More Eco-Dyeing with Leaves

I'm still working at it.  I gathered some leaves this afternoon.  I bundled them up in white silk scarves and now they are cooling down in the dye pot.  I used red cabbage as the dye.  Time will tell.  I have to wait until tomorrow when I unwind, rinse, dry and take a look.  It will be washed in gentle detergent and hung to dry.  Then comes the iron.  Keeping fingers crossed.

BEAUTIFUL OCTOBER IN NEW ENGLAND!

The fall in New England is just so beautiful!  We've had some great sunny days to enjoy the fantastic fall foliage. I took a trip to the White Mountains National Park with a fellow friend/photographer.  We had a great time.  So many stops along the way to catch another great shot, one after the other!  We also took a 10 minute walk up a hill to view a lovely waterfall.  It was a perfect day for photos.  Here are a few of my shots from the day. Enjoy!

I've also been having fun doing some "Eco-Dyeing".  Please see my previous post.  I've been out gathering more leaves and flowers for more dyeing projects and I'll be back to share photos soon.


Play a Little Each Day!
Peace,
Diane in NH

September is Half Over!

I can't believe it, where did September go?  I've been reading a Blog by India Flint.  She does Eco Dyeing with plants including leaves and berries. I just love her things. I decided to give it a try yesterday so here is my process and the results.

#1 I used a 100% silk scarf for my project.  I picked some leaves and flowers from my garden.  Zinnia, Rose Leaves and some others.  I dampened the scarf and laid some of the plant material across one side.  Then I folded the other side on top.  The scarf is now folded in half lengthwise.

#2  I carefully rolled the scarf on to a piece of branch Ronnie had cut for me.  It needed to fit into my dye pot.

#3  I tied up the bundle with some strong string, around and around with a few leaves placed on top before adding the string.

#4  I placed the bundle in boiling water with some beet juice and onion skins added for color.  I didn't want the white of the scarf to remain pure white. :)  Boiled this with cover on for 1 hour.  Turned off the heat and let it sit to cool down overnight.  Patience is the name of the game here.

#5   This morning I removed the string, cleaned off the plant material, dried the scarf, then ironed it.
I was disappointed more of the leaves didn't seem to print.  The Zinnia leaves did print and I'm happy with that.  Some pieces of flowers printed a bit but not really attractive. I like the marks the string made at the bottom of one edge. (see below)

 This was an interesting project and I may do another using all zinnia leaves, we'll see.  Remember to Play a Little Each Day!

Peace,
Diane

August, A Busy Summer Month

We are participating in two Farmers'/Crafters' Markets this summer.  One on Saturday morning and another on Thursday afternoons.  I've sold some photographs and note cards as well as a couple of my wall hangings.  Ronnie has sold many of his hand crafted wooden spoons and other utensils to satisfied customers.

I made another small wall hanging, 16"x 16", using one of my photographs as a transfer onto fabric.  I used TAP paper as the transfer paper because I like that the fabric shows through after the transfer is ironed on.  It just makes the fabric appear to be a bit darker.  I also printed the words on to TAP and transferred them. I know the saying is "Lady Bug, Lady Bug, Fly Away Home", but I used artistic license and used "Little Bird".  I have no affiliation to Lesley Riley's TAP paper, I just like the product.

The piece is machine pieced and quilted.  The small nest with eggs was cut from commercial fabric and secured with wonder under light.  I had bought the bird, eggs and feather fabric some time ago and when I thought about this photograph, I knew what fabric I would use.  I think it works well and I'm pleased with the final result.

Peace and Remember to Play A Little Each Day!

Diane 

Fair Time and I Made a Sale!

I sold a Wall Hanging at the Hebron Fair. I sold two pieces of my fiber art at the fair last year.  This piece was one of my first in a series I called "Leaves I".  I seem to use leaves quite a bit as a theme in my art quilts.   I'll miss this one but there are more to come. The size of this one is approx. 16x20".  Hand screen printed, Hand dyed, Stenciled fabric along with some commercial batiks. Machine quilted.

Remember to Play a Little Each Day!
Diane

JULY IS A TIME TO PLAY!

Today I decided to print some fabric with my Gelli plate using Textile Paints.

First I gathered some stencils, a vegetable masher and paint to make marks on the Gelli plate.  I pressed fabric onto the plate and lifted to find the design.  It's always a treat to see what happens.  I will use these printed fabrics in future wall hangings.

 

I went outside and picked some leaves off from my Hosta

Plant and printed more using the Gelli Plate.  I printed on to some 

textured silk.  These will make a nice hanging.

The one below was printed on commercial cotton.

Enjoy Your Week and Remember....to Play A Little Each Day!

Peace!

Diane

June a Busy and Beautiful Month

This month I have been a vendor at two farmer's markets each week.  The new one we took on this year is in Laconia, NH, the Lakes Region near Lake Winnipesaukee.  A very nice area with many summer  homes and rentals on the lake.  This one we do on Thursday afternoons.  The other market is one we have participated in for about 5 years.  It is also located near one of NH's most beautiful lakes, Newfound Lake in Bristol, NH. The market in Bristol moved this year and we are right next to a river and near a walking path that takes you up to the lake.  So far we are very pleased with the move.  It has better parking and the people visiting seem to like the new area too.  I'm selling my photographs and note cards and Ronnie is selling his hand crafted wooden utensils, boxes, shawl/hair pins, vases and More!  We are seeing repeat customers who have told us they just love the things they have bought.  Today one woman told Ronnie it's the only wooden spoon she owns, and it's perfect, she uses it all the time.  We love to hear that!

