tiedyejudy's weblog

Interview by Andreea Ayres

2012-01-22T07:37:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted by Andreea Ayres, who just started a new blog launchgrowjoy.com, which is a great resource for those of us who create products for sale and are looking for suggestions about how to market our products. Anyway, Andreea asked to interview me for her "Featured Entrepreneur" column, and she just published the interview here... check it out! And do browse her blog... lots of great info available, so check it out! Thanks, Andreea, for plugging me on your blog!

Clouds

2012-01-22T05:14:00.001-08:00

Like most of the country, we have had a little weather over the past day or so. Yesterday morning, when it began to get light, I took some pictures of the clouds and sunrise:

Above, the wind did a good job of tossing the clouds around

If you look closely at the segment of blue sky here, you will see a sliver of moon

Above, looking northwest, the sunrise is adding a nice tinge of color to the clouds

Later in the day we had snow, but the clouds and sunrise were more newsworthy! I feel very fortunate to live in an area where I can go outside at sunrise and get a clear shot of some really spectacular views! Enjoy...

Works in progress

2012-01-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

My last blog post talked about my project board... it's where I keep track of what I want to do or try in the near future, usually within the calendar year. Some of these I have tried before, but I want to continue improving my technique. Others are new to me, but I have been wanting to try them for some time.

So... one of the things I have been wanting to do more of is carving stamps to use on my fabrics. I had some already done, but decided to add to my collection. So off to the hardware store I went to get some more plumbers' gasket, which works well for carving. I also went to the 'culled' lumber cart and picked up a small piece of plywood to use for stamp bases, and I also picked up some small pieces of clear lucite, again to use as stamp bases. Yesterday, I decided to test the stamps on a piece of scrap fabric I found in my stash... probably a little busy if I planned to use it, but it's one of those 'ugly' pieces I decided would work fine for a test piece. Here it is:

Top left and bottom left are two new stamps I carved and mounted on chunks of wood I had in the garage. Middle is a set of stamps I carved out of a softer element. I used double sided carpet tape to adhere them to clear lucite, and added a strip of wood as a handle. Top right is a stamp I carved awhile back with plumbers' gasket again, mounted on a chunk of wood, and the leaf at bottom right is carved from plumbers' gasket, but mounted on lucite. I used black gesso applied with a foam brush for my test medium. However, I plan to use thickened dyes when I apply them to fabric for use, as I don't like the stiffness that paints leave.

On to the next project, which actually didn't make it to my project board... hmmmm!!!

Last fall, I went to New Mexico for 4 days with a friend, and one of our stops was Taos, which is a beautiful place. I had never been, but really wanted to see the countryside there and take photos. I believe I posted some when we got back, and one in particular was earmarked to be used as inspiration for a fiber art piece. Here is the picture:

I really love this scene, and started work on the fiber art piece last fall.

First I did a simple line drawing

Next, I transferred it to my muslin foundation

I had several fabrics already dyed that I could use, but decided to do gradation dyeing for the sky and mountains.

Then, once I got to this point, I laid the project aside over the last couple months of the year to work on other things. Today, I decided I was ready to continue:

I had actually fused the mountains and the foreground green piece in place before I stopped, but didn't take a photo. So when I resumed, I fused the middle ground, the horse, and the top of the first tree. Next I will be doing some free-motion stitching to create the tree trunk and branches, then I plan to layer some lightweight handkerchief fabric that has been dyed with the foliage colors. So stay tuned... this project has finally made it back to the front burner for now!

Exciting projects for 2012!

2011-12-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

My first memories of doing creative things dates back to before I entered kindergarten... a LONG time ago! My mom was very creative, and she shared her love of creating things with me. But by now, you would think the excitement would have worn off, and I would be a little more blase` about it, right? NOT!! I am getting very excited about the things I hope to do next year... here's a partial list:

This is my project board, where I keep track of things I want to do or try. I left a couple of items on from this year, removed a couple I had completed, and took off a few I decided not to pursue in the coming year. I can always add them in if I change my mind! Topping the list is wholesale accounts - I am hoping to find some shops that want to sell my tie-dye, with the idea being I could focus more on production and less on craft shows, which are a drain on my energy. Next is deconstructed screen printing, a holdover from this year. I was first exposed to this back in '07 when I took a class from Melly Testa, who remains one of my creative inspirations. I have not used the technique since her class, although I did buy a Kerr Grabowski video a few years back. This is a technique that intrigues me, and I really hope to do more with it in 2012.

Next is stamps - carving, block printing with them... my favorite inspiration for this technique is Cynthia St. Charles, who makes wonderful art and landscape quilts and other fiber creations where she incorporates her hand carved stamps into the designs.

Next on the list is batik... I have used this technique quite a bit since I learned it in Melly's class, but I want to explore it further, so I'll be using up a lot of soy wax in the coming year!

Continuing on, the next item is books. I am currently writing a book on tie-dye, and I am also co-authoring a book with my friend Joyce, who is a very successful crafter... the working title of the book is "Biz Book for Crafters and Artisans". We took a little break this fall to do some craft shows, and Joyce has a burgeoning wholesale business, but we are ready to wrap it up in 2012.

Dyed Fabrics, the next item on my list. I have been dyeing fabrics as well as clothing for awhile now, but I have decided to branch out and sell my hand dyed fabrics... after all, I can't use all the fabric I dye, even if I decided to stop dyeing clothing altogether! My hope is to use multiple surface design techniques to make unique cloth for others to use in their sewing projects!

Last on the list is thermofax screens... I have wanted to create designs to be converted to thermofax screens for some time, and just didn't get around to it... you know! Well, I'm bound and determined to try and get some made up this year, and Lynn Krawczyk , also known as Fibra Artysta, has a Thermofax Screen Service. I know a number of others do as well, I just saw hers mentioned on her blog a few years back, so I have saved her info and plan to give her a try.

Needless to say, I'm really jazzed about all the fun things I hope to do next year! So with all this excess energy, I decided today would be a great day to get some cleaning done... and I started with my studio! I'm not done in there yet, but did come up with a way to store my serger thread:

I reuse the containers that our dishwashing soap comes in for dyeing, but decided they are also just the right size for the thread cones, and they are stackable... nice!

Okay, on to the next cleaning project, so I can be ready to start the New Year tomorrow! Happy New Year to you all, and let's make it a colorful and creative one!

Split Rail lap quilt

2011-12-29T12:58:00.001-08:00

I finally finished my Split-Rail lap quilt that I started last March! I got partially done with the actual quilting back then, but put it aside to do a number of other things and never got back to it until last weekend. I have decided that I don't really enjoy the quilting process, mainly because I have a regular sewing machine as opposed to a quilting machine, and it's very frustrating to deal with the bulk when you don't have at least a medium quilting arm on your machine! But I got through it, and here it is:

The close-up shot gives a better idea of the colors in the batik fabrics I used... I love these fabrics! And I'm very pleased with how it turned out... just in time, because the lap quilt I made around 2005 is starting to show some wear, and I use it daily! Anyway, just wanted to "show and tell" about my latest finished project!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:31:00.001-08:00

We don't put up a tree for the holidays any more, but I got inspired this year... we have some giant Juniper shrubs, and I cut some sprigs and added a little holiday color to decorate for the season... just right!

My Christmas Cactus bloomed just at the right time this year... truly a beautiful decoration! And it will continue to bloom for the next few weeks... something I look forward to each year!

Merry Christmas to all!

Hand dyed fabrics

2011-12-24T13:11:00.000-08:00

I just added several hand dyed fabrics to my artfire shop... click here to see them! I hope to be adding more after the New Year, so keep checking back! Another goal close to being achieved!

Flashback!

2011-12-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who is a very talented artist living in Washington state. We don't get to talk much these days, but we do exchange Christmas cards and an annual phone call. Usually we send pictures of what we have been working on each year, and this year I wanted to send a picture of the Dyeing class I co-taught with my friend Wendy last August. Trouble is, I never got any shots of the class, only samples of the dyed fabrics! I put out the word yesterday, and got these from one of the students:

Wendy is standing in front of the table, and I am in back getting ready to demo the 'scrunch'.

Here, I'm explaining how I dye the scrunch after preparing it.

This was the second dye class Wendy and I have taught, and we already have our thinking caps on coming up with ideas for what we plan to teach next summer.... fun!

Stitching on Solar Eruption

2011-12-18T04:47:00.000-08:00

I didn't ruminate very long before I decided to go back and do some more free-motion stitching on this piece. It's a slow process, requiring thread color changes as I go, and my biggest frustration is that the top thread keeps breaking. Could be tension problems, or thread that is too old. I changed my needle before I began, so that's not the cause. At any rate, here are a few closeup shots:

Solar eruption?

2011-12-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

After studying the fabric I posted about yesterday, I decided to use it for a whole cloth art cloth. I trimmed the sides and here is how it looks now:

I pinned it to a plain muslin backing, and started to do some highlight stitching... first using the sewing machine and free-form stitching, then I tried hand-stitching with embroidery floss. I'm not happy with either attempt so far, but don't have a lot done yet. I guess I need to study it a little more before proceeding. Maybe I should just do some meandering with free motion stitching to anchor it, instead of trying to highlight some of the shapes. I have difficulty seeing the design when it's under the sewing machine foot, and I'm using thread that blends with the dyed areas... maybe some metallic thread or beading would create more noticeable highlights. No rush... think I'll ruminate a little before proceeding!

Possible new project

2011-12-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

After playing with the batik fabric I created a few days ago, I got inspired to try a new project using batik fabric. But I will need more than the amount of fabric I finished recently, so I cut about a yard and scrunch dyed it today:

The idea I have is to create a 'space junk' whole cloth quilt, and I envisioned shapes similar to the ones on my smaller cloth, floating on a black background. This fabric has better colors than the practice piece, but I almost hate to overdye with black and obliterate all that color! So I'm going to study it for awhile before I proceed. The way this came out, it almost looks like a solar explosion, so I may put it aside and dye another piece for my 'space junk' idea. That's what I love about having a bunch of pre-washed undyed muslin hanging around... just waiting for inspiration to strike!

batik squares

2011-12-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

I decided to try some squares using my batik fabric. The photos don't really do the fabric justice, but here they are:

Keep in mind that I have no particular project in mind yet, and I'm just playing with new techniques... no telling how these will end up! But I am having fun, and eventually I hope to come up with a few ideas for how to use them!

