Adding More Pattern to Painted Fabrics

                       I decided to add more pattern to the painted fabrics I made last week. These fabrics are to use in the modern improv quilt that I have started, so I carefully mixed colors that will complement the ones already in the quilt. 

I used a stencil for the one above. It's actually a piece of plastic

 used for catching leaves in your roof gutter.

On the one above I used a stamp.

On the one above I used a roller stamp with squiggly lines.

On the one above, I placed a rubber silicone hot pad under the fabric

and rolled ink on top using a spongy roller.

Painted and Printed Fabric Fun

 Had a great time in my studio barn this weekend creating more fabrics to use in my latest art quilt. I needed some more  turquoise and orange fabrics. So I decided to create some.

                                                 

                                              Here is my work station where I was mixing just the right colors.

                                        

                                                 Here are all the pieces with paint applied and drying.

This piece was painted and then scrunched up.

This piece was done use Arashi Shibori technique.

This  piece was accordion folded.

The one  above and below were painted and then scrunched up

and some rock salt was added.

The one above was done using arashi shibori technique

with a twist.

 

On the Design Wall Now

 It's been awhile since I last posted on my blog. After finishing the crocheted fabric purse, I just wasn't feeling very motivated and in a funk due to all the negative stuff going on in our country. And, why bother making quilts that I can't show anywhere. Why bother dying more fabric, when I am running out of room storing the fabric I've already created? 

But then the urge to create struck again and here's what's up on my design wall now. 

Finished Crocheted Fabric Strips Purse

 Yesterday I finished my crocheted fabric strips purse. This is the second one I've made. It has been a good COVID project because I could just grab my bag of supplies and tools and sit outside with different folks to enjoy catching up with them in a socially distanced manner. Due to the repetitive quality of crocheting or knitting a  large rectangle, it is a relaxing activity. 

It's fully lined with a inner pocket.  The step is done in macrame with cotton cord. I hadn't done any any macrame in twenty some years, but it came right back to me and was enjoyable to do. Below is a picture of the back side of the purse.

                                                    

Crocheted Purse from Leftover Quilt Fabrics

As with many quilters, I end up with mass quantities of leftover fabrics that are too small to fold up and store, but too nice to throw away.  I use them for making greeting cards and for crocheting purses, etc. For the purse I'm making now, I ripped strips from fabrics I've had forever, that don't interest me all that much any more. After crocheting them together, I needed to block the 'new fabric' because it was a bit 'wonky'. So here is my soon to be new purse stretched out on installation styrofoam drying and being stretch to a uniform size.  It's been one of those nice projects to keep handy in a bag and grab when I'm going out to sit and visit in the park with my friends social distancing during the pandemic.

Now I need to find some strong black upholstery trim to make the handle. Have been looking online but to no avail so far. We used to have two fabric/craft stores in San Luis Obispo that would have carried some but both are closed now. Might need to dye up some cotton canvas to use instead.

Fabric Christmas Cards

 Decided to play around with my many fabric scraps and make some Christmas cards. I glued scraps of fabric together on top of wax paper using gel medium and allowed them to dry. Next I cut Christmas tree shapes from the glued fabric strips. I cut sheet music that I bought at a thrift store many years ago for collage purposes and glued the fabric tree to that. Then it was glued to pre-made blank cards that I've had for years.

It was kind of fun to work in a different way and to make cards from materials I had. Sometimes I can't believe all the 'stuff' I have. I know many crafters and quilters like that. I don't want anything for Christmas this year (except for COVID to disappear). We've asked our children to not buy us anything this Christmas and to instead give to the local food bank or another worthy charity.

Ice Dyeing

 A few days ago I had some more fun with ice dyeing. It was a beautiful fall day and I hadn't been out to my lovely studio barn in awhile. The shirt below had been dyed previously and also had some stencil painting done on it, but I was still not crazy about it. The colors came out so intense. I love it now! 

I try to swim three times a week at an outdoor pool to help with my back pain. It's been a little bit chilly lately getting in and especially out of the pool so I bought a white terry cloth robe to keep me warm.  You know me, I couldn't keep all that fabric just plain white! It was a little bit challenging working with this amount of thick, wet fabric. I'm very pleased with the end result. I feel like I'm wearing Joseph's multi-colored coat! It's lovely to wrap up in after getting out of the pool.