"Arabesque"

I have coffee with friends three days a week. I like to have some handwork with me during these hour-long visits. Sometimes it's the only sewing I have time for during the week. I decided to add some embroidery stitches to this piece of cotton printed with a deconstructed silk screen. (See photos from dye retreat.)

"Arabesque" 16x22"

I added sequins, beads, and silk borders and quilted it with rayon thread.

Tangled Tennies

I took a Zentangle class from Susan Thillen earlier this month. 

I thought I would try some of the things I learned on a pair of white canvas slip-ons for my son.

I used Sharpie Fine Point and Ultra Fine Point pens.

I tested spray fixative and ScotchGuard on a piece of canvas with some Sharpie drawings. The fixative faded the black and the ScotchGuard made it bleed.

I decided to leave them as is and let them age at will.

Accepted!

My "Wine and Dine the Mind" quilt will be at International Quilt Festival in Houston this fall. 

Wine and Dine the Mind

Two old favorites will also be in the 

"Texas Quilts Today: Selections from the Book Lone Stars III" special exhibit.

 Jon's Big Adventure

Libellua Saturata

Happy Dance!

Happy Dance started life as a collection of fancy fabrics for a jacket years ago. I realized the jacket was never going to happen and grabbed the stack to take to a retreat in April 2010. I randomly pieced rayon, silk, cotton, antique kimono scraps, and satin on squares of paper backing with no plan in mind. Here are some of the block I made and several purses.

I stitched more together randomly and made this top.

"Happy Dance" 43 x 43"

My son is going off to college in six weeks. We've been collecting the things he will need for his on-campus apartment. I think I'm distracted by the planning and graphic design work. I'm having trouble starting my next project. I know the six weeks will go by fast.

Mini Experiment

Jeanelle McCall wrote an article in Quilting Arts magazine Issue 50 called "spring in full Bloom". I didn't want to start the big project that's been on my mind for months so I procrastinated and played with Jeanelle's fabric strip background, layered circle flowers and small contrasting dots. 

"Sunny Blossoms" – 11 3/4 x 12 3/4"

On this one I added some leaves.

"Purple Tulip" – 7 3/8 x 8 1/8"

I stuck with Jeanelle's strip background but I quilted it, tried a tulip and added leaves.

"Bloom Where you are Planted" – 8 x 7 3/8"

This one has Jeanelle's strip background and circle flower but I added a secondary background and stitched the stem and leaves.

These little experiments will be donated.

You Talkin' ta Me?

The 6th Annual VAST 125-Mile Visual Arts Exhibition opened last night 

in the Texas Woman's University, Denton Campus, Fine Arts Building.

My little (12x12") quilt, "You Talkin' ta Me?" is in the show.

 The gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 to 5 

and the show runs through August 5.

I hope you'll have time to visit.

Dye Retreat 2011

My son graduated from high school at the beginning of June. 

We are very proud of him.

It's been a whirlwind ever since.

I attended my annual dye retreat in East Texas in the middle of the month. You can read about the history here. It was especially hot this year but the windy heat help dry the dyed fabric very quickly.

Ken added a loading dock to the back of his shop this year. 

It made our rinsing station super convenient.

 Linda watched a lecture on deconstructed silk screening so we had to try it.

Thickened dye is allowed to dry on a clean silk screen overnight.

Thickened water is put on the dry screen with dry fabric underneath.

As the thickened water is forced through the screen, 

the dry dye begins to get wet and transfer to the fabric below.

 You can move the screen and print again, mask parts with newspaper or found objects.

Each pass changes as the dry dye gets wetter.

 This one is another print done the next day.

I used thickened orange dye instead of water.

 My favorite dying method is to scrunch fabric into a wallpaper tray 

and pour dye onto the fabric in bands.

I made shirts for Berek.

This is half of a shower curtain for his college apartment.

 

I had fun doodling with a bleach pen on a discharged shirt.

Kathi did lots of direct painting on fabric and some 

onesies with matching receiving blankets.

Jill did several beautiful velvet kaleidoscope pieces.

We didn't have a dye-of-the-year that everyone wanted to use this year 

and we didn't have to have anything shipped overnight.

We've made our notes and have plans for next year.

I can't wait.