Free Motion Stitching – 12″x12″ Quilt Blocks

July 15, 2025 By

It”s been too many years since I’ve written on this blog. It’s time to update all of you. There is newer work on this site. Some older pieces have been discarded.

My work has evolved, yet I don’t seem to have a recognizable theme that permeates the body of work I’ve done. I like trying different techniques. I do like collage, though. I find it difficult to create realistic images. My brain likes abstract images, and I love color.

 

 

The pieces that look like “scribbles” are inspired by the book, At Play in the Garden of Stitch by Paula Kovarik. I made 12 by 12 inch quilt blocks, 6 white and 6 black. Then I started free motion stitching. I love the results!

Then I used some inktense pencils, some sewn scraps, and painting, filling in parts of the pieces.

Summer is here, and it’s hot. I love my garden and it’s flowers.

I hope you all have a great summer.

— Judy

Filed Under: Judy's Blog

My Garden

July 12, 2025 By

Just another message for my viewers. 

I’m sending a few photos of my garden, which gives me so much pleasure during the blooming season. I enjoy the process of saying “hi” to my flowers, watering them, and making sure they keep blooming.

Filed Under: Judy's Blog

New Work! Sky City

July 16, 2021 By

Sky City • 39″ x 37″ • Artist: Judy Kurtz • Collage, cotton fabrics, painted fabric – free motion stitched

I was trying to do skyline, with windowy stuff. My brain is so abstract I just put together pieces of fabric and see what they want to do!  
 
The sky was a whole separate piece of fabric. On a plain piece of white cotton, I started painting it, and painting it, and attached it to the backing.
 
Painting the sky – I use a set of colors which are transparent paint. I just start adding color, you know. I thought one shape looked like a whale, so I plopped in an eye! … and the orange shape in the sky looked like a runner. Just happenstance. I used the blues, the yellows. But because it’s transparent paint, it’s not opaque. You can blend, see-through.
 
It’s made all of cotton, it’s collaged and painted. And, free-motion-stiched. Some of the fabrics are hand-dyed, but some are commercial-dyed, commercial cottons.
 
I have no sense of perspective, so I had to go to a friend’s house who sat me down with rules and pencils and paper and tried to teach me about perspective. She is a former art teacher. She did give me a sense of perspective.
 
Somebody else said a spire would look good so I added that. The free motion stitching was added after all the pieces were assembled. I had to work on my sewing machine. These big, old sewing machines work best for this.
 
My fabric art critique group, which meets once a month, helped me with this a lot.
 
Below is a detail from Sky City.
 
 
 
Filed Under: Judy's Blog

Embellished Gel Plate Monoprinting

January 16, 2020 By


Greeting cards – Embellished Gel Plate Monoprinting

Gel plate printing is a technique using firm gelatin, either with a homemade “plate” or a purchased “gel plate.” The plate is covered with acrylic paint, using 2 or 3 colors, then pressed onto either paper or fabric. Using a roller is an easy way to apply the paint. I used blank cardstock purchased from Michael’s. I then added additional elements to each card, using stamps, pieces of fabric or papers, to achieve a layering effect. 

I used Golden Matte Medium to attach various embellishments, with a paintbrush. It acts as a glue and, when dry, is clear. This process is very fun, addictive, and improvisational, and can be done with children for an art project. One of my friends had her six-year-old twins make cards for holiday gifts, and they were a great success. I, too, made lots and lots of cards (did I say making them is addictive?) and gave them as gifts. Be sure to buy enough blank cards! 

This technique is also great for fabric. Using paint makes the fabric a little stiffer, but allows for a great amount of creativity. The internet has a vast amount of information about gel plate printing. 

Here are closeups of some embellished gel plate cards I like:

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cool image orange aqua blue

January 16, 2020 By
Filed Under: Home Middle