More hand dyed fabrics

2011-12-10T06:09:00.000-08:00

I overdyed the rest of the fabric I had dyed in a previous project... I think I could have done with less of the black dye, but the end result is still usable:

We'll see how it looks cut into strips... or maybe I should save this to make another tie-dye sampler quilt. The possibilities are mind-boggling!

Switching gears

2011-12-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to do some more batik fabric pieces, and decided to play with some fabric I dyed a couple of years ago using a technique where I scrunched fabric over a plastic trash bag:

I used the 3 primary colors to dye, and it came out a little harsh. So yesterday, I melted my soy wax, got out my 'tools' and proceeded to create a wax design. After the wax dried, I pre-soaked the fabric in soda ash then hung it to dry. This morning, I dyed the fabric in black using low water immersion, and here it is:

I kind of wish I had done more waxing in the middle, but I think it's still interesting, and will be a nice fabric to use in my strip sewing. Meanwhile, I have another piece of the pre-dyed fabric that I think I'll dye using my 'funky dye' swirl... again, with the idea in mind that I will use it for strip sewing, so stay tuned as I blend the two techniques!

My new fave strip sets

2011-12-08T08:06:00.001-08:00

I just finished these two, and I really like the colors and patterns, and the good news is... they go well together!

No matter which way I put them, I like how they look! Can't wait to see how I end up using them. The first one in the top photo has: purchased fabric, hand dyed, purchased, rust dyed, purchased. The second one has fabric I bought from Melly Testa, purchased, hand dyed, and the last two I just got at Jo-Ann fabrics. What I did to prepare was pull several fabrics from my stash, and auditioned them on my cutting table until I got a layout I liked. Then I just cut and sewed. I'm still getting used to cutting with my rotary blade without using my straight-edge yardstick... a little tricky, but I'm getting more used to it. Practice, practice, practice!

Sharpies and alcohol revisited

2011-12-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

Back here, I started experimenting with permanent markers and alcohol after becoming inspired by Deb Lacativa's experiments . I played a little, then got distracted by other things, and haven't really had time to get back to it since then. But as I begin learning Rayna Gillman's techniques from her new book, I began gathering and sorting fabrics from my stash, and came across the original sharpie and alcohol fabrics I had created. I got the urge to try the technique again, but didn't have a lot of colors in my sharpie collection. Today, while shopping for something else, I happened to mention this technique to the gal checking me out at a local store, and she told me they had color packs of sharpies on sale there. I couldn't resist, and came home with 2 packages of sharpies! So here are a couple of experiments I just did:

Rose

Swirl inside a diamond

Freeform border

The middle one was inspired by a round robin fabric I have from a few years back... the other two were just doodling. What I like is the soft bleeding that happens to soften the edges. I'm applying rubbing alcohol with a small artist's paintbrush, just barely dabbing it on. This is on a cotton cloth... not muslin, but more like a kettlecloth. I seem to remember that the first experiments I did were on muslin, and the markers went on easier. Here, the markers were more like a dry brush technique, and I had to kind of scrub them to get more color. I watched a video on youtube yesterday showing this technique being applied to silk scarves, so I think I'll need to dig out some blanks and see how I like using this on silk. So many things to try, so little time!!!

Still more freeform!

2011-12-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

I didn't get a chance to play yesterday, and haven't had a lot of time today. But I did get a square done:

The center is a batik square I got last summer. It is bordered by two hand dyed fabrics from my stash, then the final borders are of commercial fabrics. I'm finding it interesting to see what I can combine, and the result I get from auditioning various combinations. It's also very nice to be using some fabrics I have had in my stash for a very long time, like the strips on the outer top and bottom!

My challenge for myself now is to look beyond the basic strips and squares, and start doing more slicing and dicing to add interest. Fun and scary! More to come...

Chaos reorganized

2011-11-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

No, it's not a Martha Stewart makeover, but I just had to stop this morning and do something about the chaos caused by stash spilling off the work table! I had stacked fabric by color, but I got so caught up in putting together squares and strip sets, that everything was all muddled up, so...

I resorted and put some of the stash in spare shoe boxes and bins, but I'm off to see if I can find some more containers... meanwhile, here's how it looks at the moment:

Better than it was, but I definitely think more containers will help to... contain it! Yuk, yuk...

More freeform

2011-11-27T12:21:00.003-08:00

I'm having so much fun! Today, I did 2 framed squares and a neutral strip set:

This square was made with fabrics I created in '07 when I took Melly Testa's class in surface design techniques... hard to believe it took this long to use them!

I'm not sure if I painted the center square of this block, or used sharpie colored markers... at any rate, I found fabrics in my stash to create the borders... some hand dyed, some commercial.

This strip set was a real challenge... I don't have many 'neutral' colors in my stash, but luckily I found enough to make a good sized piece, and I have some more set aside that should make some other color combinations. I can tell I will be at this awhile before I have enough blocks and strips to do anything with them, but fortunately I am enjoying the process! More to come...

Day two - freeform quilting

2011-11-26T11:56:00.001-08:00

I made some squares from slices off the strips I created yesterday:

This was the first... a simple border using strips from two solid color fabrics. You can see the original strip above the square.

On this one, I cut a slice in two and inserted a strip of purple hand-dyed fabric after flipping one side top to bottom. I'm sure I will do more to this one... maybe add border(s).

I cut a slice of the original strip here, then added borders to all 4 sizes, log-cabin style. I'm really loving that I can use both commercial and hand dyed fabrics to create these blocks!

I'm not going to give away all of Rayna's secrets, 'cause I really think you should buy her book, but at least you can see a little of how easy these are going together! I have no idea if or what I will use these for... right now, I'm just enjoying the process!

Time for a new project!

2011-11-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

Last week I got my copy of Rayna Gillman's new book:

It's a real easy read, with lots of great photos to go with her instructions, and it's available now at amazon.com.

Today, I started to follow her instructions on cutting and stitching strips. First, I cleaned my workroom, putting away lots of things that had accumulated on my work table, sewing machine, etc. I forgot to take a picture afterward, and there's little chance it will look that good for some time to come! Here's how it looks now, after I pulled a bunch of fabrics, organized them by color, then started to put together my first 3 strip sets:

I'm real glad I have a door I can close when I leave the room... it's utter chaos now!

But I did get 3 strip sets cut and sewn so far:

I have no plan yet for how I will use these... just getting used to cutting and sewing them. There are some other techniques I will be learning which I haven't tried before, so I'm pretty much in play and learn mode right now. I do know that I am enjoying 'therapy sewing'! I have so much stash I have accumulated over the years that it's really nice to be using some of it up! And I'm getting a chance to combine some of my hand dyed and surface designed cloth with commercial fabrics... I like how they look together! So stay tuned... I will be posting more pix as I go along, and I hope you will buy Rayna's book! She makes everything so fun, and her instructions are easy to follow, which is saying a lot for me, since I don't usually do instructions very well!

A great show!

2011-11-13T05:23:00.001-08:00

No pix today, just a great big "Thank you" to all who attended the Mountain Campus Holiday show this year! And a special "Thank You" to the volunteers who were there to help us unload to set up on Thursday, and came back yesterday to help us transport all of our stuff to our vehicles at the end of the show! I think we must have had half the football team out there... was a very welcome relief to know that we would have help! Just one more reason I love to do this show every year... the folks who put it together ROCK!! And another reason is it raised funds for the Northern Arizona United Way... win-win all around! Can you tell I'm amped?!!

Mountain Campus Holiday Show

2011-11-12T05:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first day of this year's Mountain Campus Holiday show, held at Northern Arizona University. It's my last show of the year, and one of the 2 biggest shows I participate in.

Here I am with a set of my notecards, a new product I worked up for this year's show:

It was a long day yesterday... 9 hours! Sales were okay... hopefully the wind won't keep people from coming today! Here's a shot of my booth:

Funny how different things sell well one year, and not the next. I have had fabulous sales in the past with my silk and silk/rayon scarves, but only sold one yesterday!

My friend Cinde was set up next to me... she does beautiful beaded jewelry, and had a large supply of beaded snowflakes this year:

Good think, because she sold lots of them! Okay, time to get ready for today's show... I'll catch up on my rest tomorrow!

Another new product...

2011-10-31T07:02:00.000-07:00

It occurs to me that I haven't done much posting about what I've been working on, other than my notecards. I'm still dyeing, but haven't had a lot of time to blog about it, as I'm trying to beef up my inventory for my last big show of the year, coming up NEXT WEEK!!! Yikes!

Anyway, one item I am testing this year is a thermal hoodie, something I have considered for awhile. I only have 3 in stock for now, but I can always take orders, right?

Here is what I have so far:

These run roomy, which is nice so that you can layer with a turtleneck or shirt underneath. But in cold weather, more layers would be needed. So I think these are best for indoor or warmer days when outside. At any rate, they will be in my shop soon, so stay tuned!

Halloween Sunrise

2011-10-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

There are mornings when I should just stand out on the deck, camera at the ready, to capture yet another spectacular sunrise... this was one of those mornings! But I did manage to get a few shots in...

I'm a sucker for sunrises with puffy clouds to capture the wonderful colors!

My latest product!

2011-10-22T13:17:00.001-07:00

I am really excited to announce a brand new product I am offering in my Artfire store! I have culled through my collection of photographs, taken over the past 10 years, and selected 5 images, all from the west, and have created packaged notecard sets!

Each set has 2 notecards each of the 5 images (see above). All but one come from Northern Arizona, but I also put one in from my recent trip to Taos, N.M. Cards measure 4 1/4 X 5 1/2, and comes with envelopes. You can see them here. I'm really thrilled with how they came out, and hope to work on additional sets to be offered in the coming year. Not exactly tie-dye or fiber arts, but still a project I have had in mind for a long time... hope you like them!

