Hand Dyed Scarves

These are some of the scarves I have hand dyed as of late. Some were Christmas gifts, so I had to wait to post pictures. I did not wrap them but let the recipient choose among several scarves. Without fail, they chose exactly the one I predicted.

 

 

This is one I chose for myself.

English Trifle--A Christmas Tradition

You know you are related when you get on Facebook and your cousins are posting pictures of the English trifle they have made for Christmas. I was no exception.

This is my version that I took to a lovely Christmas Eve dinner with close friends.

 

This dessert is amazing easy to make and is a great way to use up yellow cake if you have some extra. You start by loosely stacking slabs of the cake in the bottom of a trifle dish. I used the shells that are traditionally used for strawberry shortcake because they were on sale, but ladyfingers and Twinkies--yes, Twinkies--will even do.

 

Next, I mixed up a large batch of strawberry gelatin and drizzled it over the cake. The gelatin should just cover the cake. It's all right if a tiny bit of the cake sticks up above the surface as long as it is coated with the gelatin mixture. Chill until the gelatin sets. 

 

My version of trifle includes a layer of Mandarin oranges. A small can will do. I just drained the oranges and sprinkled them over the set gelatin.

 

Next I mixed up a large box of instant vanilla pudding, poured that over the top, then chilled it all in the refrigerator for about an hour. Finally, I topped it all off with Cool Whip. An easy dessert, but you do have to plan ahead because of the chilling requirements.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

More Scrappy Log Cabins

Vacation time! Yesterday morning, I was up by six and piecing batik scraps in my jammies. I squeezed in some laundry, dishes, and general organizing. And some classic movies and naps. I am recuperating from two rounds of varicose vein laser ablation. All went well, but I am still quite tired.

 

My neighbors probably think I look a little strange walking to and from my garage laundry room in pajamas, compression stockings, and tennis shoes, but I really don't care. My legs and feet are feeling a whole lot better!

These Scraps Will Never End!

This weekend I spent some delicious time doing some brainless piecing of random log cabin blocks from my huge collection of batik scraps.

 

 

I got two large blocks and twelve smaller blocks completed.

 

 

I also did some hand-dyeing and will post those pictures later.

 

 

Hand-Dyed Infinity Scarves

I had a little bit of fun this weekend dyeing some infinity scarves that I purchased from Dharma Trading Company along with some new colors of dye. Most of them I dyed in jars. The two lighter peach scarves, I dyed with ice.

 

A shot from the flip side.

 

I am still fascinated by all the surprises that come with hand-dyeing.

On The Road to California 2015

So excited! Just got word that my funky little quilt, "Peace, Love & Haight Ashbury" was juried into Road to California's Quilters Conference & Showcase, which takes place in January 2015. Really surprised since it is becoming increasingly difficult to even get into this show. Also amused since there seems to be no middle ground on this quilt: Some folks really like it, and some folks don't.

This picture was taken at the Best of the Valley Quilt Show in April.

Worth the Effort

This weekend was mostly spent over-dying fabrics and correcting some piecing. Nothing like saturated colors and very sharp points!

The piece of hand-dyed fabric that I over-dyed with ice and maroon Procion powder made me happy.

 

Another piece of fabric that I had previously dyed a pale blue had turned out to be nondescript. I pleated it lengthwise, folded it in quarters, then tied it tightly every couple inches with cotton twine. I laid the bundle on its side in a very shallow puddle of fuchsia dye, then twelve hours later, turned then bundle over and set it in a shallow puddle of turquoise dye.

 

 

Finally, I tackled that set of points that refused to meet in the center of this little quilt with a hand needle and thread. Nailed it!!!.

 

 

Now it is sandwiched and ready for quilting. 

The Dye-Over

 

 

I wasn't completely satisfied with the results when I dyed this piece of cloth the first time around, so I thought I would spring for a dye-over. Sort of like Donald Trump's comb-over, but hopefully the outcome will be a little bit prettier.

 

 

You can see the results of the first round of dyeing at the bottom of the colander. I know, it does look pretty when it is wet after a soaking in soda ash, but it looks really washed out and chalky when it is dry. So I threw some ice cubes and maroon dye over it all and will hope for the best.

 

Meanwhile, I spent several hours picking the paper off the back of my Broken Dishes miniature quilt. There were a couple of points that needed a touch up before I sandwich the quilt and get busy quilting. One point is being particularly grumpy. I am going to have to get my needle and thread out and wrestle it with some hand sewing.

