Oh, Mr. Rit, I think your “Orange Sunshine” is bleak..

Sometimes efforts seem futile. Or, at the very least, ineffective. Which I suppose is the same thing..I guess I am trying to say that even though I really accomplished a lot today, a few things that did not go well overwhelmed the good parts of my day and led to frustration.

I am preparing for a workshop that I am team teaching with my partner in crime, Louise, also known as Nancy. The workshop is “Surface Design, Not Just another Pretty Face” or something along those lines. Our day will be spent introducing some lovely folk in Sackville to the fun to be had in creating your own fabric by a variety of methods.

Now, I dye and surface design a lot of fabric. I have for a long time. And in that time, as my interest grew and my techniques expanded, I have collected tools and materials from sources far and wide. But, when I am introducing someone to new-to-them techniques, I like to make it easy for them to continue on in their exploration once the class is over and they do not have easy access to these same materials that I have. And, really, dyeing fabric and surface design doesn’t need to be complicated. You can create some fun fabric with objects you find around the house, or find in the hardware and dollar stores. The main thing is to have fabric, dye and paint that will be colorfast. To me that is the key.

So, in the interest of making it simple for the participants to carry on afterwards if they so chose, I thought I would forsake my treasured Procion MX dyes and see how well Rit liquid dyes would work using the same, or a possibly slightly altered method of dyeing. I have used Rit powdered dyes in the past, many time actually, and always had interesting results. Today was a first for me with their liquid.

When I lead a class on dyeing, I always, always incorporate color theory (actually, I incorporate it into just about every conversation..ask my kids about meal time around here growing up! lol). Anyway, I purchased three dyes to get started - a blue, a red and a yellow. It seems they had a run on dyes lately at Michaels so I bought their “Orange Sunshine”, which to me looked like a golden yellow. Perfect I thought for mixing some nice fallish looking greens and rusts. 

Well.

For my first batch, I decided to mix up a lovely green using my blue and some of that “Orange Sunshine”. After a good shake, I poured the dyes into my measuring cup and thought the orange looked just a little bit dark. Adding water, I really started to wonder. The solution looked kind of black and it didn’t have any traces of orange or red that I should have been able to see as it was being diluted. I decided to cook up a second batch, but this time I didn't add the blue, I just used the orange dye. In my mind, I saw something like this....

Well, here is what I got, and there is the bottle of Rit. The label shows the color I was supposed to get..

I am really glad I like to prepare beforehand.

So, I know how this poor little flower feels. Sometimes, you just can’t get out of the way fast enough.....

SAQA 2104 Anniversary Trunk Show piece

Getting projects completed makes anybody feel good. I love seeing a project through to completion and when I get another one checked off my list, well, yahoo for me!

I am working very diligently at revamping my approach to shows and exhibitions. My new attitude is basically, why not? I have no burning desire to compete, but I am also feeling it is okay to be included. So, when the call came out for the SAQA 2104 Anniversary Trunk Show and our Regional Rep reminded us that we should all be involved, I made a concerted effort to get a piece done. Besides, the piece is only 7 x 10; I could fit that into an already overfull schedule. Why not?

So, I created my little art quilt using another little sketch I had waiting for the time I needed to get it onto fabric. It is painted, fused and beaded following the same procedure I outlined in my last post. A recent purchase of a WHOLE ROLL of Mistyfuse..be still my heart!...is going to make working on pieces such as this an absolute dream. New beading needles and thread are also going to help. 

I mailed my piece off and as I did, I got thinking about how maybe I did need a new word or phrase as guidance for my year. Maybe I do need a controlling factor to my days. So, I think I have found it...why not? Why not indeed!

I'll let you know how it goes..

Some more stamping

I have been doing a bit more stamp carving. I have discovered if you put your phone on mute during work conference calls, and if you turn the volume of the phone up, carving and printing is lovely quiet work that helps ease the boredom of the call.

For ease of execution, I turned the page of my moleskin and used another little painting for inspiration. I love berries, especially raspberries, so this was especially fun. 