What grows in my garden?

2011-10-19T06:19:00.001-07:00

I was out watering a couple of days ago, and found this under one of my Pine trees:

It's not very big... maybe 8 inches tall, and 6 inches wide. It has seeds inside the paper-thin pods, which I will probably plant just to see what it looks like before it dries out. Whatever it is, I was very attracted to it, and this morning I remembered this vase... been tucked away in the cupboard for awhile, now. I think they are perfectly suited to one another, don't you?

Coming attractions!

2011-10-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

I am best known for my tie-dye clothing and other fiber arts such as art quilts. But I have another creative interest which has given me great joy for even longer than my fiber arts outlets, and that interest is photography. I confess that I have never pursued higher education in this area... my eyes cross and my brain freezes when subjects such as f-stops and lens aperatures come up. I have been a 'point and shoot' photographer for a number of years, and really fell in love when I got my digital camera several years ago! Now, instead of having bags and boxes full of snapshots, I have file folders full of images on my external hard drive. Landscape photography has been my main interest, but I also find myself capturing images of critters - cats, birds, prairie dogs... you name it! So what am I rambling on for? Well, I am very happy to announce that I will be offering notecards this year with photography by moi! I just got my first batch today, and will be adding them to my on-line store shortly. But I wanted to give you a preview of what will be offered:

Here are some of the images used:

These shots have been taken over the course of 10 years... Monument valley in 2001, when my husband and I first visited Arizona... the next one shown here was just a couple of weeks ago when I took a short trip to New Mexico with my friend Cinde. The cards are semi-gloss on the outside, and matte finish on the inside, and will include an envelope. I plan on boxing them 10 to a set. They should be in the shop in a week or so, so check back if you are interested! I will post an update here to let you know they are available.

RIP, washer

2011-10-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

My 8+ year old washing machine died yesterday... I really thought it would last longer, but no!

So first I was going to have the repair guy out to fix it... called Sears, and the earliest they could get here was Friday. Awhile later, I decided to check my friendly yellow pages to see if a local repair guy could come out sooner. Talked to one, described the 'bang... clunk...' noise it made when I set it to spin. He was very pessimistic, and told me what he thought it could be. Basically, he said to repair it would cost about as much as to buy a new one. Bummer!!!
Well, I bit the bullet and drove to town to price replacements... found one a lot cheaper than I thought it would be, and it will be delivered today... yaay! And they will take the dead one to the recycle place for dead washers... double yaay!
So a), I get to help the economy, b) thank goodness I have plastic, and c) I'll be back to dyeing and washing very soon! That's my good news for the day...

More from New Mexico

2011-09-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more shots I took last week in New Mexico:

This view is from the Acoma Pueblo looking down to the valley below.

I took this one outside of Taos early Sunday morning.

An interesting wall in Santa Fe.

Back from New Mexico

2011-09-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last week, my friend Cinde and I took a 4-day trip to New Mexico, and it was fabulous! We stayed in Santa Fe for 2 nights, then travelled north to Taos before returning home. Lots of shopping and eating, but I loved the sights most. We stopped at 2 Pueblos, and drove around outside Taos where I took a lot of landscape pictures. I'm hoping to do more fiber arts pieces based on some of the scenes I captured. Here is just a taste of what we saw:

This was taken at the Taos Pueblo... I love the angles and shadows here, and hope to use this for one of my fiber arts pieces. I took 139 pictures on our trip, so I have lots and lots of inspiration! More to come...

Recent photos

2011-09-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

Our fabulous views never cease to amaze and delight me! Recently, I looked out the back door just before sunrise, and this is what I saw:

Then this morning, I glanced out the dining room window toward the peaks, and immediately ran for the camera and sped out the front door to get this shot:

This scene only lasted a few moments while the sun climbed from the horizon to hide behind the eastern clouds. Meanwhile, I was getting rained on, but I couldn't resist! Great way to start the morning, huh?

Show & Tell

2011-08-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

Last night at our Quilters' Guild meeting, several of the students from last Saturday's Dye Divas class brought in their fabric for "Show and Tell". I only got a couple of shots, but you can see some of the fabulous results!

There was a lot of 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing from the members as the fabrics were unfolded and displayed... hopefully we'll get more to try this next time we put on the class!

Pot of Gold

2011-08-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

I get out early in the morning to put out food for the birds, and caught this shot today:
I couldn't resist squatting down to make it look like the rainbow ended in a "Pot of Gold" Coreopsis! Nature at her finest!

tie-dye art quilt class

2011-08-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

I am teaching a class on how to make a tie-dye art quilt on joggles.com this fall! Here is the class info and here is a picture of the quilt I made with the tie-dye samples:

This is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to see how each student's quilt turns out! The first class starts November 3rd... come join me!

Tie-dye class and drop dead scenery

2011-08-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday, my friend Wendy and I taught a tie-dye class to 12 students, most of them members of the Coconino Quilters' Guild. The class was 6 hours long, and we held it in Wendy's garage and out back of the garage under a couple of canopies. Far as I could tell, everyone totally enjoyed themselves! Sadly, I was so busy teaching and enjoying myself that I didn't get any pictures, but I'm hoping to get some photos from the students who took pix... stay tuned! Meanwhile, last evening and this morning we had gorgeous scenes to shoot, so here you are:

This was last evening, looking west toward the peaks. It lasted just a few moments, but was long enough for me to grab the camera and head outside in my nightgown!

I stood in our driveway for this one early this morning. We have a large field of Coreopsis growing in our yard, and I thought this would be a great combination... the summer clouds, just the top of the peaks, and the sunny yellow of the wildflowers!

I caught this shot just before the sun came up.

Okay, time to fold the laundry and get breakfast... just had to share all this before I forgot!

Lollin' on the deck...

2011-08-15T08:22:00.001-07:00

I know... this is supposed to be a blog about my creative pursuits, but I just can't help myself! I have to share this with you:

I glanced out the back porch window, and saw this pose... my wildling, who has been mine now for over a year. Think he likes it here? Oh, yeah! My little guy...

Prelude 2011

2011-08-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Here I am beaming next to 'Taos', which had just sold in the first hour of the Prelude reception! I love how this piece came out, and I'm delighted that someone else fell in love with it too... I hope he will have many hours of enjoyment from it! And I'm really anxious now for the trip I will be taking next month with my friend Cinde to Santa Fe, Taos, and several places in between. I plan to take lots of pictures so I can do more pieces like this! Thanks again to Chris Schutz for giving me permission to use her beautiful photo as inspiration for this piece!

Sneak preview

2011-08-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited! I am going to be teaching a tie-dye Art Quilt class on joggles.com this fall! Here's a sneak peak of the Art Quilt I am making for the class:

It's not done yet... still need to assemble the quilt and do a little stitching and embellishing, but I think it will be a fun project for anyone who wants to learn tie-dye folds, basic dyeing techniques, and how to incorporate dyed fabrics into an Art Quilt. I'll post more here when I have a class date... hope you'll join me!

More Funky dyeing

2011-07-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

So... after I did the shirts shown in my last post, I took things a step further. First I dyed some shirts in the same fashion, but then I overdyed in black to create a neon-looking affect. Here is one of the first shirts:

This is a scrunch on top of a scrunch, and I got the beginnings of the look I was trying for. But I was inspired to take it a step further. I scrunch dyed a poncho and a sarong, both fringed rayon... first scrunched with the bright colors I used before. Then, after washing and re-soda soaking, I created a little more of a folded look. On the Poncho, I did a loose swirl, and on the sarong, I did an irregular zigzag accordion fold. Then, after putting them into a plastic bin, I applied the black dye by pouring over them from a measuring cup. Here they are:

Needless to say, I'm hooked... got 4 more in the washer now, and can't wait to see them and start the process all over again! I need to order lots more black dye! It takes 4 times as much black dye powder as the average dye in order to get a deep shade. But I definitely think it's worth it! I've always admired Carter Smith's work, but wanted to be able to get the same kind of dramatic look on cotton that he gets on silk. And I have tried discharge dyeing, where you start with black, create a fold design, apply bleach then overdye with color. I haven't been satisfied with the colors, and I'm concerned about the fabric being damaged by the bleach bath, even if I use a neutralizer afterward. So my current method is the best one I have found so far to achieve that "Glow in the dark" effect. I'll post pix of the next batch soon.

Funky dyeing

2011-07-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to get some dyeing done for my Open Studios show next month, but haven't been real inspired with any particular designs, so my output has been slow. Today, I decided to scrunch up several shirts in a couple of bins, and just pour several colors over to see how they would look. I've done this kind of freeform dyeing before, and sometimes it works, sometimes the shirts end up looking "butt-ugly", you should pardon the vulgarity. Well, I did 5 shirts, and 3 came out just fine without any further tweaking:

The other two weren't quite as good, but I scrunched them up and overdyed with a nice strong black, and I like how they look! I'll take pix of them and post them tomorrow. Now I'm hot to do some more like these... don't know if I'm just getting lazy, or if I don't want to be as structured right now as I would need be to do some of the more ornate folded pieces. Anyway, we'll see how these sell... I may be on to something! Funky scrunches!

One man's trash...

2011-07-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

You know that saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure"? Well, I forgot to take pix of my "trash", but I'll show you my "treasure":

My friend Joyce and her hubby were cleaning out their garage, and decided they didn't need this shelving. I had this stuff crammed into a little shelving unit, under my desk, and on another shelf... now it's all neat & tidy and easy to get to!

They also had an old desk they didn't need anymore. The desk I was using is at least 11 years old, and it was a cheapy to start with. This one has a keyboard tray, 2 drawers (one I have a book on top of for my mouse!), and there is enough desk space for my external hard drive, postal scale, speakers and calculator with room to spare... woo-hoo!! I scored!

Oh, and did I mention the shelving she gave me for the garage? I had enough to store the bins where I keep my undyed clothing, and two more for odds and ends that I set up next to my work table. And there is another one waiting for me to collect for even more garage space! I think I owe Joyce lunch at the very least, don't you?