 

Thanks for visiting!

Three Hundred and Four Pieces

Whew! I finally have this miniature top pieced together. It is 18 inches square. Now I get to quilt it.

 

I am still not sure about a name. Maybe "Danish New Year" or "My Girlfriends' China". The link below will refresh your memory in regards to the story behind this little quilt.

 

http://quiltedtimeposts.blogspot.com/2014/09/broken-dishes-miniature.html

Hand Dyed Tee Shirts

As promised, I am sharing a picture of my hand dyed tee shirts. The one on the left was ice dyed, using primarily turquoise and a tiny sprinkling of sapphire blue and teal. The shirt on the right was dyed in a big pickle jar using a solution of sapphire blue. Both turned out with soft hints of purple, so I guess that is coming from the sapphire blue.

I bought five of these shirts at WalMart at the end of the summer for $3.00 each. Of course, they were white at the time. I was thrilled to find v-neck shirts since I look terrible in crew necks. These are a bit on the large side but will be fine for yoga as long as I make sure and tuck them in before doing any inversions. Oops! Hopefully, they will shrink a little in the wash.

On Friday I ordered some more containers of dye from the Dharma Trading Company. I am excited to receive the new colors!

Reprieve

We were finally blessed with rain last night. Only .20 inches, but an additional .46 inches of drizzle today. We are grateful.

This morning I puttered about the garden, clipping this and that. So much foliage needs to be tamed and thrown into the compost barrel.

Among the felled cannas, I found this sweet praying mantis, heavy with eggs. I gently rescued her from the compost bin and placed her in a rose bush. That should give her a safe place to lay her eggs.

I look forward to seeing her progeny in the spring.

Before heading out to the garden this morning, I set two tee shirts in dye. One is in a big, lovely pickle jar I bought at the Dollar Tree--mainly for the jar. The other is ice-dyeing in a colander. I am excited to see the results.

More to come...

Around the World Blog Hop

I am so excited to be part of the Around the World Blog Hop! Suzanne at Quilt By Faith http://faithquilter.blogspot.com/ was the very first blogger that I started following way back in 2008, so I was delighted when she asked me if I would hop along.

Has it really been that long?

Suzanne is the chairperson for the Best of the Valley, which is a regional show in California's San Joaquin Valley for quilts and cloth dolls. When she was handed that gauntlet, I began reading her blog to keep abreast of show deadlines and quilting events close to home. Many shows and quilts later, we are now friends and are both blogging along. Check out the Best of the Valley website when you get a chance. It is a top notch show. http://botvquilts.com/.

*********************************************************************************

As part of the blog hop, I have been asked to answer four questions:

1. What am I working on now?

Perfect timing. A Halloween quilt. This is one in a series of off-center log cabin hexagon quilts I have been making for many years. I got the idea when I saw some off-center square log cabin blocks. So I got out my paper, ruler, and pencil and created the paper piecing foundations that would lead me on a long journey of variations.

This particular quilt will be named "Spider Art". The blocks are finally finished and ready to sew together after literally years of hanging on my design wall. It still needs a border, and I think I need to change out the gray half-hexagon on the left hand side for a brighter color. The red half-hexagon on the right side is drawing too much attention.

 



In the meantime, I am also working on finishing the quilting on other projects. I have also been bitten by the hand dyeing bug. Some examples of those can be found among the Popular Posts list on the left hand column of my blog.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

First of all, I don't really think I have a genre since I make traditional, innovative, and art quilts. With this new category of "Modern Quilts" popping up at some shows, I am finding a label for much of what I have been doing for years.

Most of my quilts tend to be very colorful and busy. I make most of my own patterns unless I am working on something that is strictly traditional. Even then, I will generally only use the traditional piecing as a background or border for an innovative applique composition.

I usually try to add some humor in the mix. We all need to laugh every day. It's good for us.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

That's easy. My mind never stops. Many nights I cannot sleep because designs are constantly running through my head.

I tried to capture and relay that process in "Vivid Imagination", the work I am currently quilting.

 

 

A close-up.

 

 



I was an artist long before I was a quilter, so that has definitely been an influence. I enjoy quilting much more than watercolor because the colors can be made so much more intense. My work in collage can easily be seen in my busy quilts.

All those creative waves in my mind can be both a blessing and a curse. When I find time to transform those ideas into real projects, I am happy and at peace.

