Snow dyeing

I have been making the most of this grim weather! Each time it has snowed I have been out and tried some samples of snow dyeing! The internet is wonderful, so many different "recipes" to choose from, but as this was my 1st attempt I went for a straight forward version from Nancy S Breland from Prochemical & Dye in USA, using Procion Dye, where I guess they get to try this more regularly!
I had one length of fabric pre-soaked in Soda Ash so used that and set further lengths to soak.
Our 1st snowfall was deep but it started thawing in the morning so by the time I got to it, it was a bit granular.
I used an old collander and a deep plastic food store so the dye would drain into a contained space.

I added a little snow at the bottom and added the scrunched up fabric. I then added piles of snow on top and poured on a mixture of Turquoise dye and a Blue/black mix. I then folded the whole container up in the plastic sheeting and put it out of the way in the kitchen. I was a little messy - lessons learned but no damage done to anything.
24hrs later I emptied the dye and washed out the fabric. I had not quite accounted for the diluting effect of the snow so the resulting fabric is a little pale, subtle I should say.

Now, this morning we had fresh snow again so again I set up the box and collander but this time the snow was lighter.
Using magenta and blue/black this time.

Wrapped it up and am leaving it until tomorrow.
However, curiosity killed the cat - and I had a peek to see what was happening:

Interesting!
Can't wait for the morning.

CQ 10 samples

I have been playing with the possibilities of using some Lutrador. Using the wheel image from the source material.
I have used painted Lutrador, painted Vilene and painted stitch and tear for the wheels on a painted Lutrador base over cotton.

  I have then looked at combining it with stitching. Most pieces have been appliqued onto the Lutrador, but other shapes have been machine embroidered or outline stitched.

It was a mistake to add wadding and a backing at this point, it would have been better to have just stitched through the blue fabric and Lutrador.
Once I had stitched all the elements I then used a heat gun to distress the Lutrador. I really like the way it disintegrates and the lacy patterns it creates, allowing a backing colour to show through.

The result of these experiments is that I know I want to include some Lutrador in the background, I may use some for the appliquéd shapes but some of the background will be a hand dyed cotton fabric. More experiments needed on how to combine all these elements together.

CQ 10

It is amazing what leaving a picture and samples pinned to the wall does! I had been thinking in one direction and am now pursuing a new line, just on the basis of repeatedly seeing the textiles displayed before me!
That is the beauty of a challenge - forcing one to try ideas that  would not normally get an airing.
The pained Lutrador that was destined to be cut into wheels and applied may now be a whole cloth background - and fabric I had dyed (badly) for another project now seems to be an ideal backing for the Lutrador

and a freezer paper cut out chimney with a small amount of Markal stitch to define one edge and the base may well work too.

I've had a great creative, eye opening day!

Signing off 2011 JQs

I thought it would be interesting to look at the full set of 2011 JQs together. I had at the outset planned them as a loose set, sharing theme, colour palette and  fabrics. The thread of colour runs through them all but my button quilts have let me down. A sad case of the theme running away with me, and my leaving my brain behind! Now that I have finished them, I can see the possibilities that could have been.
Message to self - don't over think things - keep ideas simple - let the fabrics do the talking.
I'm not going to join the JQ challenge this year, already part of a group challenge using red, so will comcentrate on that and some larger pieces this year along with CQ10, quite enough I think.

Contemporary Quilt is 10 years old!

The Contemporary Quilt group of the Quilter's Guild celebrates it's 10th birthday this year and to mark this event members have been set a challenge! We have to use the photo below as the inspiration for a piece of work which measures no more than 500cm in perimeter. The content comes from wedding anniversaries with Tin being 10 and this being a tin mine!

So I have been playing with elements of this to create my piece. I want to use the wheel as this is so much part of the industrial revolution and all forms of mining, the pit head etc. I also like the sloping sides of the chimney and could use that general shape for the quilting.

The next problem was what sort of fabrics to use. The rough texture of stone and hard metal suggests a slubby weave and the colour of the local stone suggests a creamy brown. With intricate shapes to cut out for the wheel I'm going to use lutrador as this wont fray and I can paint it to get the colours I want. This is my first small scale practice piece.

Lots to think about so its up on the wall for a few days while I audition elements and come up with a final piece.

January JQ

Well, I have finally managed to complete my 12 JQs for 2011! A great sense of achievement and an acknowledgement that working to someone else's agenda forces one to try out things one would would not touch with a barge pole otherwise! I love working with circles and with text and was slow to appreciate the minimum amount of text I could have worked with and therefore the potential to have tweaked the initial rocks theme. The button quilts represent a very low point in my stitching life and that has coloured my thoughts about signing up for another year of JQs. The theme for Jan - May is 75%Red and with the "Full Circle" project also requiring the use of red, I think "Full Circle" is going to be my only Red foray in 2012. The photo shows the finished January JQ.

January JQ planning

My ideas for a January button JQ are noticeable by their absence! So I am falling back on a very simple appliqué design and some rather striking triangular buttons! I had plastic bag dyed the legs of a pair of old linen trousers some months ago, but done nothing with the fabric. I like the rough texture and bright colour and the narrow width of the fabric is just about right for a 10" square. Linking this piece to the earlier Petra pieces I've used 2 other dyed and printed fabrics.

I then looked for a complete contrast and thought of a yellow silk, shot with fuchsia which looks great with its edges frayed. Smaller pieces needed, to balance the 1st shapes.

Having played with the proportion of the applied shapes I then looked at where to place the buttons.

Now I just need time to actually do the stitching!