I used a couple of colors on this stamp, trying to be sort of vague in my application of paint. My tools of the trade are basic, once you have the carving material and the Speedball lino cutter. I covered an odd tile with some scraps of batt and cotton and taped the sides with duct tape to use as a printing pad. I use inexpensive sponge brushes to apply paint and I keep them in sealed ziplock bags in between uses - that saves washing them out. I use clean foam trays to steady the stamps while I apply paint and to place my brayer on when not in use, just in case it somehow got some paint on it. I keep all this in a sturdy plastic shopping bag. 

I always seem to neglect putting down a drop cloth to cover my table or work area. I always forget my apron, too, it seems. Just dropping or spilling some paint will put an end to both those bad habits. 

Spacey

Over the years I have incorporated much of my childrens’ artwork in my own. When they were quite young, I took a class in Halifax hosted by the Mayflower Guild and in the class we covered using disperse dyes as transfer dyes.

The instructor was kind of a bust, disorganized, very dismissive of our efforts, actually everything you don’t want an instructor to be. The organizing committee was horrified. We made the best of it and all ended up coming home with lots of dyes to try on our own using some basic instructions. The thing about these dyes is that that only work on synthetic fabrics. 

I had my kids complete some painting on newsprint and then I transfer heated these to some poly broadcloth. Outer space was their theme! I then used the resulting blocks to piece this top. Lucky for me I hadn’t had time to quilt it so there was, ripe for the longarm!

I enjoy piecing my backs as well, even as simple as this.....

I used a bright orange thread from Fil-tec for top and bobbin and had fun with some freehand stitching. Best of all, it is finished!!

Color Abounds

I love when a dyeing session surpasses your expectations! This is fabric I picked up at G&S Dye on my last visit in Toronto. I was looking for PFD fabric, but the girl was unable to answer any questions about the rolls of fabric in their storefront, so I just took a chance and bought what I thought was a reasonable weight and weave. I used it for my abysmal snow dyeing attempt and then kind of forgot it was on my shelves (which actually means it was in a pile beneath other fabric that was acquired after....but, I sort of remembered it was there.....anyway.....). Yesterday I was over-dyeing a piece and without thinking, ripped off a few metres, scoured it and soaked it in a soda ash solution. Then I just starting playing. For me that is often the best way. No pre-planning, no intended result, just folding and scrunching and twisting and smooshing. 

I am happy with my results and of course, see the trend in my color choices. 

Text Me! Not

So now that I know my pieces were not accepted in the latest Quilting Arts magazine Reader Challenge, I feel comfortable showing them here. The theme was “Text Me!” and I really enjoyed creating these. I have them nearby so I can enjoy the warmth they bring me. Funny thing about being rejected, or not chosen; I know they set guidelines for their publication, but when push comes to shove, the choosing is subjective. My pieces may not have been picked by the editorial board, but those who have seen them have given me very positive feedback so I know I am on the right track as I continue creating in my own special style.

I titled this one, “O” Baby, I love your curves! 

I know it is very trendy right now to use text in your designs, whether as part of the fabric, or as part of the design, but I have been doing this for a long time. Some of my earliest pieces were based on phrases and words. This time I decided to hi-light one of my most favourite letters!

When I started studying signwriting we had to draw pages and pages of letters. We had to draw them thin, thick, elongated, squat, with serifs, without and on and on......over and over till we got the dimensions perfect. When I worked for my Dad and computer generated letters were still far in the future, he would handcut vinyl letters, then adhere them to another color of vinyl and I would cut a 1/8" or 1/4” border all around. These letters were generally black with a gold outline and used for window lettering and it was great practice for learning their shapes. So, I love hand drawing letters and I love cutting them out almost as much! 

In “O” Baby, I used my hand dyed fabrics and I even cut those tiny, tiny yellowish dots out by hand! I used a few gold seed beads for embellishment and then twisted three different strands of decorative yarn and hand sewed it along the edge.

My second piece is called, “Summer Alliteration”. I love the curves of “S” as much as “O”’s!

I used my hand painted fabric for the background and then cut the letter “S” and all my “s’ words from my photographs that I had printed on fabric. I really like this concept, have used it in larger pieces, and plan on doing a lot more with it. I take a LOT of photos and I spend even more time editing them. So, using them in my fabric pieces is a natural progression for me. The shells are actual sea treasures and I have devised a method to sew them directly onto the fabric without making any holes in them. I didn’t take a photo of the back but it is also a photograph of gull tracks in the sand.

