hard to choose a subject–but what fun to try!!
Martha O.
If not a self-portrait from my college years, I’d probably select a photo which I took while attending a festival: examples of my favorites are of an elderly woman dressed in a pioneer costume while making lye soap, a picture of a young girl pointing to an antique doll and buggy which were in a display case and an image of a young Japanese boy at New Year’s event. I also have photos of my children’s pets, my grand-daughters and my own children wearing dance costumes and dressed in team uniforms with sports equipment. After I learned the techniques well, I’d want to make quilts of my grandparents and parents as well as use close-up black and white photos of my nieces and nephews in their pre-teen years.
Rita Skraba
It’s hard to choose but I think I would love to do a family photo quilt.
Inga
What a wonderful way to render paintings, drawings and photos of American women of the last centuries, immigrants, DAR, politicians, secretaries, prostitutes, domestic help, actresses, all of them, and use this technique to blur their more recognizable features and make their experience more universal. I must find time to make a project of this. Thank you for suggesting this technique, I’ve never seen this and I never knew I could do it on my Bernina.