Seasonal visitors

2011-07-21T17:18:00.001-07:00

This time of year, we get a number of different migratory birds passing through. I was fortunate enough this afternoon to get this shot:

I tried to get a closer shot earlier when they were at one of the feeding stations, but the screen got in the way. I'm not sure what they are called... I call them Yellow-headed black birds. They fly in flocks, and the yellow is brilliant... like daffodils, sunflowers... a welcome summer sight!

Spring Coat

2011-06-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, I began to notice that my cat Shrekkie was losing his long coat. I got a little concerned, but soon after his visit to the Vet to have him altered, I noticed the fur was growing back, so it appears he was shedding his old coat in order to grow a new one! Who knew that cats go through 'molting' season?! Anyway, here he is with his new Spring coat coming in:

His tail is still a little scraggly looking, but I'm sure it will fill in as time passes. I can't believe it was just about a year ago I started to befriend him! He was such a sad little guy, underfed and homeless. I am so glad I decided to take him in... he's a real sweetie!

Branching out!

2011-06-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my blogs for any length of time, you might have formed the impression that I'm just a little hyper... no kidding! Been that way for as long as I can remember! As my hubby puts it, I have 2 speeds: full speed ahead or dead stop. And I never seem to run out of ideas for new projects and adventures. So it might come as no surprise that I have found yet another direction to try: writing books! Actually, I have two book ideas in mind, and have started creating outlines for both. The ideas came to me one right after another, and I will be working on both simultaneously. The first idea I came up with is a dyer's 'how-to' book, focusing mostly on tie-dye, but branching out to cover some of the shibori-like patterns I have been using for the past several years, and touching on some alternative fabric techniques that I have been using on my clothing items. I intend to take this book slowly and methodically to fruition, to be sure that the instructions are clear and easy to understand. I might even consider adding a DVD to demo the process... haven't made up my mind on that yet.
The other book is one I will be collaborating on with a friend who has a successful craft business. Our working title on this one is Biz Book for Crafters & Artisans. Yes, it is another 'How To' book, but I think it is one we can produce that will be up to date and full of information that we have both tested ourselves, along with some information from other successful crafters we know that will be of benefit to anyone who is interested in selling their hand made products to a wide market, both retail and wholesale.
Neither of us has published anything to date, but we are both pretty literate and will find a way to do this, whether through a publishing house, e-publishing or self-publishing hard copies. So keep checking back! Don't know yet when we will have this baby ready to show the world, as we are both very busy in our individual businesses, but we are also two peas in a pod... the more projects we have going, the happier we are!

Taos... framed at last!

2011-05-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

I officially removed 'Taos Art Quilt' from my project board this morning... it has been mounted and framed:

It's a little cock-eyed... I had to take the photo at an angle, because the frame has glass that isn't glare-resistant. I was lucky I was able to find a ready-made frame that wasn't a small fortune! Custom framing was out of the question... this is my exhibit piece for this year's Prelude Exhibit, the show for participants of the annual Flagstaff Open Studios tour, so I needed to keep my costs in line. And even if I wanted to swap the glass with glare-proof, the glass is imbedded in the mat, so I would have to replace the matting as well... there goes the cost! At any rate, I'm very pleased with the end result, and if it doesn't sell, I already have a spot picked out to hang it in our house! I am glad to be finished with this piece... it sat on my work table for far too long! Now I can decide what I want to do next: indigo dyeing, more "how-to" videos, deconstructed screen printing, tray dyeing, batik... the list goes on and on!

Update on Taos Art Quilt

2011-05-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted about this project since last December! But then it languished in my studio for quite some time, while I worked on several other projects. However, I am hoping to have this complete in time to submit to this year's Prelude Exhibit at Coconino Center for the Arts... take-in day is August 2nd, and I need to decide if I want to mat and frame this piece, or complete it as an Art Quilt. Here is a picture of how it looks now:

I really like the idea of leaving it as a flat piece, rather than adding batting and a backing and stitching... that would make it more 3-dimensional, but I am concerned that it would detract from the design. On the other hand, I am not well-versed in the technique of blocking, and having it matted and framed would add to the cost. If I sell it at Prelude, they take a 30% commision, so I would have to up the price to make it worthwhile. Guess I'll have to give myself a deadline for deciding, because take-in will be here before you know it!

Color experiments

2011-05-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me (even slightly) probably knows I'm crazy for color! Been that way as far back as I can remember! And the brighter the better... pastels just don't do it for me! So it should be no surprise that the experiment I did in the picture below made my pulse quicken the minute I checked on it:

I'm experimenting on cotton muslin to test some fold and dye methods, but was also trying to simulate some colors I have seen on "mudmee" tie-dyed garments, which have unusual shades of color. My theory is that the "mudmee" colors are a result of overdyeing garments that started out black, then were discharged with a bleaching agent then overdyed. But I have also seen some "mudmee" items that don't seem to have any black in them at all. Today, I was experimenting with using a syringe to create lines in a circular fan-fold, and also decided to fan-fold a section, dye one side with a couple of colors, and dye the other side with other colors. I am using a combination of Dharma Trading's Hot Pink, Lemon Yellow, and a Teal Green that I created with Turquoise and lemon yellow. At any rate, after I had 'batched' the circular fold with just black dye, and had applied some dyes to the regular fan fold, I cut open the circular shape and just drizzled some of each color in a circular pattern and let the piece 'batch' on a rack for awhile, then opened it up.... woof! I have only come close to the effect I got on the circular area using sharpie pens and alcohol before. Now I know I can get similar results with dyes, and I'm excited about trying this on clothing pieces!

I do love experimenting on fabric scraps, but the true test is how it works on shirts, so tomorrow will be my 'Dress Rehearsal'... stay tuned!

Nap time at the kitty farm

2011-05-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Seeing these guys, snoozing on the bed, never fails to put a grin on my face! Clockwise, from upper left is Double, our oldest who came with the property; next is Bubba, our shelter cat, and in front is Shrekkie, the abandoned kitty we took in last summer. At first, Double and Bubba weren't too thrilled to have a third member of the gang, but all three have learned to cohabit together pretty peacefully... gotta love 'em!

My gift to me (and the birds!)

2011-05-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile, I splurge and get something... usually something I have wanted for awhile... that isn't a necessity, such as this:

I have wanted a fountain for some time now... partly because I love the sound of the water, but also because I wanted a source of running water for the many birds that visit our property. I have some feeding stations around the house, with water dishes, but this is special, and I hope we will all enjoy it!

Cat napping

2011-05-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

End of day one of recovery from his surgery... my poor little guy! The vets didn't want him to eat anything yesterday due to the anesthesia, but he hadn't eaten anything since 8pm Monday. I finally broke down and gave him a little food late last night, then heard him yowling early this morning and gave him some more. I have meds to give him twice a day for a few days, so I crushed one of the pills in a little food this morning and he wolfed it down without blinking, then I gave him a larger portion... gone in no time! So he has been sleeping and eating most of today... still not allowed outside yet, but we'll see how it goes. I just want to be sure he doesn't do anything to rupture the stitches! All in all, he has been a real champ about this! More to come...

The deed is done!

2011-05-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you who were following my blog last summer, you might recall that I decided to take in a stray cat... something I don't normally do. But he was skin and bones, and I just couldn't see him wasting away, so against my better judgement I began to put out dry food and water on the deck. Eventually, I was able to start coaxing him inside with some wet food, and was successful in being able to shelter him inside through the winter. One thing I have had in mind was to get him in to the vets to have him altered, and today was the day!

I got this shot of him this morning, before the trip to the vet's. I think he knew something was going on, when he discovered I hadn't put any food out for him. I tried to put him in a small pet carrier, but he was too tall, so I had to drag out the giant sized one. He was not a happy camper in that carrier! Didn't speak to me all the way to and from the vet's office! But he got through the surgery alright. Now I need to keep him inside for 2-3 days (yeah, right!), no food until tomorrow... poor little guy, he's not that big! Missing a whole day of meals could take off some weight he can't afford to lose! But I guess that is so he won't get sick, following the anesthesia. Anyway, he's back talking to me again, and right now he's looking for a way to get outside. My other two boys have been banished to the patio room for awhile to give Shrekkie a chance to recuperate. One thing I refused was the collar they usually put on animals to keep them from licking the surgery... there is no way this little guy would tolerate that! Oh, yeah, and I get to feed him medicine twice a day for 5 days... sigh! Guess we'll get through this somehow!

Tray Dyeing

2011-04-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased "Tray Dyeing" by Leslie Morgan & Claire Benn, and started trying some of their techniques. I have used variations on their methods, but I'm always interested in learning how certain patterns are achieved. So far, I'm pleased with the two pieces - sarongs - I dyed using the 'Water' pattern:

I pretty much stuck to their color scheme on the first one shown here, but used my own color scheme on the second. I like the blending of the colors on both, as well as the pattern. Next, I hope to try some of their overdyeing methods to create trees... a pattern I have wanted to do for a few years now. If you haven't had a chance to review this book yet, and you are interested in learning some beautiful techniques for blending colors and patterns, check it out!

tie-dye samples

2011-04-07T10:44:00.001-07:00

I am going to do a Trunk Show presentation at our Quilters' Guild later this month with my friend Wendy. We have a dyeing class coming up in August, and want to give our members a little sample of what kind of techniques we will be demonstrating and teaching in the class. So I have been doing samples of several, and decided to do a couple of fold techniques we may offer to those who want to give them a try. The first is a simple diagonal fold across a broad accordion fold:

The other one is a mandala, which I haven't done in awhile... imagine my surprise when I opened it up and found out it worked!

So, I got so inspired I decided I need to do these on some shirts! They work best on thin fabrics, so I'm limited to the stock I have that is a lightweight jersey as opposed to the standard weight t-shirts, but I might throw one or two of those in just to see how well I can get them to come out. Artists' Marketplace is coming up on the 30th, and I need to get some more dyeing done!

