Success At Last!

I am a novice dyer.  I had never touched dyes before this summer.  I have dyed lots of fabric. I have gotten some great gradations, but the patterned pieces I have done so far were not anything I could imagine using in a quilt. In fact there have been some pretty ugly pieces. These four pieces started out as boring pieces that bound and overdyed turned into something that I really like.  I think the definate lines of color across the fabric are very interesting.  I dipped half of the previously dyed peice in dye, added soda ash after 10 minutes, the set the other half down and added the other color of dye, followed by soda ash.  I can't wait to do some more!  I have several silk scarves twisted and tied, ready for the next dye day which I think is coming soon, since Nick is headed for Anchorage on Friday, and I can do whatever i want in the house for a few days.  Too bad I have to work!

First Gallery Sale!!

Sea Otters
22" x 42"

Although I have sold many quilts, this is my first sale through a gallery.  My quilts have languished on the walls in a gallery in Anchorage(they sent them back) and at the Artist's Eye, in Kodiak.  I went to see Kerry the other day to show her the silk scarves that I have been dyeing  and she greeted me with the news that my Sea Otter quilt had sold! 

Fireweed for Ingrid completed

Fireweed for Ingrid
I started this quilt last winter at the request of my youngest daughter, Ingrid.  She admired a similar quilt that I had made and asked that I make one for her.  I got stuck on the buds at the top of the stem and the quilt languished for several months.  Then the fireweed started blooming and I figured out how to do the tops with beads.  Today is her 23rd birthday, so I spent the afternoon doing the final stitching.  Happy Birthday, Ingrid!

A closeup of the blooms and the beaded buds at the top of the stalk.

More Evon Zerbetz

These quilts are what I have recently been working on.  I have several prints that are a result of a workshop in may with Alaskan printmaker Evon Zerbetz.  I am using them as a means of experimentation with different techniques.I don't know what I think about this black and red piece.  It was an experiment printing over the fused silk strips.  From a distance, the fish was kindof lost so i made a freezer paper stencil and overpainted with Lumiere bronze paint.  I haven't decided if I saved or ruined the quilt.  I had plans for some button sea creatures and beads on the borders around the foiled star fish.

I really like the quilting on this piece.  The border fabric is one of my first pieces of hand dyed fabric.  The organza shells will be filled with fibers and beads before this quilt is complete.

I am really pleased with the texture I achieved with the quilting on this piece.  Decisions, decisions...The original plan was to couch sea grass like fibers over the top.  I often go over the top with embellishments so am trying to hold back.  Sometimes simple is better.  Of course, all of these need binding or facing, whatever I decide to do.  i generally use binding, but on some of these pieces, I want to try facings, or perhaps a fused and turned false back  on those that I decide to bead or otherwise embelish.

I got Lyric Kinard's DVD in the mail yesterday.  I knew that I needed it!  i have been gathering together various surface design supplies over the last couple of months so it is great to have the visuals for ideas of what I want to make.  My brain is moving in so many different directions that it is difficult to know just where to begin.   While I am thinking and planning, it is great to have this pile of prints to work with.

Evon Zerbetz

Last month i was lucky enough to be able to participate in a printmaking workshop with Evon Zerbetz.  This was the real deal with 2 presses.  She taught the chine colle, a technique using specialty papers to add color to a black and white print.  With Evon's encouragement, I decided to work with fabric the second day of the workshop.  I decided that I wanted to stabilize my fabric with freezer paper during the printing process.  Rather than placing the paper on top of the linocut, she had me put the fabric on the bottom and linocut on top before running it through the press.  I also did some hand printing because I won't have a press to work with if I pursue this technique.  In the workshop, we used oil based printing ink.  It worked fine on the fabric although different fabrics took the ink better than others-silk was the best.  Anyway, this is the first quilt that I have made from my prints.  My daughter Kristin asked to see this quilt thus the reason for todays post!  I cut a large spiral stamp today, and have two smaller ones ready to cut.  Also dyed some more fabric today.  Did a great yellow-orange gradation and got some really nice dandelion pieces.  Having a great time with this, but eventually I need to make something.  I have burned through ten yards of fabric so far.

More Hand-dyes

 This photo is of a 6 step red gradation I did using Fire Red.

I dyed this piece in a pint jar with cobalt blue dye in the bottom and bright yellow on top.

This started as a previously dyed piece of fabric. I sewed sets of concentric circles, and put rubber bands on, as well.

I dyed it in dark green dye and this is what I got.  Dandilions is what it says to me.  I am happy.

Once again, a piece of previously dyde fabric.  I sewed concentric dome shaped lines and left the top without stitching so it would be a more solid color.

I dyed it with cobalt blue dye.  The photo isn't great- there is some detail from the stitching but not enough for all the work.  I think that next time, rather than immersing the peice in dye, I will lay it flat and pour the dye over it and try not to touch it!

Once again, previously dyed fabric.  This time I sewed a section across the fabric that was about 4 inches widebefore the threads were drawn tight and knotted off.

This was also dyed in cobalt blue.  I am happier with this piece.  I was trying for Northern Lights and this definately has potential.

reBlog from melanietesta.com: Online class give away.

I found this fascinating quote today:

It is time to drum up awareness of my upcoming Joggles class! Barbara at Joogles and I are giving away one free spot in my Let's Exchange some Art Class, which starts in just two short weeks.melanietesta.com, Online class give away., Jun 2010

You should read the whole article.