New work

Here is a peek at the stuff that currently moves from my wall to my table and back to my wall again. The top piece is finally quilted. It was designed with every shade of red that I could find in my stash. I must be anticipating a long, cold and colourless winter...



I have concluded that I don't have enough shades of red and I need to make more - a good project at this time.

This second piece was made with some hemp that I wanted hand dye.

It dyes OK, but doesn't hold a candle to pima cotton or silk broadcloth.

I joined it with a piece of burnt orange pima that I silk screened with a couple of motifs. It is now ready for quilting. I feel that this one will need about as much thread as the red one above.

Speaking of thread, I also have some hand stitching in the works.


I find that this is a great way to create a shibori resist for dyed fabric.
Here is an example of machine stitched resist underway,

And here is the result.

Not too bad. Next time I plan on using use a heavier thread to produce a bolder outline.

The last of the scarves...for a while

At last, the last of the fringed scarves for the Tay Gallery in Perth, Ontario.
Each one required hours and hours of fringe detangling. I used EVERYTHING in the book. Swishing the fringe in softened water, hair conditioner, shampoo, milsoft, ironing, combing with wide toothed, mid and fine-toothed combs, and finally cutting the tangles off - reducing the fringe to half its original length.
Next time, the fringes will need to be sewn (basted) ahead of any surface design treatment. We live and learn.

Off to the Tay River Gallery in Perth ON

I just love velvet!
As velvet loves dye. It soaks up every molecule of colour - rich deep shades result. Recently I pole wrapped 20 of these scarves, each 15 x 72 inches. Some of are examples of bomaki shibori (bark-like marks), others are arashi shibori (rain-like marks) wrapped with twine at an angle on the pole.



This lot will be making its way to the Tay River Gallery in Perth Ontario

T'is the season...almost

I have been invited to participate in a local Open House featuring fiber arts and crafts. So I decided to try my hand at arashi shibori. I am a fan of Karen Britto's blog and I happen to have a carload of silk scarves left over from a workshop last summer.

Here they are all wrapped up waiting for a second round of colour.










Look at this one. I was wrapping it while listening to Micheal Richards appologize to the American people on Letterman... wow.
The interaction of the silk with the string has a sculptural quality that I really like. I am not looking forward to untying this one. It is beautiful the way it is.




















This is the label I made for the scarves using store-bought business cards and MS word. Not too bad. I have ordered 3 dozen clear take out boxes - the labels go in the boxes. How cute is that!












Here are a few scarves out of the washing machine and freshly ironed. I love the way silk irons from wet to dry - gorgeous.