Dabbling in Dye

I've recently taken an interest in playing with some new ideas in my quilts.  Everything from screenprinting to dyeing. It started with an idea to make a watercolor quilt.  

It hasn't been as easy to get started as I had hoped.  Lots of new supplies needed before getting to the sewing machine.  So, I've collected screen printing supplies, Procion dyes, lots of crazy chemicals that go with the dyes, dye-na-flow, paintbrushes, odd extra items from the kitchen... And the list goes on.  Now, hopefully I can put all of this stuff to work.    It's time consuming and you need space to work... And children are a bad idea to try and work with or around.  

I had some friends over a couple Saturdays ago and we tested some techniques.  Tie dyeing, ice dyeing, and dyenaflow.  I have sooo many ideas and a craft fair coming up in November -- so -- I'm trying to wrap my head around new ideas, quickly!

I'm really looking forward to trying more techniques, and color combos!  Tomorrow, I'm hoping to paint with dyenaflow.  I have a palette picked out and just need to decide on design?!  Ahhh!!  Never enough time and ALL the ideas.  (I also just read you can paint with the Procion dyes so I may do that too!--just that small detail about soda ash.)

Outfoxed Forest

Outfoxed Forest was started while on retreat with KMQG in October 2014.  Just started with some fun paper pieced wonky triangles from Nancy Purvis.  Pattern here.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclingjanes/16489693233/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclingjanes/16922281610/in/dateposted-public/

Started: October 2014
Finished: April 2015
Fabrics: Lizzy House, Outfoxed, Pearl Bracelets Coordinating prints from Tula Pink, Denyse Schmidt, Carolyn Friedlander, Sarah Watson, solid scraps
Batting: Pellon, Nature's Touch, 100% cotton with scrim, white
Binding: Sunburst stripe, wheat, Dear Stella
Quilted: by me, dense alternating zigzag
Thread: Aurifil 50, 4653, Spring Prairie, variegated

This quilt was a fun exploration of improv.  I wanted to highlight the foxes and hedgehogs from Lizzy House's fabric line, Outfoxed.  I had a lot of fun making this quilt and moving it around on my design wall before piecing the low volume background around it.  This quilt hung in the 2015 Smoky Mountain Quilter's Quilt Show and won Honorable Mention in the Modern Category.  The part I love most about this quilt is how vintage it feels and soft.  It is for sale in my etsy shop.

Rainbow Sawtooth Star and Greek Plus

I just finished reading the article from the MQG about derivative quilts and I'm perplexed and discouraged and I'm sure many others of you are too.  I just think this is too far.  --- but that's a whole other blog entry.

I really wanted to share with you this Lizzy House Rainbow quilt I finished early this year!

Started:  February 2016

Finished:  March 2016

Fabrics:  80 Lizzy House charms from our guild swap, plus a couple other prints to round out the rainbow, cotton couture soft white.
Batting: Pellon, Nature's Touch, 100% cotton with scrim, white

Backing: Lizzy House tonal Pearl bracelet
Binding: scrappy Lizzy house remnants

Thread: aurifil 50, 2021

FMQ meander pattern

I started this quilt making HST out of my 5" charms from a guild swap.  I wasn't really paying any attention to colors or values just started piecing them together so I could play with the HST shape.  I decided on sawtooth stars in color groupings.  While I was piecing these, I decided I didn't like the empty space between the stars so I added 4.5" sawtooth stars.

Then, I wanted it to be a little bigger, and the plus shape created by sawtooth star caught my eye... I wanted to repeat that shape.  So then I took the rest of my charms and made 4.5" pluses!

I pieces those as a border in rainbow order and also thinking about the values of the prints.  

There's a 2.5" strip between the stars and pluses and then, the pluses and binding.  This quilt is for sale in my etsy shop!

One more blogged another bazillion to go.  JK 

Transparency Quilt 1

I wish I could keep better records of my quilts, so I'm going to try and get some details down before I forget!  

