Snow Dyed - Hand Dyed Cotton Fabric

Well, I promised finished pictures of my snow dyed fabric and here it is! I'm thrilled with the results and now I wish I had done more!
This first picture is of two 1/2 yard pieces of 100% cotton, previously soaked in Soda Ash water, on an old window screen with snow piled on top.

Second picture: with dyes squirted on top - colors: Fuchsia, Purple, Yellow and Chartreuse.

Pictures 3 & 4: one of the 1/2 yard pieces complete, after washing and ironing. I love the way the snow moved the colors, they look like they just explode into each other.


Pictures 5 & 6: second 1/2 yard of fabric with results just as beautiful as the first!

Even though I love the warm Texas weather, now I'm going to look forward to our rare snow days and maybe even attempt this process with my snow cone machine!
These two pieces, plus the hand dyes I previously posted about have been added to my ArtFire Studio - StudioJules, along with the Old Alton Bridge art quilt.
Enjoy! Spring is here, the windows are open and cardinals are singing!

Dyeing Fabric on Saturday

I spent the day Saturday dyeing fabric. I have several books on dyeing, so I just kind of took from all of them and did some experimenting. The turquoise fabric is going to be a new jacket from a pattern I bought last week at the Dallas Quilt Celebration. The Fuchsia fabric is beautiful. I just love that color! The Chartreuse fabric looks so soft and very modeled. I added a salt water mixture to the Chartreuse dye mix, that may have added caused the dye to move differently in the fabric, I really like the movement. I also over-dyed some pink silk that I purchased several years ago. I think the deeper color looks very rich.
The Fuchsia has some modeling in it, but not as much as the Chartreuse.
I over-dyed a piece of commercial fabric in the turquoise, along with the PFD fabric. I want to use it as the back of the jacket I am going to make. I also tied one piece of the turquoise to give the lines across it. Hopefully this is enough for the collar of the jacket.
Well, my next posting will be on the snow dyeing I did yesterday. Since is snowed Saturday night I was able to test this process out too! Need to go set the fabric to dry!
Stay tuned for the next post!

Sunflower with a Passion for Color

I finished!!!! I finally finished beading "Sunflower with a Passion for Color" yesterday morning, just in time to visit the quilt appraiser. I'm really pleased with the way this quilt evolved. All hand painted fabrics, hand dyed fiber for the center and hand beaded...and beaded...and beaded.....
Today I filled out the form to enter this quilt and Mexican Sunflower in Batik in the IQA "In Full Bloom" exhibit. Now it is time to keep our flower petals crossed!
Next on the list is a quilt I am creating for a charity that supports Downs Syndrome kids. I'll tell you more about it when I get further on it, but it is designed and sketched out. This afternoon I'm going to set some fabrics to dye and discharge some fabrics that I bought several years ago and haven't done anything with. We'll see what happens, so stay tuned!

Dallas Area Fiber Artists Exhibit at the Dallas Quilt Celebration

Friday kicks off the 2010 Dallas Quilt Celebration and the Dallas Area Fiber Artists have a wonderful exhibit showcasing the different works of our members. Today I helped with the setup of the exhibit and it is wonderful! I had taken my "Sunflower with a Passion for Color" quilt with me to add some beads to it if I had time while we were waiting for our group to submit their artwork. You know how it is, you always have to take something to work on or a book to read, no matter where you go or what you do! Anyway, we ended up needing a couple of extra pieces, so I added some more beads and then hung it up! I'm so excited! The other pieces I have in the show are my Old Alton Bridge, Mexican Sunflower and Sunflower Shawl. These call all be seen on my website or my gallery that is linked to my blog.
If you are in the Dallas area, it is worth the time to come to the show and see all the wonderful quilts and the DAFA exhibit!

Ideas for the Day

Well, I enjoyed my journey through my Georgia O'Keeffe book yesterday. I concentrated on the simplicity, definition and movement with her work. Some were very simple lines, others had a story to tell. What struck me and is sticking with me is "less can be more". Sometimes I get into a quilt process and think "Oh, I need to add more beads, or more paint, or more thread", when sometimes, I just need to leave it alone and let it stand on its own.
Today I'm going to finish beading my "Sunflower with a Passion for Color" quilt. I have a few quilts in my wall that I need to start on, maybe I use my "less is more" thought process on those. Who knows!

Igniting My Creativity Today

I had sinus surgery a couple of days ago. My sinus issues have really dampened my creativity, so today is going to be a new day! Even though I am still under the weather a bit I'm going to spend the day enjoying my book Georgia O'Keeffe Museum - Celebrating Ten Years 1997-2007 and glean for inspirations. Hopefully it will inspire me to do some sketching today.
My latest quilt "Sunflower with a Passion for Color" is almost complete. I am adding beads to the center and when it is complete I will post a picture of it. Maybe Georgia will inspire me to bead today too. Who knows!
I hope each one of you has a creative and beautiful day! If the sun is shining, open the blinds and let it in! I am!