Upcycle

SAQA put out a call for a show called Upcycle, using repurposed items. The call went out last fall and the 31st of this month is the deadline for entries. I knew immediately what I wanted to use, but not how to use it. I saved 13 used Starbucks coffee filters that were in a bag of grounds that they give away for compost. These filters have been around my studio for a very long time just waiting for their opportunity become art.

The filters have been visible in the studio for several months now, I've come up with and rejected several ideas, and now finally 2 weeks before the deadline things started to come together. Unfortunately(or maybe fortunately) there are no photos of my original ideas, they were pretty underwhelming. I finally realized that I could meet the size requirements without putting them in a rectangular shape.

I've fused the filters in pairs with woven raffia in the middle as 'batting'. There were two types of raffia, the very top of the piece has a natural color with pieces of paper attached to it, the bottom section has the sample below.

The colored shapes on the piece are pages cut from a book on decorating with patterns. In the first picture the colored shapes are stitched down on the right side and the left side is still unstitched. the left over filter was used as a sample to work out stitch length, etc.

Once all the stitching is done, I'll need to find a way to attach the required sleeve and to get it photographed. The colored paper has a glossy finish which is making photos tricky. But I should have it done by the deadline!

It's Spring and my daffodils popped out right on time.

2019 Daily Stitching days 74-80

2019 Weekly Leaf, week#12

Another Solarfast print.

I'll be linking up with "Off the Wall Friday" and "Slow Sunday Stitching "

72 Days of Landscapes, Done!

Yesterday I finished my 72 Days of Landscapes ---- so, that means today is my birthday! This has been a fun project and when I look at them all together I can tell that I like wide open spaces, bare tree branches and sunrises.

All 72

Day#67

handmade paper, hand dyed fabric, yarn

Day #68

hand dyed paper and fabric

Day #69

watercolor crayons &dyed paper towel

Day #70

hand made paper and dyed paper towels

Day#71

indigo dipped hand made paper, hand dyed silk and cotton

Day #72

hand dyed fabrics

These are birthday gift, lucky me.

More things for me to play with :)

2019 Weekly Leaf #11
A solar fast print from a couple of summers ago.

2019 Daily Stitching days 67-73

The sun is shining and we have wonderful weather forecast for the next several days so I think it's time to get outside and play, or at least get some gardening done.

I'll be linking up with "Off the Wall Friday" and "Slow Sunday Stitching"

Dying with Avocado Pits

I recently read an article about dying with avocado pits, so I saved a few, put them in a pot, covered them with water and let them boil for a couple of hours. Then I poured the liquid in to a pan and added some scraps of silk and cotton and let them soak overnight. The lighter ones in the picture below are from the first soak. A few days later I put some threads into the liquid and let them soak overnight and they came out darker. The liquid is evaporating and getting stronger, a couple of the fabrics were put in for another overnight soak, those are the darker ones in the photo. The light pieces are actually a bit darker that what the photo shows.

The liquid has been sitting for a few more days getting darker, so now there are a couple more pieces of fabric soaking away.

I have no idea how light fast these are or if they are washable, but it's been fun and I may end up putting a few of them together and adding some stitches with the coordinating threads.

2019 Weekly Leaf #10
This one is Solarfast on vintage silk taffeta

2019 Daily Stitching days 60-66

72 Days of Landscapes days 60-66, only six more to go!

Day #60

watercolor crayons and hand dyed fabric

Day #61

hand dyed fabric, stamp

Day #62

Watercolor crayons, hand dyed fabric and vintage silk

Day #63

Hand dyed fabric, discharged fabric and cheesecloth

Day #64

Watercolor crayons and hand stitching

Day #65

Hand dyed fabric and hand stitching

This one is for Norma, who is enjoying Florida this winter.

Day #66

hand dyed fabrics and commercial fabrics

I'll be linking up with "Off the Wall Friday" and "Slow Sunday Stitching".