Play-ces

Zip-bag curing

I like dyeing in the summer, because -- even though I do it in my Back Room rather than mainly outdoors -- everything seems so much less messy because I can keep the windows open, including the one on the back screen door, and I can dry the stuff outside on my wee laundry rack.  So...one of the 'play-ces' I've been for the past 10 days is in the Dye Pot zip-bag, with low-water immersion dyeing.  I've put up 3 small batches of fabric, and there's a batch of Former Failures (i.e. over-dyes!) curing as I post.

I deliberately chose no 'recipe' this time out, playing only with Dharma Trading's Golden Yellow, Sky Blue and Scarlet.  From these three I made a variety of greens, red-browns, some definite sky fabric (I live in big-sky country, after all!) and a brown-black that I plopped in wherever it felt right.

Wanna see?

Dyepot 1 - All cotton, all the time

Dyepot 2 - More cotton

Dyepot 3 - Mixin' it up

In the third batch I dug out some different fabrics with which to play.  At the top: a piece of semi-sheer curtaining in white with little white flecks -- definitely some part synthetic something-or-other -- that turned into the neatest blue-flecked textured piece, as the flecks picked up the dye.  Next up, two white pieces.  Huh?  Yep.  Two pieces of definitely synthetic silky stuff that...didn't hold the dye at all.  Third from the top, my very favourite piece of the batch -- a piece of white cotton velveteen dyed plummy-brown (close up, below).  Then a tiny piece of something labelled 'brocade' that was originally cream-coloured, and a remnant of cheesecloth/scrim that I painted with a pipette -- red and yellow -- and then plunked in a bag to cure.  Last but not least, a wonderful piece of cheesecloth that's going to shred beautifully.  It's my second-favourite of the batch.  As my friend arlee would say, "Yumpth!"

My two faves, close up:

Cotton Velveteen

Cheesecloth

The second 'play-ce' I've been is out in the back yard, with a small experiment in sun printing. Margie Davidson is a member of SAQA Western Canada,as am I. I admire her work so very much that I hesitate to refer to her as a colleague; not yet anyway -- I'm just not there! Anyway, Margie does the most amazing sun-printing of leaves, and I decided I had to figure out how to do it -- how to work with them out in the open air where (at least here) the wind can stymie one's best efforts.  Sure enough, yesterday was perfectly sunny, but by the time I got the fabric prepped and the leaves gathered, a definite breeze had come up. I coped by using fine glass-head pins to tack down the leaves and feathers in my experiment, and was pleasantly surprised by the results.

Feather Print

Fern

Flowering Crab 

And simply because I had to add a little 'weight' into the mix....

Metal washers...or whatever they're called

While this dye-stuff has been curing, I've been keeping at it in the studio.  I finished another CQ block -- with TAST stitch-of-the-week #20, the Dreaded Bullion Knot.  Yes -- I managed to get the hang of it and discovered this:  it's much easier and more fun to make a DBK with wool than with cotton floss.  Heaven forbid I'd try it in silk!

Look closely -- there are some Bullion Knots in there.  My favourite part of this block, though, is the tie (used both right-side-up and inside-out) and finding embellishments to add to the seams so I wouldn't have to do too many of those knots!

I've also continued my sampling for All the Streets End in Trees, which is still in mock-up on my design wall.  I'm trying to create a lacy effect with the leaves.  I began by knitting a swatch of 1/4" fabric strips, and then made a sample of bits-and-bobs bonded by stitching using water-soluble stabilizer.  I combined one sheet of water-soluble Sulky Paper Solvy (r), and a piece of Inspira WaterWorks Soluble Film (I got this on a roll -- 8 inches wide by 10 yards long; can't remember where -- probably at a quilt show merchant's booth, and I can't find an independent website for Inspira products...).  The paper enabled me to draw out a rough 'leafy' sketch over which to place my materials and stitch; however, it didn't make for as sheer a result as I'd like.  At least, I think there was paper trapped in the stitching to make the sample more opaque than I wanted.  So...now I need to go back and make a sample using two pieces of the soluble film instead.  I'm also going to change up the colour of the hand-stitched yarn/floss.  See what I mean here:

On the left is the knit sample -- garter stitch, with live stitches still resting on a strand of red waste yarn -- and on the right, the stabilizer-stitched sample, a combination of machine and hand stitching a la Beaney and Littlejohn, whose DVD, "In Action", is a must have! (It's expensive, but I got it at the Central Alberta Quilt Show last month from our favourite show vendor, Copperfield's Books of Winnepeg. They always carry a wide selection of books, CDs and DVDs for textile artists of all genres, at discounted 'show special' prices.  Who can resist?)

