A Little Ice Dyeing

I've spent some time ice dyeing during the last 2 weeks. I started outside as you need warm weather to do this....but found I had better results using a designated microwave in my studio.

These are about half of my dyes...the rest are outside used during my outdoor session. I've collected so many over the years and they have held up well and the color remains bright.....maybe it's because they've always been stored in a climate controlled room. It's nice to have such a selection although I tend to gravitate to my old faithfuls.

I start with fabric compatible for dyeing with Procion MX dyes and soak it in a solution of soda ash and water. This time I was using silk scarves and old linen napkins...both were good candidates for this process. The fabric is left to soak for @ 10 mins, rung out and crumpled in a bowl or on top of a screen (which is on top of a tray - lower right). Next comes the ice. I don't like crushed ice as it melts too fast and sometimes big cubes don't melt fast enough. I personally like the bags of ice I get at Food Lion....a good size, not real smooth cubes so easier to pick up and seem to melt in the amount of time I use. You'll find the one you like best. Wear a mask for this next part - working with powdered dyes. Also know that any equipment, bowls etc that are used here should not be used for anything else.

Next comes the powdered dye which is sprinkled on top of the ice. I do not put one powder on top of the other but rather leave openings in the ice (below) to put second and third color. I find 3 colors seem to work the best for me. When this is done, cover with clear plastic wrap and microwave anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. If when it's done and the ice cubes are not melted, I'll nuke it for another 2 mins.

Let it sit for a little while as the steam can be very hot and dangerous...remove cover by tilting it away from you...do this slowly and carefully. When fabric is cooled, put into a bucket of cold water. I will change the water every 10 minutes or so until it is clear. The pieces on the left are silk organza and mercerized cotton, which will be dyed in the same batch so the sheer can act as an overlay. The scarves on the right are China silk which is a type of silk often used in scarves. You can see how bright the colors are...just 4 - 6 minutes in the microwave.

More scarves done in the microwave...below.

You get a beautiful crystalline effect because the ice melts at a different rate allowing the dyes to strike the fabric at a different rate which creates this effect.

The are all going down to my gallery space #235 in Woolworths artist gallery in Asheville, NC. Enjoy the "show and tell" which follows

This is my favorite piece...I love the colors and realize that one of the colors has been discontinued so I was very careful where I used it. I did do several in this color way so hopefully I'll have enough to play with for a while...Next time, all the linen napkins I did...some great colors so stay tuned.

Happy Independence Day

I have posted this article a couple of times over the years on my blog. It is one of my favorites and worth repeating...

    The late, great Erma Bombeck was a gifted writer who gave us her light-hearted insights into life, people and mostly herself. I read her column on a weekly basis; I always looked forward to it. She always made me laugh but on a few occasions, brought a tear to my eyes. I'm not a saver of articles and such, but one particular column I've saved for over 30 years; it's yellow with age, it still brings a tear to my eyes. In honor of Independence Day, I give you Erma's take on the American Flag - What's red and white and blue and true?

 "No one ever taught me about the flag.

When I was 5, I was in a dance recital. My costume was a silver leotard. Attached to it at the shoulders and wrists was a flag. During the last few bars, I spread my arms revealing 48 stars on a field of white. The audience went crazy cheering...I learned a flag could make you look like you had talent!

A few years later at a baseball game in Cincinnati, 2 men were calling each other names that would starch your underwear. One said Ted Kluszewski hit like a girl and the other guy threatened to rearrange his nose. Just then, they hoisted the flag; both of them stood with their hats over their hearts. I learned that a flag could break up a fight!

 During the second World War, my Grandma sent her son to war. I never saw her cry when he left, or when he wrote or when we talked of him, but one afternoon when she thought no one was watching, she went and put a little flag on the sill in the front window. There were flags all up and down the street in windows. I learned the flag could bring tears to the eyes of people who didn't usually cry.

  When I was in New York once, I saw a group of demonstaters protesting the war. They lit a match to the flag. I watched in horror as the silk stripes curled in flames because I knew what was coming. Within minutes, there would be a bolt of lightning and thunder to strike them all dead - Nothing happened; the earth didn't part, the sky didn't fall and the VFW was open regular hours. I learned that a flag could touch the ground and life could go on.

