Fabric Silhouettes QUILTED TREASURES FROM THE FAMILY ALBUM Louise Handley Text © 2006 Louise Handley Artwork © 2006 C&T Publishing, Inc. Publisher: Amy Marson Editorial Director: Gailen Runge Acquisitions Editor: Jan Grigsby Editor: Candie Frankel To all those Technical Editors: Gayl Gallagher, Georgie Gerl Copyeditor/Proofreader: Wordfirm, Inc. Design Director/Cover & Book Designer: Christina D. Jarumay who desire Illustrator: John Heisch Production Assistant: Matt Allen Photography: Luke Mulks and Diane Pedersen unless otherwise noted to create. Published by C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549 Front cover: End of the Ride, My Little Cowboys, Reunion, and Trick- or-Treat by Louise Handley Back cover: Barbershop Harmony, Birthday Party Fun, and ’Twas the Night Before Christmas by Louise Handley All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be used in any form or reproduced by any means— ACKNOWLEDGMENTS graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems—without the written permission of the publisher. The copyrights on individual artworks are retained by the artist as noted in Fabric Silhouettes. These designs may be used to make items only for personal use or donation to nonprofit groups for sale. Each piece of finished mer- My thanks to... chandise for sale must carry a conspicuous label with the following information: Designs © Louise Handley from the book Fabric Silhouettes from C&T Publishing. Our wonderful children Attention Copy Shops: Please note the following exception—publisher and author give permission to photocopy pages 32, 34, 38, 42, 45, and grandchildren for 48, 49, 51, 55, 57, 58, and 61 for personal use only. inspiring so many great Attention Teachers: C&T Publishing, Inc., encourages you to use snapshots this book as a text for teaching. Contact us at 800-284-1114 or www.ctpub.com for more information about the C&T Teachers Program. We take great care to ensure that the information included in our books is accurate and presented in good faith, but no warranty is provided nor are results guaranteed. Having no control over the choices of materials or procedures used, neither the author nor C&T Publishing, Inc., shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. For your convenience, we post an up-to-date listing of corrections on our website (www.ctpub.com). If a correction is not already noted, please contact our customer service department at [email protected] or at P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549. Trademark (™) and registered trademark (®) names are used throughout this book. Rather than use the symbols with every occur- rence of a trademark or registered trademark name, we are using the names only in the editorial fashion and to the benefit of the owner, with no intention of infringement. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Handley, Louise My husband, Dick, for his Fabric silhouettes : quilted treasures from the family album / Louise encouragement and tireless Handley. p. cm. typing and retyping of the Includes index. manuscript ISBN-13: 978-1-57120-347-2 (paper trade) ISBN-10: 1-57120-347-8 (paper trade) 1. Appliqué. 2. Quilting. 3. Silhouettes. 4. Fabric pictures. I. Title. TT779.H34 2006 746.46'041--dc22 2005033572 Printed in China 109 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS My sister Eleanor for appearing with Introduction...4 me in Sisters and for suggesting the The Snapshot Silhouette...5 arched overlay Fabric Selection...13 The Fabric Silhouette...16 The kids in Group 9 Framing and Finishing...21 Gallery...25 Projects It’s the Fourth of July...30 Birthday Party Fun...33 ’Twas the Night Before Christmas...36 Mister Snowman...40 ...43 My students over the years, My Little Cowboys who have taught me and inspired me to create Trick-or-Treat...46 First Quilt...50 End of the Ride...53 And to Sue, for understanding. Autumn Wedding...56 Reunion...59 How Much Fabric?...62 Resources...63 About the Author...63 Index...63 INTRODUCTION The striking black-and-white silhouette art of years gone by and my love of creative quiltmaking have been the inspiration behind Fabric Silhouettes. Silhouette artistry can be traced throughout history—examples have even been found on Stone Age cave walls! In the United States before the emergence of photography, itinerant silhouette artists traveled the cities and back roads, delighting their customers by creating recognizable likenesses. These silhouettes were almost always cut in profile and Traditional cast-shadow silhouette included only the head and shoulders of the subject. Scenery and houses were also popular subjects. Silhouettes are traditionally created in one of two ways. A truly gifted silhouette artist is able to study the person in profile and cut the silhouette freehand without a pattern or drawing. The entire process can take as little as one and a half minutes. In the cast- shadow method, the artist directs a light source past a seated subject in such a way as to cast a profile on a wall or screen. The artist then outlines the profile while the subject sits perfectly still. The drawing that results can be cut out and mounted on contrasting paper, or it can be filled in solidly with paint or ink. A black silhouette on a white or cream background is Here Comes the Parade quilt the classic look for this fascinating art form. and original photo The silhouette designs in my quilting are taken from my own family albums. After careful modification, and often some repositioning, a favorite old snapshot becomes a wall hanging, a quilt, or an art piece suitable for framing. I call them Snapshot Silhouettes, because I go beyond the traditional facial profile to create them. I feel free to use whatever features the snapshot offers me, and I add extra elements when I need them. You will be pleasantly surprised at how accurately a silhouette captures the physical characteristics, and even the body language, of your subject. It is a delight when people are able to recognize the person you have silhouetted! You may copy the projects in this book for your use in small wall hangings, framed art, or quilts. They can also guide you in creating paper silhouettes for note cards, memory albums, and other paper crafts. But your greatest thrill will come from trying my simple techniques with your own photos to create one-of-a-kind silhouettes. 4 FABRIC SILHOUETTES The Snapshot SILHOUETTE You will need: The Right Photo ■ Photos. Dig out the family s you page through your family photo album or rummage through that shoe box album or that shoe box stuffed A stuffed with snapshots, look first for figures that do not overlap. Keep in mind that with snapshots. your subject does not have to be in profile. The best pictures will show the person ■ Access to a photocopier. Most doing something—riding a bike, flying a kite, walking, skiing, or gardening. Choose public libraries and office supply several photos, in case your first choice doesn’t work out. stores have low-cost, easy-to- When you find a photo you like, squint or remove your glasses to blur the background. operate photocopiers that can If you were to draw only an outline of the subject, would the arms, legs, and head be reduce and enlarge. Follow the visible? Would the activity be recognizable? Techniques you can employ to transform directions printed on the machine even a poor photo into an interesting silhouette include moving an arm or a leg, or ask a clerk to help you. You creating background space between subjects, or adding a tool, hat, or other prop. do not need color or high-quality images. Do you want more than one person in your Snapshot Silhouette? No problem. The figures don’t even have to come from the same picture or be the same size, as the ■ Tracing paper. Buy a roll so that photocopier can easily and quickly reduce or enlarge them. Compare the project illus- you can trace large subjects. trations and original photos in this book to get an idea of the transformations that are Tracing paper is sold at art possible. Don’t give up on an image you’d like to use until you’ve learned all the ways and craft stores. you can modify it. ■ Soft lead pencil. ■ White eraser. ■ Transparent 6˝ ruler. A short ruler is handy for drawing straight lines on your tracing. ■ Compass. A compass will help you complete and smooth out any circles in your tracing. You can substitute familiar household objects, such as jar caps in TIP If your collection of snapshots doesn’t yield appropriate sizes. any interesting poses, try staging a photo shoot. Snap ■ Scissors. candid shots when your subject is working, playing, walking, or driving. For a more revealing silhouette, ■ Tape. try to capture a profile of the subject’s face. After the ■ Picture frames or mats. Use photos are developed, choose one or two for your picture frames or mats to visual- silhouette. If you use a digital camera, you can make ize the silhouette setting and a selection on your computer screen. fabric framing. THE SNAPSHOT SILHOUETTE 5.