Dye Job!

After church I followed through on my plan to dye some fabric.  I am trying to use up all my older dyes, so I used blue, yellow, red  and khaki to make greens, blues and dusty oranges.

In total I dyed 15 yards.  I looked at some of my earlier dye attempts in my "dye book" and decided I would try some of the old ways since I seemed to get more intense colors.  The difference was adding soda ash to the dye solution as well as soaking my fabric in soda ash.   The colors sure looked intense, we will see how it does when I wash them.  Next I will use some of the pre-mixed dye powders---a orange, green, and a color called "black cherry".

I am going to quilt on "Chop Sticks" and wash some clothes.  I nice stress-free Sunday afternoon!

Busy Saturday!!!

I had planned to dye today, but got "way-laid" and quilted most of the day.  I completed quilting, binding and washing the quilt for my daughter's SO's daughter.  I love crinkly quilts for a lot of reasons, but especially because they hide flaws wonderfully!!!  Once washed, the areas where I had small tucks didn't show at all.  I used my latest CL giant templates of two size circles.  I had some "oops", but again, once washed you couldn't see them.  I found a piece of remnant in my stash that works well for the binding, used some flannel I already  had for the back, and one quilt completely finished without buying anything other than a twin batting (on sale).  Pretty good!

I am also quilting "Chopsticks".  I am using a overall panto called "Bubbles".  It is a nice change up from the CL giant boards I have been using.  I am also using a Glide pre-filled Fil-Tec bobbin.  I love these bobbins as I have mentioned before, they are pricey (about $1 a bobbin), but I have no tension problems.  This is my first time using the bobbins with the poly thin thread in them, but I used my Towa and set the tension at the same I use for the cotton, and no problem!

On the first photo you can see the magnets I am using to hold the top more taut, since I "float" my tops.  I find that by loading my quilts this way, I am least likely to stretch the top and end up with a lot of fullness I have to work in on the last couple of rows.    The magnets really work, but of course only if you have steel rollers.  They are very strong!  Don't ever make the mistake of locking them together, it takes forever to get them apart (ask me how I know)!.  The backing is fabric I bought on a Christmas Fabric close-out about two or three years ago for something like 75% off the regular price.  They are poinsettia's, but I think it goes well with the quilt.  I love pretty backs, and even if it is a bit "holiday looking", I think it is a nice complement to the florals on the quilt top.  It has a nice soft hand almost like a thick lawn that is being used a lot on quilt backs.  I bought all that was on a bolt, and still have a little left that I will cut up and put in my scrap bin.  I was also very careful to load this quilt on straight, so hopefully I will not have some of the same problems I had with the previous quilt.

I do plan to dye tomorrow afternoon though!  I am not going in to school on Monday so I will get up and wash them and iron later.

I am going to "surf" the net a little and fold clothes.  Thanks for stopping by!

Update!

I completed my version of "Chopsticks" by JayBird Quilts.  It was a fun quilt, although the cutting was a little tedious.  It is a large queen so I couldn't get it in the entire picture.  My background is grey moda and the prints are a combination of Kaffe and Kaffe-like prints.  I haven't decided how I am going to quilt it, but it will probably be an overall panto.

I have been very delinquent in blogging---not sure why---just really laziness I guess, but I have been reading a lot of others and living "vicariously" through them!  I have several quilts on the horizon---although I really do need to complete some of these UFO's---but ...........

School officially starts next week, so this is my really last "summer" week-end!  Good for me, it is going to be really warm, so I am going to do some dyeing.  I think I am going to use up as much of the "older" dyes as possible while they are still good, so no telling what I will end up with.  Then my plan is to look at the UFO's I have, choose one to finish, and maybe start another one to take it's place.  There are so many quilts I want to make, and so little free time to do them.

I am also working on the strip quilt, quilting it.  It is not going so well----I don't think I got it loaded on the longarm straight, and so now as I quilt the rows the lines of quilting are crooked.  In addition, it has stretched on the sides so the rows are "catawompus".  At this point I am at the "point of no return".  I have to forge on.  I am misting it as I go and "patting" the fullness into place.  Letting it dry and then carefully quilting over it to avoid a lot of folds.  If I can prevail, I am pretty sure when I wash it and it crinkles, it will not be too bad.  It is for a 9 year old and hopefully she, nor anyone else, will be a member of the "quilt police".  This is a lesson learned for sure.  I will be much more diligent in lining up my quilts.

At any rate, I just wanted to check in.  Clearly I am not being a very responsible "blogger", but what can I say!  No excuses!