Getting ready to plant

2011-04-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to use my new cold frame and 12" planting beds! No, they aren't ready to be planted in yet... need to prep the inside of the cold frame to accept the seedlings I'm starting in the bathroom, and I have to trench the foundation of the beds... I plan to create a base of cinder blocks, then put hardware cloth on top, then the wood-sided raised beds, then posts at each corner so I can surround it with screen to keep out the Elk, prairie dogs and other critters. But I have the seeds started, as well as some herbs:

I planted the herbs (a Chia Herb Garden!) about the beginning of February, and recently divided them to put them into larger pots.

In the seed beds, I have Delphiniums, Hollyhocks, Chives, Dill, Cherry Tomatoes, Bell Peppers and Cucumbers. I will be planting salad bowl lettuce and carrots directly into the raised beds so they won't need to be transplanted.

I should mention that this is a project I have had in mind for quite awhile... I actually had a little garden in a raised bed when we were in California, but here I have a large lot with great sunlight... just a limited planting season due to our elevation and weather, so the cold frame is going to go a long way toward extending my growing season... I'm really excited about finally getting this started, and look forward to being able to grow some of my veggies and herbs! Progress reports will be forthcoming...

Looky what I got!!!

2011-04-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

I have been an off-again, on-again gardener for years, mostly off... I love having beautiful flowers, veggies and herbs... just seems like I can't get myself organized early enough to have enough grow time for everything, especially here in Northern Arizona. I have thought about getting a cold frame to start plants, but couldn't find either a source or even a kit to assemble, and I gave away my power tools a long time ago. But the good news is... I have a neighbor who is a contractor, and I ran into him the other day at a Home and Garden show, right after I visited the Master Gardeners' booth which had photos of cold frames! I sent Lawrence over to look at the photos, and told him I wanted one... well, here it is!

He just delivered it yesterday, so it doesn't have any plants in it yet, but I have lots of seeds, peat cups, starter mix, plant food... of course now we are due for two days of wind followed by 2 days of sunshine(during which I hope to get some seeds planted and in the frame!) followed by several days of rain. So hopefully the next photo I take will have a slight green tinge to it... the sign of sprouting seedlings!

First try

2011-03-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

I can't remember how long it's been since I wanted to try to crochet a hat... probably close to 15 years! Well, I finally got some patterns and some crochet cotton, and here is my first try at it:

It looks pretty cute on the mannequin head, but when I put it on, it looks lousy! Partly, I'm sure, because I don't have a long slender neck, but also because I think the brim is wider than it should be. I'm half-way tempted to rip out several rows on the brim and see if it looks any better. But the other thing is, I really wanted to find some raffia to use for this style... I have a picture I got... forget where:

This looks similar in shape, but it looks a lot lighter, and appears to have more body for shaping the brim. I may try starching the one I made, but I really think the cotton I used is too heavy for what I'm trying to make. I want a light, airy summer hat. If you see this and are good at reading patterns, maybe you could let me know what stitch you think is used on the lower hat. It almost looks like straight double crochet to me, but my eyes are much less familiar with crochet than anyone who crochets a lot, so I can use suggestions!

Testing photo upload

2011-03-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

Melody Johnson, whose blog 'fibermania' is one of my faves, is having photo upload problems today, so I thought I would test mine to see if I have the same problem... bear with me!

Dyeing day

2011-03-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Got a show coming up in a month... can you tell?

Got 11 dyed this morning, and tied and soda soaked 7 more to be dyed tomorrow. I'm real low on kids' clothing, so hopefully this will catch me up. Still got some dresses and sarongs to go next week... spring is here!

Soy wax/discharge paste

2011-03-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

I posted a picture awhile back of an assymetrical top I batiked using my 'Autumn Leaves' design. Unfortunately, when it got to my friend Patty, she discovered it was too small. So she asked me to create the same design on a rayon poncho. No problem, I thought! Only I found out the hard way that soy wax on a loose-woven garment doesn't work as well as a resist as it does on cotton jersey. After overdyeing, I washed out the garment and discovered that the browns had all but covered the leaves that were supposed to be protected by the wax! Rats!!! Well, I decided that the only possibility for saving the project was to use discharge paste to recreate the leaves. I could barely make out the leaves, but slowly painted on the discharge paste, let it dry, and steamed. Here are the results:

The design is more muted than it was on the cotton top, but I'm pleased with the overall appearance, and hope Patty likes it too! Next time, I'll know that if I want to batik on rayon, I need to do multiple layers of wax!

Progress in the Living Room

2011-03-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I posted a picture of a wall in my living room that I was painting, but I never got around to the "before" shot. Here's what it looked like before I started:

This is the wall where I have my 'gallery' - paintings and other wall art I have created over the years, along with a few purchased items. but the wall itself really never added anything to the personality of the room. All the walls in this house were white until I started this project. As of today, I have declared this wall in the living room all but done... the last thing I plan to do is paint and add molding and quarter round. For now, here it is:

Couldn't do anything to disguise the smoke alarm, unfortunately! But I definitely like the feeling from the warm color of "Spiced Pumpkin"! Our carpet is dark chocolate, and this color goes really well with it. Now for the rest of the walls... need to wash with tsp, then I will probably use a white that is really close to the original color... much easier to apply than the "Spiced Pumpkin"!

Score!!!!

2011-03-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

So... you have to understand that normally, when I go to a Home Depot or other building supply store, it's usually not to buy things to use for projects around the house. Those are my "Other" art stores! But recently, I began a household project... painting the interior. We have lived here almost 8 years, and I have only painted one wall in the house until recently! So this week, I started painting the living room. One wall is to be "Spiced Pumpkin", the rest will be off-white. One challenge has been that the walls are "texturized", which means a lot more work to get even coverage! Here is the first coat:

I know you can't see it from this shot, but there are lots of "holidays"... spots where the paint didn't cover the white below. And I was using a roller to apply the paint. Where I was trying to get the paint into the crevices, I spread it thinner than other areas, so the whole wall looked very splotchy. Last night, I started thinking about maybe trying some "Faux Finish" techniques, and decided I would look at the store today to see what they had:

SCORE!!!!!

Now, I had pretty much already decided that I would apply a second coat to the wall before deciding if I wanted to go to all the effort of using faux finish, and I have completed the second coat and am pleased with how it looks now. But I absoloutely had to have this kit! It's a Martha Stewart product, but I don't really car who made it... what I'm excited about is what I can do with these to create Complex Cloth! Woo-hoo!!! When I took Melly Testa's class in 2007, she suggested picking up faux finish tools for creating Complex cloth, but I never found any until today... I will definitely post pix when I have time to play with these! In the meantime, I may also use them somewhere in the house on wall decor, but I'm thinking the texturized walls might be a bit of a challenge! Anyone know how to remove the texture from walls? Just kidding!

Sunshine!!!

2011-03-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

I am definitely feeling like Spring is coming, so to celebrate, I'm posting a picture of a shirt I dyed almost 4 years ago, then later added some embellishment to. I think it's totally appropriate!

More dyed tops

2011-02-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

I finished the other two tops for my friend's order:

This is the light rayon poncho

This is the "Bamboo" top - Front

"Bamboo" top - side

Nine patch finished/special order

2011-02-26T05:36:00.000-08:00

Remember this? Well, I finally finished it yesterday:

It now resides on our dining table... just the right size to cover the center where dishes are placed during dinner! Meanwhile, I still need to finish the Split Rail lap quilt. It's going to be a beauty when it's done... but it may take awhile. I'm in the middle of a tie-dye special order for a friend in Washington State. Here is one of the tops I have made for her:

This is a really neat asymmetrical tunic... very graceful, and a perfect display for my "Autumn Leaves" batik pattern. But I will probably be doing other designs on this style as well. I will post pix of the other two tops when they are done. One is a light weight rayon poncho, the other a cotton woven "Bohemian" style shirt.

And as if I didn't have enough to do, I have taken a commitment to create a brochure for a fellow artist who makes jewelry... just a sideline that has evolved over the past couple of years. Never a dull moment!

Winter morning

2011-02-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

Totally unrelated to my fiber arts, but I just have to share this! I took it about 6:15 this morning... it's the view from the front of our house looking west. That's our neighbor's house in the foreground.

I love where we live... it is sooooo picturesque!

Split Rail Quilt top

2011-02-14T05:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I finished assembling the Split Rail top for my quilting class:

The photo doesn't do the fabric justice! It's all batik fabrics, and the colors are light and dark teal, light and dark gold, and a white with teal leaves. This is my second split rail -- I did one about 5 years ago in another basic quilting class -- and putting this one together has been very easy! I have one more class session where we make the border, get into pinning and quilting, quilt sleeve, label and binding. Obviously, we won't finish the quilt in class, but my memory of the last one is that it isn't complex, just takes a little time. I will post final pix when it is done.

Pix of Diamond shape batik tank

2011-02-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Today, I waxed over the dyed area of the tank I blogged about yesterday. Then, once the wax had hardened, I placed the tank into a plastic bin where I had poured about 1 1/2 cups of black dye. At first, I was trying to avoid getting dye on the front, then I decided to crackle the wax and dye both the front and back to get a more interesting look. Here is a picture of the front:

The back is a solid black. I have to admit, I really like how it turned out! Yesterday, it looked a little garish to me, even though I like bright colors. Today, with the black veining, I think it has definitely become more visually interesting! I know I will be doing more batik clothing in the coming months!

More batik experiments

2011-02-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to use batik more in my clothing line, so I decided to do a little experimenting today. I pre-soda soaked a tank yesterday and let it dry. This morning, I selected some implements to apply the wax, then gave a little thought to how I wanted to position the different shapes. I decided to use a washable marker to create a diamond-shaped grid on the front of the tank, then used the tools to wax each diamond. Then I selected the dyes I wanted to use. Here is the shirt after applying dyes to the diamonds:

I used a "sprong" for the concentric circle, a pvc pipe for the continuous circle, and a foam brush I notched for the parallel stripes. Then, to create the lines between the diamonds, I used a piece of craft wood that is about 1/4 inch thick by about 5 inches long. Once the wax was hard, I stretched the tank on a piece of foam board I had covered with contact paper, and anchored the bottom of the tank with t-pins. I drew a sketch of the design so I could plot out the color placement. Even with all that planning, I still ended up with a couple of places where the same color was in adjacent shapes, darn it!

