Alex, one more peek

I'm still going to add two borders.

From the back -- I added batting behind Buck so he'd be a little poofy.
(not that he's a poofy dog)

Sewing and Quilt Expo

The Sewing and Quilt Expo was kind of a disappointment, as far as quilts go. I did get to see Laura Wasilowski's 'Pretty Spool' and one of Gloria Hanson's Squared Illusions quilts, both wonderful, but many of the quilts were...well...just not too interesting. The brochure said that, due to the demand, there would be more focus on quilts, but it seemed to me, that there was less than in the last couple of years. Lake Farmparks and the Cleveland Metropark had much better quilt shows. The expo was really just about the vendors and classes, but none of the classes sparked my interest either.
I did pick up some goodies though...

Karen Pharr's new line of textile paints.

I was most excited about finding the Sulky heat transfer pens. I haven't been able to find them locally, so I grabbed the whole set. Yay! I made a cool little Celtic bracelet at the Fasturn booth and liked their tools so much that I got that set as well. Floral rubbing plates from Cedar Canyon, a 1/2 price book and the new quilting gloves that almost every vendor was selling.

Squirrel stamp that I have to use somewhere in the Buck quilt. Cut from compressed sponge.

one more sneak peek

Needs more bones I think

Building silk screens

I've been itching to work with screens since reading Rayna Gillman's book, Create your own hand printed cloth. I did some silk screening years ago, when my focus was on printmaking, but it didn't thrill me so much. I was much more into etching, intaglio, lino cut and woodcut. But the thing that Rayna does with a screen look pretty exciting. But I only had one old Speedball screen, and if I'm gonna make a mess, I'd just as soon make a BIG mess! LOL

So I asked DH to built me these...

And I bought these at the Home Depot.
I think I love that store more than my DH does.
I'll bet they don't consider themselves to be an art supply store...LOL!

After researching prices, I ordered mesh from Atlas Screen Supply

I have to say, this is the hard part -- it takes two of us to attach the mesh to the frames.

But they come out really nice and tight.
So I signed up for both of Rayna's silkscreen workshops at LQuilt and I'm rarin' to go!

Arghhhhh!

See that eye on the left?
That plum-colored patch is about 2 inches across. It's loaded with satin stitch. about 2mm wide.
Just a little too narrow to fit the blade of my seam ripper into...
How do I know this?

Because as I was stitching this...

...I neglected to see that THIS was happening...
Ripping out satin stitch, with a layer of batting in between really sucks. :P

Easter cactus?

This thing is huge and it gets only one bloom at a time. There was one for Christmas and now there's one for Easter. What's up with that?

Yet another sneak peek

After designing the applique of Bucky in EQ6, I printed him up, full size, and taped him to my 'light box' to see what adjustments I needed to make. Then I printed out a bazillion pieces on freezer paper...well it seemed like it. Happily, EQ also prints out a master chart with numbers and letters that match the applique patches. Unhappily, I had so much crap around the eyes and nose, that all the letters and numbers printed on top of each other on the master and I couldn't decipher any of it...

My light box

Buck body fused to the center panel of the quilt.
I added another design wall behind the ironing board. It's one of those Fons and Porter portable ones and it works just great.

Giving the body some definition.

Starting on the face.

All the pieces fused into place.
Time to put some batting behind Buck and start stitching.

More resist stitching for the vat

I've been very much inspired lately by Judy Martin over at Judy's Journal and Jude Hill at Spirit Cloth. Check out their handwork -- it's really lovely. Lots of wonderful eye-candy and brilliant writing as well!

More stitching. Trying to decide on a book about shibori -- too many to choose from! Any recommendations?

I don't know what this will look like, but I'm really enjoying the stitching of it. Kind of like waves and bubbles... Time for a walk on the beach, maybe?

Another sneak peek for Alexandria

Still have to finish designing the applique for the center panel.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Cleary's Pub
Detail from the mural I painted at PJ McIntyres

DH has been in the workshop

I love this so much! My DH rocks!!

It holds something like 500 spools of thread

Preparing fabric for the indigo vat

I'm going to set up an indigo vat out on the patio when it's a bit warmer and I want to have lots and lots of fabric prepped with stitch resist and batik. So I've been hand stitching in the evenings and I forgot how enjoyable it is!
Actually I don't think I ever really enjoyed it before -- well maybe when I was a little girl. Anyway...it's kind of soothing and I'm liking it quite a lot.
I've wrapped some poles too and and have done some clamping.

I found this AWFUL quilting thread that I bought when I first started quilting and it say on the spool that it's 'glaced'. Whatever that means, it's awful, but very strong, so should be good for gathering the fabric.

Little wrappy thingies (not the real name for this technique...)

Still have to pull and knot the threads

Got my goodies!

My prize package from the drawing at Three Creative Studios. The drawing was for participants of the first challenge -- the word was 'puzzle'. Sweet!

Sneak peek for Alexandria...

And some gratuitous cuteness

Patsy and Edwina

Next big project

Hope you like the colors, Alex

Half log cabins

Snow-dyeing - Days 7, 8, and 9 -- results

Three more days of snow-dyed fabrics. Most of these are Kaufman Kona 200ct muslin. I tried to get the colors as accurate as possible. I've been sitting at the computer all evening with my pile of fabric working on getting it all right.

# 75 -- Sold
I couldn't get the color on this at all. It's such a pretty spring green and it washed out in every photo. Maybe if there's some sun tomorrow, I'll try again

#75 Detail

#74 -- sold

# 74 detail

#73 - Stormy looking -- Sold

#73 detail

# 72 - This piece is cotton sateen -- Sold

#72 detail

#71 -- Sold

# 71 detail

#70 - another one that looks lit up from inside - SOLD

#70 detail

# 69 Really complex colors in this one

#69 detail

#68 -- SOLD

#68 detail

# 67 - really soft pretty blending of colors -- Sold

#67 detail

# 66 -- Sold

# 66 detail

# 65

# 65 detail

# 64 -- SOLD

# 64 detail

# 63 Accordion folded -- SOLD

# 63 detail - the dye took the fold beautifully
Looks very 3-d

# 62 - simple LWI - no snow - sold

# 62 detail

# 61 - over-dyed on Kona cotton -- SOLD!


# 60 - another pretty blend - SOLD


# 59 - one of my favorites

# 59 detail

# 58

# 58 detail

# 57 - over-dyed on Kona cotton - SOLD


# 56 - accordian fold -- Sold

# 56 detail

# 55 - accordion fold -- Sold

# 55 detail

# 54 - golden areas almost sparkle on this piece
SOLD



# 53 - LOTS of patterning

# 53 detail

# 52 - the bottom right is not quite that dark -- Sold

# 52 detail

# 51 - has lovely turquoise highlights -- Sold

# 51 detail

# 50
46 x 108 ($75.00)

# 50 detail

# 49 - nice patterns

# 49 detail

# 48 -- another pretty spring green, that refused to cooperate with the camera
Sold

# 47 front (back is pebbled pattern)

# 47 detail

# 46

# 46 detail