Yarn drawings in seven easy steps

It all starts with a pack of adhesive foam sheets. There are many different sizes of adhesive foam sheets, I bought a small size with 65 sheets so I could play and not worry about using up all the sheets

One side of the foam sheet has a white paper sheet covering the adhesive surface. If you want, you can draw on the paper sheet, marking the foam underneath

Pull the paper backing from the adhesive sheet. You can see that the adhesive sheet I have drawn on, is yellow.

First create a border by sticking a yarn all around the edges. The adhesive is very sticky and the border helps to keep your fingers off the surface. Then  outline  your sketch with another piece of yarn

Once you have edged your outline in yarn, start to fill in the background with more yarn

Continue to fill the spaces with yarns

Add as much detail as you want

you can pull out and replace any colors and yarns if you want to make changes

Yarn drawings are very forgiving, cheap, fast and simple to create. This is the perfect use for scraps of yarns and threads, even ribbons. For me, it’s a quick way to see how different colors and textures look together and even helps me lay out simple compositions. The different colored adhesive sheets help to jump start different color combos, and because the materials are so cheap and plentiful, it encourages a more playful and adventurous approach. Try it and see! Then send me some photos of your work, I’d love to showcase them on the blog.

The Mexican Huichol art of yarn drawing at Wesley Long Hospital, Greensboro

So there is a Hirsch Wellness art table at Wesley Long hospital, in the cancer center and on September 25, I was working alongside fellow   artist, Elaine and volunteer, Earline.  We were showing people how to make yarn drawings, inspired by the Mexican Huichol art of yarn drawing. A dozen people waiting for treatment, or waiting for relatives or friends having treatment, decided to join our free class and everyone created at least one piece to donate to the cancer center for a community hospital mobile.

Fiona promptly made about 5 yarn drawings, each designed for the special people in her life- mainly for mommy and daddy. This is one she made for my friend, Lynn

I was so inspired, I rushed home to create my own yarn drawings, enlisting the help of my grand daughter and partner in crime, Fiona.

Meanwhile I was using up small pieces of yarns and fibers and not quite as confident as Fiona that people would be as excited to get a yarn drawing from me…! I must say that it’s a lot of fun, really easy and fast

First Things First- at the Hirsch Wellness Network Art Auction

On Saturday, October 8, 2017,  at the Hirsch Wellness Silent Auction  my punch needle piece “First Things First” was auctioned, along with 120 other pieces of art to help raise funds for free art classes for cancer survivors and carers.  A lovely evening of great art, music, food and wine.

Way to go, Mona

A few days before the auction, at our September community fiber  drop-in class, Mona completed her first tapestry