Once the dyes have 'batched' and dried, I plan to paint wax over the front and dye the back of the shirt with black, using low water immersion technique. I'll post a picture of the final result once it's done, so check back!

Batik Sampler - final version

2011-02-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

Well, after studying the sampler I dyed yesterday, I decided another layer of wax/dye was in order, so I re-soda soaked, added more wax markings, and overdyed with hot pink, rose red and purple. Now I just need to decide which direction I like it best!

I'm thinking about mounting it on heavy paper and framing...
I had also thought about crackling the wax and overdyeing with black, but I think I'll save that for another piece. Meanwhile, I'm liking some of the techniques I tried on this one: cut foam brush, pvc pipe, tjanting...

Batik Sampler

2011-02-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

I've been really inspired by the experiments I see posted about over here lately! So I decided to get back to playing with batik... I actually applied the wax to the piece shown here about 2 months ago, but haven't had time until today to dye the fabric! At any rate, I decided to do a simple dye paint with dyes I already had mixed. The main experiment here was the varied items I used to apply the soy wax:

Implements included foam stamps, potato masher, nail-head stamp, stamp made from bamboo skewers, sprong, dowel, some kind of circle (don't remember!) and I think I did some freeform painting. To apply the dyes, I used a foam brush. Note the bleeding on the left side, where the turquoise is feathering into the lemon yellow... I love that! I will let the dyes dry, then rinse/wash. I'll take an 'after picture and post when that step is done. For those who prefer ironing out their wax, I still like washing out the wax in hot water, but I'm sure interesting results could be had with the ironing method as well!

Spring makeover

2011-02-05T06:50:00.000-08:00

I felt a breath of warm air this morning when I went out to feed the birds and get the paper... made me want to do a little redecorating on the blog! I'll leave it this way for awhile... see if I like it. Let me know what you think!

Quilting class

2011-02-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

I signed up for a Beginning Quilting class with my friend Joyce... it's being taught at our local fabric store, Odegaard's. I took a beginning class about 5 years ago at another shop, but haven't done any traditional quilting since, so I figured it would be good to take a refresher. Besides, Joyce, who sews professionally --she makes lots of neat products for home and personal use -- has never quilted, and we thought it would be fun to take the class together. Turns out we're the only 2 in the class, and I know the teacher from our local Quilters' Guild, so it's a very comfortable environment to learn in.
Our first project is a "9 patch", which I'm on my way to expanding to 12 patches to make a small table runner. The colors and fabrics I chose are good for my home decor, but totally different than colors I use in my tie-dye projects! See for yourself:

My carpet is dark brown, and my accent colors are rust and dusty blue... this was the best I could do to come up with coordinating fabrics. But I think it will look okay on the dining table once I get the border on!

Meanwhile, next week we will be starting a Split Rail quilt, which I have done before. Here's the one I did from my original class:

See what I mean about the colors I end up with? And the quilt is laying on the carpet, so you can see what I'm dealing with.

Well, for the new Split Rail, I came up with a slightly different color scheme:

Odegaard's carries a large selection of batik fabrics, and I decided to splurge on this one. Haven't decided what to use for the binding yet, and I may hand-dye fabric for the backing or just use solid color, but I sure like the fabrics I chose for the top... can't wait to get started!

Sleeping Beauty!

2011-01-30T11:08:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this cat! He has come so far since last summer! And I love to watch him sleep... look at this, isn't he just the sweetest?!!

I really want to sneak over and pookie his tummy, but a) it would wake him up, and b) he would probably wake up startled and grab me with his claws... so I have to just be satisfied with ogling him! Purrrrrrr.....

Finally!!!

2011-01-29T16:26:00.000-08:00

I posted awhile back about my experiments on silk scarves with batik, and how when I overdyed the scarf to darken the unwaxed area, the dye didn't take. I tried overdyeing again, and still couldn't get the dye to take. After discussing it in a couple of forums I belong to, the consensus was that maybe I had used up all the fiber molecules... you can only get so many dye molecules to attach to the fiber, then the rest wash out. Well... I set the scarf aside for awhile, then decided I might as well do some more experimenting on it just to see what happens! Today, I re-laundered it (I had rinsed it with a softener, and needed to remove that), then I soaked in a Citric Acid solution made stronger than the batch I had used before, and I left it in the solution for a longer time. For this experiment, I decided to pole wrap the scarf to create the shibori look. I wrapped it with dental floss and scrunched it tight. Then I applied thickened dye made with 1 part water to 2 parts of Dharma Trading's Superclear. I used Rust Brown and Chocolate brown... a total of 4 teaspoons of dye powder to 1/3 cup of the thickened solution. Then I applied the thickened dye to the scarf with a foam brush and wrapped it in plastic wrap. I let it set in the sun for about an hour after it had batched in the laundry room for awhile. Then I removed it from the pipe, placed it in a zip lock bag and nuked it for 2 minutes. The last step was to rinse and launder. I am happy to say that something worked this time! Here's the scarf:

I'm not 100% thrilled with the markings, but it's a darn sight better than it was! Funny thing... the original leaves that I batiked on the ends still show up, although faintly. And they are dark instead of the yellows they were originally. What I love about this scarf is the colors. I'm not totally sure I remember all the colors I used to get the red/orange background, but I'm willing to experiment to get that color again... just like a firey sunset!

Stamping experiments

2011-01-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

Awhile back, I purchased a couple of Adire gourd stamps to use on fabrics. Today, I finally got around to working on my first experiment using the stamps. In the past, I always loaded stamps with a foam brush, but I decided to try a slightly different method today, thanks to an inspiration from Kim Barron's blog post on tjaps. First off, I mixed 3 parts of Dharma Trading's Superclear with 1 part water. I poured 2/3 of the mix into a separate container and set it aside to use with other colors. With the remaining 1/3 mix, I added 1/2 Tbsp of Aqua Marine Procion MX dye powder. I mixed thoroughly to dissolve the dye powder. Next I needed to create a 'stamp pad'. I got a scrap of "Warm and Natural" cotton batting, folded it in half and trimmed to fit into a plastic Stouffer's frozen entree container, which I use for a lot of my craft projects. I could probably have used felt for this purpose, but had some small pieces of the batting handy.

Next, I spooned some of the thickened dye mix onto the batting and spread around so it would be a large enough area to cover the stamp. Then I loaded the stamp and applied to pre-soaked and dried cotton that I had pinned onto a padded work surface.

So far, I really like how the batting worked as a stamp pad, and I will probably use that method to try some of my other stamps as well as the adire ones. Next, I will probably try the adires with a new discharge stamp pad I ordered from Dharma Trading, which should be here in a few days. I may try some of my cheap hand-made stamps with the discharge pad first. Then I'm thinking I might try using my old stand-by discharge solution - dishwashing gel with bleach - on a pad. I will do some side-by side tests with the purchased discharge pad and the home remedy and post pix so you can see the results, probably next week. Meanwhile, I'm getting kind of inspired to get my stamps out and play around with them... maybe make some new ones as well, now that I have this new method of loading them!

Thinking outside the box

2011-01-15T04:44:00.000-08:00

I love to visit the hardware store... I can find the best things there for my dyeing! The other day, I was looking through one of my books on Shibori Techniques. I had seen a photo of fabric dyed using bamboo rings to resist the dye. The technique is called 'chikuwa shibori' if you want to search for it on the internet. Anyway, I liked the pattern, but couldn't figure out where I would be able to find bamboo rings. Off to the local Home Depot to search for alternatives.

What I ended up with was a bag of 1/2" PVC couplings from the plumbing section... 25 for $4.00! And just last week, I went to lunch with a friend to a Japanese restaurant, so I had a pair of wooden chopsticks... just the right size to push fabric thru the coupling! I pre-soaked my 1/2 yard of kona cloth in soda ash solution, then folded in half, pushed the couplings on - I think I got about 12 on - then applied hot pink, light fuchsia, rose red and maroon dyes... let it soak for at least an hour, then rinsed/washed, and here is the result:

Now, I will tell you that the result does not look like the photo in my Shibori book. The Shibori example is squarer and the markings are very distinct. But since I wasn't trying to exactly replicate the design... my aim was to see what would happen if I used the couplings... I am very pleased with the result, and plan to try this next on a shirt to see how it does. One of the things I am really enjoying now is that I am not afraid to experiment! I invested a few dollars and some fabric in an experiment and learned a new technique! That's what makes this such a rewarding art form... I am not confined to doing things 'just so'... I get to play! Almost as good as finger painting!

Satisfaction!

2011-01-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

Well, after allowing the scarf to almost completely dry, I decided to remove the rock salt, scrunch the scarf in a ziplock bag, and nuke it. Because there was very little moisture left, I put the mostly closed bag into a plastic container with about 2 inches of water for the steam bath. That upped the moisture level and kept the scarf from being damaged by the heat. Then a quick rinse in cool water with a few drops of synthrapol, a bath in hot water with synthrapol, a few rinses, a short hang in the bathroom, a quick press with the steam iron and... ta-da!

The silk salt actually did better than the rock salt as far as markings go. I couldn't see them very well until I had laundered the scarf, but I got a real nice 'freckled' look... not too much, just enough to add to the visual interest. I already have more candidates to experiment with! I

'ice-dyed' a scarf awhile ago, and it came out too pale, so I figure an overdye and some salt should perk it up nicely. And I have 2 scarves I tried to do batik on last fall, then steam after ironing out the wax, but they really don't have a lot of 'pizazz', so better to play with them than leave them hanging on the rack! I promise to post pix as I go!