Started: January 2016

Finished:  March 2016

Fabrics: Kona oyster (background), assorted solids from my stash, freespirit, Bella, modern solids from Alissa H. Carlton, moda crossweaves, cotton couture.  I don't discriminate. Wink wink.

Backing: Amy Butler, Meadow Bloom in Minty and Lizzy House Tonal Pearl Bracelet

Binding: Kona Oyster

Batting: Pellon natures touch, white, 100% cotton with scrim (my favorite, very low loft, love the drape)

Thread: Aurifil 50, 2000, light sand

Pieced and quilted by myself.

(Photo below by Alison McQuain Photography, quilt hanging in KMQG Show at Striped Light)

I made this quilt based on a design from my friend, Ashley Pace's Color Theory class.  She teaches classes at the University of Tennessee, College of Art and Design.  I love the designs that come from her classes.  She uses Color Aid papers to create color illusions.  (I hope to make more transparency quilts!-- but, I'm getting ahead of myself.)

I decided on four colors and used the shape from her class as my jump off point.

I also decided, I wanted it to be very organic and free, so I went ruler free for cutting.  This included trimming around the edge before binding.  For each color block, I started by drawing on paper the overlapping rectangles.  This helped me to visualize the end result.  After I made the four color blocks, I had thought I'd over lap those four again.  See below:

But I wasn't sold on it.  I struggled and just waited a bit.  During February, Season Evans, had a challenge with the Mighty Lucky Quilting Club.  She spoke about subtraction and minimalism.  I knew at that moment, the middle had to come out.  Stephanie Ruyle (spontaneousthreads) suggested I off center the colored blocks within the background, of course I listened!  So, I subtracted the middle and cut more Kona oyster and repieced the top.  I've never regretted it.

Then, it came down to the quilting...  I looked into other Josef Albers works (thanks Michelle Bolt!) to help with inspiration for the free motion quilting design.  I found several that led me to my final design:

I love this quilt.  I'm hoping to enter it in the 2017 QuiltCon show.  Fingers crossed.

Eli's January Quilt

I started this quilt early in 2015 using Liz Havartine's pattern for LAMQG block of the month, January.  I put in a lot of hours on this bad boy: starting with cutting the crazy templates to piecing LOTS of curves.  

I made 42 blocks and added a border to make sure it was a good FULL sized quilt to fit his bed.  I went with something super scrappy but with limited colors in orange, teal, lime, brown, black, navy.

I sent the quilt to Christina Lane, sometimescrafter for custom quilting.

It turned out so perfect!  It's bound and washed an was on his bed by the end of December. -- More of a Christmas present to myself than my 4 year old. 

2015 (Very Belated) Round Up

Towards the end of 2015, I wrapped up several projects and it felt great getting them finished and several gifted for Christmas.  

I made two Diamond Pane quilts using the pattern from the book, Vintage Quilt Revival.  One for my moms best friend and another commissioned by a friend from high school.  They turned out so great in Amy Butler fabrics. 

Then, I finished up a quilt made from receiving blankets for my friend Sara.  I added in one fun print to add some extra color.  I used receiving blankets on the back as well.  It turned out pretty heavy but extra soft.

This scrappy vortex (tutorial by crazymomquilts) was made up of all scraps, unfortunately, it barely made a dent.  It was posted on Instagram and my pottery teacher from many years ago snatched it up!  She plays 'I spy' with her grandchildren using it. 

Then, I finished two for Christmas gifts, one for my parents and one for Eli's big boy bed.  

My mom's was a long time WIP.  I used Anna Maria Horner's free Mother Goose pattern in Flea Market Fancy and Charley Harper fabrics.  I free motion quilted a sharp jagged meander this time and really like how it turned out.  Then, bound it in a cotton and steel crosshatch cut on the bias, it makes cool x's on the binding.

I'll post more on Eli's full January Quilt next!