Dear Readers,
It’s National Sewing Month! To celebrate, AllFreeSewing.com is hosting a special blog series throughout the entire month. Check back daily for posts featuring our favorite projects, new sewing videos and tutorials, guest blogs from talented designers and more. We’re also giving away a HUGE sewing prize at the end of the month. You won’t believe how EASY it is to WIN!
Leave a comment on any of the blog posts with the headline “National Sewing Month”. Your comment will count as an entry into the giveaway. You are free to comment as often as once per blog post (for a total of 30 chances to win!). At the end of the month, we’ll pool all of the comments together and pick one lucky winner to win the mystery grand prize. And trust us; you want to win this one!
Whether you’re already a sewing enthusiast or new to the craft, our hope is that this September will encourage you to create wonderful sewn projects.
Happy National Sewing Month!
Here’s today’s guest post:
Alisa Burke is a painter and mixed-media artist who studied fine art at Portland State University. She draws inspiration from street art, graffiti, art history, fashion, and found objects. Alisa’s artwork has been featured in Quilting Arts and other magazines as well as in galleries. In addition to making art, Alisa teaches a variety of workshops nationwide and has appeared as a guest artist on the PBS series Quilting Arts TV and the DIY network. (Bio courtesy of Interweave.com)
Alisa was kind enough to answer some fun crafting questions for our FaveCrafts readers! Read more about Alisa and her new book Sew Wild.
Question: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one art or craft tool with you, which would you choose?
Alisa: Hmmm… I couldn’t choose! My sewing machine is just as important as my pens, brushes, and paint. It’s a tool that has completely changed my concept of art, and I continue to find new and creative ways to integrate sewing with alternative materials and projects. With that said, a hammer (which I often use), might come in handy…
Question: A lot of your work has a graffiti look; what else inspires you visually?
Alisa: While I am typically known for lots of my graffiti inspiration, it is actually just one of many things that inspire me. I most often pull inspiration from nature (the beach, flowers, colorful landscapes, etc.) and always try to look for inspiration in everyday things. I can’t seem to not see inspiration: a crack in the sidewalk, the color palette in a plate of food, shadows that are cast across the water-things that might go unnoticed often end up being used for inspiration in my work.
Question: You write on fabric a lot. What are some of your favorite marking tools?
Alisa: Yes, when I am creating my own fabric I typically write and draw on fabric and the tools I use are very basic. My favorite is just a permanent black marker or black fabric marker; you can do all sorts of fun stuff with just a marker. I also use a small brush that I dip in watered-down fabric paint or acrylic paint.
Question: What is the biggest (or most frequent) mistake people make when it comes to design?
Alisa: Probably not understanding color and how to use it. It is tempting to go wild with color or, on the flip side, only stick to colors that are safe and maybe even boring. But taking the time to really learn about color, how to use it, experiment with it, and plan it out will really take a design to the next level.
Question: What kind of sewing machine do you use?
Alisa: I use a Bernina Aurora 430 and I am in LOVE with it!
Check out Alisa’s latest book, Sew Wild.
We’re thrilled to be a part of Alisa’s blog tour for Sew Wild, and to learn more about the book and see other photos and project tutorials, visit these stops next week:
Sept. 19 Crescendoh – Jenny’s Blog
Sept. 21 – Scarlet Lime
Sept. 22 - A Stitch in Dye
Sept. 23 - Living Art at the Speed of Life
I am so surprised to see bottle caps are back in as a craft supply! i have to be honest,I thought they were gone forever when the pop bottle ceased to be so you can consider me plesantly surprised! To this day I have a 3pc. set of grape cluster trivets hanging in my kitchen, as they have for 32yrs. that my gran made almost 50yrs. ago Thank heavens I have that and many other cap patterns. Who is the source for the bottle caps?
Thanks for sharing Alisa’s blog! I love it!
Terrific interview – I love the combination of “art” and “craft” that she uses!
Great interview and tips on using color.
I had a king-size bed ( 2 twins put together) with many new sheets.Now I have had to down-size to just one twin bed. I have been able to cut down the top sheets and shorten some of the pillow cases to use as accents around my room. I need to know how to re-size the bottom fitted sheet to fit the bed. I seen a way to do it but lost instructions over the years. Many of these sheets are of great quality and I can not afford to buy new ones. Can you help??
I love Alisa’s blog. It is always inspiring.
urbanviolet@yahoo.com
wow this lady is sooo talented
Nice interview, and I like the answer about colors – trying new colors is great, but don’t try them all at once!
I love the fearless way she mixes color and scribble sews. Of course I know she has studied art and there is a method to her madness, just wish I had such an eye!
i agree… a “sharpie” is a necessity with almost every “artistic” project I make! most used “tool” in my tool box!
National Sewing Month
Thanks for sharing!
Such great inspiration … and I’ve got to get my hands on her book … looks amazing!
I think we sometimes forget the artistic part of sewing and focus on the end product. This brought it all back for me. Enjoyed it.
I’m always impressed with people that crafty!
Interesting ideas and tips. I’ve never thought of making my own designs on fabric using permanent markers, but it sounds like something fun to try!
Thanks for the inspiration tips!