Winners of the Rust-Tex Collection

Today's post is about Rita Legere. She is a self taught artist who began making art quilts 4 years ago, after a severe illness and a near death experience.

Rita says,"The thrill of the artistic adventure is spiritual for me and helps my soul grow."Left Out in The Snow

Rita was inspired by an old rusty fire truck she saw on the side of the road in a drift of snow. She stopped to take pictures of it. When she had printed the outline of the picture on fabric she thought; "What if I added real rust to the picture?" Thus her "Selective Rusting Technique" was born.

Left Out in The Snow

Whole cloth, ink jet printed photo, on rust dyed cotton, “Selective Rusting”, dry-brush rust paint, textile paint, free-motion machine quilted with polyester, rayon thread, and metallic thread.

Rita had an article published in Quilting Arts Oct/Nov 2009 on a technique that she calls "Selective Rusting". The article shows how she takes a picture, photo shops it, prints it on fabric and then adds, "Selective Rusting". Here are the basic directions:

1. After printing your image to fabric, arrange strands of steel wool on the printed fabric in areas that are to be accentuated with authentic rust.

2. Spray the steel wool with vinegar until it is damp. Cover your project with clear plastic and let it sit overnight.

3. Rinse as usual.

Rita shares a website with her husband: www.mooseandcrow.com
Rita's Blog: www.gracefulspirit.blogspot.com