Fiber Art of Loretta Alvarado
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Now you can buy prints of my art on Fine Art America

10/22/2017

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I've been busy adding my artwork to the site FineArtAmerica.com. Here's where you can find one of my favorite music themed pieces:
treble clef art for sale
You can get this or any of my other pieces as a print (either framed or matted), a tote bag, cell phone case, and even a shower curtain! Visit the site by clicking the link above.
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New (old) Tutorial Added

9/16/2017

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I have slowly been adding some of the stuff from my old website back into this new one. I was reminded this past weekend at the Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point that my new website was missing all of the tutorials. So, as requested, I have added a couple of them to this new site.

Go here to see the Easy Quilt Binding Tutorial.

Go here to see the Tips for Working with Metallic Thread.
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Packed up and moving on to the next show - Fiber Art News from Loretta Alvarado Newsletter September 2017

9/6/2017

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*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*
Fiber Art of Loretta Alvarado
View this email in your browser
I finished the USS Floyd B. Parks!
I had to really push to get it finished before the end of the Laguna Art-A-Fair Festival, but I did it. I am very proud of the way it turned out. I think my dad would be pleased.

Next, I am going to have the piece scanned so that I can make reproductions. Once that's done, I'll add the ship's number, 884, and have the piece framed so I can give it to my mother. I think she is going to be really surprised.
Now that the Laguna Art-A-Fair is over, I am starting to think about what project to start on next. Actually, I think my time would be better spent getting ready for this weekend's show.

I will be back at the Dana Point Tall Ships Festival this weekend, September 9 and 10. It's been a while since I last attended this show. I am looking forward to showing all of my newer nautical artwork including this piece titled "Pilgrim Rigging." Hope you can come to Dana Point this weekend. The art show part is free to the public all weekend.
September is here. Get your free calendar page for 8 1/2 x 11 size paper. Download and print from here:

http://www.lorettaalvarado.art/calendars.html
Upcoming Show Information
Tall Ships Festival
Dana Point, CA
September 9-10

-----------------------------------------
Seasons of the Heart Craft Faire
Del Mar Fairgrounds - Activity Center
September 29 - October 1

-----------------------------------------

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Sewing some intricate details on the USS Floyd B. Parks

8/26/2017

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The following 4-minute video shows what it is like to stitch details into this work in progress. And, in case you're wondering, no, I did not sew through my fingers.
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Lots of progress in the last few days

8/21/2017

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Here's what my version of the USS Floyd B. Parks looks like as of Sunday. I've made some major progress and it is really starting to look like a ship. Below are some closeup views of the details.
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I draw the line...

8/14/2017

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This day's progress on the USS Floyd B. Parks consisted of a few shapes and several lines. The gif below shows the progress.  There were quite a few detail lines such as the antenna and the railings. I had to carefully draw the lines in and then even more carefully stitch them. I often joke that I can't draw a straight line. I think I am now going to have to amend that statement to include that I CAN draw a straight line with my sewing machine.
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Here's a close up view of today's efforts. And yes, all of those lines were done freehand.
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Pay attention to the details.

8/13/2017

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There is so much going on in this image, especially at the stern of the ship. Much of my time working on this piece right now is spent staring at the image trying to figure out what goes where and what is in front and what is behind. Below is a rundown of this day's progress.
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More details to come

8/12/2017

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Here's what the ship looks like at this point. It still looks kinda weird. But it is starting to come together. The images below shows the progress.
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Details, details

8/11/2017

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The tiny details are the most difficult part of the process. Each bit of color is made up of a piece of fabric that I cut out and then stitch down. Some of these pieces are minuscule. One of the problems with using this particular image is that the details in the stern of the ship are off in the distance and therefore much smaller. For this kind of art, smaller means more difficult.

In the 3 1/2 minute video below you can see a little of the process, including the mistake. (I made the hatch about 1/16" too wide.) This is what I have to do for each tiny piece of fabric (preferably without any mistakes). The video ended about 3 seconds too early. All it's missing is me ironing down the piece shown in the above image. Next the piece is stitched with an appropriate thread color or colors.
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Working on the stern

8/8/2017

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It doesn't look like much right now, but this is the beginnings of several days of detail work. That little piece of gray fabric that doesn't have any thread on it yet is the deck. It will be covered by lots of things after I stitch it down.

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Here's the first two objects to be added to the deck. I don't know their purpose and so far my research has not provided any information. It seems that much of the time spent on the piece is going to be searching the internet to find information about the section I am working on. That, and staring at the photo to figure out the technical issues with creating this piece.

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And speaking of technical issues... We had a couple of very humid days. Humidity can wreak havoc on fabrics and especially the rayon thread that I like to use. The humidity warped the piece. To remedy the situation I poured some water on the back and ironed it as I stretched it out. That got rid of most of the puckers. The rest will either come out as I add more stitching or it will get worse. Maybe I need to invest in a carpet stretcher.
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  • Home
  • About
  • Artwork
    • Thread Paintings >
      • Cobblestone Pathway
      • North Main Beach
      • Sailing Lessons
      • Dreaming of Faraway Places
      • Point Loma Lighthouse
      • Red Boat
      • Perfect Day
      • California Poppies
    • Fiber Sculptures >
      • California Seascape
      • California Dreamin
      • Pacific Seahorse
      • Piano Piece
      • The Red Violin
    • Art Quilts
    • Bags, Scarves, and other stuff
  • Freebies
    • Tutorials >
      • Christmas Wreath Greeting Card Tutorial
      • Tips for Using Metallic Thread
      • Easy Quilt Binding Tutorial
    • Calendars
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • NFTs