Fresh Class Samples

Yes these are fresh class samples for my Fiber Layering classes that I'm teaching this weekend for the Mixed Sampler Quilt Guild in Siren. I've managed to make about 110 kits so there will be many beautiful works of art coming out of the classes. 

What is left of the kits will be used for summer classes that I will teach in Hayward. Have you wanted to take one of my classes? Times and dates will be posted soon.

Finished the Snow Dye Batch

These are the finished fabrics from yesterdays snow dyeing. I started with some previously hand dyed fabrics that I had acquired from a friend that needed more color. Most were pastel pinks, blues and oranges. I call it a success for today.

What do I do when most of the day is shot?

I purchased a $9.88 sleepwear cardigan from Walmart this afternoon after taking my mother to her appointments. My idea was to do a discharge treatment along the bottom. I gathered the bottom of the cardigan with needle and thread and stitched it to a plastic hanger. It was then hung over a wash tub of water and anti-chlor. See photo at the end of this post for the product I used, also purchased from Walmart.

I then put my dripless bleach in a squirt bottle and dripped it in a controlled manner over the water bath. When the discharge was to the color that I liked, I dumped it into the water bath to rinse out and neutralized the bleach.

 Here is is before drying. When dry it will look just as beautiful. I saw this bleach discharge method years back on quilted garment at the quilt show in Paducah. It was like flames along the bottom. Loved it so much.

 I also decided to do some snow dye batches since the snow is starting to melt outside and a friend gave me her left over rit dye concentrates. I beefed up the rit drizzle by adding an addition powder Procion dye. I should be able to finish them up tomorrow.

 The bleach I used for the discharge.

 Anti-chlor

Rit and Procion.

Wholecloth Design Class with Karen McTavish

The Wild Threads Machine Quilting Group are hosting Karen McTavish to teach her full day Wholecloth Design Class. This class is open to members and non-members. This is a hands on class and no machines are needed.

Date: Friday, April 24th 9-4pm.

Cost: $110, which includes lunch and space rental

Location: Hayward Wesleyan, 10655 Nyman Ave, Hayward, WI 54843 http://www.haywardwesleyan.org/

Contact: Norma Riehm, 715-634-2754 or fancyquilter@hotmail.com for more info or to sign up for class.

Supply list: 

Large white or off white fabric/cotton sateen

 (no seams) no larger than 70 x 70

Marking pens: blue water soluble marking pens such as EZ INTERNATIONAL or MARK B GONE (thick point only- no fine line)

(Pens can be purchased from instructor) 

Bring your long omnigrid rulers for this class. 

Saving a Project

This is a piece that I just finished for a quilting friend. She had become frustrated with it after putting a lot of thought into it and having a vision of what she wanted it to be. She told me it almost ended up in the garbage. I insisted that she give it to me and that I would finish it and gift it back to her.

She had made the top using fabric she hand dyed and organza's, painted plastics, etc. I think there was even some dyed paper towels. I added darker and lighter organza's, white fluffy yarn, sparkly white woven dress fancy, etc. After quilting to give the water more movement, I embellished it with little coral pieces. round shell. and turquoise beads.

I'm really happy with how it turned out and I hope Cathy is too.

As per my usual, I've procrastinated on a deadline project until just in time, aka, JIT.

I just finished a piece for the local art gallery Art Beat for it's annual color challenge. It hangs for a month at the gallery and will be for sale. It is made from a piece of hand dyed fabric that I reverse stenciled with a fresh leaf from my backyard. I then hand colored the leaves with a yellow Fabrico marker. It's quilted with a 1/4 inch straight stitch. The canvas is painted and "sponge" painted with a lighter tone using an onion bag for the tiny grid design. It's then stenciled with script in black paint. The inchies are hand stitched for embellishing. The other focal piece is a piece of glass that I made at a local shop called ,Glassy Lady.

I haven't thought of a name for it yet.

The Last Row

Today I start the last row for this quilt. This is a hint of the direction I'm going for the "ground". As I started my day doing my usual morning things such as dishes, laundry, beds, and general straightening up, I find that I have a wicked sinus headache and neck ache. I have about 16 inches to quilt today for the last row which really will take all day til dinner time. Before I finished last night, I created the last of the layering and planned to add a sprinkle of silk flowers along the bottom edge. My goal for this piece is for a floral whimsy. I've tried to come up with a name for this piece and it hadn't appeared until just now when I typed "Floral Whimsy". I've thought about it for days. Isn't that weird? I came close to asking for your opinion on a name.