Well I am probably well on my way to Hell as my intentions have been good but not unfortunately brought to fruition. I am of course talking about my lack of content for the blog! I would like to thank all those people who so kindly leave comments or email me. Please do keep them coming as they are a spur to my conscience. They are much appreciated and make me feel really bad that I'm not more regular in my writings. However I am now going to make up for my tardiness!
At the end of May my quilting group had a demonstration table in one of the tents at Mabe Shindig and Steam rally. As my group holds it's classes in Mabe we thought this would be a good advertisment. However sometimes one's plans go adrift. We hadn't counted on the weather being so appalling. Rain and high winds. It was so bad that the show was called off in the afternoon which was so sad for the organisers. I felt really sorry for all the folk in the craft tent trying to sell their goods as few people ventured out into the misery of the weather. We had a good time among ourselves drinking coffee and eating biscuits. In the picture below Yvonne is showing Eileen how to make Yo Yo's using the Clover tool. The quilt on the tent wall is the first large quilt that Yvonne made and lovely it is too!
Here are some pictures of the Disperse Dyeing I did (all on originally white poly/cotton). From the top left: dyed background with stamped shapes to use as base for an applique eventually; then two pieces with leaf panels to use as borders.In the middle row from the left two pieces which were randomly printed to use as backgrounds and on the right a piece made up of various prints to make a fishy scene. Bottom left is a graduation of prints making up a landscape type piece. Disperse dyes being transparent some interesting effects and colours can be made. And the last two are done on Lutradur which I shall burn and distress for my class on Fabric Postcards in a fortnight's time. I thoroughly enjoyed this and the class had a great time. I like to keep painted papers by me so that I can print whenever I need to.
As well as this I have been doing some Trapunto by Machine. I love the effect of Trapunto and this is such an easy way of achieving it. And as well one ends up with a usable back.
And as well as all this quilting I have been working hard in the garden. I am only a spring-summer gardener and this year Spring came late or so it seemed! I have sown seeds and planted plants and now I'm waiting for them to do things. The Avocado has weathered the winter sans it's little tent...it's now too big for it. The leaves looked very sad but there are masses of new ones coming and the old ones are dropping off. Not the world's best example of an avocado but it is mine own and I like it! I really ought to dust off my other blog now that I'm doing something in the gardening but it takes me all my time to remember to add to this one. One of the problems being that now the computer is upstairs I don't use it as much! I don't quite know how to over come this! I have a lap top but it's not the same!
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I shall have to make more effort soon as I have to design and make next year's quilt for class. I'm hoping to do an applique quilt this year in some shape or other so if I'm on the computer designing that there will be no excuse for not keeping up the blog. I already have some rough ideas sketched out and now it is a matter of playing with them in Photoshop or EQ6.
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I have to hang my head in shame and say that I dropped out of the Take it Further Challenge as I just couldn't keep up. Too much going on that took precedence! Including reading a book now and then! At the moment I am wading or should say galloping through the Father Cadfael books by Ellis Peters! I'm amazed I've only just found them. I now want to go to Shrewsbury to visit all the places in the books! My mother comes from Shropshire so it would be interesting to have a leisurely look around rather than just driving through the county on the way to Scotland. Perhaps I'll arrange a week's holiday to coincide with our Wedding Anniversary in July. 42 years married! Doesn't seem nearly as long as that! I wonder if Martin would say the same? Big Grin!
At the end of May my quilting group had a demonstration table in one of the tents at Mabe Shindig and Steam rally. As my group holds it's classes in Mabe we thought this would be a good advertisment. However sometimes one's plans go adrift. We hadn't counted on the weather being so appalling. Rain and high winds. It was so bad that the show was called off in the afternoon which was so sad for the organisers. I felt really sorry for all the folk in the craft tent trying to sell their goods as few people ventured out into the misery of the weather. We had a good time among ourselves drinking coffee and eating biscuits. In the picture below Yvonne is showing Eileen how to make Yo Yo's using the Clover tool. The quilt on the tent wall is the first large quilt that Yvonne made and lovely it is too!
Here are some pictures of the Disperse Dyeing I did (all on originally white poly/cotton). From the top left: dyed background with stamped shapes to use as base for an applique eventually; then two pieces with leaf panels to use as borders.In the middle row from the left two pieces which were randomly printed to use as backgrounds and on the right a piece made up of various prints to make a fishy scene. Bottom left is a graduation of prints making up a landscape type piece. Disperse dyes being transparent some interesting effects and colours can be made. And the last two are done on Lutradur which I shall burn and distress for my class on Fabric Postcards in a fortnight's time. I thoroughly enjoyed this and the class had a great time. I like to keep painted papers by me so that I can print whenever I need to.
As well as this I have been doing some Trapunto by Machine. I love the effect of Trapunto and this is such an easy way of achieving it. And as well one ends up with a usable back.
And as well as all this quilting I have been working hard in the garden. I am only a spring-summer gardener and this year Spring came late or so it seemed! I have sown seeds and planted plants and now I'm waiting for them to do things. The Avocado has weathered the winter sans it's little tent...it's now too big for it. The leaves looked very sad but there are masses of new ones coming and the old ones are dropping off. Not the world's best example of an avocado but it is mine own and I like it! I really ought to dust off my other blog now that I'm doing something in the gardening but it takes me all my time to remember to add to this one. One of the problems being that now the computer is upstairs I don't use it as much! I don't quite know how to over come this! I have a lap top but it's not the same!
-
I shall have to make more effort soon as I have to design and make next year's quilt for class. I'm hoping to do an applique quilt this year in some shape or other so if I'm on the computer designing that there will be no excuse for not keeping up the blog. I already have some rough ideas sketched out and now it is a matter of playing with them in Photoshop or EQ6.
-
I have to hang my head in shame and say that I dropped out of the Take it Further Challenge as I just couldn't keep up. Too much going on that took precedence! Including reading a book now and then! At the moment I am wading or should say galloping through the Father Cadfael books by Ellis Peters! I'm amazed I've only just found them. I now want to go to Shrewsbury to visit all the places in the books! My mother comes from Shropshire so it would be interesting to have a leisurely look around rather than just driving through the county on the way to Scotland. Perhaps I'll arrange a week's holiday to coincide with our Wedding Anniversary in July. 42 years married! Doesn't seem nearly as long as that! I wonder if Martin would say the same? Big Grin!
Wow, you have been very busy. I love all the dyeing you've been doing...beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSuzanne
Lovely photos, Val. Glad your avocado plant is still going strong - mine is too (the leaves are falling off mine too so obviously it must be a spring thing). I also seem to have fallen behind or out of the TIF too although not officially... have you told Sharon? I really ought to -I'm feeling bad about it, but other things really do seem to have taken over this year. Good things.
ReplyDeleteGlad you Avocado survived. I miss reading your garden blog, but hope you have a successful summer garden anyway. Cheers from the other side of the world where there are still roses flowering and ripe capsicums in June!. Chilly yesterday though.
ReplyDeleteI've had a few plants fall over with the frosts that we've had, as it gets quite cold (and hot) here being inland and that much closer to the Alps. However, if plants don't make it through the winter, I'll just have to plant things that do.
ReplyDeleteYour dyed fabrics are lovely Valeri - keep the blogging coming!