Start Again

This was a demo piece for a printing class online. I liked the feel of it, and so gathered this with three other pieces to start a larger work. I'll fill you in on the progress tomorrow.
 

The Romans Had a Plan

Just to clear the design wall and save my rows in the last design, I've stacked the rows left to right, on atop the other, and put a roman numeral in pins in the upper left corner. A trick I learned ages ago while watching Alex Anderson's TV show. Guess something sunk in.
 

Settling In

I've gone back to a square format and center medallion composition that might be the last iteration. But, it's not done till I sew it!
 

Try a Landscape

Now that I've added the remaining pieces, I've used a template to split into blocks. I can't resist arranging and rearranging a million times. This was my landscape based design. I've got this photo to return to when I take it apart and try another composition.
 

Shuffle Along

I've saved half of the pieces and shuffled the other half. It seems rather random, because it is, but that's part of the mystery. Now I'll add in the rest.
 

In the Beginning

Just needing a warm up, I choose four half yard pieces. These were all demos from the last print class, but thought they might work for this exercise. Now to join them together. 
 

June Moon

In my continuing series of "Full Moon Standins" I offer this lovely mushroom. Fungi are in their very own kingdom and this perfection of roundness makes this royalty.
 

Dialogue on the Wall

I'm not sure if these will end up together, or if they're just meeting for a quick howdy-do. They seem to be from distinctly different townships, if not states. Lifting covid restrictions allows for strange couplings. 
 

Time for More

It was time to add more fabric to the web site, and so today was photography. I'll add them in a day or so. This was printed with dyes that were about 2 weeks old, so I was happy to see they kept their strength. Could have used them another 2 weeks on, and would still be strong I'm sure.
 

There's a Place for Functional

I get caught in the abstraction of my work forgetting that the processes I use are part of a traditional craft. Both the sheet and blanket are from me, and have been used and put through many washings. And, in this case, it's the function that counts. 
 

The Special Ordinary

Last year a talented quilt artist I admire send me hollyhock seeds. This seems to be the only plant that took. It's wonderful to have her name on this part of my garden. What good fortune I have to watch over plants that were gifted. 
 

Sometimes You're Out to Sail

A family visit had me being a tourist down by the Baltimore harbor to see a tall ship and walk around the deck. Most of June I was below deck, figuratively, in the studio. So, coming up for sun and air is a great counterpoint. I'll be back below soon enough. 
 

What's in a Label

In my last workshop we had a virtual tour of Quilt National.  The guide read the entire label prompting my soapbox lecture on labels grander than the work. IKEA's labels reminded me of that.

Why Can't They Bottle that Blue

 I'd like to think that you can get any color from just the basics. But I know that fabric dyes have a hard time in mimicking reality. So if you've at a brilliant blue, just enjoy it. 

Timing is Everything

 

Serviceberry (Amelanchier) is a small tree with scrumptious berries. They're small, so lots of work to get a handful. And my goal is to beat the birds. So, yesterday plenty for the taking. Today the birds have picked it clean. Gotta get when the getting is good.

What to Do With This

I've been washing out pieces I made during the QSDS class, mostly demos. And they are some of my favorites, because I experiment more with them. When I iron them out, some land on my design wall, and buddy up with another. This combination intrigues me, so might have to make it up. For real.

 

Good to Have You Home

Gone for about three years, this is finally home. Traveling through SAQA's exhibition services this little piece saw three continents and about a dozen venues. Looks just fine, can't see any wear. Plus it's just nice to have it returned. Thanks, SAQA.
 

Unglamorous Life

Lest you think I lead an exciting life, let me set you straight. Not. Today was clean-up day and get ready for the next class in July. So, every quarter to half hour I'd add a few yards to soda soak, then transfer to the sink to drain. Repeat. Hang tomorrow. Maybe glam will be tomorrow, too.

Night Off

Last night I went to take a walk along the Canandaigua pier at night. My reward for ending 12 consecutive days of teaching. I won't show you the small ice cream cone that capped the dinner. Let's just pretend that this walk burned up the 1,000 calories from that extravaganza. I'll be back at QSDS in 2022. 
 

Last Day to Check

Review time we saved for the last afternoon. We circled back to the finer points of rubbing, screen printing, and color additions. And there were more things to revisit. The last day is always the best time to check the mechanics before driving down the highway.

Near the End of the Dye Pot

I've a bit of thickened dye left to use after about two weeks printing on and off. All I really need is one dark, perhaps black, and a fair amount of print paste. That I've got! So, I'm good. But I do have next week to print, and look forward to that. So, might as well get some new supplies queued. 
 

Silkscreen with Soy Wax Resist

Rather than painting soy wax resist on the fabric, I use it to block out the image on my silkscreen. Then I can go to town. Here are the more than half dozen screens I used today to demo various line, shape and pattern images. Now to wait and wash. 
 

Linen Requested

A friend requested linen for hand stitching and I obliged. This is a detail of the generous yard piece that I will box up tomorrow and mail. I've others, and she'll get those too. I'll make more, then get them to the website shop. Unless they're spoken for.
 

Back to the Print Table

Day one of the Go Big, Go Bold workshop for QSDS has the standard demo on rubbings. This yard tries out just about all of the items I could grab. Rubbings were all in black, then I added some golds and yellows. Might be finished, might not.
 

From the Vault

Made as a response to the lack of diversity in tie patterns, this tie quilt came out to help describe how to outline a shape with a thin line in my virtual QSDS Shape, Line, Setting. Monday, new class and new prints.

Just for Starters

Line, Shape, Setting was the workshop today through QSDS. And so -- LINE -- in all its wonderful skinniness. Yes, we also took shape and worked that in. Tomorrow is setting. Or composition, whatever you want to call it. I'm ready.
 

Another They Didn't See (Because They Were Busy)

Started as a print demonstration, I finished this with screening the left to fill where I left off. I'd love to show you the fabulous prints the class made, but can't. The difference from Monday's to today's showed they were paying attention! Thanks my class.
 

Presto Changeo

What was fun here was to add the red shapes (a friend called the wild guitar picks) and then even out the background. But, I left a "halo" around the picks just to make them livelier. Maybe this is the bluegrass band I'm looking for.
 

Let's See Where This Goes

A demo for rubbing, I believe, with some scraped color is the start of this yard. But it's lacking some oomph. So my homework (and the class's too) is to take an image of an unfinished work and then another shot of it with additions. I'll let you know what I did tomorrow.
 

Down to Earth

Nightfall has the garden waving till the morning. It's about the only chance I get to see my "estate" and tomorrow it's back to printing with a great group of printers in the QSDS class. Feels like we've been at it for weeks, but, no, just two days!