My history with letters led me to this more literal interpretation of the challenge. I know that “text” has taken on an entirely new meaning to this generation, but to me, the beauty will always be in the individual letters and the words you can create.

I am connecting to The Needle and Thread Network. Check out what Canadians all across this chilly country are up to this week. 

The faster I go.....

I was determined that this was to be a productive day. And it was, yet I was plagued with dumb mistakes every step of the way.

I have hand dyed and painted fabric for a very long time and although I use these fabrics, I still have a small stack of my favorites that I have been hoarding. This photo doesn’t do this fabric justice - you will have to trust me that is a beautiful, rich red and until today, I have only snipped very, very small pieces off the outside edges. Finally I decided it was the perfect background for a small piece I am working on. Pleased with my choice, I pressed and cut.....and in doing so, cut a hole right in the centre! Yes, I will work around it, but still it made me shake my head in disgust at myself. 

That seemed to set the tone and I proceeded to break machine needles, drop hand sewing needles, chase bobbins across the floor, get paint where I didn’t want it, and on and on.....what is that saying about the faster I go, the behinder I get? I finally got smart, walked away from my work, baked some muffins, went for a run, regrouped and started again. 

Things went a little better after that. Thank goodness.

Because other people have been much more productive and made less work for themselves than I have, I am connecting with The Needle and Thread Network. Check them out!

Snow dyed, then buffed and fluffed

In the end, I added three different shades of blue setacolor transparent paint, one at a time to the pieces I had scrunched on that piece of PVC pipe.These pieces are the ones pictured with the latest sock I am working on...notice the similar color way? Honestly, it is subconscious; I don’t realize I am choosing like colors for the different projects. I find it amusing.

I took a selection of the other snow dyed pieces and after wetting and manipulating the fabric, I did a bit of microwave over-dyeing. Microwave dyeing is a quick, easy way to get fairly strong colors. Over the years I have taught this method in dyeing workshops and organized sports team t-shirt dyeing sessions multiple times. My daughter and her friends have dyed t-shirts and socks as entertainment at her birthday parties. All it takes is 4 minutes in the microwave, a lot of rinsing and a hot water wash for almost instant gratification. Perfect for kids, and impatient people like me!

At this point the fabric is fairly saturated with dye so over dyeing achieves a crystal, uneven effect. Also, this is the first time I have used this brand of Procion MX dyes and I found the blue didn’t dissolve well in the solution. Consequently the dye sits on top of the fabric and looks grainy in some places.

However, I am wanting some fabrics to mimic the ocean and underwater areas, so I think these will fit the bill nicely. All in all, I am pleased with the results. Cut up into smaller pieces, they should work well.

Snowing shirts

I have been a sewer of clothing for many years and one of my biggest beefs over time has been how poorly made some clothing lines are. If I buy an item of clothing, I expect strong seams with a sensible seam allowance, buttonholes that do not unravel, top stitching that lasts, and buttons that stay on. I think some of my expectations rubbed off on my son.....I just finished altering 7 dress shirts for him and 4 more that were his for his Dad. The boy choses clothes well and I can’t say I am sorry to be done. I gotta say, Calvin Klein knows how to construct a shirt!

To give myself a bit of play time while doing that, and since we have had some substantial snow falls here, I tried some snow dyeing. I used the instructions for Procion MX dyes from Pro Chem. I have been dyeing fabric for years and I aim for strong, bright colors. I have to admit, I am not completely satisfied with the results of my efforts with this method. I did get some great, crystal effects and some interesting lines where I folded and pleated. But, my pieces are too pastel for me.

Various stages of process

Fabric manipulation, dye solution and dye powders

I did figure out a couple of things I could change to get the results I prefer: I will use a thicker layer of snow although I used more than the recommended; I will pour the blue dye first as I was hoping for more blue and green than yellow; I will use less water than they recommended for my dye mix; and I will try mixing the dye directly with the snow rather than making a dye solution. The one thing I did do was toss in a piece of fabric soaked in soda ash in the bottom of each dishpan to catch all that draining dye solution and those pieces gave me the intensity of color I was looking for.