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I have been thinking that instead of feeling compelled to "write" stuff, maybe I will just start putting in a daily picture.  We'll see!

Anyway---have a great week-end!

Nothing Exciting Going On Here!

My last blog entry mentioned my "well rested" state!  That lasted for all of one day---maybe two and I am back to feeling exhausted and overwhelmed!  Some of this I can attribute to the "time of the year".  It is the end of the semester and I am working hard creating final exams, reading term papers, planning for next semester and listening to students complain about their grades, as if I created them and they didn't in fact, EARN them! 

I did get time to also quilt a top I have had of Diane's for over a year.  She doesn't put any pressure on me, but I still want to get them to her.  Of course, as soon as I took it OFF the machine I saw some tension "issues" on the back, but hopefully when washed, it will "tighten up"---this has been my experience in the past so I am anticipating this will happen again.

I also finished putting on and stitching down (by machine) the binding on three charity quilts.  In moving things around, I found two more I had prepared with backing for quilting, so I will do those in the coming week.  That will make 8 quilts for the guild.  The quilts are so simple and quick to make and it is sorta nice to think a little one will use it and because they will know it was from a stranger, will perhaps, "move it forward"----do something kind for another stranger.   Okay, so maybe not, but I like to think so anyway.  I found some minky remnants at Joann's so the next one's I make will have that backing.  That will bring my total to 10 --- all made from fabric I already had including batting remnants.  Doing good and moving fabric is a good combination.

The weather is absolutely beautiful!  If I can stay focused and get everything done, I am going to dye more.  I saw another quilt that would be perfect for my dyes, but I don't have enough of a variety.  I also have to use up some dye whose shelf-life is coming to an end!

Wanted to check in!  Hopefully I will have something interesting to say soon!

 

Back and Well Rested!

I got back from my little vacation in Baltimore actually last Sunday.  I had an absolutely wonderful time!  Love my son's new house and neighborhood.  When I thought of actually living in the city I always think of the television show "The Wire".  Well, this neighborhood is NOT the wire!  Stately brown and grey stone's; neighbors speaking to each other by name, they even know the dogs name; trees and neighborhood parks plus the ability to walk to a great restaurant; theater; or museum.   I could learn to love this city life.  It was so very HOT though!  Actually hotter there than here in TN.  I am so glad I took my straw hat (a fashionable one, not my garden hat).  I was quite the "Southern Bell". :)  Anyway, I am well rested and so very glad I have such a thoughtful son and daughter-in-law.

I can tell I am well rested because my creative juices were running today----I suppose it could also be the "little blue pill", but that is another story!  I finally finished quilting the "Yin-Yang".  Again I don't know why it took so long, but it is done.  I also quilted two baby quilts I am going to give to the Guild for distribution to the charity we have chosen this year.  I also made a quilt.  It is such a simple quilt and although I made a larger one like it last year, it was made a different way.  This way is much simpler.  I am going to gift it to my daughter's "Significant Other's" daughter.

 

Neither of the quilts have been trimmed yet.  The one above is a free pattern on the Moda Bake Shop site.  I had a couple of strip rolls I had purchased a while ago from Connecting Threads which was perfect for the quilt.  My goal is to use from my stash if at all possible.

 While in Baltimore I purchased 36 yards of beautiful African fabs.  I would have loved to get more but my budget was restricted this time. I also got a Kantra coat from India.    I read about them on the Material Obsession blog and really wanted one!  So pleased I am!

Hopefully I can keep my productivity up!  I am really behind on the finished quilts compared to last year.  Now for the boring part---binding!

Just Checking In!

I haven't blogged recently but I have been reading blogs and making plans to post but-----.

I am getting ready to go on a little vacation.  I am going to visit oldest son and his wife in Baltimore and while there, attend Artscrape.  I am really looking forward to the visit.  These two spoil me wonderfully!!!  Already they have schedule an afternoon at the Spa as soon as I get off the plane.  They did the same thing last year and I had to be awakened to get ready to go.  That good smelling oil, the music (with birds chirping no less) and those warm rocks are the "bomb"!  I am going to also go to my favorite fabric store and stock up on african prints.  All in all, I intend to forget I am a working woman and pretend I am one of leisure with an unlimited bank account :)!

On the quilting front---I am dyeing fabric for a specific quilt pattern.  The colors didn't come out quite like I wanted, but that is okay!  It is sorta not my usual style, but then I think it is okay to "stretch" yourself.

I am still not finished quilting Yin-Yang!  I don't know what the problem is!  It has never taken me quite this long to complete a quilt before.  I have just about 3 more passes to go though and I will be done.  I committed to making some drapes for my son though a LONG time ago and am in the process of finishing them up to take with me, so no quilting this week-end!

