Seasons change2025Canvas, poplin, muslin, flannel, madder, marigold, goldenrod, iron, dye-na-flow fabric paint, acrylic paint. 8" x 10" Isabelle Maschal O’Donnell (b. 1994) is a textile artist and baker who lives and works in Rockland, Maine. She received her BFA from Maine College of Art & Design, and has exhibited at venues including Able Baker Contemporary, BUOY Gallery, Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA&D, UNE Ketchum Library Gallery, and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. She has attended residencies at the Stephen Pace House, Hewnoaks Artist Colony and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Isabelle’s work combines painting techniques with textile processes such as quilt piecing, embroidery, and plant dyeing, and uses primarily repurposed, deadstock and scrap textiles. Her work draws influence from both painting and textile traditions, as well as nature and her environment, exploring ideas of familiarity, touch and memory. _______________________________________ ISABELLE’s LIST OF MOST USED/LOVED TOOLS + MATERIALS While the primary and most vital material used in my work is the fabric itself, I haven’t included that in this list as I use a wide range of fabric, most of which is purchased secondhand or deadstock, or is from scraps or offcuts from other projects. Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine: This is what I sew most of my pieces on. I purchased mine on sale at Joann Fabrics years ago, and have been using it ever since. It is not the fanciest or nicest machine, but is affordable, reliable, and gets the job done - especially for lighter weight fabrics. I also more recently acquired a Juki DDL-8700, which is an industrial straight stitch machine that I had been coveting for years. It is much faster, and better with thicker and more heavy-duty fabrics, but I still have a soft spot for my Singer and continue to use it frequently. Gutermann Sew-all thread: This is what I use to sew all my pieces. It is good quality, durable, and comes in a large range of colors. Even though the seams are usually hidden in my work, I like to match my thread colors to the overall palette of the pieces because sometimes bits of the stitches show through when I stretch the piece. I also sometimes use Gutermann’s cotton thread, but the polyester sew-all is stronger and holds up a little better to tension and wear over time. DMC six-strand embroidery floss: I love this thread for embroidery, and will often use it to add embroidered textural elements to my work. It has a nice luster, and comes in a massive array of colors. The six separating strands also give you control over the thread thickness, allowing for more variability. Jacquard Dye-Na-Flow Fabric Paint: I discovered this product years ago and immediately fell in love. It is a concentrated liquid fabric paint that gives an inky, watercolor like effect when painted on fabric. I use it regularly to create patterns or dimensional/varied color fields on fabric for my work. It comes in a wide range of colors, and mixes and dilutes really well. Golden Heavy Body Acrylics: I also use acrylics to paint on fabrics for additional color and texture. I like the Golden Heavy Body acrylics because they work well for dry brushing (a technique I love to do on flannel fabric), but can also be thinned for softer glazes of color. Natural Dyes: I use fabric dyed with natural dyes frequently in my work. I learned to dye from my mom, and love the process, as well as the nuanced color that it creates. The botanical dyes I use most frequently are marigolds, madder, osage, logwood and indigo. I also frequently use iron powder to shift the colors of the dye. For mordanting on cellulose fibers (like cotton and linen), I scour the fabric with cellulose scour and soda ash, then mordant with aluminum acetate followed by wheat bran, and then finally the chosen dye bath. Rotary Cutter My go-to for cutting fabric pieces. It has a comfortable grip and is fast and precise, especially for lighter weight fabrics. I use both a rotary cutter and fabric shears when cutting fabric pieces for my work, alternating between the two depending on the type of fabric and cut I am doing. Fiskars 8” RazorEdge™ Easy Action™ Fabric Shears These are my most used scissors for cutting fabric. The handle is really comfortable and the shape allows you to more easily and precisely cut fabric that is laid flat on a table. Olfa 24” x 36” Green Double-Sided, Self-Healing Rotary Mat: A cutting mat is a necessity if using a rotary cutter, and this one is really durable and long lasting. It comes in a few different sizes, but the 24” x 36” is what I use in my studio. It is large enough to offer ample cutting room, while not taking over my entire work surface. Merchant and Mills tape measure: My favorite tape measure, and what I use to check the dimensions of my work when sewing pieces. I like the simple black and white aesthetic, and the flexibility and durability is really nice. I was also told by my previous boss at a fabric store that it is one of the few commercially available tape measures that doesn't contain trace amounts of lead, but I have no idea if that is accurate/fact checkable.
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