Silk/Salt dyeing - second layer

2011-01-14T08:35:00.001-08:00

After letting the scarf from yesterday's post dry, I scraped off the salt and found minor markings. I used light colored dyes, and silk salt I have had for years, and the result was not satisfactory overall. But I know from experience that sometimes, further layers or techniques can improve a project. So today, I mixed up some lemon yellow and bright green dyes, and pulled turquoise, royal blue and lilac from my stash. I also dug out my rock salt. Instead of painting on the new layer, I used an eye dropper to drizzle the dyes over the original layer of dyes. At first, it looked a little dorky, but since I have the stretcher system slightly elevated on one end, the dyes are spreading slowly over the surface of the scarf. I didn't saturate the silk, just left it damp. After applying the dyes, I sprinkled the rock salt on sparingly. Here is how it looks now, as it slowly dries in my garage:

I'll post pix when it dries, and decide then if I need to do more or if it's ready to steam set the dyes. I am also anxious to try using alcohol/water to create interesting effects, but not sure if I will do that on this scarf or save that for another experiment! More to come...

Silk/salt dyeing

2011-01-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I have finally got my act together and am beginning to learn how to dye silk scarves and use salt to create interesting patterns. Thanks to Kim Barron's great blog post, I learned how to create a stretcher system, so I have my first attempt 'curing' in the garage:

I must admit that 'painting' on the dye instead of pouring or squirting was a bit of a challenge for me. I'm not thrilled with some of the blobs that are forming, but I'm going to see it through and find out how the salt works, then try some more. I'm sure it will become easier as I go along, and I promise to post more pictures as I go. As I recall, my first few tie-dye shirts were not works of art either, but I kept at it, so this is just a learning curve! If you're reading this and have done silk/salt scarves, I'd love to hear any suggestions you might have!

Update on Taos

2010-12-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I did any work on my Taos art quilt! Time has a way of flying! But now that all the shows are done for the year, and I have finished the Christmas shopping/mailing, sent out the Christmas cards, and caught up with some household chores, I finally found time to get some more work done on it:

Here is the top next to a copy of the photo I am working from

Here is a close-up of the grassy area I just got some work done on. My biggest challenge has been to find a good selection of thread colors to use on this project! I used hand-dyed fabrics, but I don't (yet!) dye my own thread... that may change soon! In the meantime, I haven't decided if I am going to finish this as a quilted wall hanging, or perhaps mount it in a frame. All the stitching is being done to just the foundation piece. I hope to have the stitching done before the end of the year. I love how it's coming along, and I'm anxious to see the finished piece!

Other than that, I have been building up my wholesale shop and looking for retailers to contact... if you know anyplace in your neck of the woods that might want to buy hand-dyed clothing and accessories, let me know, okay? Meanwhile, you can check out my new shop at www.tiedyejudy.trunkt.com. Let me know what you think of it, okay? Feedback is always welcome! Happy holidays to all!

Winding down for the holidays

2010-12-20T06:26:00.000-08:00

Well, the grandkids' presents are in the mail, most of the Christmas cards are on their way, Cookies are ready to be dropped at various locations, reservations made for Christmas Day dinner... yes, for the first time ever, we are going out for Christmas dinner! The weather outside is frightful (windy, cold, but no rain/snow yet!)... and I'm ready to take a little break! I started knitting a new pattern yesterday for a triangle kerchief... slowly adding a new stitch to my repertoire (kbf to increase), and I have opened up a new website for wholesale buyers! I have a few new items I created:

This is the rope-wrap shibori I usually do in cool colors... I call this one 'Fire'.

This is the 'Bamboo' pattern in camel and black... I also have two other color combos for this one.

I'm hoping to get back to my 'latest' Art Quilt over the next few days... I haven't had time to work on it for awhile, and would really like to finish it up over the holidays!

So to all who read this, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and may 2011 bring us all hope, peace of mind, joy, love and laughter!

Art of Adire

2010-12-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I got my newsletter from Dharma Trading. They always feature new artists, and I was introduced to Ife Franklin, who is an Adire artist. You can see her on youtube, demonstrating the art form. I was particularly interested in the large wood block stamps she used for waxing the items before dyeing... I have been looking for stamps of this kind for some time, and sent her an e-mail to see if she could tell me where she got hers. Meanwhile, I did a little web searching myself, and found Zanzibar Trading co, where I ordered the last 2 Adinkra Gourd stamps they had available on their website:

I'm also working on ideas for how to create some wood block stamps without having to do a lot of carving! Attaching small pieces of wood to a larger block with wood glue comes to mind, although if I use them for batik, I'm not sure if the wood glue will stand up to the heat of the melted wax. I do have a dremmel, so I could do some blocks using that to chew away the wood around the designs... I also have carving tools, but I think they are designed to be used on linoleum blocks. All I know is my direction is taking shape for 2011! I also know I will not be using the waxes or dyes used by Ife... my back was hurting just watching her video where she is bending over to rinse her dyed pieces, and stirring them in the boiling water to remove the wax! Nope, soy wax and cold water dyes for me! But I truly love the shapes and designs of African tribal fiber arts, and hope to capture that feeling with these, and other stamps either purchased or created by my efforts! More to come...

In his chair

2010-12-02T05:41:00.001-08:00

Shrekkie has spent the last two nights outside again, as the weather has warmed up from the cold snap we had over the weekend. But he is right there first thing every morning to come inside, have a nice breakfast, and let me give him a warming rubdown. He has adopted this chair in the living room as his napping spot... neither of the other two cats use it, so it is officially his now! He is such a beauty... just wish I could get his picture without the 'glowing eyes'!

Two projects

2010-11-30T12:40:00.000-08:00

Continuing on my list, experimented yesterday with dyeing fabric that had a white design printed on a white background. The first is a butterfly pattern, and I applied unthickened procion mx dyes to a piece of the fabric which had been soaked in soda ash solution, then dried:

I used a 3 inch wide foam brush to apply the dyes, creating some wavy stripes, slightly overlapping the colors. I call this "Waves of butterflies", and I used part of the fabric to create a cell phone case:

I actually started another where I was outlining the butterflies with free-motion quilting, but I realized that would be a lot more labor intensive, so I ended up just quilting along the flow of the color bars... much easier and quicker!

So I have now made 3 cell phone cases, and I have removed that from my project list... not because I won't be making any more, but because I feel comfortable enough with the concept to feel like I don't need to keep it as a 'to do' on my board.

Meanwhile, I also did another experiment with a different white-on-white fabric, and I'm not as pleased with the results:

I used my eyedropper here to apply the dyes to the pre-soaked and dried fabric. I had laid the fabric flat in a bin, and really don't feel that the dye worked well here... I love the fabric, but I think next time I will either apply with a foam brush or roller, and I want to try this fabric with a bronze dye with maybe a touch of orange. I will post more pix as I go... meanwhile, this item stays on the project board for awhile longer. I still have at least 8-10 different fabric samples to experiment with, including a number of black/white, and a white with gold print... fun!

On an unrelated note, I posted an item on my Facebook page that our semi-wild kitty, Shrekkie, actually spent the whole night in the house last night, comfortably perched on a chair in the living room! I think he gets it that life can be a lot more comfy in the house in the winter than outside, freezing under the house! He's such a sweetie! Looks kinda like a furry bear when his fur is standing out, see?

And another one!

2010-11-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm now officially hooked on making cell phone cases! I have such a huge stash of fabric, and I'm also incorporating the project to overdye white-on-white and black/white fabrics, as well as using some batik squares I got this summer when my friend and I visited a bunch of quilt stores in the area. Here's the first cell phone case using the batik:

I hope to get several more of these done over the coming week before I post to my store. This one is 2 3/4 by 5 inches, which fits my phone perfectly. But I can make them in other sizes as well, so stay tuned... I'll update again when I have posted these to the shop!

One down...

2010-11-29T06:23:00.001-08:00

So... I scrounged around in my fabric stash yesterday and found enough scraps of hand-dyed fabric to make a cell phone case yesterday! This is fabric I used earlier this year to make some sun visors, and I really love the colors and patterns... even the scraps! I started out with a 10 inch square of muslin and did a crazy quilt variation, starting with a 5-sided piece and building around that with other pieces until I had covered the square. Then I sandwiched a piece of solid color yellow lining, batting and the top piece, then just did stitch in the ditch to quilt. I was going to get all fancy with free-motion quilting, but decided to keep it simple. After all, this is a prototype, and I mainly wanted to test the pattern to see how easily it went together. I am pleased, and will probably make up some of these for the shop soon. Meanwhile, if you want to try the pattern, you can download it here, compliments of Susan Brubaker Knapp... thanks, Susan! Meanwhile, I'm going to leave this item on my project board for awhile to remind me to make some more, but at least I have made a start at working through the list!

The list goes on....

2010-11-28T04:59:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, I got into the habit of making lists. It's a great way to keep track of things - groceries, chores, projects. And as I take care of each item on the list, I check it off, line through it, or in the case of my project board, erase the item. So you would think that, sooner or later, the list would be finished, right? NOT! Especially in the case of my project board, I just keep thinking up new ones! Here is a picture of my current list:

First item: video clips. I have done 4 so far - demos of how to do various tie-dye techniques. I have them on youtube, and they are getting pretty good views! Trouble is, I keep coming up with more I want to do, so the item is still on the board.
Next: overdye white-on-white fabric. Several months ago, my friend Joyce and I visited several fabric stores in the area, and I picked up some white on white and black and white pieces to see how they would look if I dyed them. I'm almost ready to try this, since I have quite a bit of leftover dyes from other projects, so I may be able to knock this off soon.
Next: Batik on silk. I have actually tried this on a couple of scarves, but I'm not satisfied with the results, nor am I ready to stop trying, so it stays on the board.
Mounting fiber pieces to canvas... I gave a half-hearted try at this one last summer, but haven't had time or inspiration to try again. This one may end up being removed just to make room for something else, who knows?!
Indigo dyeing - this one will need to wait until warmer weather... I meant to get to it this year, but I just never had the time to devote to it! I have a starter kit, a 5 gallon bucket with lid... just need uninterrupted time to focus!
Cell phone covers... this was something I hoped to get to this year. I have lots of fabric scraps, and thought it would be a great item to add to my inventory, but again, lack of sufficient time to at least develop a pattern I like, so maybe this winter I can work on a prototype!
Taos A.Q. - this is an art quilt I began a few months back, but had to set aside to prepare for my last show of the year. It is patiently waiting for me on my design board, and I seriously hope to get back to it in the next week or two!
Try steaming silk! Well, this ties in with batik on silk, and I have tried it. I leave it on the board, because I was not satisfied with the results, so once I get back to trying more silk batik, I may try this again.
Last, Thermofax screens - fibra artysta. R0ssie mentioned getting a thermofax screen from Lynn , and this is something I have wanted to do for awhile! I have some ideas about designs I could use on my tie-dye, so I'm hoping to work a few up and have her make them for me.
So there you have it - a list that never seems to get shorter, in spite of the fact that I have accomplished a large number of items since I put this board up next to my PC and started using it!