4. How does my writing/creating process work?

It takes very little to set me off on a creative journey. A color. A shape. An emotion. Something somebody said. I let that simmer inside for awhile--sometimes even years--until I figure out the details of making such a thing. Sometimes, I need to draw a series of thumbnail sketches in order to sharpen my vision. Other times, I might need to learn or even develop a technique. Then there is the "task" of finding just the right fabrics.

Generally, I am working on multiple projects at the same time. That way, if I run out of supplies, patience, steam, or know-how on one quilt, I can stay busy with something else until I get things figured out.

*********************************************************************************

And with that, I am going to hand the Around the World Blog Hop relay baton to Toni at Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Toni hails from Friendsville, Tennessee and has a delightful blog that shares her knowledge of vintage Singer sewing machines, crocheting, gardening, cooking, and herbal remedies. As Toni puts it, "I'm a throwback from another era, methinks." And a bright one at that. Check out her blog at: http://foothillsofthegreatsmokymountains.blogspot.com/

Toni will be posting her Around the World Blog Hop entry one week from now but always has interesting and informative articles available for your reading pleasure.

Happy hopping!

Extreme Tie-Dyeing

It seems with hand dyeing, I am never sure what the finished product will be. The dyes sometimes delight me, sometimes surprise me, and oftentimes leave me puzzled.

I wasn't sure where I was going when I started this. I'm still wondering what I will do with the fabric now that the dyeing is finished. The colors and overall texture sort of remind me of an up-close and personal view of a sunflower's center, but also of ragweed pollen. It will be interesting to read your interpretations.

 

Here is a close-up.

 

It all started with a one and one-third yard cut of white fabric and a packet of super stretchy rubber bands from the beauty supply store. I made tiny little tie-dye bundles until my fabric looked like this. At that point, I ran out of rubber bands, and my cuticles were complaining.

 

 

Another close-up.

 

Next I flipped it upside down in my container that used to contain biscotti treats and poured in enough dye mixture so that the little tie-dye fingers were just resting in fluid. I dribbled a little more over the loose pieces that stuck up out of the container. The yellow dye seemed really chalky and resistive to being absorbed into the fabric, so I left everything soaking for 48 hours.

 

 

Finally, I lifted the fabric out of the container and placed it right side up in a few shallow puddles of dark dye on a disposable cookie sheet. 

 

The dark color traveled a little more than I imagined, but I was still pleased with the results. As soon as my cuticles heal, I would like to try this again with different colors. As far as this piece of fabric goes, I am not sure whether I am going to cut it or just quilt it whole cloth.

So many possibilities...

Hand-Dyeing, Biscotti, and an Unsolved Mystery

As of late I have really been trying not to hold onto unnecessary items such as glass and plastic containers. That is why the city provides us with recycling bins, isn't it? That being said, they aren't going to get the big clear plastic container that I got at Smart & Final that used to be filled with a big stash of individually wrapped almond biscotti treats. The sweets are long gone now, but the container sure made a great hand-dyeing tub.

Last Sunday, I had fun making this little jewel.

I wanted to do some more ice dyeing this weekend, but the flu vaccination I had late Thursday afternoon kind of knocked me out of the water. Achy muscles. Upset tummy. I guess I really needed that shot. I even fell asleep halfway through Dateline on Friday evening so didn't get to see the end. That really bugged me because the last half of the show wasn't playing on their website the following day, either. I looked the story up online since the episodes are based on true cases, and an explanation and motive were never given. Drives. Me. Nuts.



Steam-A-Seam 2 is Back!!!

It's always nice to get together with quilters and bloggers--especially those I only see a couple times a year. Recently, I got to spend a bit of time with Barb, the author of the Pointless Quilter blog. I thoroughly enjoyed our chat. There was so much catching up to do, so much to talk about: Vacations, family, friends, finished projects, works in progress, projects that have us thinking that they will be eternally condemned to UFO purgatory. Then there are those projects that are stuck in neutral because a company decided to discontinue an absolutely wonderful product. Case in point: Over one year ago, the Warm Company stopped making Steam-A-Seam 2, the very best repositionable fusible applique film in the world. I found their website and expressed my laments online, begging them to contact me if they ever came to their senses and started making Steam-A-Seam 2 again.

I didn't have much hope.

Other companies tried to convince us to use their similar products. Not convinced.

In the meantime, I have a little challenge project pending, waiting for an answer. A blank slate, so to speak, waiting for some applique.

Barb was the first to tell me that Steam-A-Seam 2 is back. The very next day, a message from the Warm Company arrived in my inbox, announcing the fantastic news. I have to say that I am very impressed that they kept my name on their mailing list after all those months.

