Showing posts with label dyeing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dyeing. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Quilt National 2017 & Athens Dairy Barn Workshops



Days pass by, and I think to myself, "I should be writing a blog post instead of ____. I'm AWOL. It's been x days since the last one." And another little voice says, "You have nothing significant to say. Be still." So I keep working in silence. My reward is time to tackle those projects that need undivided attention. Something was a sticking point with each one. The studio is feeling lighter, but the mess is growing as I dig through stacks. Thankfully, I work best in chaos.

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Pick Your One Favorite Quilt, Art Quilt, Piece of Art...


"If asked to pick your one 
favorite piece from everything you've 
ever done, what would it be, and why?"

I asked myself this question. I've been asking lots of tough questions in my quest for balance, but this one was easy. Hands down, the piece above was my all time favorite. 

This all came about as I debated about entering a show in which I would have to offer the piece for sale. A few days of careful thinking, and I decided it was one piece I would not part with. And that led me to consider some new ideas.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

When Difficult Quilts Happen to Determined People



The Best Part So Far 

Just in case you're asking yourself why on Earth I would make this my opening photo, it's because it's the best part of the quilt at this point. 

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Tie Dye for Fourth of July!



First Batch of Tie Dyed Clothing


Like these little outfits, this post is short and sweet. It was on my June plan since I bought the clothing, and needed to be done before the kids grew out of them. Oh, yes, that has happened to me before!

I have done tie dyed fabrics before, and shown you the process, but never clothing. There are lots of babies in the family right now--remember all the quilts, and the Fourth of July is a very big deal in our little town. We host one of two fireworks here, and there is a good, old-fashioned parade. Gnadenhutten, Ohio is Smalltown, USA in every respect.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

#BraveQuilter Wrap Up for May and June Plans


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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. 

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Fabric Printing, Stamping, Dyeing, Painting, and Putting It All Together



Some days I sit down to write, and wonder where in the world to start. You and I both may well admit that I I work in a widely scattered pattern. It may appear that there is nothing linear in my thought process, but I swear there is. Imagine all the puzzle pieces out on the dining room table. I've finally found a few that fit together nicely.

PRINTING

I am a type junkie. I love the printing word, or just single letters or numbers, but maybe numbers most of all. I found some perfect balsa wood numbers in the scrap booking section, and turned them into stamps by painting them first, and then attaching wooden clothespins to them. (Why clothespins? Seriously, they were within reach, and I could hot glue them on.)

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Dyeing Techniques: Shibori


Shibori Techniques


This was one weekend I was grateful for poor weather. Having an excuse to not go out meant I could play for hours on end, and so I did. I've been planning to try out some dyeing techniques from a new book, Shibori by Janice Gunner, and this was perfect timing.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

A Solid Dyeing Experience


Left to right: Avocado, Soft Orange, Chartreuse, Clear Yellow

"Wow! I'm finally getting a grip on dyeing!"--
What I said to my family last night before dinner,
and before they all stared and laughed.


The assortment of fabric resulting from yesterday's dye session had me really excited. I finally found a reliable process to get solid colors! That is, a consistent color without the mottled effect that is so often indicative of hand dyed fabric. That may not sound like a big deal, but certainly is for me. It's one step further in controlling how and where I put color on fabric. 

Friday, January 1, 2016

Eyes Wide Open: Assessing the Journey



Happy New Year, 2016!

Can you believe we've put 2015 to bed already? Looking back, it was an excellent year despite the bumps in the road. (We all have bumps.) The Winnie-the-Pooh in me says 2016 will be even more spectacular, so let me send a little of my optimism your way.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Add Batiking to My Love-to-Do List!


True Colors

Honestly, if I had known how fun and easy the process was, I would have been dyeing fabrics years ago. As my wise husband would say, "Sometimes you just have to do it to understand it." Yes, indeed.