A messy play day with friends.

Title page to "Woolly Thoughts"

A few things have been completed since I last posted a blog here. I went along to a really enjoyable Messy Play Day at Meryl's last Wednesday. Such fun. I'll show you what we did later. I felt I really ought to get my challenge book cover completed before heading off to the dyeing session. I wanted to prepare it ready to hand over so that it could be taken along to the next Pinfold meeting. Sadly, I can't be there since I will be giving a mini workshop at Quiltfest. I added a title page as well as a cover.

Front cover

The cover is made up of dyecatchers which have been drawn on using permanent markers in various colours. This has then been quilted over a thin iron-on wadding.

Full cover

 These are the original pages I completed ready for the challenge. Hand made felt, printed and hand stitched with dyecatchers which had been free machine embroidered.

My pages inside the book

After handing over the book, it was time for playing. For the Messy Day we first dyed threads and cotton fabrics using procian dyes.

Dyed threads awaiting rinsing out

Dyed fabric drying

threads drying on the rack

The fabrics were dyed inside plastic pots whilst the threads were painted with dye. Such a lot of fun.

Dried and ironed fabrics ready to use.

The dyed threads wound onto bobbins ready to use

Dyed bias tape wound round cardboard after ironing. Hopefully this will keep the tape flat

As you can see, we actually completed a lot of dyeing - bias tape, threads and fabric. All of these are going to be so useful in various projects.

The afternoon found us playing with different materials to make decorated papers. We used stencils, Brusho powder, spray inks and Pixie Powder. Spraying the different media using a fine water spray brought out such a variety of different effects. Even the kitchen paper used as masks has been kept since it can also be used in different projects. Thanks Meryl for a really exciting day.

I've put my decorated papers, fabrics and threads away for now while I get on with the quilts I really ought to be sewing. Unfortunately, the quilts really aren't of quite so much interest. However, there are deadlines to meet, so I really ought to get moving with them. Hopefully there will be some progress to report next time.

Spending some creative time with my sewing machine and other projects.

Where have the past few days gone? It has been really busy here - a new print board has been put together, four cushion covers, a simple top, some zipped bag/purses and a new print board have all been finished and I have nearly completed a new linen dress for myself. I haven't bought any new fabric, just a couple of zips. Everything has been constructed out of my rather large stash of fabrics, threads and general "stuff". I wish I could say that my cupboards and shelves are less full as a result, but I really cannot see a difference just yet.

the felt layers of the new print board

 I decided to make a third print board since I shall be giving a print workshop in August and my two current boards will not be sufficient. I can improvise some extra space, but the third board will just make everything so much easier for everyone.

All three boards together

It was so lucky that I had plenty of acrylic felt and enough of an old cotton sheet in my stash to be able to complete this project. The board had seen occasional use as a drawing board, but will be so much more useful to me as an additional printing surface.

I'd completely forgotten, until I sorted through my photos, that I'd also been to a dyeing session. This time I followed some advice I found on the Kemshall's website about preparing fabric for dyeing. The resulting colours have been so much better, I shall definitely do this again. The advice gave specific quantities for the washing soda used in preparing the fabric for procian dyeing. I now have a solution in a sealed pot ready in the garden shed for when we next have some good weather and I can prepare some more cotton. I hadn't realised that the solution could be kept and used again and again.

 These cushions were not started by me. They were handed in at the last Pinfold meeting and I volunteered to construct the cushion covers. They are now ready for the cushion tombola which will be part of the group's exhibition later this year. The covers have been hand embroidered and look so beautiful. Each cushion is just twelve inches square. I hope that the embroiderer will be pleased when she sees them again.

Speaking of tombolas. This collection of zipped purses have been made for The Quilters' Guild tombola at Festival of Quilts in August. So far I have made nine, but I have a couple more which have been cut out ready to sew together.

Yet another cushion for the Pinfold tombola. This one started life as a miniature quilt block challenge which has been stuck in my unfinished pile for a very long time. It is twenty inches across.

the dress waiting to be finished

 The dressmaking patterns were found in a recent edition of Ottobre magazine. The dress still has to have the armhole facings stitched into place and also the hems completed. I really need to iron it too. It has been fully lined.

a completed top

The top is going to be rather useful in the warmer weather. It was made from a piece of crepe de chine I had in my stash.

So apologies for not having posted here for a few days. I have been rather busy. I still haven't started those cotbed quilts.........

Dyeing to print

The first of my dyed pieces. I have shown the tied piece and then when I unwrapped each piece, taking the photo before rinsing. Disappointingly all my fabrics became very pale after rinsing them out...... Not sure why.

It is really interesting to see the befores and afters. These will all be used for overprinting. Hopefully I shall be able to spend some time outside later today with my printing boards.

This piece of cotton start life as a muslin for a costume, hence the drawn lines.

This piece was calico and the dye just didn't penetrate as well as I'd hoped. Still, the fabric is interesting.

This was another thin strip of cotton. Rather pretty, I thought.

An interesting piece of shibori.

This probably didn't work so well since it was another piece of that calico.

I was rather pleased with this piece. A strange shape as most of my bits seem to be.....

This looks quite faint even here, but an interesting piece which should print beautifully.
These were all dyed using Procian dyes during a day spent with the MEG group at Brenda's house. I must be feeling braver since I really feel keen to have a day spent trying the dyes for myself here at home. Thanks Brenda, I've only ever tried dyeing as a member of a group before......
Ah well, off to get set up outside and get some printing done. These are going to be samples for a workshop I am leading later this year.

Dyed fabrics, bought fabrics

The folded fabric - 1

You may remember the collection of freshly dyed fabric which I mentioned in the last post? Well here they all are, taken out of their plastic bags and about to be washed. For each of these I have posted a photo of the bundle itself and then the freshly unwrapped bundle before washing.

1 - the unwrapped fabric

The bulldog clips have added some marks of their own here, so I have now thrown them out. They are rather too rusty to use any more which is a little sad since I rather liked the added marks.

Folded fabric - 2

2 - the unwrapped fabric

Folded fabric - 3

3 - the unwrapped fabric

Folded fabric - 4

4 - unwrapped fabric

 The fabrics are all rather gorgeous. It was a really interesting way of dyeing cloth, brushing the dye on instead of putting the pieces into a dyebath. Definitely an idea to try again. I think next time I might use a different set of colours.

Dyecatchers used to mop up  any spills.

I do like keeping any fabrics used to mop up. They can be really useful to add to a textile piece.

Bought fabric- freshly washed

These wonderful fabrics were bought from The African Fabric Shop. These are Kola and Indigo fabrics and I really love them. Do visit the site to read more about these fascinating fabrics. If you are in the area, there is a World Textile Day coming to various parts of the UK. These should be really interesting events.