The verdict is in!

2010-11-21T07:07:00.000-08:00

Well, after 2 days at the Mountain Campus Holiday show, the verdict is in... the scarves were the biggest seller of all! I sold 20 of them! I think maybe next year, I will leave most of the tie-dye at home and make lots more scarves! They have been good sellers for the past 3 years, but I made a lot more this year, and only have about a dozen left, so that's a sign! And of the 5 years I have participated in this show, this year's sales topped my best year, which was 2 years ago... maybe the economy is finally starting to come back!

Meanwhile, my friend Cinde who makes yummy beaded jewelry did better this year than a year ago, which was her first show ever, and that makes me really happy, since I practically shoved her into trying her hand at craft shows! She has been beading for about 20 years, but just kept what she made or gave them as gifts. Here are some closer shots of her booth:

My goal is to help her get an on-line store set up next year, so more people can enjoy her talents! Stay tuned...

Mtn Campus Holiday Show - day 1

2010-11-20T04:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first of our annual 2-day show at No. Az. University. This is my fifth year participating in this show, and it's the biggest show I do each year in sales and attendance. As usual, Friday attendance is lighter, since it is a work-day, but I had my second-best Friday sales yesterday, topped only by my sales in 2008! My scarves flew off the rack, as I expected... sold 6 to one customer for gifts!

Here are pix of my booth, and my friend Cinde's... we are sharing 2 spaces.

This is Cinde's second year at this show, and she did pretty good yesterday as well. She makes beautiful hand-beaded jewelry, and people are very complimentary about her pieces... very labor-intensive, but real eye-catchers! I will try to get some close-ups today to post. Meanwhile, I need to get ready to go... the show starts at 9am today, and I look forward to a busy happy day of it!

A recent tie-dye order

2010-11-16T05:14:00.000-08:00

I took an order from someone in Sedona last month for tie-dye shirts and romper for her grandkids... she posted a photo on her blog, and it's soooo cute! Any wonder why I still love to do tie-dye after almost 13 years? Right!

Coming attractions

2010-11-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

I have been busy making some new items for my shop, but they will not be available until later this month. Thought I would put out a 'teaser' to let you know I will be offering a new gift item soon!

These are based on a pattern by Beth Wheeler, and utilize some of my hand-dyed and/or embellished fabrics. The note pad is 5" x 8", with a pocket for pens and a velcro closure. I'm trying to get a bunch done for my upcoming show at our local University, which is my biggest show of the year, so I am hoarding these right now along with the scarves I have been dyeing. If you plan to be in Flagstaff November 19-20, I hope you will stop by! The show is at No. Arizona University, du Bois Center. Hours are: Friday, 11am-6pm, Saturday, 9am-4pm. Hope to see you there, but if not, I will let you know when these covered note pads are available in my shop!

Busy... busy... busy!!!

2010-11-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm a crafter on steroids these days! Ramping up for the big show of the year, and my studio looks like a tornado struck! I got a bunch more scarves dyed last week, and sold 7 to a friend from CA, so I ordered a bunch more to dye before the 19th. Good thing they dye quickly! Here are a few I did last week:

I also did some custom orders from my last show and dyed a shirt for another friend in CA which is ready to ship. Then yesterday, I made up the second of (hopefully) a bunch of note pad covers out of some hand-dyed and embellished fabric. I would like to get at least 6 more made up for the show later this month, and once I get the various fabrics cut out, they should go fairly quickly. So as I said in my title, 'Busy...busy...busy'!

Fun with silk dyeing

2010-10-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to try using citric acid instead of vinegar to prepare silk scarves for dyeing, and finally did some experimenting yesterday. I had a few scarves I had purchased for a class earlier this year that I never got around to using, so I decided to try them. Two were Habotai, one was silk satin. I tied and dyed the silk satin, but wasn't thrilled with the outcome.. not because of the citric acid... because I didn't apply enough dye and there was too much white remaining. The next one, a long habotai, I soaked in the citric acid solution, scrunched up on a piece of plexiglass, then applied 3 dye colors using an eye dropper. Then I sprinkled on some rock salt and let the scarf set for awhile before gently placing in a zip lock bag and nuking for about 2 minutes. That one worked very well:

I tried this technique of dyeing on cotton earlier this year, and was pleased with the results, but had not thought to try it on silk until now. Needless to say, I will be doing more like this! Now I'm trying it on another long scarf of silk satin... the markings aren't so pronounced, but I still like it. However, I do think I will need to get some more Habotai scarves to play with as well!
The good news is, citric acid has no odor.. the vinegar darn near drove my hubby out of the house when I used it to pre-soak the silk, so harmony has been restored to our happy home!

New Art Quilt Blog

2010-10-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

I was invited by Chris Daly to join a new blog, The Art Quilt Blog, which is a wonderful resource for inspiration! There are several other art quilters there who have already inspired me to try some new techniques... check it out!

Update on Taos art quilt, flower pix

2010-10-09T08:42:00.001-07:00

I haven't had much time recently to work on my Taos quilt, but I think I'm almost done with the pine tree on the right side:

I have used 4 thread colors to create the branches and needles, stitching over a piece of hand dyed fabric. I'm not trying to replicate the tree in the photo here... just using the photo for inspiration and letting my artists' creative license take over. I live in an area that has the largest Ponderosa Pine forest anywhere, and I will admit that my tree looks more like the one outside my studio window than the one in the photo! I may come back and add a little more stitching, but for now I'm satisfied with how it's taking shape, and I think I will move on to other areas for awhile...

On another note, I recently took pictures of some Sunflowers growing in the yard, the result of sunflower seeds that the birds missed!

I love these... not quite the giants I think of, but bigger than the Brown-eyed Susans we get here naturally. I'm sure I will need to create something using these as inspiration... just don't know yet if it will be fiber art, or maybe I'll get back into painting again... stay tuned!

Great Article for professional Artists/Crafters

2010-10-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I picked up the October issue of the Crafts Report... first time I have read it in a long time. It's a great issue, packed with great articles about Internet Marketing... I highly recommend it for anyone who is serious about selling their arts or crafts! I'm not one for subscribing to a lot of magazines, but may break down and subscribe to this one... I think it would be a worth-while expense!

Featured Artist for October

2010-10-02T07:52:00.001-07:00

I have been selected to be the 'Featured Artist' this month at the Artists' Coalition Gallery in Flagstaff. We had First Friday Art Walk last night, and had a good turnout, which is pretty standard for Flag... lots of art lovers here! Here's a shot of my wall:

"Prickly Pear Cactus" and "Fallen Leaves" got lots of attention and good feedback.

I was wearing one of my 'Autumn Leaves' batik shirts to stay in keeping with the 'Autumn' theme of many of my pieces. We also had a great display of other artists' work in acrylics, oils, watercolor, pastels, photography, jewelry, mixed media... what a great goup we have in our little gallery! If you get to Flagstaff this month, stop by on Saturday or Sunday. We're at 13 N San Francisco St., Suite 103.

The stitching begins...

2010-09-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

I got some time to begin the decorative stitching this weekend:

I'm using free-motion stitching to create the branches, twigs, shading, etc. I don't like to rush this step because it adds a lot to the overall composition if done right, or looks like a scribble session if not! Overall, I'm pleased so far with the way this piece is taking shape. There are some areas I probably won't do much stitching or quilting on, mainly the sky and the mountain... should make for a nice contrast to the trees and shrubs. More to come...

Foundation for new landscape quilt

2010-09-22T13:31:00.001-07:00

I finished the first layer on my new landscape quilt today:

To begin with, I transferred the line drawing shown in my previous post to a piece of unbleached muslin by laying the fabric over the line drawingt and tracing over the lines with permanent marker. Then I traced each section onto the rough side of a piece of wonder under fusible interfacing. I should mention that I had already pulled fabrics from my stash for the different sections, all but the piece on the bottom. I hand dyed that piece today... all other pieces are hand-dyed as well.
Starting from the top of the design, I fused the interfacing to the back of each piece, then cut out the design using the lines drawn on the interfacing. Then I scored across the paper backing of the interfacing and peeled off the paper. Then I placed the fabric in the proper section and used a damp pressing cloth to press over the fabric to fuse it to the muslin. In cases where I had pieces that were going to be placed on another piece, such as the tree or shrub pieces, I went ahead and cut out all the pieces for an area first before fusing any of the larger pieces that would cover my lines, then I made sure the pieces would cover the muslin completely. Once I had verified that, I removed all but the next layer to be fused, and continued to fuse in the proper order. That sounds confusing, but I go by the design I'm using as a reference to determine which piece goes down before the other pieces. For instance, sky comes first, then mountain, then background trees, then foreground trees, shrubs, grass, etc.
My next step will be to do some free-motion decorative stitching to create tree branches, grass, shadows, etc. Then I will make my 'quilt sandwich' which is the quilt top, batting, and backing, and then I will quilt through the three layers. I may need to go back and add some more decorative stitching after that, but if not, the final step will be to add the quilt sleeve and binding. I would love to have this piece done by the end of the month so I can include it in my exhibit at the Artists' Coalition Gallery, but I don't want to rush it. I'll post again when I have made more progress.