And...today?  It's been cool, rainy and windy -- a perfect day to try 'light printing' (like sun printing but using my south-facing work room window, overhead light, and my daylight lamp), to catch up on this blog, to do some handwork in front of a DVD, and some spinning...Away I go.

Sitting With It

I'm back in the classroom studio with my City & Guilds work, Module 7 now.  This module focusses on applique techniques of all kinds, beginning with 'bonded' or 'fused' applique design.  We're to re-visit our sketchbooks for intriguing shapes, creating templates in different sizes, and then auditioning shapes, fabrics and lay-outs for a fabric collage.

Here are my shapes, glued to light-weight cardboard (the back of a case used for cans of 'fake beer' -- the name my late hubby gave to my favourite soft drink, non-alcoholic beer).  I have 2 sizes of each of four shapes -- a leaf, a spool, a bottle with stopper, and a semi-circle that's really half a large washer I found on a road some time last year while out walking.  I've since found some full circles too.  Wonderfully heavy for tracing and using for sun-dyeing etc. -- but I digress.  :-)

This is the first composition I sent to Linda -- nothing fused, just placed.  All fabrics except the print are my own hand-dyes.  The print is just a wee piece of a large one given me by a friend who had a friend who was 'de-cluttering'.  (I never turn down donated fabric.  I can always find a use or another home for it!)  I wasn't sure about the pale pink version of the bottle on the right; I really liked the rest though.

Linda picked up on the leaf shapes, and suggested I do more with them, so I've just sent her this version, which I like much better:

(Pardon the cutting mat in the background!)  I realized the first version was 'nice', but not particularly ambitious.  This second version, I think, has more potential. You'll see I switched out the pale pink bottle for a print version (from whence came the negative shape on the upper left).  The larger leaf shapes at the bottom, in a finished piece, would actually dangle, perhaps from a pointed edge treatment (faced).  The quilting and applique stitches would deliberately unify the whole, suggesting stems and veins on the leaves, and echoing the curves in the shapes of both the bottle and the leaf motifs.  

For now, however, I have some other things going for the weekend, including a 50th Wedding Anniversary party for my friend B and her husband N (my cribbage buddies), and some time in my step-sis' garden at her cottage, weeding.  As for the collage, I'll be sitting with the design, and come back to it Monday or Tuesday with fresh eyes.

Oh...and I finished the beading on Block 19 for both Take A Stitch on (a) Tuesday (TAST) and the Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) -- I've submitted it for my June contribution.  Here it is in all its glittery glory:

TAST/CQJP - Featuring Half Chevron Stitch

Oh, and knitting?  Yes, there's some of that too.  Having enjoyed the soothing qualities of garter stitch for the past few months (the Dr. Who Scarf project), and having been given a shopping-bag-full of delightful, light-weight tweedy Patons Venus yarn in a yummy royal blue, I cast about for a simple cardigan for m'self.  I found the perfect pattern in Knitty's Spring-Summer 2011 edition -- the Corinne Cardigan.  It's a delightful knit based on a repeating short-row sequence, knit all-of-a-piece from side to side, and I was doing well till I split off for my first (the Left) sleeve.  Suddenly I wasn't all that certain I was going in the right direction.  I've found a helpful knitter on Ravelry who ran into a similar problem, and she's walking me through this tough patch.  Once I'm on track and have enough knit to show it off, I'll post a photo.  Promise!

WIP on Wednesday

I'm continuing with my crazy quilt blocks.  This week, it's TAST #19 (only 5 behind, I think) -- featuring Half Chevron Stitch.  Once I got the hang of it, I rather enjoyed this stitch and had quite a bit of work done by the end of last week.  However, I was stymied as to what to do to fill in that large red section in the centre -- until today.  As of this post, all that's left to do is to add a few more tiny beads to give it some sparkle.

