It's Time to Link Up!
It's exciting for me to hear some of you writing about your new adventures as Brave Quilters. You're going out of your comfort zones to do things that are a little bit difficult--even scary, and it's making you better quilters and sewists. You're setting your own goals, and deciding when you've completed them. Goal setting, and the follow through are excellent habits that spill over into the rest of our lives. Practicing with fabric is an easy way to make it a habit. I heartily congratulate each one of you even if you didn't participate here.
I know some of you are just warming up to the idea, and have been challenging yourselves behind the scenes. It might even take you a while to be brave enough to post about being brave! I get that. So we're having one more #BraveQuilter link up for June, and then we're going to take a break until fall. You'll have plenty of time to come up with ideas that are right for you, and maybe even sneak some in without any pressure.
Big Brave Plan for June
Meanwhile, I've got my plan for the month made, including many new things, which keep me excited to be in the studio while the sun shines. June's focus is on printing. I'll mainly be using paints, but will likely include a few dyes, and printing on and with just about everything you can think of. A few weeks ago I got out a silk screen I've had for years, but was never brave enough to try. In my excitement, I used a fabric paint on paper, and then loved the printing process so much I printed several. I knew I was going to have to dedicate time to learning the ins-and-outs in greater detail so I've set aside the whole month.
Won't you join me?
How exciting it will be to print
some original fabric!
Yesterday while cleaning off the table for printing, I discovered some Tsukinenko Memento inks. I had to stop and have a quick play time.
Taking Account
I've spent 5 months experimenting with Procion MX dyes, and dyed yards and yards of fabrics. One of the most wonderful things is there isn't a lot left to play with. I've used it in many unique projects, and ultimately that's the goal for creating fabric in the first place. Now many of those projects are ready to wrap up. The Naked Ladies and Second Chance quilts are both finished, and ready for binding. The Kisses quilt needs sewn together, and is also on the list for a June finish. (I'm procrastinating the Y-seams, if you must know.)
And for a fun custom order, this doxie fabric is going into a utility quilt for a new baby.
Now let's see your progress for May. Use the linky to wrap up your May #BraveQuilter projects. Projects linked up at the beginning and end of the month are eligible for a prize of a small bundle of hand dyed fabrics, but any brave quilting project is welcome to link up. Details are HERE.
The June link up for new projects starts Saturday, June 4th. See you back here for your new #BraveQuilter links then.
The June link up for new projects starts Saturday, June 4th. See you back here for your new #BraveQuilter links then.
11 comments:
I was so pleased to find your challenge in May and completed and on time (no mean feat!). Love the look of all your printing. I recently took a one hour workshop at a quilt show as a taster to thermofax printing. I loved it .... now I just need to find more hours in the day!
Love the Brave Quilter challenges! They just push and push me to try something new. Not sure what June's challenge will be, but I'm definitely going to pick one. Thanks Julie for hosting this. I hope, like you, that more people join us. I just can't get over how much fun it has been and also how focused it makes me on making and achieving a goal.
This challenge been great -- it gives you a little push to try new things. Now to think about June.
It's going to be fun to see what you come up with this month. Wish I lived closer you could give me lessons, LOL I love hand dye's but I have never dipped my toes into it. But I do hope to try some sun printing this summer(if the weather ever cooperates!
I don't think I paid much attention to this challenge before, but it really hit me between the eyes this time! A friend just asked if I was interested in participating in an art blog hop where an art piece (painting/sculpture) is translated into a quilt. I absolutely froze when I read the invitation. It is WAY out of my comfort zone. I told her that I was going to pass, since the thought of doing that UNDER PRESSURE made me break out in a sweat, complete with clammy hands and racing heart. I did say that I wanted to do the challenge, but on my own and in my own time, just to see if I could. I won't make the June Challenge, but will be planning and preparing for the fall challenge. We'll see if I can do it!
You are so creative! Makes me want to get out the dyes and start dyeing! Thanks for linking up to Midweek Makers!
Beautiful red silk screens. You've been very adventurous with your fabric and projects. It's been fun to see all the different things you do.
Oh Christine, you can do it. I hopped on board and used the Brave Quilter challenge to push me towards my goal. Didn't exactly get the art piece done on time, but I got pushed to try and now I can finish in my own time. And I think the results were pretty good, considering I'm not an art quilter at all. Thanks to Julie, I know now that I don't have to be anything special to try special things.
I'm glad you did, too, because look what you've done! So impressive, "Curve Queen!" Congratulations!
Ah, thermofax printing. You must be channeling me this week as I've been on the serious hunt for one. They are elusive around here, and I'm not ready to drop $$$ for one yet. We consider this a treasure hunt at the moment, and hopefully can track one down.
Jennifer, you certainly have gone out there to meet some personal challenges. I'm proud of your spirit!
While I value getting projects finished, there seems to be a little part of me that thinks it's over-rated. Before I started this, several friends and I talked about the number of places you might link up a finish, and how sometimes we would question whether our long, open ended, serious projects where we had no finish in sight were worth it. We were growing as quilters and artists, but where could we find support for our risk taking? Wouldn't making a quickie pincushion we could link up as a finish be better? (Can you see how easy it was to come up with the name #BraveQuilter?!)
I see us all as the sewing Joan D'Arcs riding into battle against easy odds, and willing to take on the tough stuff. Don't get me wrong--there's a time and place for some easy, fun sewing, but it shouldn't be at the risk of fearing failure. And each person who knows the time commitment it takes to become better should be congratulated, as do you, Jennifer. Congratulations on being a #BraveQuilter!
Julie
What a wonderful idea, #bravequilters! I will be following your printing adventure with great interest, I also have a silk screen waiting for me to have a go... time, though is lacking at the moment.
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