Home

  • Moxi Melly, beginning at the beginning.

    Fitness is my love. It is a benefit from being diagnosed with cancer. It is one thing that I can do to instill a benefit, without popping pills. It is fun. It helps keep my weight at a comfortable place. It helps me feel confident and engaged and it helps me feel and know my body. Little did I know, when I started this journey, what else that would bring.

    Two years ago, my Man and I started walking-what for us are, long walks of four + miles per day. We explore Brooklyn, crossing over either the Brooklyn or the Manhattan Bridge, into Manhattan and then meander the streets, filling our eyes and ears with our urban surroundings. We prefer the Manhattan because its got a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge and less people!

    I started dance walking, which looks like skipping, lunging, sashaying and prancercise, all rolled into one. This allows me to get ‘extra cardiovascular exercise’ in. It’s a boon too, in that it helps me embrace my authentic self and it anneals me to what people think. I no longer care about looking the fool, I would rather have fun and enjoy myself.

    So then, I came upon Gypsetcity (aka Coco) on instagram. Coco uses roller skates to navigate her city, to dance, to enjoy herself. I became smitten. I could imagine myself dance skating the streets of New York City! So for my Birthday, I got a pair of purple Moxi Lolli roller skates and signed myself up for a workshop by Coco!

    Now, I begin learning to propel myself forward, to stop, to settle on my feet, as I move through space, on wheels. I am committed to using a local roller skating rink for now. I feel I need the flat, controlled surface-for now. I have a little less than two months to get comfortable with it all before the workshop. And, well, I am doing really well. Today, I loosened up. I was fast. Slow. Nimble. I slowed down and shifted my weight to make swirly lines. I did bubbles.

    I am watching Dirty School of Skate, Indy Jamma Jones to learn. It is a great adventure! It makes me smile a lot. Love and Happiness!

     

    ,

  • Again, again.

    A little more than a month ago, I had an exercise accident that derailed my blogging efforts! It certainly took me off my feet! I tore my right calf muscle. I couldn’t walk for close to two weeks! It slowed my art making down, it spiraled into taking a break from everything in my life.

    But!! It can’t be all bad! My birthday came around (it’s a big one, 5-0), and… I got a pair of Purple Moxi Lolli roller skates! I know! How does one go from leg injury to roller skating? I assure you, it makes sense to me!

    I have been printing too! I have 12 of 28 new colors swatched, in all four values, and I am in the midst of printing my newest multicolor print sets. When I am finished swatching the entire color triangle, I am going to have a boat load of new fabrics to begin piecing quilt tops! Please, check out my art insta, to see many recent prints from all of these groupings.

    These will be small quilts, as I am printing just 27 fat sixteenths with each grouping of three colors mixed. This isn’t a lot of fabric, each collection will need to be paired with commercial, low volume or single color prints. And, well, that’s exciting!

    I will leave you with a photograph of my Man and I, celebrating during my birthday weekend. I am grateful to be me, 50, a goofball artist and fitness enthusiast, who wants to dance roller skate! I am glad you are here and interested in my shenanigans too. 

    , , , , , , ,

  • Sometimes Lessons are Re-learned

    Over and over again!

    This week, I continue the journey of swatching a new color triangle, while also printing my most recent textile designs. I have chosen three colors and mixed them in all four gradations. The scissor print you see here is a three color design. The scissor layer was printed using Thermofax screen print, The background and the coloring of the scissors are done by way of fun foam stamps.

    As I had mixed three colors, I printed 9 scissor layers in each of the Dark values, so that I can then print 3 Pale backgrounds, 3 Light backgrounds and 3 Medium backgroaunds each, before beginning to print the third and final color. BUT. I forgot to label the ‘Top’ of the Thermofax scissor layer and I ended up flipping the layer over and printing the repeat backward on 6 of the yellow/orange coloration. My fun foam stamps cannot print backward. Ouch. 

    So, I labeled the Thermofax screen, mixed some additional yellow/orange and I am about to replace the backward prints. Don’t worry, I will be able to use the backward prints! All is not lost, I just can’t color them with the stamps I have created for the purpose. 

    I am giving Live updates about this project in our FB Community group by the same name, Playful Fabric Printing. Please join us there!

    , , , , , , ,

  • StencilGirl Stencils (a SALE) and The Motif Maker’s Zine

    StencilGirl Stencils and The Motif Maker’s Zine

    Tomorrow!!!

    June 20, 21, 22, StencilGirl Products will have a

    Melanie Testa stencil SALE!!!

    21% OFF     Scroll to end of post for the discount code!

    If you haven’t already bought every stencil in my line, I wanted to let you know, it’s time to make a purchase or two!!

    I am writing the Motif Maker’s Zine -as we speak-. I plan to print the first three within the month. In this offering, I am using my StencilGirl stencils as a jumping off point to discuss repeat design and motif making skills, for the textile/surface design artist. The zine is a visual feast of pattern, motif, texture and prompts to get you printing and creating your very own motifs.

    The Zine is written in such a way that it relies on the text of Playful Fabric Printing as a support and learning opportunity. At 15$, this book is a deal. So please! Stock up on my behalf. Every sale is appreciated.

    And soon, we will get to learning all about motif making, repeats, single color designs and designing textural elements through, The Motif Maker’s Zine. Please, stay tuned. 

    , , , , ,

  • The Cancer Journals Revisited

    This weekend was the world premiere of The Cancer Journals Revisited, a documentary by Lana Lin, shown at BAM (Brooklyn Arts and Music). I participated in this documentary alongside Shay Sharpe, of Shay Sharpe’s Pink Wishes, Ericka Hart, Barbara Hammer (who has passed away), and more. 