It's occurred to me, too, that I haven't shared Week 18's block with you -- Crossed Blanket Stitch.  Not much fun, but in the end the block didn't turn out too badly.  :-)

Week 20's stitch is the Dreaded Bullion Knot.  Maybe at last I'll master it, and it won't be 'dreaded' any more!

WIP Wednesday

I often forget to post a WIP on Wednesday till it's over.  Today I was determined to make a showing on time!

So here's the little stack of crazy quilt blocks I assembled this a.m.-- including thread auditioned for the first one I'm going to embroider, featuring the Take-A-Stitch-(on a)-Tuesday stitch for Week 18, the Crossed Buttonhole:

Aren't they pretty?  They took almost 2 hours to put together (not counting cutting up 4 men's ties, which I did yesterday) -- largely because of the challenge of picking off-setting fabric, deciding what shapes to cut, etc. -- but it's all part of the crazy process.  :-)

Oh, and here's the finished Wheat Ear block (Week 17 of TAST) that I'm submitting to the Crazy Quilt Journal Project for my May sample:

WOW! Wheat Ear!

Gotta love that funky eighties fabric, eh?  Note: the tie fabric in the top left corner is right-side up; in the opposite corner, 'wrong'-side up.  Threads used: hand-dyed silk ribbon from The Thread Gatherer, assorted tapestry wool I found at a thrift store, and scraps of collected cotton floss (likely DMC, but I don't know for sure -- no labels!)

One Thing at a Time

That's what I have to keep reminding myself as I try to catch up on all that was left undone while I was down with that cold, and then out of town most of this past week.  I've been putting off my City & Guilds work for so long that Linda might think I've disappeared altogether!  No mind; I did a bit on Activity #6 (to do with quilt design and lay-out) this morning, so I should be able to post a finished lesson off before too long.

All six pieced blocks for the red-work Centennial Quilt are quilted, and two of the last 3 embroidered blocks have been washed, marked and sandwiched -- sitting next to my machine, just waiting to be quilted.

I am most behind, though, on the Crazy Quilt Journal Project/Take-a-Stitch-on-a-Tuesday challenge.  I've managed to finish the CQ block for TAST Week 16 -- French Knot was the featured stitch -- and posted it off to be displayed as my April contribution to the CQ Journal Project, so you might see it up there shortly.

I had great fun with this one, flipping the men's tie fabric so that some is the 'right' side and some is the 'wrong' size (I love doing that!) and playing with knots, beads, seed stitch, and other stitches.  I haven't formally titled these blocks but if I did, this one would be "Knots and Crosses".

Remember the Week 14-15 block, "Satin & Stem"?  My favourite craft shop -- The Crafty Lady in Lacombe -- scored a huge box of buttons a few weeks ago, and I've visited a couple of times, buying packets at three for a dollar, including two packs of three that I thought would fit S&S perfectly.  Here's what I've done so far:

Now...I have another 3 buttons with which I could create a mirror image on the bottom triangle...or not...I remain undecided at this point.  What do you think?

While I ponder the final outcome of this block, I'm deconstructing two more ties and will be working to catch up TAST Weeks 17 and 18.  "Wheatear" and "Crossed Buttonhole", respectively.  Oh -- and I haven't forgotten the bullion stitch tutorial that arlee posted, which I still have to check out.  Time to get off the computer and get going!

Untitled?

I like to title things.  Titles usually come pretty easily to me, based on the subject matter.  I like to play with words, too, as those of you who follow my ramblings know.  This means that my titles are often a hint of the contents or a play on words of some sort.  Today I had two to choose from, and I wasn't sure...

TAST Weeks 14 & 15 - Satin & Stem

"Plain Jane"?  I have a cyber-friend named Jane, and she's anything but.  Would such a title discomfit her?

"Less is More"?  Or is that too cliche?  I just couldn't use either of these.

I had great plans for this crazy patch block, too -- hence the wide desert of fine-count linen you see stretched across the centre, with little to show for it.  I had visions of tiny satin stitch triangles dancing inside the larger one, which is outlined in stem stitch.  Alas, I lost my taste for the work.  For now, it remains "as is" in my stack of crazy quilt squares, and I'm going to move on.  This week's stitch: the fun, funky and sometimes frustrating French Knot!

