Fabric Dying and Fabric screen printing

I am taking two classes from Quilt University. The first started on Friday. It is Freeform Screen Printing with Lyric Kinard. She wrote this book, that I am also reading. I got the remainder of  my supplies in the mail today. Yea!  Last week I got a lot of the paint I need for the screen printing class. I ordered more than I needed. I bought a lot of sampler palettes so I could have a variety of colors. Most are opaque paints, some are labeled as Inks, I am not sure about the difference yet.  I am sure that I will have a lot of fun. Today the screen and the dyes arrived.

Paints

Dyes and Screen

So I am going to spend the evening getting my screen ready to do my first printing.

The second class, Quilters Pallette, a dying class, with Marjie McWilliams. She blogs here.  It starts this Friday. I will be busy with really fun stuff. I bought some fabric at Joann's yesterday with a 50% coupon. I bought some Kona Cotton, I just need to wash and dry (scour) to make it ready for either the dye or the screening.

Oh! So Exciting....

Saturday, I went over Pam's and we dyed some fabric. Wonderful colors. Nice soft shades of blue. Bottom one is Turquoise.

We stamped on one piece. I came home and added some rubbings with Shiva Sticks to a piece that I sponge dyed. Here is a piece of it. The stamp paint was black, gold, bronze and green. I used gold, bronze and black Shiva Sticks.

I'm making it into a pillow. Here is the top, I haven't quilted it yet.

I also used a stencil on a piece and rubbed it with the Shiva Sticks and made a pillow from it. I just quilted around the edges of the stencil. The center one I quilted around the edges of the stencil parts. So cool.

Front

Back quilted with a nice batik.

Sunday night I used the dyes that I have and some Kona White cotton and dyed some 1/2 yard pieces. The dyes are straight colors, no mixing to make the color. Here are the results.

Laipis, Golden Brown, Jade Green, Periwinkle, New Emerald Green, Soft orange, Orchid and Rose Red.

Monday night I went to the Brighton Modern Quilt Guild meeting and Kathy had some reciently dyed fabric. She is great. She wrote this wonderful book. She had 8 or 10 pieces of fabric that were dyed in the same dye bucket. She explained the process. So tonight I tried it with the dyes that I have. I used the same dyes as I did on the pieces above. I mixed up 1/2 tsp dye in 1 cup water with 1 1/2 tsp soda ash. I put one piece of fabric in a bucket and poured the rose red dye over the fabric. I added another piece and added the next dye. I did this for 8 pieces of fabric. I don't remember the order of the dyes. The results are Wonderful. I let them sit for 2 hours, then rinsed the fabric, washed and dryed and WOW!!! Each piece is amazing. They all have such a variety of color combinations it is amazing. I can't wait to try it with some other colors.

 I will try more and change the order of the dyes. I am sure the results will be different and just as wonderful.

Orange Dreams

I started with the idea of a new quilt from here. One of Oh Fransson's quilts. I had some orange strips and I thought they would be fabulous. Orange is my new favorite color. So I got nine colors, and sewed them together into strips and cut them into blocks of three.

Then layed them out into 9 patch blocks. Great.

But I only had 12 blocks, only 6 are above.  

So I went back to the quilt store to buy some more 'scraps' to make more blocks. I had some scraps but not enough. So I bought 6 more fabrics, only 1/4 yard. I used majority of the fabric so not so many scraps left.

More 3 patch, layed out into 9 patch blocks. I know have plenty. The second set of strips were longer so I have many more blocks then I needed.The extra will become something else...

I found that even those little pieces that I would have normally thrown away, I sew back together and make yet another potholder.

After adding the additional new 'scrap' blocks, I had some more left overs and made a couple more potholders. I have shown these before here.

I just need to sew the 3 patch into 9 patch and pair it up with a plain block and we will have a quilt top.

Productive Vacation

Just got back from a visit with family in Pennsylvania. I took the bookmark size weavette with me and wove 31 bookmarks.

It looks impressive but there is a reflection in the glass table.

I will sell them in the next guild sale. They take about 15 minutes to make.

Bummer!!!!!!!

This is my right hand. I have carpel tunner syndrom. I have had it for many years. But have controlled the sysptoms by just watching what I have been doing and stretching my neck and shoulders. Well...

I have been hand sewing many binding on potholders or quilts and my hand is on fire. I woke up wed night with my hand hurting. And it continued thru the week. Of course I didn't stop doing things. I didn't make the association with the hand sewing and the hurt.

Yesterday I was out making the round of my favorite fabric stores and it hit me Why, hand sewing. My Hand was hurting so bad that I had to stop at the drug store and get a splint. I spent the night with ice bags wrapped to BOTH hands cause the hurt so much. Even this typing hurts. Hopefully I can get to the Dr. this week.

Quilt ready for binding

I sent 8 tops to the quilter to be quilted a couple months ago. And I got 6 back on last Saturday.

I am so happy to get them back. I let the quilter decide what design to put on them. I am disappointed with only one. Also, the bobbin tension was off on her machine and the backs of the quilts really show it, so I am not happy with that. She still has 2 to do, and is waiting to get the problem fixed before she does those, which I am greatful for.

Here is the binding, going on the first top that I pieced.

I have completed the hand sewing and the final products looks like this.

The fabric was a jelly roll that I bought at Joann's over the December Holiday's last year. It was the first one that I had pieces. I remember staying up late and saying, Just one more seam, Just one more block, until I said heck I will just finish it. The quilting is nice also. Swirls.

I added a strip of the binding as part of the backing, just to be more modern.

Amazing Find

I was moving some containers in the basement, where my sewing area is, and I found the following completed stuff. Well, they just need some backing, batting, and Quilting.

This runner I remember doing. I even have another one that is half done, the red strip area in the center. I have no recollection of working on the other ones.

The birdhouses is small and will become a pillow. It looks like it was paper pieced.

This other one is larger and I don't know what to do with it yet. It is 29" square, maybe a wall hanging. Very Patriotic.

More potholders

I made a couple more potholders. These are going to James. I had not given him the other ones yet, haven't seen him at work for a while. When I added the border to these, I knew I had to change which ones I was giving him.

I am working on an Orange 9 patch quilt. So I had some leftovers. They are great to these small items. Plus it gives me an opportunity to practice some quilting. I am justing doing straight quilting with a walking foot. I will eventually get the courage to try free motion more seriously.

Update - I gave them to James this morning. He said, "Oh these will go great in my Kitchen!" Yea! he liked them.