Fiber Art Wall Hangings

I'm working on a couple of wall hangings that just need a bit more before they are finished!  I have an idea for another one so I have to get these done!!!

A friend of mine, Bill Moore gave me permission to use one of his wonderful photos in a wall hanging.  I loved the colors in the photo and knew it would work well with some black fabric I had discharged about a year ago.  Here it is, almost done.  I plan to add some hand stitching to the rust dyed area of the quilt.  I might even sew on a few stones to give it more texture.  We'll see.

Bill's Photograph/Rocks at the Shore

Eco Printing/Dyeing Silk Scarves and Beautiful Fall Colors in New England

I have been reading information on dyeing with natural dyes.  I bought two new books from Amazon and they will be good reference books for me as I experiment to see what colors I can get with food, flowers and leaves.  So far I really like what I get with red cabbage, tansy flowers and jewel weed.  I have rust dyed some silk scarves and after they are dried, I proceeded to bundle them with plants and flowers and put them in a dye pot to simmer.  I'm learning about mordants, when to use them, when they aren't necessary etc.  I tried dyeing some lightweight wool last week after soaking the wool in a mordant of alum and cream of tartar.  I didn't get the result I was hoping for so I will work on that.

Here's a collection of some of the scarves I have made in recent weeks.  The one on the left was transferred dyed using men's silk neckties.  The third one was dyed using autumn leaves as the print material rolled up, tied and placed in the dye pot of red cabbage dye.  These are all 100% silk and I'll be selling them at holiday craft fairs coming up soon.

It's been a beautiful couple of weeks with bright sunshine and the fall leaves.  I have a new camera and I'm learning something new each time I go out to shoot with it.  My other camera, also a Nikon served me well but I was ready for a challenge and with this Nikon D300S, I certainly have that.  Here are a few photos I took with my new camera this week.

Remember to Play a Little Every Day!
Peace,
Diane

July & August 2015....Gone in a flash!

I've been dyeing more silk scarves for the summer fairs we'll be at this year.  We were vendors at a local church fair, The Hebron Fair near the shores of Newfound Lake, New Hampshire.  We've done this fair for approximately five years and each year we have had a successful day.  Ronnie sold many of his wooden utensils and vases.  I sold silk scarves and photographs/note cards.  August 1 was another popular fair in nearby New London, NH (home of my ancestors).  I almost sold out of my transfer dyed silk scarves made with men's neckties!!!  I'll be working on more of them for upcoming fairs.

I went shopping for more neckties with friend Kathleen last week.  I came home with a large arm full and got to work dyeing a silk scarf.  The designs on some of the ties are great fun to re-purpose!

Today I found one in a thrift store in Meredith.  A bit more than I usually pay, but it does have Big Bird and Elmo on it so I have to give it a try and see what happens.  Here is a picture of the scarves I have all set to go and a few close-ups.  They are much nicer in person so stop by one of the Farmer's Markets or Fairs and take a look!

Remember to Play a Little Each Day!
Peace,
Diane