Back to titles for a moment...


and a question, which generated much discussion on the SAQA Yahoo group this past week.  My SAQA colleague, Jean Judd -- a very talented and much-exhibited artist -- wondered about how artists title their work, and whether or not the title of a piece can turn off a potential purchaser.  Take a look at her work, including her latest series (here), and see what you think.  Thoughts?

Photo Update

Nothing says 'spring cleaning' like a re-organized studio.  I know it looks crowded, but being able to see the top of the cutting table, and moving the sewing station into a walled-in corner were the two key things accomplished!

Oh yes; on the design wall?  Some of the blocks for the 'Secret Project'.  :-)

And this is what I finished earlier this afternoon:

TAST Week 12 - Barred Chain Stitch

I was glad when Sharon B called for a week's break in the challenge, because it took me a while to get my head around this variation on a chain stitch.  When at last I did, though, I thought it made for a very pretty trellis.  The necktie used in this one was, I believe, the one my DH wore with his baby blue polyester leisure suit (complete with epaulettes and contrasting black buttons) to go on our honeymoon.  (1975...what a year!)  The funky textured bits are pieces of a narrow knit scarf I came across at a thrift store.

Catching up With

the (relatively) mindless...

When I watch my favourite programs online -- that would be The Quilt Show and PBS' Antiques Road Show -- I keep my hands going with a variety of handwork, including the crazy quilt blocks I've been making for the CQJP 2012 and TAST 2012.  My Week 10 TAST block was submitted for my March contribution to the Crazy Quilt Journal Project, as it was TAST challenge for the first Tuesday in March.  Week 11 featured 'Whipped Wheels' for which I had to turn to my assortment of embroidery handbooks, as I don't do these often.  This week's necktie selection was so pretty, though, that I think it steals the thunder from the featured stitch.  :-)

Of course, there's always some knitting in the 'mindless' category, and right now, the Dr. Who Scarf is filling the bill.  Here's a progress photo, draped over my living room chair:

Since I took that photo a few days ago, I finished the gold stripe (top), added a purple one and have now moved on to a large band of olive green...

and the meaty...

(C) 2012 -  DesignMatters 

Having finished my Module 5 of the C&G this past week, my tutor sent me Module 6 -- the focus of which is to plan, execute and display a finished quilt no smaller than 18" square and no larger than 39" square, using piecing as the central technique but adding other techniques learned to date. There are only 11 assignments, but they include everything needed to produce the requisite result and have me beginning with serious thought and research as to what I want to do and how I want to do it.

Step 1: read through the 64-page Module, making notes, and getting the juices flowing.  Stay tuned!

Slow Quilting of a Different Sort

It's been all about embroidery the past few days chez 3F.  First, I finished my Week 10 Take-A-Stitch(on)-Tuesday block remarkably early.  The stitch de la semaine (of the week) was Running Stitch. (I had great fun with this since this was also the week that my jogging moved up a notch closer to running.  I've gone from an estimated 12 minutes/mile to about 10.78 mpm, and with warmer weather, have lightened up the layers and taken off my hat!)

The wee charm on this piece was resurrected from my jewellry box.  Back when I was a Serious Runner (30 years ago) I wore this on a chain around my neck and was rarely without it.  The cute tape with footsteps on it was a recent find (Wednesday) at a scrap-booking store in Stettler (Pages in Time -- sorry, no website to be found).

But the focus of my work this week has been the 12" square piece I've been working on for the SAQA Western Canada exhibit, "Meet the Best of the West".  This piece hasn't come easily to me, as regular readers no doubt know.  I've struggled and sampled my way through it, fighting the Voices In My Head every step of the way to get my vision from photo into fabric.  I began to make some progress, though, when I began to hand stitch on the piece.  Here's just a taste of it:

While I've stitched I've been taking in online Inspiration to Quilt Expo -- interviews with the nominees for "Most Inspiring Teacher of 2011", quilt galleries, a demo area and of course a merchant mall -- and some more episodes of The Quilt Show, which I absolutely love.

Third in the embroidery line up is a project about which I'm not prepared to say much, but here's a peek:

I'll tell you this much: it's red-work.  This is the first of six embroidered blocks, to be assembled into a quilt with six red-and-white pieced blocks, plus sashing. Stay tuned...

And for a break in the evenings...some knitting on the Dr. Who Scarf, on which I'm making very steady progress:

WIP Wednesday Again!