Well, just wanted to check in!  More (with pics) to follow!

Claiming My Blog

I thought I had already "claimed" my blog, but according to Bloglovin's directions, I haven't, so ----

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hope this works!

Finished Product!

Sateen

 Unbleached Muslin

Redyed Muslin

"Ice Cube" (Ironed)

I don't think I will use unbleached muslin again to dye when I want really bright colors.  The colors appear more dusky than bright.  Hopefully the unbleached will work in my rust experiment.  The sateen is wonderful though!  Really takes up the color well!  I am anxious to try the print cloth and see how that works.  

A Box of Chocolates!

Creative energy is here for me!  All I want to do is "create"---not housework (who likes to do that anyway); not cook (some people like that I know); read (I once did); knit (I once did that as well)!  I want to create fabric and so I am doing what people my age have earned the right to do----I am doing it! 

This morning I got up with every intention of going to church.  My husband and I once would spend hours talking and planning. Not so much anymore----baseball has nudged me out, but this morning he wanted to talk, and so I did!  Before I knew it it was way past time for me to leave and be on time, so after ending our conversation and when he went back to his I-pad and games, I decided to go "create".
 
Last night as I was surfing the web, I read an article about "ice dyeing" using ice cubes, so last night I went out into the garage and tried my hand at it.  I also redyed the unbleached muslin pieces since the colors weren't as intense as I would have liked.  This morning I washed the color out and saw what I had.  It is a bit like opening a present---or as Forrest Gump would say, "opening a box of chocolates, you never know what you might get".  I LOVED the ice dyed piece and then it struck me that I would NEVER again dye this exact piece.  Certainly this is a technique I will try again, but this piece cannot be reproduced.  When I look at it, I see water, and sun.  I think I am going to quilt it as a whole cloth wall hanging.  If I cut it up I would feel like I was destroying it.

I also read a article on rust dyeing.  I did it once before but really didn't follow through.  I ended up just throwing the fabric away.  I still had the rusty nails though, and I decided to try again....so out came the vinegar

I didn't take pictures as I was wrapping, but I am not going to unwrap it for at least 3 days.  I think my problem before was I didn't wrap  it in the plastic to keep it moist, nor put it in a sunny place.  I only used a yard of the unbleached muslin, since I don't have a lot of rusty stuff.  It it works, I will  purchase some steel wool and rust more.  I have an idea for this piece as well if it turns out well.

 And finally----

 

 

They are so pretty!  All the fabric is wet and so when it dries the color will be a little different, but hopefully they will still be intense.  I also washed out some reds and orange and a beautiful yellow.  As soon as they all dry and are folded I will post a "formal" picture.

 

Well, just wanted to share!  Thanks for stopping by--do come back!

 

My "AHA" Moment

I was sleeping quietly (I guess) when I suddenly woke up!  I had purchased about 7 years ago, a bolt of sateen.  When we first moved to this area from Florida, the Joanne's closes to the house was closing and having a giant fabric sale.  I purchased that fabric there for cheap -- like $2 per yard.   I don't know what I had in mind, but it was a good deal so (as most quilter do), I purchased it.  I got up this morning, looked for and found it, washed it and now my next dyeing project will be this fabric.  It has a really nice sheen and hopefully, will dye well (at least the dye references say it should).

I washed out the latest dye project this morning (forgot to take pictures but will when they dry).  This batch was unbleached muslin.  At his point it doesn't look like there is a big difference in color take-up.  What is different however is the "hand" of the fabric.  It appears much thicker and the weave is tighter.  I think it is because I wash in hot water and the fibers appeared to "puff" up or shrink.  The little dark specks that are present in unbleached muslin also adds a interesting addition, particularly in the lighter colors.  I will post pictures as soon as I finish washing and drying this batch.

I also investigated dyeing indigo and I think I might forgo that for a while.  It seems very complicated and  I am not quite ready for that this summer.  I do plan however to dye batiks, do some resist dyeing and make some special editions.  I have to give my hands and back a rest though.  They are both really sore, especially my hands from wringing out the one yard pieces.  They actually are hurting!

Now for pictures of my veggie "garden":

 



 Not a veggie, but isn't this fern pretty and healthy!  It was on the front porch, but I think it was getting too much sun!  I have another that is just as pretty! Excuse the basketballs---Grandson's store them there after "balling" on the goal in the driveway! 

 

 

Nothing going as well with my peppers, but I am gonna have some great tomatoes! 

 

Well,  "talk" to you later! Thanks for stopping by!