A variety of the results

So, I am currently trying layering some Setacolor paints after completing some fabric manipulation. We will see how that goes.

Stamping again!

My current employment situation is affording me the most time I have had in 12 summers to really stop and enjoy the beauty of this season. I am outdoors as much as I can without totally ignoring some of the more basic household duties. Since my two children went off to university, I have become a very lazy cook, so I eat lots of raw and basic when my hubby is not available to cater to my every culinary whim. Today was a day of iced tea by the potful and I am thinking popcorn would be a finish to my salad. That is as much cooking as I will do.

Everyone should have offspring who buy them a lovely tea infuser and keep them supplied with tea bags!

When my son came home for Christmas in June, he brought with him two large sheets of Safety Kut that I had asked him to pick up at Curry’s Art Supplies. This material is so soft and easy to use and I was itching to try it out. Today was just the day for it and I carved two simple designs and tried them out on some dyed fabric. I can see there are some modifications that need to be made to the hat, but the large open area will allow me to paint in the color of brim I want. Am really enjoying my stylized snail. 

I am an Island girl without her island so all things ocean/beach are in my blood

I also did some sketching and even pulled out my travel watercolor set and painted a bit. Must be summer!

I love berries so much that I actually have a handmade pottery bowl that I only use for eating berries! Raspberries are my all time favorite with blueberries running a tight second.

I am not used to so much free time so I am not settled into a schedule or routine as yet. I am enjoying rediscovering projects and ideas and just looking over my sketch books is getting me inspired. I also have so many quilting and drawing related books I want to read that I have a hard time making myself put them down at bedtime! I have no clear idea yet of one specific project to work on but am enjoying working piecemeal on odds and ends.


Today I am hooking up to the The Needle and Thread Network and wishing all my fellow Canadian quilters a belated Happy Canada Day!

Divine Stitchers

I am a member of a small group of art quilters called the Divine Stitchers of the YoYo Sisterhood, although we generally answer to the Divine Stitchers. Since we have formed our group, we have been asked to present our work for a number of guilds in our province. We hope by showing our work and explaining how we function as a group, that it provides encouragement for others to form their own art quilt "support" groups. 


Our first project was a summer group project with 9 quilters participating. We have gone on to complete 4 such summer projects as well as quite a few smaller, individual projects. We have used themes such as Hallowe’en, Traditions, paper quilts, journal quilts and Envelope Envy. The criteria for Envelope Envy was to create a piece using everything that came in the envelope and also incorporating a quote which was also provided at the same time. 


The group formed for many reasons and I believe it has helped all of us grow as quilters, in both traditional and non-traditional methods. It has certainly been great fun watching as each of us has pushed our quilting boundaries and worked to create pieces and use techniques that were either new to us, or far outside our comfort zone. I have seen this confidence in ourselves grow and the willingness to try new techniques spin over into other aspects of our quilting as well. From a personal point of view, it has been wonderful to see the more traditional quilters in the group enjoy embellishing, painting and trying fused appliques methods! Because I have always been one to push the limits - using a glue gun instead of stitching, fusing, braiding, painting, air brushing - whatever it takes to achieve the effect I want to achieve, it is great to find my fellow quilters starting to understand and accept that rules can be broken, new paths can be laid, and the final product is no less worthy.


Our group has been showcased in two editions of the CQA Newsletter and our first summer project “Slice” was presented at the Quilt Canada 2008 “Show and Share” in St Johns, Nfld. The two “Sistas” (as we refer to ourselves) that presented at the CQA Show and Share later said that they felt like superstars with all the attention and cameras flashing! We had left the individual pieces free hanging from the top rod and unbeknownst to us, this apparently made it more interesting and attractive....who knew??


To create this piece we received permission from an artist to use her original painting which I photocopied in color and then sliced vertically into 9 even pieces. Each quilter took a random slice and was to create a likeness in fabric by the end of the summer. In September we met, saw each others work for the first time and showed it to our local guild - the real reason the pieces were left hanging loose. Not any particular artist thought behind this decision, we just felt we were done and were excited and ready to move onto the next fun project!! We also later learned that the artist, Virginia Houston just may have been more willing to let us use her artwork because she thought we were a different sort of Sister of the Cloth....divine intervention? We think so!!