I don't post regularly about my WIPs on a Wednesday...but that's probably because I have WIPs goin' on every day of the week!

This week, though, I got an earlier-than-usual start on my TAST Week 10 block, so it's already a WIP for this Wednesday.  The featured stitch this week is Running Stitch, with takes some imagination to use creatively on a crazy quilt block!  

I've been working on the central red-brown band, creating motifs of running stitch with two strands of black floss.  The centre section is whipped running stitch in which I created a 'wave' of black stitches, and then went in with cream-coloured floss and a whip stitch to add colour, dimension and texture.  I'm thinking I'll put some beads, buttons and/or other embellishment in the centres of the waves.  Next up: accent the striped neck-tie section!

If you read this post yesterday, you may be wondering how the snow dyeing turned out.  Here's how it looked about half-way through the process:

Yes, that's (golden) yellow snow -- but not from the usual source! ;-)

And here are the subtle spring colours created on the light-weight unbleached muslin that I used:

The blue will be perfect for a sky later...or maybe I'll do some sort of piecing with all three.  

What are you working on today?

Quiet Weekend

Sort of.

NFS - before soles

• I rarely talk on the phone, but this weekend I was in touch with three good friends, and each conversation was an hour (or nearly so).
• I puttered in the sewing studio, making yet another sample for my 'Best of the West' piece.  
• I watched three episodes of The Quilt Show, completed two of their online jigsaw puzzles, and took in Episode Seven of "Why Quilts Matter".
• I cast on and knit 26 rows of the Dr. Who Scarf, a gift for the son of a good friend (due date: September).
• I sewed the non-knit soles onto the bottoms of the Non-felted Slippers for my friend J and took them to her today at church.  She's thrilled.  :-)  (Note: this pattern is a free Ravelry download, so if you're a Ravelry member (that's free too), you can find 'em there.)
• I started a new book: Ella Minnow Pea, an epistolary novel (i.e. written in letters, a style of which I'm very fond) by Mark Dunn.
• I ran (jogged) for an hour yesterday, and napped for two today.
• And eventually I was inspired to create this week's crazy quilt block, featuring the stitch for Week Nine of Take a Stitch (on) Tuesday: Couching.

Materials: pieces of one randomly-selected silk tie, some of the lining of the tie, a snip of shiny red fabric of unknown origin, a bit of green velveteen, some gold silk dupioni, gold cord, ric-rac, and cotton embroidery floss; one fancy button.  Stitches used for couching: herringbone and fly stitch.  See if you can find all the couching...

As I type, the wind is rising and I am wondering if we are going to get the forecast snow after all.  Time to curl up in bed with my cuppa and my book. G'night all.  :-)

Heavens! More Knitting!

It's true I haven't been knitting much lately; I've been giving in to my hands, which have wanted to quilt and embroider instead.  Still, I always have something on the knitting needles, and the latest Finished Object is a pair of slippers for my friend, J.  She's sensitive to both wool and acrylic yarns (gets a rash!) so I went with some Elann.com Peruvian Collection Pure Alpaca that I have in my stash.  Because its a lighter weight than what's called for, I knit it double and that seems to have worked well.  This is also a very soft yarn, so I'll be sewing soles on the bottom of the slippers to ensure longer wear.  She tried them on this a.m., though, and they fit perfectly, so I'm pleased -- and I still have enough of that yarn in my stash to make a sweater!

In the City & Guilds studio, I've finished another assignment -- this one involves designing the quilting for one of the sample blocks I've made.  When I created this one, I noticed that the seams showed through the sheer fabric in the corners.  Challenged by my tutor to make this a feature of the block, I designed the quilting accordingly and came up with this:

My next assignment involves creating a free-motion quilting design and executing it on yet another block I've already made.  Stay tuned!

Last but not least, I actually finished my TAST block for Week 8 -- ahead of schedule (well, at least here in the northern hemisphere!)  We had a snow day of sorts yesterday, so I stayed in and stitched this from another funky 1970s necktie:

The featured stitch was Chain.  The necktie fabric is that red-orange print; the gold fabric is from the tie's lining.  I even managed to resurrect my rusty knowledge of silk ribbon flowers to make a wee rosette.  I'm very fumbly with it, so definitely need more practice!