The end of the school year for three of my grandchildren.  Two of them will be seniors next year, where does time go?  We have plans for family cookouts and beach days that I'm very much looking forward to.
I have been working on three new wall hangings using some of my own painted and stamped fabric, some of the indigo fabric I dyed and another using all batiks.  With this beautiful sunny weather I should be sun printing and rusting some fabric for my stash. Here's one that started out a little larger than I liked.  It doesn't look like this anymore, I'm much happier with the changes I've made.  But this will give you an idea of my process on my design board.  I'll post a photo of it all finished next month.

Here's the wall-hanging I promised to post.  It doesn't look much like the one on my design  board but I've decided this works best.  I copied the rollerskate key from a picture on line and transferred it to cotton fabric, added a ball chain and I love how that works!

Work is almost finished in the garden.  Of course weeding is never done!  Cucumber, squash and tomato plants look good and my herb garden has lavender blossoming.  My iris are done blooming.  They are so beautiful and just don't last long enough.  This photograph will be a note card available now.

That's a brief update for this month.
Remember to play a little every day!
Cheers! Diane

The Making of Moda Batiks, A Video from You Tube

I found this on You Tube and found it very interesting.  I disliked the music so muted it while I watched.  We use gloves and masks when working with dyes and soda ash.  As you will see, these workers do not.
They make beautiful fabric and this shows you just how much work goes into making those beautiful Moda Batiks!

Finally Spring Time!

I love the month of May, the snow is gone and spring has sprung!

Mayflowers, one of my favorites!

MQX New England: Nice Quilt Show

Friday I went to the New England Machine Quilter's Exposition in Manchester, NH.  I went specifically because I knew Pro-Chem was a vendor there and I wanted more supplies to "play" with.  All of the quilts in this show are machine quilted.  Some are done on the regular home sewing machines and others on quite large "long arm" quilt machines.  They had many companies there promoting their machines with quilters happy to give them a try.  The newest long arm machines can come fully loaded with computerized patterns.  You choose a pattern for your quilt on the screen, press the button and the machine will quilt for you.  This doesn't really interest me (even if I could afford one), because what I like about making my quilts is the process.  Granted, I don't machine quilt large quilts, I usually send those out but I did buy a Handi-Quilter when they first appeared and set it all up to use.  I think I used it twice.  Just not my cup of tea I guess.  It's available for a very reasonable price if you know anyone who would want one.  You use your home machine on the set up.

Back to the show.  They have a special exhibit of vintage quilts that have been machine quilted by professionals.  They were lovely.  They gave each of the quilters a vintage quilt top and told them to quilt as desired.

I tried to make a slide show but I had trouble downloading it.  So here is a link to a Google album with the pictures.

Here's one to whet your appetite.

Play a Little Every Day!
Diane

Happy Spring!

Our snow is finally melting!  It's been one cold and snowy winter for us.  Here's a picture of our first day of spring. :(

Temps are up now and rain expected so I may see my garden soon.

I took a class at the New England Quilt Museum this past Saturday and had a great time.  Indigo Shibori dyeing.  Love it!  Very good instructor (Carol Anne) and a pleasant group of woman.  One of my dyed pieces of cotton is shown in the last picture.

The exhibit at the museum was quilts from Japan.  And they are just beautiful and breathtaking.

I especially liked this one done in all silks.

Look at the piecework and quilting on the houses quilt!  Amazing.

Enjoy your day and
remember to play a little today!

Diane

Look What Came in The Mail Today!

I commented on another Blog to be in a drawing for some modeling creme...and won!  My prize came today in a clever wrapping and some other little goodies added.  Thanks so much, I'll put it all to great use in my mixed media work.  Stop by her shop on the net at ArtisticArtifacts.com.

Today is the last day of my photo and fiber art exhibit at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord.  We'll be taking  it down tomorrow and I'm searching for another place to display since I have everything all set.  Ronnie's wood works will be taken down too.  It was a pleasure working with Claudette, many thanks to her for inviting us.

 

That's all for now.

   Play a Little Every Day!

    Diane

More Fun With Fabric in 2014

Fun News:  There is a display of my photographs and fiber art at the New Hampshire Technical Institute Library in Concord, NH. The display also includes some of Ronnie's hand crafted wooden creations.  I've sold one fiber art piece that I know of and I'm very pleased at the positive response the display has gotten. r For a few years now, some of my friends have encouraged me to show my fiber art but up until this year I was reluctant to do so.  I don't make them to show or sell.  I make them because I love the process, from start to finish!  The college had a nice article about the exhibit in their on line newsletter.  I think I might like to do another exhibit in the future.

What am I up to these days??  Well, I have been dyeing more fabric as well as trying a new quilt piecing technique.  Working in the basement and on the second floor!  My exercise lately has been the stairs!  I don't know how anyone could be bored.  I have so many ideas and things I want to try with fabric, mixed media and photos, I'm afraid I will never have enough time!
Snow Dyeing is on the agenda for this week, we've certainly had enough SNOW!   Over a foot of the white stuff just this week.

Take Care & Peace!
Diane

Fun, Fun, Fun Fabric

Look what arrived in my mailbox today!  I was the prize winner (see last post) chosen from 150 entries!

And now I get to play with them.  What to do?  Decisions, decisions.:)

I've had fun this past week dyeing more cotton.  Here's a picture of three pieces I did.

 The pieces on each end were done with snow dyeing and the middle one was done with a fold technique using clothespins to hold the folds.  To me it looks almost like stars in the sky.  I have done some Shabori and used a soy wax resist on it, new to me.  Quilting Arts has an article in their most recent magazine. I'll be checking to  see how I did later today.

I have some UFO's I'm trying to get caught up on and I'm working on another art quilt featuring roller skates.  The metal ones that we attached to our shoes back a few years ago.  I just loved roller skating!

If you'd like to leave a comment, just click on the "no comments" and it will open for you to leave one.:)

Peace,
Diane