Dye Job!

This is 25 yards of fabric that I intend to dye tomorrow!  Maybe not all 25, but as much as I can before the heat gets to me.  There are several quilts I want to make, and I don't have much of a variety---so it looks like a "dye job" is in order.  Now that I have started dyeing my own fabric, I can appreciate the costs associated with hand dyes.  It is VERY time intensive, although for me, it is worth the wonderful colors.  When I am in the middle of rinsing all these by hand though, I want to just go to a good quilt shop (or internet store) and order some :c)!!  This is the best "dyeing weather", HOT, but my goodness, the heat is intensified in my garage with my breathing apparatus on as I mix colors.  Oh to have a "real" dyeing studio with air conditioning!!!!!!  I need to lose about 10 lbs anyway, so since it is expected to be about 93, I should at least get rid of 5 before the session is completed :c)!!!!!

On the quilting front, I have finished quilting "Make a Joyful Noise", and so now I am sewing down the binding.  It is funny how when you are quilting a quilt, every little "oops" is so obvious and then once done, it doesn't seem so bad.  I really am liking this quilt---lots of texture and it really does "make a joyful noise".  I am considering entering it into a show, knowing it will not win, but I am interested in what judges would say. I have to think a little about that.  I will post a picture soon though.  I purchased some equipment to hang quilts for photography as well as display, so I need to complete the sleeve and then hang it for a picture.

The Founding President of the Guild was asked to do an "artist talk" at our local visual art museum in connection with the Gee's Bend Quilt exhibit.  She wasn't able to fulfill this invitation, so she asked me to take her place!  I am "too" excited!  I love talking about quilting, AND I get to show some of my quilts!  I spent today thinking about what I wanted to convey to the audience, and then picked out quilts that would support those thoughts as well as be consistent with "Gee's Bend-type Quilts"---improvisation and spontaneity.  It  was interesting to see how my quilting has evolved, without a lot of forethought.  My problem is I may have too many so I will have to prioritize.  Maybe quilting is intuitive, since I haven't really had any formal teaching, so I am not sure where my color sense and style as come from.

One of the stories I have been asked to tell is how I got into quilting.  I wish I could say I learned by way of the women in my family, but that isn't true.  My brothers and sisters are actually old enough to be my parents and my mother had a different view of what she wanted me to do.  Instead of learning "traditional" women tasks, I was encouraged to read, spent time at summer camp learning how to ride a horse, and took ballet.  I was never taught to do things like cook or sew, nor did I have responsibilities around the house.  It was okay with my mother if I just sat and read a book or wrote a story.   I was a "daydreamer" who had dreams that didn't involve traditional roles---I wanted to be a judge----tell people what to do and right the wrongs of the world.

My interest in quilting came through my love for history and the fact that a quilt in a family was a link to the past.  I am all self-taught and spent about 3 years just reading about quilting and "collecting" quilting gadgets before I made my first quilt.  The fun part is that I do have that first quilt which I plan to show.  You can definitely see my growth :c).  Hopefully my "story" will be interesting---whether it is or not, it will be "my" story.

Well, just wanted to "check in".  More to follow!  Thanks for stopping by!