I made a “arty” quilt. I was given the privilege of working with a copper knit tube product called WireKnitz. I made  7 brooches all with differently constructed flowers. And for added punch  added some yo yo’s, vintage buttons and a few of my Zentangle Tiles. It is mounted on a quilted sample and fixed to an art canvas.

The inspiration for this piece came from my grandmothers and my mother. They all wore( or wear in my Mom’s case) brooches for every occasion on both dress coats as well as formal wear. I could not make something without their vintage items in my craft bins.

All of the buttons came from my grandmothers button boxes. Do you remember when people cut buttons off of everything and saved them? I do. I love that collection. I also had my great grandmothers buttons, my great grandmothers crochet rose sample, my mother quilted the background piece and one button represents my Celtic grandmother. They all loved  paisley, flowers and roses. I made the yo yo’s, the glass tile pendant  and the drawings. All of the influences in one piece!

WireKnitz is a material  that can behave as a fabric in certain applications. It is metal so it is durable and holds a shape. However, it also stretches and can be reshaped, too.  It comes in many colors and gauges.  I think it is wonderful because I can cut it with scissors and use a very thin wire that is similar to thread. I needed very little instruction to work with the product but I did find many tutorials and You Tube videos out there for more information. For those looking for a product to make jewelry and beads, this is for you! For those looking for texture and layering in multimedia art, this is for you!

Thanks WireKnitz for allowing me to use your product. This piece will be in a vendor booth at the AQS show, in Aug, Grand Rapids. Many samples will be there!

Can’t wait for Next week!!

Vicki