Finished on Tuesday...

Posted on Wednesday.  Here's my latest crazy patch block for Take A Stitch (on) Tuesday -- Week 7 in the series (already!), Unattached Chain or Lazy Daisy stitch.  We were challenged not to make just flowers with it, and a challenge it was!  

I found a tee-shirt in the thrift shop in which I volunteer monthly, and scavenged all the sequins and beads used here from that one shirt.  The neat thing is, the shirt itself is in good condition -- it had simply lost some of its beads so we didn't put it out for sale.  Now that the beads etc. have been removed, it's clean and going back to the shop!

The paisley was my Week 7 silk necktie; the red to the right on that same 'row' was a wee bit of sculptured velvet (or maybe velveteen) I had in my scraps.  The elaborate piece at the top left corner was cut from a piece of drapery/upholstery fabric scraps that a draper friend of mine gave me when I still lived in the City.  I had great fun adding to it with the Stitch of the Week.

Now on to Week 8!

Never Quite Caught Up

Take a Stitch (on) Tuesday originates in Australia, which means it's Tuesday there when it's Monday here, and Monday there when it's Sunday here.

I get Sharon B's blog posts about sitting with her cuppa, looking at the work done by others on the stitch of any given week -- while here it's Sunday night and I'm still stitching away.  Sometimes looking at that work is inspiring; other times, I find myself fighting off the Green Meanies of Envy, wishing my design were coming together more smoothly.  Sigh.

Still, I generally manage to finish my block within the week on Northern Hemisphere other-side-of-the-dateline time, and today is no exception with my Week 6 block featuring Chevron Stitch.

This is one of the weeks in which I am less satisfied with it, compared to the delight of last week's block.  It's the typical artist's dilemma: knowing when to stop; wondering whether or not it needs just a wee bit of something more.  The tie I had to work with was another funky seventies polyester number, but I really liked the colours, and knew just what fabric and thread I had to go with it.  Loosening up to get that chevron off the seams and into something different took some shaking up of my powerful left brain, and I'm still not sure...

But it's a new week, and I'm off to find the next recycled necktie, make a new block, break some chains and pick me some daisies!

P.S.  Sometime in the past week I was found by another follower, bringing the total of my Faithful Readers to 28.  I can't seem to tell, when I click into the list of followers, who the newbies are, so if you've just joined my journey and I haven't thanked you yet -- well, you know who you are.  Consider yourselves thanked!  I really do appreciate each Gentle Reader and those who leave comments, which are like receiving a warm hug across cyberspace.  Blessings, all!

Kinda Neat...

That my quilty associate, Cathy, and I seem to be on the computer -- reading and posting -- at just about the same time every day.  That makes me smile!

She -- and her work -- has been just one of the people I've gotten to know a bit (better) via the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt project and its regular Monday link-ups.  Today is the final link-up, and it's fun to see what the other quilters have done with their tops (or TIPs -- Tops In Progress)!  It's also inspiring and interesting to see what others have done to interpret the pattern via colour(s), or the border(s).  I stuck to the black-white-blue-red combo because I love those colours and have (yes...still have) a good amount of them in my fabric stash and scraps.  However, I did do a couple of wee things with the borders: I used black (instead of white) for the inner border, and I inserted my left-over blue strippy squares into the top and bottom borders instead of making more quarter-square triangles to fit.

Now the top is resting until I can a) finish cleaning up my studio from the explosion of scraps generated during the project; b) figure out what I have on hand for backing and batting; and c) finish taking my online class on "Quilting Big Projects on a Small Machine", taught by Ann Petersen over at Craftsy.com. (Totally worth the price of admission -- and it's currently being offered at a discount! And no, they didn't pay me to mention this!)

In addition to studio sorting, I have continued to stitch.  :-)  Once again it's time to post my block for the Crazy Quilt Project and TAST Week 5 -- Herringbone Stitch.  Unlike the stitch for Week 4, I really enjoyed this one.    The tie I managed to pick from my stash (remember, I dig into that drawer with my eyes closed.  Honest.) was a pretty one, too.  Here's the block and a couple of detail photos:

CQJP - February 2012

Detail 1

Detail 2

Now I must dash -- it's Monday, and I'm due to spend the rest of the day (as usual) in Lacombe.  Have a good one!