 Later I was to learn that people would make underwear out of the flag, key rings and toilet seats. The flag was a successful commercial venture. 

I would learn that you wouldn't think about the flag for a long time, then you'd see it being raised slowly over a gold medal winner at the Olympics and you'd get up out of your chair quickly and say "Anyone want a beer while I'm up?" and go to the kitchen to hide your tears.

 I'm still learning about the flag. It's an enigma to me. I've known it all my life. It's so familiar, yet it occasionally touches a nerve that excites to the point where I square my shoulders and say to a perfect stranger at the UN, "See that one with the red and white stripes and stars? That's my country. 

Have a safe (wear a mask) and wonderful (social distancing) Independence day....And God bless America...now more than ever!

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Father's Day to some wonderful men in my life....my dad (left pict, left side)...right my dad's high school graduation and..

 and his wedding picture of him and my mom...

 Myself with my dad at the airport...we had not seen each other for 32 years...

And my stepdad Frank Baluch who was a good dad and a wonderful grandpa! 

And of course, my wonderful husband John who's been such a great husband and a wonderful dad also

Happy Father's Day to all the dads who have been part of our lives.

Recycling

Over the years I did a lot of teaching, first in public school and then at quilt guilds and conferences.....Having been a Home Economics teacher, it was the most natural thing to go into wearable art which I've always loved...which led to art quilts....which led to surface design.

I loved machine work, free motion especially and bobbin work. I have oodles of samples and I don't know where they all came from and why I have so many...think I was trying out different threads on hand dyed silk, getting different color combos. I liked to use Candlelight which is a heavier metallic thread and must be used in the bobbin...even too thick for the biggest needle which is the top stitch needle with its oversized eye.

 During my studio purge the other day, I had a pile of samples, ready to toss them...what else could I possibly do with them since I'm not really teaching anymore...The lightbulb went off and I thought CARDS. I do share a gallery space with my girlfriend Mary Stori at Woolworth in downtown Asheville. Woolworth is on the National Register for Historical buildings in Asheville and still has the original bones. They have even reconstructed the old soda fountain ...it looks and feels like you're going back in time.....well back on track...

 One of the things I sell are cards. They are all handmade and involve some surface design or machine process. The fabrics are hand painted and even some beading can appear on some.

 I have lots of card blanks but think my favorite is the "photograph" style which allows you to  insert a photo...in this case a little piece of art. On the top left, a "needlelace" sample and on the right another variation of lace.
 Below left are some needlelace and applique cards along with crewel embroidery by machine using Lana thread by Madeira. On the right is "lace fabric...just lots of left over thread and yarn, sandwiched between Solvy (water soluble stabilizer) and machine lace stitched on top to hold it together. The Solvy is then dissolved away.

 On top is Confetti and below the confetti card are 2 samples using hand dyed silk and bobbin couching. On the right is bobbin stumpwork...where there is a build up of threads along the edge, sporatically placed. This is based on the original version of stumpwork done by hand on embroidered pieces. Bobbin work is always done on the wrong side so you are sewing blind.
Below on left, more bobbinwork and stumpwork and on the right is lace and a sample using
Paintsticks (leaves on lower left)

Above, more bobbin work with negative space which highlights the beauty of the silk. All in all, it's been fun and even better, I feel like these interesting samples will find another home if only for a little while. Please come by our gallery space if you're ever in Asheville, NC. We are in Woolworth, lower level, space  #235
Have a fun, productive and peaceful week. I like to say to please remember to wear your masks....As Smokey the Bear used to say in his commercials..."The life you save, may be your own".

VooDoo Lily

 My friend Gary and Barbara have a marvelous garden...their garden has been used for many garden tours. One of the very magical plants in their garden is the Voo-Doo lily which blooms once a year and only for one day.

It is quite beautiful and quite big...

You can get some perspective with Gary sitting in back of it. It just bloomed...and because of social distancing, we didn't have a chance to see it this time....but luckily I had some amazing pics from last year and since it just bloomed, I decided I needed to share this......It was amazing in person! 

And here are a few of my own lilies...not quite the Voo-Doo but still pretty.