    Check out the trailer!

    The Cancer Journals Revisited centers a discussion of breast cancer around Audre Lorde’s book, The Cancer Journals and the film expands upon the exploration of racism, environmental issues and how women are made to feel their presentation matters more than their health when facing a life changing diagnosis.

    Lana  did so well in presenting this issue from a predominantly black, brown, and queer perspective. Which is as it should be. Black women and queer folk are diagnosed at much later stages and have less access to quality medical care. 

    My good man accompanied me to see the documentary as well. When we left the building, he said to me, “You should be proud of participating in that, it was really good. I would like to read the book.” which touched me deeply.

    Lana is working on getting this film picked up for distribution.

    , , , , ,

  • 27 prints, before steam and boil.

    This Fleur de Lis pattern is a three color print, utilizing a thermofax screen print for the line drawing, and a two part fun foam stamp set, to print the background and the inside of each Fleur de Lis.

    I tried to plan out what colors would get printed and where. I tried to adhere to my plan too, but my dyslexia got the better of me. I transposed numbers and generally got happy and forgetful of my intention. I am not worried though. These colors go quite nicely and these are a great set of quite usable fabrics.

    (Sorry this photo is not upright, the blogging software is being wonky and I tried to fix it, but no)

    I will use the remaining unused dye in single-color, supportive prints. I hope for equal numbers of prints, but we will see what happens. In the meantime, it’s time  to steam and wash.

    Take note of the color intensity there! It will lessen some with steam and wash! It’s part of the process, and so, it is expected.

     

    ,

  • Fleur de Lis, plus an update

    Fleur de Lis, plus an update

    I am on a new and different life path, it has been a long time in the coming and is a welcome change. I have decided to become a certified personal trainer and to broaden my employment skillset. I have discovered that I love lifting weights and that I love cardiovascular aerobic exercise! Who knew! My long term goal is to get an additional certification so that I can work with special populations, like cancer patients, queer and transitioning individuals, and those who seek to improve their body image and self love skills through physical exercise.

    I have been dance/walking the streets of New York City, listening to songs like Lizzo’s Boys (whom I love for her fantastic sense of self), and enjoying being goofy in public. It is liberating to dance how and where I want. The world is my audience!

    I am keeping track of my home workouts via instagram, at Flat_and_Fit. In fact, I have broken my insta accounts into three, Art where you will find my latest makings and Breast Cancer Advocacy too. That way, I can separate my social media personae and you can follow those that interest you. 

    In the meantime, I have been printing a bunch of Fleur de Lis prints, while also swatching a new color triangle from Playful Fabric Printing. 

     

    , , , , , ,

  • New Color Triangle in the Works

    I am feeling the pull of having access to a new color triangle in a gradation of four values!

    Playful Fabric Printing contains a color triangle that Carol Soderlund calls ‘Sunshine’. It’s a great group of colors, and I appreciate being able to draw from all four values of these colors when multicolor printing. But, I would like a new group of colors!

    Having taken Carol’s class called ‘Color Mixing for Dyers’, I now want a color triangle in her ‘Juicy’ color way, so I am setting up the necessary items to swatch these new colors using the information presented in our book (page 48, Playful Fabric Printing).

    Last summer I printed a new ‘bright’ color way using fuchsia, turquoise and lemon yellow. At that time, I mixed all 28 colors in all four values, all at once. This time, I am going to break it down into two sets of 10 colors and one set of eight, and I am going to try do it in such a way that I can print a new collection of fabrics using the prints I created for the Zine. This is taking some organization and I look forward to being able to complete this project and mount the swatches in my master color book.

    Wish me luck!

    , , ,

  • Zine Volume 2, possible covers

    I have just finished printing four possible covers for The Motif Maker’s Zine volume #2, a zine focused the Unicorn, as motif. In an upcoming post, I will share two quilt tops that feature Unicorn prints derived from the this same collection of prints.

    In the meantime, here are two printed hankies for you viewing pleasure.

    Stay tuned!

    ,

  • Zine Making, what? why?

    A Zine is a short & sweet version of a magazine. This printed material is often made by individuals, be they artists, activists, enthusiasts, fans or groups. These booklets are traditionally created by way of photocopy machines, an easily accessible and generally inexpensive means of printing.
    On March 31 of this year, I went to a Feminist Zine Festival held at Bernard College in NYC. The Zines at this event ranged from 4-12$, more or less. I was so excited about what I might learn and whose Zines I would collect, I arrived early.

    I am glad that I did because I was able to nab the brightly colored Zine named ‘Making Your Mark’ at upper right, in the photo above. That Zine is subtitled, ‘Women, Queer & Gender Non-Conforming Tattoo Artists in their Own Words’. It was printed under then Diaspora Savant Press. But I purchased Zines from many interesting people on topics like body positivity, breast cancer, trans poetry, and penpal Zines for incarcerated women and gender non-conforming people.

    Then, I got bit by the bug!

    I buckled down and began creating a Zine of my own, and I am calling it, The Motif Maker’s Zine.

    Of course my Zine needs to be an artful exploration of motif, textile design and printing. I am drawing and lettering the entire Zine myself and I plan to release three at once, ASAP. I have two Zines complete and have started a third! I find I like communicating by way of drawings and written word. I like the format and I hope you do too.

    So, please stay tuned. This will be fun.

     

    , ,