Twizzlers

As creative people, I think we all wonder about odd things that others may not give a second thought to....like those little cups that come with laundry detergent and dryer sheets and oh yes....big candy bags that are empty. Surely there must be a good way to recycle them into something useful and cute.

Our pal Kate Weston from our PTA group headed up the annual retreat the last 2 years and came up with prizes for everyone....Well they were all wonderful, but secretly I know that mine was really the best. Kate took an empty Twizzler bag, laminated it with a laminate appropriate for fabric and made it into a pouch for carrying thread, scissors etc. 

It even had a zipper.....

and was quilted....and the lining...so cute! How clever is this....I could even see these as a cute bag for a younger person....just put a long strap on it.....

And the best part....you HAVE to eat all the candy before you use the bag!

Ice Dyeing Retreat Pt. 1

A small group of gals from the Mountain Art Quilters - a satelite group from the international group of SAQA got together for some ice dyeing. Everyone brought lots of supplies which included procion mx dyes, soda ash and fabric.

Oddly enough, we all brought different blues, greens etc so sharing provided so many choices. Tables were set up close by for easy access.

Risers were used to give us a more comfortable height to work with. Trays with screens on top were put in place, ready for the first step - white fabric and ice.

I can't help but laugh when I look at these tables, envisioning them to come alive and start walking...like something from an old time horror movie - "Revenge of the Tables".

Okay...back on track...first step is to place scrunched up fabric which has been soaked in a soda ash solution on top of the screen and then covered with a layer of ice. I forgot to take a picture of the white fabric but you can see a bit of it peeking out. Make sure all of the fabric is covered.

Next step is to sprinkle procion mx dye on top of the ice. I like to use around 3 colors. You can see the dye is distributed in a "polka dot" like fashion, allowing each dye its own place on the ice. Dyes should melt into each other by touching.

Here the ice is completely covered with dye. As the ice melts, the dye strikes the fabric. Since the ice melts at different rates, you get a crystal like effect on the fabric.

The ice and fabric are covered with black plastic and clipped all around. 

Sometimes I like to repeat a color combo especially when I make scarves so I thought to photograph the jars of dye with names on front for each batch....now to figure out which batch belongs to which dyes...harder than you would think.

Even in warm weather, which it was....very.....the ice can take hours and hours to melt and you want at least 4-5 hours for the dyes to batch...well, the big reveal is certainly the best part.

We all used different fabrics which can creat different looks. Procion mx dyes work on all natural fibers. I used mostly a mercerized broadcloth cotton which I like the best. I also found in my stash a cotton/silk blend (60/40) which was a nice surprise and it dyed well...We had some rayon challis, Hoffman batik for dyeing, gauze, silk scarves and felt. This is also a good method for overdyeing fabrics you don't like...even prints.

We did one tray of all blues...

and rusts and reds....

This was our black, gray and Havana brown tray...amazing the way some of the colors split.

The blues and yellows

very vibrant...

We had 3 different clotheslines going....and a breezy, sunny day so the weather was perfect.

We also did some acid dyeing which only works on animal fiber - silk and wool..

and the color is brilliant as you can see.

These particular pieces of felt were clamped and resisted with objects to give white areas.

Scarves for personal use and for my Woolworth booth....Pt.2 coming soon with my fabrics washed and ironed...We had a large variety....and such a fun day!

Retreat - Pt. 2

Day 2 of our retreat.... Back at the community room,  lots going on. Marene, our newest PTA - er fits our group like a glove. She brought several projects to work on including a community quilt which is an ongoing thing in our guild. I think most guilds have philanthropy type projects where kits are available for anyone to make and donate. She finished this top - lickety split...and so onto the next project.....

 a gift for a friend she recently stayed with while in Florida...

 This will be a beautiful bargello piece when done.

 Linda has become an avid knitter; these are socks for Kate...I'm in line to get a pair but don't know if I can bring myself to wear them...too beautiful.

 Barbara was working on blocks and at this point up to 3 large pieces...a very interesting piece and I look forward to seeing it completed.

 Mary was working on a quilt for her grandson using plaids and checks....

 With leftover fabric from Mary's quilt, Kate made this piece. It's fun to see the very different looks from the same fabrics.

 Leigh Ann was working on the same quilt as Janice using the Maple Islands quilt pattern -

 Kate was also working on a community quilt, ran out of squares to make a 5th row and decided to make 2 blocks using scraps to make a 9 patch (opposite corners). Kate literally had a few threads leftover and we all thought the newest blocks really added an element of surprise.

 Kate is a fast and very good piecer...but when having so much fun with many distractions...seams do get sewn on the wrong side...what to do...

 take a break and do aerobics with our fearless leader - Georgia!

Well, 5:00 and it's Happy Hour time and back to the house.. ... lots of nibbles and bubbly and laughing!

 with good friends....

And as the saying goes....what happens in Lake Logan, stays in Lake Logan...For that we are all grateful.

 and into our jammies early on

and the socks that say it all ..."If you can read this...Bring me some wine"....Girlfriends are the best!

Retreat Time!!

Last week was our annual retreat - 3 days of crazy fun!....10 of us gals from PTA - (Professional Textile Artists, AKA - Piecers, Talkers, Appliquers) gathered together to sew, laugh, eat, drink champagne, laugh, tell stories, laugh and drink more champagne. Each year gets better and better.... We arrived around 9:30 - ish on tuesday...Mary had yummy donuts waiting for us as we set up our stations and being creatures of habit, scooped up the same tables as the year before.

 We all bring tons of stuff to work on thinking we may actually run out of projects. The room is very large and perfect to accomodate all of us, our machines etc.

 We hang up our design walls and are off and running.

Some of our members like to come for just a day to hang out in the community room. Dort was here on tuesday and working diligently on some smaller pieces.

 First things first, we had a quick show and tell...Mary brought a piece she made utilizing fabric she created herself using ice dyeing and deconstructive screen printing techniques...Love it! Love it!

 Georgia brought some fabric she purchased featuring New York City...I've got to have some of this....

 Kate was working on a piece using half hexagons but put it aside as she wanted more fabric choices....As much fabric as we bring...sometimes it's hard to know exactly what we'll need.

 Barbara was working on some interesting blocks - slicing and adding strips, all very spontaneous.

 Janice and Leigh Anne were working on the same quilt - different fabrics...

using a pattern from Maple Island Quilts.

 Georgia also found this wonderful "tree" fabric from Northcutt, which will feature an pieced owl..... still in the designing stage.

 I was also working on a piece using half hexagons. I had them arranged on a flannel "board" and glad I did. I brought extra fabrics along in case I wanted to do some swapping out. My hexagon template was not very good and Kate came up with this idea.

 First off, you must know that Kate is the Queen of Recycling...These were flip flops used in pedicures...Kate saved them knowing they would serve a future purpose. Our good pal Denny lent us her Accu Cut machine to bring along..

 and running this through with the hexagon die...

gave me this....a perfect and very sturdy template - It will be put to good use when I no longer have access to the Accu Cut - thanks Kate!

It was Mary's birthday and what better way to celebrate than with cake, bubbly and a crown...

and lots of funny cards...Well that was just day 1......Please stay tuned for more fun and beautiful quilts.