Our group has not been very active of late and there are many reasons why. Some of the reasons are very individually based, but perhaps suffice to say the value of our group may be seeing an end. Perhaps we have achieved what was needed for the time. I have puzzled over this for a very long time and then decided I needed to accept what was and continue on. We do have one group project still on the board and I am one of the group who has yet to complete her portion. Hmm....sometimes these projects do need to purcolate. Sometimes we need to find the time. Perhaps it is time for me to focus and finish so I can move onto the next great fabric adventure....

Quilt Canada 2012

Fortunately it is a beautiful weekend in Halifax! The perfect sort of day to wander the Dal campus and take in some great quilt exhibits that are part of Quilt Canada 2012. Yesterday I took in several shows including FAN at Risley Hall. What a great little show! This group is in their own words, a “ co-operative of self defined art quilters based in Western Canada” and I really enjoyed seeing their innovative work. The show is travelling, so check and see if it is coming to your area! 


I was also able to duck into the Merchants Mall for a few minutes. It is crazy how easy it is to spend money quickly (yikes!), but I really didn’t do the shops justice, so today my lovely daughter has joined me, and we will head back over soon. I still need to have some more quality time with my good friend, Karen from Quilting B and More and there are many shows yet to take in.


I will be sure to see the National Juried Show where my quilting friend, Juanita Allain has won a 2nd place for Excellence in Originally Interpreted Traditional Wallquilt for her piece, 25th Anniversary Stars. This was a piece Juanita designed and executed as part of the 25th Anniversary Challenge for the Greater Moncton Quilt Guild - a challenge my friend, Nancy and I organized - so I am happy to have helped provide inspiration for the beginnings of this beautiful quilt! Congratulations, Juanita!


If you have never been to Halifax, put it on your bucket list! It is a beautiful little city surrounded by rugged, yet peaceful shores. Over the years I have lived in various parts of this province of Nova Scotia and even though I “come from away”, it always feels like coming home. 

Hitching my Wagon

I am continuing to add components to my latest project. Although I am still not completely sure what direction I will head in, and which parts I will end up using, I do seem to be staying within the same colour family. All good!

I print a lot of my photos on fabric and use them in varying ways in my work. Last year I channeled my inner 8 year old and wrote a letter to Santa asking for my very own flywheel. This year I will try that strategy again and ask him for Photo Shop. I have used the editing program and love what I can do with it and know there is so much more to learn and so many ways for my pieces to evolve if I have it at my disposal.

Four individual photos printed on one fabric sheet using my inkjet printer

Another photo of mine printed on fabric as well as two mono prints, the one on the left mounted on solid black cotton

These photos were taken on a canoe trip on a lovely lake near Port Elgin, NB. We usually make a trip or two there every year and often see beavers, eagles, frogs and even the odd fish, as well water lilies in abundance. I think my photos reflect the tranquility and peacefulness to be found there.


Today I am hitching my blogger wagon to The Needle and Thread Network. It is great fun to see what everyone else has been up to - check them out! There are lots and lots of Canadian bloggers represented there.

Gradually the components seem to be coming together. I tend to work on pieces intuitively and simply enjoy the process though I do love when the light bulb moment arrives! For now I am enjoying all the experimentation that is going on.

Foam sheets can make great stamps very quickly! I use adhesive sheets for the stamp design and a block of the thicker non-adhesive foam sheet for the base. All are easily cut with scissors.

Adhesive foam sheets are great when you want to cut a stamp with fine detail, like the grass stamp I have cut above.

I brushed Seta fabric paint on this stamp but you could use a stamp pad or roller to apply paint or ink as well.

I especially like the grass stamp on this sky fabric I painted for another project.

I think I am going to need to do some more sky painting! That is obviously going to be the next piece of the puzzle. And painting skies is so easy and fun! Although it really is an activity for outdoors, I don’t think I can wait for the skies here to clear up....the kitchen table will do!!

