Blog | Linda Matthews

How to Make Complex Repeating Patterns using Photoshop Elements

Using the same technique for making simple repeating patterns and simple half drop patterns, you can also easily create more complex repeating patterns. By combining several images into one design, you can create complex designs that are visually interesting and can...

How to make textured edges for your photos using layer masks in Photoshop Elements

This tutorial is presented using Photoshop Elements and I use floating documents so your workspace may look different. You can activate floating documents in the "General" section of the Preferences panel in Photoshop Elements. Textured and decorative framed edges for...

Ink-saving technique for printing your own fabric using an inkjet printer

Although printing your own fabric using an inkjet printer doesn't use any more ink than printing on paper, at times you may want to be a little more frugal with your printer ink. This ink-saving technique is perfect for printing simple designs onto fabric with...

How to Make a Half Drop Repeat Pattern using Photoshop Elements

In a previous tutorial I showed you how easy it is to make simple straight repeat pattern in Photoshop Elements. However half drop repeat patterns are also just as easy to make, and are also a little more visually interesting. A half drop repeat pattern is a pattern...

My new digital art quilt Wildflowers in the Mist

It's been quite a while since I made an art quilt, however I'm participating in an upcoming art exhibit to be displayed in the Deland City Hall (see more details at bottom of this post), so I took the opportunity to make this digital art quilt titled Wildfowers in the...

How to Make a Simple Straight Repeat Pattern using Photoshop Elements

Repeat pattern designs are the most common way to create designs, and straight repeat patterns are one of the easiest to make. Although you can make these types of designs using complicated programs such as Photoshop CC, you can also easily make repeat pattern designs...

The basic equipment needed to design and print your own fabric

Designing your own fabric is a fun and creative way to make unique fabric that you can use in your own sewing projects, or even sell. Although professional designers invest a lot of money in the software and equipment that they use to create their designs, to get...

How to change the color of your metal charms and beads

If you're anything like me you never seem to have metal charms, beads, buttons or embellishments in the right color when you need them. I always seem to have more silver than gold or copper. Here's a quick and easy way to change the color of your metal embellishments....

Getting organized for the new year

I'm looking forward to a super creative year in 2016 and I hope you are also. One of the best ways I know to stay creative and inspired is to use a notebook to keep track of thoughts and ideas as they come to me, because otherwise they would just fall out of my head...

How to make bead dangles

Beading is one of my favorite methods of embellishing my art quilts and other sewing projects, and I like to use lots of bead dangles which are made using several strands of beads which are strung onto lengths of thread and allowed to hang and well ... dangle. I just...

Pretty Little Things

This year has been quite full and busy with this and that, and I haven't really had much time to make any textile art. But as this year nears its end, it's time to think about what the new year will look like. And for next year I think I'd like to make more textile...

Turning dandelions into fabric art

Ever since I finished my Dandelion textile art piece last week - see it here - I've been in love with the shape of the dandelion that I made using bits of cotton scrim, so of course I had to continue and make some more. Instead of making another large fabric art piece...

Free Tutorial: Machine Needle-lace shapes using water soluble stabilizer

While it looks quite complex, working with thread and water soluble stabilizer is really quite easy and a lot of fun, and is one of my favorite methods of making thread art. This tutorial shows you how to make needle-lace leaves using thread and water soluble...

Creative sewing in shades of purple: Dandelion emerges

It's often surprising what emerges when you work intuitively without a plan or design in mind. The cloth and stitches just somehow unfold their own story. This time a dandelion field emerged. I've used a lot of scrim in this piece in various ways. It has wonderful...

Creative sewing in shades of purple: a little handstitching

Progressing a little further with my Shades of Purple art quilt, I dyed a piece of fabric to use for the background. I love the yellow to purple gradation. Used as a background fabric, I think it brightens up the quilted layer which will be sewn on separately as a...

Things a textile artist can do with a die-cutting machine

This week I was planning to show you some ways to use scrim to add texture and dimension to fabric surfaces, and I did actually gather some things together. But then my new toy - a Silhouette Cameo die-cutting machine - arrived unexpectedly early. And well, new toys...

Tutorial: Creative Ways to Use Angelina Fiber

One of the many perks of being a textile artist is that you get to play with all sorts of fun and creative products, and Angelina Fiber is definitely one of those fun products. If you're not familiar with Angelina Fiber, it's a soft fiber that is light reflective as...

Silk carrier rods and how to use them to make silk paper

Silk carrier rods are curious little things but I love them because they have such an unexpected shape and texture and they can be adapted for use into fabric, mixed media art and felting in lots of different ways. Silk carrier rods are the by-product of reeling silk...

Tutorial: Creating texture on fabric using crinkled ribbon

I work a lot with textured fabric surfaces mostly because I think they look a lot more interesting than flat surfaces. Sometimes I create surface texture using machine stitching. And I also use a lot of fabric paper texture. I also sometimes like to use unusual...

Embellished fabric box finally finished

I finally found a few minutes to finish off my embellished fabric box and it turned out rather beautiful I think. I was originally going to use the ribbon fabric as the lining but it looked so good I decided to use it on the outside, and instead lined the box with a...

Fabric Box Update

The fabric box that I started last week is just about finished. I've completed the beading and hand embroidery for the top of the box and although I've used the same design for the three sections, the embellishing is slightly different on each section which makes it...