mark making class Archives

I really missed watching the Olympics last night. I would sit down with the kids and just do a little hand sewing each night. Just loved snuggling on the couch with the two kids and it was amazing how we all scattered so quickly last night finding other things to do. Have to think of something else.

I have been trying to play catch up to my online class I have been taking with Melanie Testa at Joggles. We are making a small book which is filled with different techniques and stitches. Time-consuming but she is a great teacher and has plenty of notes to explain things. I need to figure out how to post these on their forum.

Different from what I have been doing but fun to play.

This was a piece of fabric I had stamped last month. Glad to use it for something fun like this.

I also purchased this amazing resource that Robin Ferrier from Simply Robin suggested recently. (She’s published this month in Art Quilting Studio magazine. Don’t forget to get your copy!) I, too, have been thinking of trying dyeing with natural products. But the processing with mordants seemed not worth the hassle. This book, EcoColour by Indie Flint does a great job of explaining natural dyes and is an great resource. I was so inspired that I rolled up a bit of onion skins, silk and sprayed it with vinegar and put it away in a bag for a month. I know, that’s a long time.

Then, I froze some flowers-only had a bunch of light colored tulip leaves- squeezed them into warm water and placed them in another vinegar solution. (Daffodils are toxic-good list of toxic plants, too.) I didn’t used cotton but silk. I chopped up a silk scarf blank that was put away.

I’ll see what happens. I am sure, just as in using Procion Dyes, there is going to be a huge learning curve. I am all over the place this month , aren’t I? Sure did cure the winter blahs though. Now I have so many ideas in my little head that I can’t stop!

Working away on some machine quilting today. Happy sewing, my friends.

I continue to work on my project for the art exhibit coming up. I am enjoying the process. The artist’s statement definitely is the hardest part for me. I do have the rough draft done and will take one more look before I send it in.

I also finished dyeing the rest of the floss. Since I had extra dye left over, I added some fabric in plastic bags. Not great results but not bad for the blues.

The reds just were really washed out. Now, in all fairness, I used less dye for this than I would normally. (1TB for 200ml water) But no matter what I do to reds I always seem turn out coral or orangey. This time it was Fire Engine Red from Dharma. Anyone have a good red they can recommend? It seems to be elusive to find a good one. Not fuschia, not orange red but like a china red. Sometimes I stumble onto it but it’s always by some accident I can’t replicate.