Dyeing and other bits.

A very quick post tonight as I need to go and eat soon. Up for work at 5 am tomorrow so I don't like to eat too late.

The dyeing didn't turn out too badly. Certainly I have got plenty to play with for a while.

All dyed in the same container.

Backing for my Trentham entry

There are some people who don't like to cut into hand dyed fabric or don't think that they will work in more traditional settings. I say go for it. and just to show that they can work in traditional blocks I have made up Chris and Barbara's three sampler blocks using the fabric in the top picture and some cream cotton sateen. The patterns are on their website so do take a look - you might even find some classes that you fancy, all come highly recommended

Carrie Nation Block

Clay's Choice block

Old Maid's Puzzle block

While it snowing yesterday (all gone today but more forecast) I made some postcards and ATCs as I had some painted batting left over. I also found  a piece that I had done with transfer paints at a workshop at Husqvarna several years ago so that got cut up and made into postcards as well.

I am feeling frustrated as my machine isn't back yet. I think they are waiting until a couple of attachments that I ordered arrive as they know I have a long way to travel. Trouble is I want to get started on the quilting for my Trentham entry and  my nice big table does not fit this one.  I can see that it's going to be a last minute thing again.

Hope you all have a good weekend and that the snow doesn't create the chaos that it did last time around.

Maggi

TOM a little late

I was a bit late finishing the Three Creative Studios Technique of the Month for January, largely because I forgot how long things take to dry in this weather. The technique was painted batting. I have tried several different kinds. This one was cotton/bamboo mix and I used  Adirondack sprays on it. As you can see from the photograph it looks pretty unremarkable.

However, it became transformed when I foiled it, added some soya silk, covered it with dyed silk chiffon and quilted it. It is a dream to work with.

Well, I couldn't stop there could I so I made up a mini wrapfolio, and liked it so much that I just had to make another one. Same batting but with gold foil instead of copper. I am missing my machine which is still in Sheffield as it has some gorgeous automatic patterns on it. I can't complain though as this one has done its stuff.

I rather think this could become addictive. I have four more pieces of batting painted and ready to embellish. Thank you Sue, Terri and Vicki for a great site.

I have also done a load of dyeing today, nothing to show as it is all sitting in the garage overnight.

I hope that you are having as much fun as I am at the moment. Don't worry, it won't last as I'm back to work on Saturday.

Maggi

Back home from its travels.

Almost a year ago I sent an embellished piece off to Australia for the Connections Challenge that Dale Rollerson of the Thread Studio had organised. It didn't win anything but is well-travelled and has been seen by many people along the way. The other day the piece arrived home with a lovely selection of rayon threads as a thank you for entering. I had forgotten to take a photo of the finished piece before I sent it off so I am now able to show it fully finished.

The Stitching Tree

These are the threads that came with the piece

"I will help you to arrange them"         

"Why do you want threads anyway, you got me?" 

The threads ...                   

Things seem to have been quite felty lately. I made some pieces of Nuno felt the other day (a good way to keep warm), dyed them and was also able to throw in some left over pieces of silk which now coordinate nicely.  I love the way the different silks produce varying textures. 

The felts

The silks 

I have some ideas for a project, albeit a small one for the felt but I can't reveal it at the moment as it may well become a swap.

I know that journaling is something that many of you out there do on a regular basis but I am a real procrastinator when it comes to using sketchbooks etc. I tend to launch straight into the stitching and see where it takes me.  Myfanwy Hart has set up a blog about journals and so I decided that while my trusty Bernina is having a service (I can't believe that it gave me an actual message telling me to contact my dealer!) I would do something that didn't require too much in the way of stitching. A quick dabble last night produced several pages and some lovely pieces of paper that will come in handy sometime.

In the post from Jan this week was my ATC. It is a beautiful rainbow of pleated sheers. 

My order from the Thread Studio, along with some used Shiva sticks also arrived. I didn't take a photo of the latter but they are going to be really useful as none of them are colour that I have already.

And last, but by no means least, just before  started this blog post I was browsing through the ones that I follow and discovered hat I had won Jan's giveaway which is a beautiful bag, so thanks again to Jan.

Thank you too to all of your good wishes over my cold. It has now gone thank you.

Nothing more for now so enjoy being creative until next time.

Maggi

ATC swap

I have recently joined a small Yahoo group and as a starting point we decided to do an ATC swap. I had forgotten how enjoyable these can be. I decided to use a quilted sampler that I had made ages ago which I had then painted with metallic paint and added a reactive solution. The addition of some beads and some previously worked Tyvek was all that was needed. Not only fun but all recycled.

To Angela

To Jo

From Fiona

I think that this was Fiona's first venture into ATCs and it is really lovely.

You may remember that I started a curved log cabin hanging in a class with Janice Gunner some time ago. That has now finally been finished. I decided that all it needed for the quilting was a curved line around the strips of the blocks and a sort of wavy square spiral pattern in the border. It was all quick to do and is now hanging in my work room. I found it very difficult to photograph and it doesn't show the quilting. Must go back to my camera manual.

That is really all I have managed to do since the last posting owing to work and what, at one time, seemed like a cold but now appears to be more like flu. I have been trying to read blogs but it has been an effort and certainly my ability to comment has been spasmodic. Still, I know that I will recover and it is a minor event compared to what others are suffering at the moment.

Enjoy creating and stay healthy.

Maggi