Using Photoshop and printing onto fabric

I have been playing around with trying to get images onto fabric, using the bubble jet printer and some of my photos.  This has been partly inspired by the AusNZ Art Quilt online group's challenge, which is to make 12" square art quilts designed with a country other than Australia in mind.  The challenge will be on show at the Australian Quilt Convention soon.
I am not sure I am going to get my work done in time but I have been quite inspired to look at some of my photos and think about how I could use them.

I tried using treated cotton and that turned out ok, a bit duller than I had hoped.  I played around with two photos I had, one from France and one playing around with the shutter speed and making the lights blur.

Here is one version.  Unfortunately, I didn't realise that the purple colour was on a separate layer and it didn't print.  As the fabric is not that cheap, and I didn't have much, I decided not to worry.  I just used the one I printed out.

I used the Liquefy tool (under Filter) to play around with the lights.

I spent so much time getting the layers right and trying to intensify the colours that I forgot all I know about quilting and didn't make the quilt top the correct size.  So I have been fiddling around trying to make it 12" square.  Using an A4 printer makes it tricky getting the image large enough. 

Due to my somewhat messy file saving, I can't find the actual image I printed.  But here is a photo of the finished product.   As you can see, the colours are quite muted compared to the photos.  A problem with printing on fabric that has such a different texture to paper - and to the monitor.  Something I will have to adjust to I suppose.

I was looking up how to spell gryphon and found that I wanted to type in griffin.  Strange, I had been writing gryphon but just had to type griffin.  Both seem to be correct. 

Apocopalypse

I have just read about the word apocalypse on Words All Around and it reminded me that I haven't posted my pictures of the Apocalypse Tapestries that we saw in France.  I have mentioned them but didn't know how to post pictures from an iPad (still don't).  So here is my chance to revisit the wonderful trip we had.

I remember I had to put my camera on the floor and take the pictures on 2 second delay so the camera wouldn't shake when I pressed the button, hence the odd perspective.

One story we heard was that many of the tapestries were found being used for such things as horse blankets and keeping the frost off the vegetable gardens!
Each tapestry had a description of what part of the apocalypse story they represented, so it took quite a while to take them all in. There was a book about it all, with wonderful pictures, but I decided that it was too heavy to travel with. I will just have to trust in my memories, the pictures and the internet.

New Tapestry blog

I have just become aware of a new tapestry blog by Kristin Duckworth that looks interesting.  As the end of my course approaches, I find that I am having to think about what it is that I actually want to do next year.  It is seeing what other people are doing that keeps me interested, keeps me aware of what can be done.
I haven't done much tapestry at all this year, except for the small piece I did in France.

Here it is, still on the loom:  my finishing off leaves much to be desired, so I am not showing that one.
It is approximately 16cm x 10 cm.

The house the tapestry was based on.

My en plein air weaving spot.

I am currently studying Experimental Textiles and am focusing more on machine free motion embroidery and the possibility of designing an art quilt.
I need to decide what direction I want to go although I suppose it isn't necessary to be exclusive about one technique or another. However, to do a thing well, it is necessary to devote time and effort and not be distracted by trying to do too many things at once.
I enjoyed the tapestry weaving last year and want to do more but I am missing the focus provided by assignments.  Luckily, it looks like a group of us students and ex-students will be able to meet on a monthly basis to do weaving.  So now I had better get organised so that I have something to take with me.  More about this later, we won't be starting for about another 6 weeks.

Angers

We have reached Angers today and visited the cathedral to view the wonderful building, the stained glass windows and the tapestries. It is interesting to see the tapestries so high up and imagine them with less faded colours, they would have been fabulous. We are off to see the Apocalypse tapestries tomorrow - that should be yet another highlight.
We have seen so many tapestries lately, it is great to know that so many have survived all these years. The reds and blues have lasted better than the yellows and greens and it was good to have visited the tapestry workshop at West Dean because is gives us an idea of what the tapestries might have looked like when new, very colourful.
The techniques used in the old tapestries are interesting to see also. I am trying to de die what sort of design to use when we have our week of tapestry weaving next week, it has been so stimulating this past week and a bit that I haven't made up my mind yet.
Still no photos to share, will try to get on to that soon.