I best get down to the store and buy me a packet. Oh, coupons!!!

So far, I am seeing a limited offering online. Amazon is selling a packet of five 9 X 12" sheets for $11.99. That is over double the price of what the same amount used to cost. I don't know whether the price is temporarily elevated since the product is not yet widely available or if that will be the going rate.

Amazing Quilt Fabric Vendor: Sauder's Fabrics

I have been meaning to write a review of this store for awhile now, but the time just seems to slip away as of late.

The brick and mortar Sauder's store is located in Denver, Pennsylvania, however, when ordering online shoppers also have access to merchandise at their sister store, Zook's in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Together, they are also listed as This n' That Fabrics online.

Since they are pulling fabrics from two different places to fill orders, it sometimes does take a little longer to receive online purchases, but the wait is generally worth it. The fabrics are top of the line, and the prices are good. They frequently have sales, so it is good to get on their mailing list.

Like most quilters, I probably have enough fabric to last me through this lifetime and beyond. However, it seems that I am constantly running out of neutrals, particularly when it comes to Asian prints. Sauder's is a good place to stock up on those. They also have batiks, contemporary prints, reproduction fabrics, and many, many other items.

This is my latest order:

Here is the link to their online store in case you want to check it out:

http://www.saudersfabric.com/

A Little Ice Dyeing

I've got blue fingers!

After a good two years of mulling this little project around in my mind, I finally got all of my supplies together and gave it a whirl. Soon it will be too dreary and cold outside to slog wet fabric around.

I was really pleased with the results. These cuts of fabric are a little less than a yard long. They are hanging on the clothesline at the moment and haven't been pressed as of yet.

I dyed the fabric in colanders with a pans beneath them to catch the run-off. The pans should have been deeper. I had to sop up the extra drippings with my cleaning towels to keep it running onto the bricks. Oh well, now I have fancy hand dyed cleaning towels as well!

 

After scrunching up the PFD (prepared for dyeing) fabric, I put each piece in a separate colander with a layer of ice on top. I had enough colanders to do another batch, but the seven pound bag of ice that I purchased was only enough for three.

 

Next I sprinkled Procion dyes over the ice. The hardest part was keeping the colanders covered with plastic for 24 hours while the magic was happening.

 

 

The next morning, I was so excited to see the fabrics that I forgot to put on gloves to lift them from the colanders. I hope the dye on my hands fades a bit before I show up at work tomorrow. Otherwise, my coworkers are going to know about my wild weekend.



Broken Dishes Miniature

What can I say? I told you awhile back that I was on a roll with these small blocks. Mostly I wanted to make a dent in my hoard of tiny Asian fabric scraps.There was no way I was going to toss those. Not with all that gold and glitz stamped all over them. Not to mention the price of good yardage these days.

Making forty-nine blocks that finish at 2 1/2 inches square would drive most quilters to distraction. I loved it! These are temporarily pinned to a cardboard box--a great design wall for small quilts, by the way. Once they are sewn together, the whole shebang will only be 18 inches square.

 

This is the fabric that I chose for the neutral border. Years ago, I won this as part of a bundle of Japanese prints from an online quilt fabric auction that is no longer doing business. I wasn't sure how I was going to use the fabric at the time, but now it sort of reminds me of a tablecloth for my "dishes".

 

 

Recently, I also read the sweetest story about broken dishes. In Denmark, ladies save their broken dishes throughout the year, Come New Years, they throw them at the doors of their beloved friends. So it you awake to find lots of broken dishes outside your door, you are very fortunate indeed.

Fair Time With the Girlfriends

On Friday some of my girlfriends and I headed out for an evening of fun at the Kern County Fair.

What a great group! Lynn, Teri, Cindy, and Vicky. The only thing that stopped our laughter was corn on the cob, baked potatoes, corn dogs, cinnamon rolls, funnel cakes, and Basque food. Please note that NONE of us had ALL of that. That is the cumulative group menu. I had my traditional Basque dinner and tried a fair funnel cake for the first time. That was rich! Bavarian cream and chocolate drizzle over the top. I only ate half of it.

 

Vicky took a better picture of all of us with her cell phone, so I pinched it off Facebook.

 

 

We eventually got around to dropping by the Fine Arts Building. I got a quick picture of two of my quilts which happened to be displayed on the same panel. I had to stand at an angle to take the photo since I didn't think the fair staff would think kindly of me if I perched on the display area behind me to get a straight on picture.

