Sing in the Spring! A bestselling author teams up with an internationally renowned quilt artist - Atlantic Books

Atlantic Books

Atlantic Books

0

Enter your postal code to locate your nearest local book seller and library:

Sing in the Spring! A bestselling author teams up with an internationally renowned quilt artist

By Atlantic Books Today
Publish date: June 13, 2022

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT

Sing in the Spring!
Sheree Fitch, illustrated by Deb Plestid
Nimbus Publishing

As an internationally renowned quilt artist, Deb Plestid never expected to illustrate a children’s book. But the unexpected happened when her good friend Sheree Fitch approached her to collaborate on Sing in the Spring!, a poetic picture book that celebrates the coming of the season.

Plestid uses a variety of unexpected materials in her artwork, including cotton fabric, dye, oil paint, fibres, Fimo clay, resin and glue. The resulting colourful, layered and multi-textured illustrations brim with the joy of spring.

“This is an example of how I tackle my work. First there is the very rough sketch and notes on what might be included. I enlarge the sketch, add detail and create templates using freezer paper, which I use to cut out the fabric to size.”

“I flesh out the tree branches, enlarge them to size, then make freezer paper templates.”

“I flesh out the tree branches, enlarge them to size, then make freezer paper templates.”

“I begin with a piece of white fabric for the background and paint it with Setacolour paints. The freezer paper is applied to the fabric I choose for the branches.”

“I begin with a piece of white fabric for the background and paint it with Setacolour paints. The freezer paper is applied to the fabric I choose for the branches.”

“The edges of the fabric for the branches are turned. From leftover threads, I make a little thread nest and for some Fimo hummingbird eggs.”

“The edges of the fabric for the branches are turned. From leftover threads, I make a little thread nest and for some Fimo hummingbird eggs.”

“Using a photo as a reference, I thread-paint hummingbirds into the fabric.”

“Using a photo as a reference, I thread-paint hummingbirds into the fabric.”

“For iridescence, I stitch some Angelina fibres to the bird’s neck. The apple blossoms are stitched together with beads at their centres. I play around with placement of the bits and pieces.”

“For iridescence, I stitch some Angelina fibres to the bird’s neck. The apple blossoms are stitched together with beads at their centres. I play around with placement of the bits and pieces.”

Written By:

Atlantic Books

MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS CONTRIBUTOR

You May Also like

Lori Doodey’s Clever Puffins and Children

As this delightful story begins, we learn that “There once was a city by the sea with a peculiar problem.”…

Green Plate Special: Sustainable Food With Mass Appeal

When I saw the cover of Green Plate Special: Sustainable and Delicious Recipes I felt a frisson of panic. I…

Pawagi’s Harrowing Recovery

By Carole Langille

For a writer to elicit tears and exuberant laughter in the same book is an accomplishment. Such is the triumph…

Barr, Landry & Weatherbee’s Sequel of a Clumsy Goose and Rapping Drake

Camelia, the loveable but easily distracted heroine of Follow the Goose Butt, Camelia Airheart, has a thing for bling. So…

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for this project, as well as the Province of New Brunswick’s Department of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture, the Province of Newfoundland’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Recreation, the Province of Nova Scotia’s Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage, and the Province of Prince Edward Island’s Innovation PEI Arts, Culture, and Heritage Department