Bouncing from one project to another

There are times when I really have trouble focusing and getting something I've started done. The quilt I was working on last week has been put in the corner while I quilt another one. I do plan on getting back to it and using paintstiks on the front and probably paint the back. Instead of working on that I pulled out a project that had been cut up back in May  2012 and finished quilting it.

The small piece (13"sq) was quilted over a year ago, now all three are done, the bigger pieces are about 20" sq. This was a dye painted whole cloth that I really liked, but had problems quilting it so the easiest solution was to cut it up. Here's a close up of the piece on the left.

As I've been stitching my weekly stitching pieces I've been planning on sewing them all together in a kimono shape, like this, with two more rows of four.

After a get together with my creative friends the week end before last I'm now considering not sewing them together. Lisa suggested that each individual one needed space and they should be hung separately and the more I think about it the more I agree with her.

Week #44

Daily Stitching
Indigo and Rust #224 -#230

365 Red Circles #296 -#302

Now linked to "Off the Wall Friday"

Trying to resurrect a failure

While cleaning my studio recently I came across an old piece of fabric that I had dye painted to make a whole cloth quilt. It has problems, the color is off and I had some other issues with the dye - I'm probably to blame since I used dye paste that had been around for a while. I was trying for a triadic color scheme of golden yellow, fuchsia and aqua blue. The aqua blue washed out to a green and I got other staining during the rinsing and wash out. I've now layered it and have it almost quilted, I thought that if I quilted it with the original colors I started with that it might help,but not so much.

The green still looks green and some of the other problems still show.

Might thought now is to either use paintstiks and brush in stronger colors or just paint the whole thing white and start over. I do like the texture from the quilting and it will show up even more with painting. Another option would be to paint the back since I used muslin for the backing.

Daily stitching updates
365 Red Circles #288- #295

Indigo and Rust #216 - #223

Weekly stitching #43

now linked to "Off the Wall Friday"

Open Studio and BAM

On Sunday I went into Boise with a friend to go to our friend Lisa Flowers Ross open studio and a visit to Boise Art Museum(BAM) . Lisa's work is always inspiring and displayed very professionally, I'm really loving some of her new work. Go to her blog and get an overview of her studio.

After our stop at Lisa's we did a quick lunch at Whole Foods and then on to BAM to check out some new exhibits. Lisa Kokin's "How the West Was Sewn"  was terrific, no photos are allowed so go to her website and check out what she does with old lace, linens and western novels. I had seen pictures of the western figures made out of the lace before seeing the exhibit and while these were wonderful, I was really taken with the leaves made from paperback books and lots of stitching.

Back in July I pieced together a top that I really liked and this week I finally quilted it.

Structures #1: Red and Turquoise

2013

Linda McLaughlin

I even pulled out a double needle for some of the quilting.

The color in this photo is a bit off, the full shot is correct.

Daily stitching update.
365 Red Circles #283- #287

Indigo and Rust #211- #215

Weekly stitching #42

Now linked to "Off the Wall Friday"

Indigo

I finally got around to doing an indigo pot, I've known since March that I would need to do some so that I would have enough pieces for my Indigo and Rust daily stitching. Now I have enough for that plus several other pieces to use in other work. I also dyed some threads, gauze and a green silk that had been folded and the edges dipped in soy wax.

lime green silk, folded ,dipped in soy wax, then indigo dyed

various threads and gauze

silks and cottons with various different resists

I'm very pleased with my results and will probably do a few more pieces, including some paper. There are also some rather plain pieces and a couple with stitched resist that I cut up for my daily stitching. The piece on the far left of the above picture is a nice filmy silk scarf and I love how it came out. The piece next to it on the bottom was done with Elmer's blue school glue. The one on the far right was done with soy wax and a tjap. The rest were done with clamps and plexiglass pieces, and one with dried beans in rubber bands.

Daily stitching progress

365 Red Circles #280 - #282

Indigo and Rust #208 - #210

Weekly stitching #41

Now linked to "Off the Wall Friday"

The Eye of the Quilter acceptance

Two of my photos were accepted into "The Eye of the Quilter" exhibit at the IQA show in Houston.

"Frosty Leaves"

"After the Rain"

I haven't entered a quilt in several years, mainly because I usually forget about it, but I did remember to enter some photos. So if you are one of the lucky ones attending the show in November, look for them.

Yesterday we took a day trip with our friends Barb and Bill, it was a trip we had planned on doing last year but the roads were closed because of fires. A few weeks ago the road was closed because of rock and mud slides, but yesterday was beautiful. We left Weiser went south on US95 to Highway 52 to Highway 55 with a side trip to Garden Valley for a  stop at Snip and Stitch a delightful fabric and yarn shop. I found some threads and a piece of wool that had to come home with me.

Then a stop at the Garden Valley Fiber Arts Faire before getting back on the highway. We then headed north to McCall had a great lunch and drove through Ponderosa Park to the scenic overlook.

Payette Lake

Then back thru McCall and west to 95 again and south to home. A fun day.

Daily stitching updates.

#365 Red Circles #273 - #279

Indigo and Rust #201- #207

Monthly notions - October

I have a pile of fabric ready to go into an indigo pot, so I'm hoping to get that done this week. The piece of wool above is one of several that I've acquired recently, I haven't used any of them but am very drawn to the wool lately. Maybe there will be some needle felting in my near future, especially since my needle felting machine is now accessible.