 

 

Before we knew it, the time had come to go home.

 

 

Until next year...

 

A Little Online Shopping

Every once in a while, I will find the best fat quarter EVER at a local quilt store or at a quilt show. But that's all it is: One fat quarter. No more. Drives me nuts.

Case in point: Check out that gorgeous Asian floral below. I found one fat quarter of it at a local quilt shop. It is part of the Satsuki collection by Robert Hoffman. I didn't have much hope of finding more since by the time a certain collection is being cut and sold as pre-cuts, it is often on it's way to being sold out or discontinued.

I got lucky on this one. I was browsing online at one of my favorite vendors and randomly entered the word "metallic" in the search box. Bingo! Up popped these two beauties.

Fort Worth Fabric Studio has always been high on my list. It doesn't hurt that they send little gifts with my order like the owl notepad and the packet of Hawaiian Punch mix.

 

In the sales section, the alphabet blocks on the left caught my eye. I wasn't sure why until I thought awhile and remembered that I had been hoarding a big chunk of a similar print in neutral tones since 2006. I had bought it to make a schoolhouse quilt but hadn't gotten to the point of having a firm idea of where I was heading to even attempt a start.

 

Schoolhouse? Yes, a schoolhouse. That awesome structure at Calico Ghost Town has my mind whirring.

 

It will take me a long while to figure out how to incorporate traditional fabrics into a pictorial art quilt, so I am not expecting to start on this any time soon. Not to mention that I am pretty obsessed with piecing blocks with Asian fabrics right now. It's definitely a project to anticipate and ponder for the future.

 

 



Calico Ghost Town, California

Calico Ghost Town has been on my radar for many, many years. I can't recall how I first heard of it, but I do remember pondering the name and wondering just what that place would look like. With "calico" meaning a tri-colored cat or a humble cotton print fabric, it just had to be the place for me.

Finally, I got on the internet and took a peek. That was about fifteen years ago. I found out that Calico Ghost Town was located in the barren desert surrounding Barstow, California. If that name brings visions of a hot, parched land to mind, you are right. It is not all that far from Death Valley.

Just the desolate location of Calico Ghost Town made me a little hesitant about making the trip. I love ghost towns and was really curious about that one, but...that desert was a little disconcerting.

After a time, I let the whole idea slip from my mind.

Then on my way to Utah last month, I saw an unexpected sign along the highway, announcing that Calico Ghost Town could be reached by turning off at the very next exit. Wow! I had to think fast. I was on a tight schedule and needed to reach the southwest corner of Utah before sunset. Drat! The ghost town was on the opposite side of the freeway, which generally spells "inconvenience". I decided to stop by the ghost town on my way back home from Utah.

As it turned out, Calico Ghost Town was several miles from the freeway, but the roads were well marked and I knew I was going in the right direction because the word "Calico" was spelled out on the nearby mountainside in white.

This giant miner was greeting guests at the front gate

 

 The short road up a canyon into town was flanked by some awesome rock formations.

 

 

 

 It was a tiny bit steep but was paved and accessible by regular passenger cars.

 

 

 The main street looked like any typical wild west town.

 

 

Historical marker No. 782 tells the story of Calico.

 

 

Most of the current buildings either housed the ghost town's artifacts or are small shops for the tourists.

 

The Dr. A. R. Rhea Drug Store.

 

This business doubled as an undertaker and a furniture store. 

 

 

At first glance, I couldn't figure this one out. It was called "The Dog House" and was made almost entirely with glass bottles.

 

 

One look inside, and the mystery was solved. The store catered to dogs--and cats. There were all sorts of pet parents in there buying leashes, collars, and souvenirs for Fido and Fluffy. It was the busiest store in the town. I understand that.

 

 

Hyena House Hotel was a four story structure built into the side of a cliff in the 1870s of early 1880s. The underground tunnel entrances can be seen but the interior is closed off to visitors.

 

A plaque outside tells some of the history.

 

 

Not much is left of the other early stone structures.

 

 

A small railroad takes tourists through the town.

 

 

I loved the curvy route.

 

 

At the uppermost end of town was the schoolhouse, which reminded me that I was due back at school in two days. Sigh. Time to go home.

 

 

I headed back down the hill toward the parking lot. On the way, I stopped and got a cold soda from a vendor at an old fashioned popcorn stand. I was a little sad to leave and wished that my stay could have been longer.

 

Maybe sometime...