Mostly dyeing...

Storm's a brewin' out there this morning! Dark clouds are rolling in, lightening is beginning to show off, and rain is imminent.  That made me scurry out to my newest place to hang wool to dry and snatch it into the house to finish drying. Now the thunder is threatening to shake the house down, so I best get this computer shut down! Have a safe day, everyone!

My newest hang out!

Latest ice parfait batch. Yum!

Rogue Quilting

Tonight I felt like quilting-and free style quilting at that! So, I had a stack of pre-cut hand dyed 6" squares. I did use a ruler to cut 3, 2 1/2, 2 and 1 1/2 inch strips, sewing those together without worrying about whom sat next to whom. I used a square to cut those strip sets into 6" squares. Picked out a pretty piece for the center background and started tossing things on the design wall, which just happens to have my background black satin still up from the last photo session. When I got what I had up, I then free-style rotary or scissor cut flower, stem and leaf shapes and slapped those puppies on there.
So, here are the three choices;
1. total chaos,
2. slightly more sane, or
3. safe as your mother's lap.

Which one floats your boat?

chaos

slightly sane

safe, but still BRIGHT!

'Serendipity' Line of Ice-dyed

 I already shared ice-dyeing with you, but only showed you the Egyptian cotton floss results. This last weekend's quilt show proved a great interest in the ice-dyed PFD quilting cotton I offered. Every piece had to be auditioned, and a lot of Rorschach jokes were cracked. :?}






We found iris and petunias, angels and dragons, lakes and mountains and lots of deep space nebulae!

Two samples of Serendipity

Flower appliques?

Poppies or petunias?

Do you see the face and figure on the far left of this piece?

What about the angel just to the right of the figure?

 This fabric is too fun! If you haven't tried ice-dyeing yet, get to it! Don't dye? Just send me an email and we can discuss your choice of Serendipity this week!

Ice Parfait Dyeing

The latest issue of Quilting Arts Magazine had dyeing instructions for 'Ice Parfait' dyeing, but it boils down to A. Presoak your fabric in soda ash solution.
B. Use any large container (mine is a clear plastic garbage can) to layer your dyeing 'parfait'.
C. place a fat quarter/half yard/yard of fabric(whatever fits and however much you want to dye) loosely scrunched in the bottom of your container.
D. Toss a layer of ice cubes over the fabric layer.
E. Sprinkle teensy selections of different colors of Procion Fiber Reactive dye powder over the ice.
F. Repeat, repeat, repeat, fabric/ice/dye until you get to the top of container or out of fabric!
G. Cover container and wait 24 hours minimum.
H. Drain container, rinse fabrics, toss them in the washer with a little Synthrapol or other gentle laundry soap, like Drift, etc. (no bleach, no whiteners, etc.)
I. Tumble dry and iron.
J. Admire your handiwork!
 I am totally sold on this style and the results you get! And since I was doing all that stacking and icing and mottling of cotton PFD yardage, the little light bulb went on in my head and I decided to toss in handfuls of white, bright Egyptian cotton floss. The fabric, and the floss to embellish that fabric, will be color coordinated! Great idea! Great colors! Not so great that even though I tied each skein in two places...well, I must have agitated too often and too violently when rinsing. And, okay, I admit, the skeins were taking FOREVER to dry thoroughly so I tossed them into the dryer without a bag to cradle their frantically flailing little bodies. I now have lots of time to repent, as I untangle and wrap each and every one, one by frustrating one. Sigh...sometimes my impetuosity drives me nuts! (But aren't they pretty!)

Oh, what a tangled web I weave, when I practice...

26 down and ??? to go?

Three and a half days later...

Is that a moose?

 Some are 'moody' pieces...

Some are celebratory!