This morning as I hung a wash on the clothesline, I saw a scattering of hail on the ground. I had been thinking of doing some fair weather fun outdoors activity during the day, but seeing that hail sent me back indoors! I know, I know. There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, but really, if I am honest, I have to say I was looking for an excuse to stay in and play.


Whenever I have a day off from my "working to pay bills” job, I usually feel guilty if I don’t do something conducive to keeping the house running smoothly. If it seems I am spending the majority of my time doing things I want to do, I generally panic at some point and either cook something or rush around tidying up. Today I managed to keep all those guilt feelings at bay and other than one load of wash, I seem to have spent the day doing my “stuff”! My stuff included some quilting ( I bought more finger cots and finally found the bag with my quilting needles! YES!) and some stamp carving. 

I love carving stamps, but tend to be frugal with the carving boards because they are fairly costly. I try to remind myself to balance the cost of a large sheet against the number of stamps I can make from it, but it still takes me forever it seems to commit to a design. Today I had fiddleheads and waves on my mind and the process seemed to go a bit faster than normal. So I cleaned up some quick sketches from my moleskin and put knife to block.


Carving a clean design takes me a few steps. After I lay out my design on the block, I make my initial cuts with a small speedball blade (#2), then go back with a larger blade to make deeper cuts (#3). I prefer to leave some background lines, but each time I pull a print, I go back and clean up a bit more until I have the clean edges I want. The real trick is to not take too much - you can always take more away, but you can’t get it back if you have removed too much.

Years ago I experimented with traditional batik methods but was never fully satisfied with the process, or the results.I didn’t enjoy ironing and re-ironing the wax soaked fabrics using reams and reams of newsprint. We used the resulting papers as fire starters for the family woodstove, but still it was a labor intensive procedure for results I was never completely happy with. Even after boiling or steaming the fabric, there always seemed to be a wax residue that kept my fabric from having a soft, flowing hand.

So, when surface designers started using soy wax for fabric batik, I jumped at the chance to give it a try. The process for removing the wax is still very much the same, but I have found the process much quicker and the results much more pleasing.

I have been experimenting with using soy wax as a resist with fabric paints and dyes. I have used very gentle ways of removing the resist and I have also tried very abrasive methods. If I want my colors to be bold I use more aggressive techniques to take the wax out. I use a strong hand and usually a scrubbing tool to first remove the layer of paint and then to assist in removing the layer of wax. Sometimes the results include some blurry edges that become incorporated as part of the design. If I want a clear solid edge, I am more frugal when I add the layer of paint and then it is easier to remove.

Soy batik with Seta Fabric Paints executed on solid black fabric

The flow of wax from a tjanting tool is somewhat similar to the flow of paint from a fully loaded brush. Achieving interesting shapes and lines is relaxing for me. It is a meditative action as my hands immediately kick into signwriter mode, my mind calms and my breathing slows.

No one expects March in the Maritimes to have days of 27 - 30 degrees temperatures. But, this week we reached the highest recorded temperatures in 50 years! The snow has melted, the trees are budding, skin has been bared. Folks of all shapes and sizes walked their dogs, ran, rode their bikes and breathed deep. Tonight the sunset filled the sky with shades of pink and coral and made it so hard to believe all this will come crashing to an end with low temperatures and snowfall predicted for early next week. Sigh.....

One of the projects of an art quilt group I am a member of was journal quilts. We chose the size of 8.5 by 11 inches and the theme? Well, it really doesn’t matter because one of our rules has always been to break the rules and make them our own! If there must be a theme, mine was focused on using a variety of surface design techniques in each journal quilt.

In this quilt I used hand dyed fabric as my base, then painted fabric for the centre of the “sun”. The rays of the sun were another painted fabric cut into pieces, sewn on the base and then I added detail work with 3D Fashion paint - the kind that you squeeze out of a bottle. The water was more hand dyed fabric with some strategically placed quilting lines.

Detail of sun and rays

When the air once again becomes chilly and I tuck my shorts to the back of the closet for another few months, I think I will keep this quilt on my desk as a reminder that warmer days do happen. And that I need to enjoy them as they come, when they come.