Elusive color

Robin's egg blue, Tiffany blue, aqua blue. The perfect compliment for this rainy wet sidewalk. As I wash out and iron my newly dyed fabrics, I remember that I've not yet gotten this color right.

In the Wash

Oh, many think my life is glamourous, but I present evidence that it is not. This evening I  rinsed and pre-washed that silk-screened yards that I printed yesterday. Just getting ready for selling fabrics next weekend at the GVQC quilt show. I'll be glamourous another day.

Kindle Kover

Belated  birthday gift to the new kindle owner (not me) just in time for summer reading. Nice to use some of that shibori hand-dyed fabric. And that skinny line. Just warming up for next Sunday's class at the Genesee Valley's Quilt Show.

Garden Party in Vermont June 25

Gardens intrigue me. I am swell in designing two dimensions, but outdoors in boundless space, a garden is a challenge. This detail of "In the Garden Party" is part of the first workshop I'll be teaching at the Vermont Quilt Festival June 25. (Registration closes June 1.) Come play in my garden.

Give a Little

The gardens of the Unitarian Church are on my walking path at least three times a week. So, I thought I should give back. Today was weed and mulch day. This is the view as I pass the perennial hill. And, I'm not a congregant, just a neighbor.

Washed and Ironed, Now Up for Grabs

Such fun to get back to printing -- these are the results from the last few days of printing and hand dyeing. I'm getting ready for the Genesee Valley Quilt Show here in Rochester June 5-7 where I will be selling these in my booth. Unless I can't bear to part with them!

Back to Leaves

Still love the idea of adding the wax to the silkscreen, rather than the fabric. That method appeals to my frugal side. And these leaves have been following me since I painted my kitchen with in "gold leaves" in 1990. My friends will remember them.

Rollin' on the Wax

I found that I could roll the hot soy wax with my stumpy paint roller. And -- bonus -- stamp the round end for some circles. A two in one stamper!

Sonja Signing

Sonja Livingston signed her book for me tonight after reading an excerpt from "Queen of the Fall." Glad to see images through words. I am so used to visual input.

Color Everywhere,But Not Coming Home with Me

Love the combination of color in these aluminum chairs. Too bad they weren't comfortable, and beside that, where is the darn price tag? I meandered on to other departments.

New Big Fun

My studio assistant (my daughter) and I set up a four patch of the New Big Leaf. She decided to make one with solids, and I mixed it together. I like the print v. solid look, will have to experiment more. I'm bringing this with me to Vermont Quilt Festival where I teach at the end of June.

"New Big Leaf" Gets Cookin'

Thought I would make a new four patch of the "New Big Leaf" an update of "The Big Leaf" pattern I love to teach. You can see it in a couple of days, and see in at the Vermont quilt festival, where I will be teaching this and its cousin "The Skinny Line Leaf".

Monoprinting on the Line

Making these is so much fun. I am using hand dyed fabric that was soaked in soda ash, then printed with thickened dye. I'll be doing this for the October workshop at the Schweinfurth. But for now, these will be up for grabs at the GVQC quilt show in early June.

Skinny Line Leaf for Vermont

I'll be teaching at the Vermont Quilt Festival June 25-28. This is a close-up of The Skinny Line Leaf design for a workshop. It's improvisational piecing, a bit of template tricks, and color theory all in one. If you're in the area, join the class! Here is the link: Vermont Quilt Festival 2015

It's Not That Dark

I've screened this apron and it seems like I used black. I've learned that it always washes out lighter, and so try and try to use a heavy color if I want it to be saturated. We'll see in the wash-out.

Taping and Retaping

My silkscreens seem to last a long time, and the duct tape wears out ahead of time. So, time to retape for a new round of screening. Yes, those aprons will get hit first.

Printing, Drawing, Painting

...all rolled into one! I've got some soda ash soaked aprons ready to take on my dye paints, some direct drawing, and (after this dries) some silkscreening. Thought these would be fun to bring to my booth at the Genesee Valley Quilt Show this June 5-7.

Getting Ready for Hanging

I've been working on a show I've helped organize for this summer. Here are the metal hanging rods marked for various sizes and ready to be boxed and shipped. I love that these telescope and can be shipped in a smaller height box.

SAQA Foot Square

Ruth White shows her work-in-progress for the SAQA One-Foot-Square auction later this year. The three dimensional piece is uber quilted, and she is fussing with the foam. This from last night's show and tell in Ithaca, New York.

Show and Tell for Jack

The Tompkins County Quilt Guild invited Jack Walsh (art quilt collector) to speak, and after his talk, gave a rousing show and tell. The art quilts came out of the woods, along with some fine traditional works to ground us all. And yes, I am a member of the TCQG.

Studio Rule #5 Live With It

Okay, this is not in my studio. But the rule is: live with your work. Use your house to see your work in other light, with other objects (scale) and from different vantage points. Get the art out of the studio, hang it, and see how the world reacts to it.

Studio Rules #4

You can only cut as large as your cutting mat. So, figure out how to get the largest surface to do a long cut. And keep the crud out of the way of the cutting table. It is not your desk, or a place to stage all the gizmos you use for assembling your work.

Studio Rules #3

Decorate somewhere else. We have seen those studios with the color coordinated cutie things. Save that for someplace else. You want a clean slate to deep distractions at bay.

Studio Rules #2

Stay in place. Sure, take a break to use the l'eau. But if it is one flight up or down stairs, you can bet you will be distracted and not return for a while. Make sure you are in just steps from your workspace when nature calls.

Studio Rules #1

You can only work as large as your design wall. Okay, we can stretch this a bit, but the tendency is to fill what you have to the space you have. So, get as much wall space as is available.

Why Do They Do This To Me?

I take most of my photos with my android phone. Every now and again, the phone throws in an altered and 'arty' shot. Like this. Which drives me nuts. And I know what all those funny edges and dodging and burning really are, 'cause I did that once.

Things in Three

The rule of three is strong here. I have to remember that for my next work. And that strong white, with a yellow center. These trillium were on my walk this afternoon.

Kid's Quilt

My Portland friend walks past a charter school's window at times. This quilt caught her eye, and I'd like to share it with you. I love the drawing on (what looks like) fleece, and the method of tying the squares together. Reinvention is the name of the game.

Testing Fabrics

I use a lot of fabric when I dye. And I thought I would do a controlled and scientific (as close as I can do!) study between my usual #419 fabric and the new #400m type. So I sewed them together, Let you know what happens.

Spring Break

Time for a spring break, and a look at the perfect cherry blossom. Now I can transfer that new shipment of 100 meters of pfd into this pink. At least a few yards of it.

Taking a Drive

Aafke brought a printed whole cloth to put on the machine and baste. I hadn't tried that before, but it can't be difficult. And it wasn't. She'll take it to her domestic machine and finish.