Sashiko Fan?...Not Yet!

Fan Size: 7"X7"
Ages ago, I purchased some chartreuse sashiko thread and sashiko needles for this activity but not the kit containing the coarsely woven fabric. I soon learned the virtues of a looser weave when using thick thread! My first fabric selection was a ridiculously tightly woven navy blue plain fabric- not at all possible to pierce with a sashiko needle and thread. Instead of getting my pliers to pull the stitches through I switched to a more loosely woven black fabric. 'Coarse' fabric is very suitable for this thicker thread and stitch size.
I tried the chenille needle as suggested in the C&G manual but preferred the sturdier and longer sashiko needle. I did a little bit of googling and found this interesting site on Japanes textiles, including sashiko. I was introduced to other aspects of Japanese needlework and textiles. 12" looms! http://www.harding-giannini.com/index.php
I found the loosely twisted sashiko thread left a lot of fibre fluffs on the black fabric. Pearl cotton would be cleaner. Would I use sashiko in future work? Maybe. The geometric designs are appealing. The stitching goes quite quickly. However, the look screams 'I am Japanese'.

The thread colour in the photo is quite insipid compared to the chartreuse reality. Photographing colours is a challenge lately. I should check my settings and see what is going on.

Experiments with Dyeing

Doreen and Joan (fellow Fabricators) came over on Tuesday for an experimental dye session.

Joan:

Joan tried out dye painting on a dry, soda ash treated, coarse canvas using a dye concentrate with sodium alginate (Kelgin) thickener. Her drawing of the Angkorwat ruins is wonderful.

Doreen:

Doreen painted dye on wet, soda ash treated cotton. Her soft colours blended beautifully. I was certain they would wash away when rinsed they were so subtle. I was shocked when almost no dye came out in the rinse or wash. She used 1 tbsp dye powder per 1/2 c. water, according to Betty Howe’s tried and true dye painting recipe.

Me:

I did a three way dye in 28 small plastic bags, a la Sophie in Australia. I was inspired by the gradation dye seen on Sophie’s flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/artstitches/1503393471/ . Her blog has dyeing information and photos http://essellesbabble.blogspot.com/

Fabric: The 28 chunks of fabric came from 7 cotton napkins and a table cloth from my great aunt’s cedar chest that I inherited in the 80’s. I’m not sure if you call the woven lilies of the valley damask or jacquard. But the pattern catches the light in a most wonderful way on each of the dyed pieces.
Dye Solution: 1 tsp dye powder/cup of water with no soda ash at this point. This is 6 times less dye powder than Doreen used! I used 3 tsp. total dye solution per bag (6 measures of ½ tsp.)

Dye Powder Used: ProChem.

Bottom left corner, Aqua #702,

Top left corner Plum #8153

Far right, ~60% Lemon Yellow #114:~ 40% Lime Green #730)
Method: One row at a time, I mixed the dye proportions according to Sophie’s photo, in little cups before adding to the bag. The fabric was soaked in soda ash before putting in the bag. I poured in more soda ash hoping for some pale colours. A little scrunching to minimize white patches finished the bagging procedure.
Labelling: Each bag had a number. I should have numbered each fabric chunk accordingly with permanent marker when it was dry to make sorting easier. Instead I attached fabric numbers with a safety pin.
The Results: Very interesting. Lots to observe and learn. Violet has red in it. The complement is green so I did get some lovely neutrals. The plum overpowered the aqua and green. Next time I will use ½ tsp of any colours that are strong or dark. The aqua has a weak voice. I should double the proportions of the shy dyes. The dyed fabric looks more like turquoise than the aqua on the dye chart. The plum is very similar to the chart colour.

Mola Bird is Appliqued

The Mola bird is fully emerged from a driftwood photo taken in Desolation Sound this summer. I loved the organic, flowing crack pattern. The bird was a bonus discovered on my computer screen much later.
The history of molas and the colourful outfits of the Kuna Indians (First Nations?) of the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama really captured my interest. Molas (literally meaning blouse according to the web site below) had me tempted to use a flowery blouse as the base fabric. The primitive animal shapes in traditional molas made it easy for me to draw my crude bird shape. I think the combination of simple shape with complex geometrical patterns and colours is very exciting. The freedom of design and brilliant colours are a big lure for me. My bird mola will be trimmed to 13"X16", the approx. size of traditional molas. Molas often came in pairs, one for the front of the blouse and one for the back. http://www.galenfrysinger.com/mola_panama.htm
Stumbling Block- I wasn’t sure about the legs. The original legs were short and stubby. I decided to appliqué the body first and worry about the legs later. 'Later' came, as it always does and I just couldn't find legs that made me happy. I'm trying to accept the leg outcome by convincing myself that most birds have legs way to small for their bodies.
I really enjoyed all aspects of this exercise-except the legs.

Chenille Scarf

Yesterday’s Chenille Scarf workshop with Linda was excellent fun. In one day I made this brilliant scarf. I love it.

Ginkgos Circling

20"X20" click on the image for a closeup
The painted gingkos are finally Wunderundered and machine appliqued in place. I think they look like pollen grain under a microscope! I switched to this brown/purple batik instead of the royal blue. I really wanted to couch the glitzy Oliver Twist chartreuse yarn along the leaf edge. The blue would look too cheesy with glitzy trim. A little glitz goes a long way so the larger outcircle is stitched with 2 rayon threads, a bright yellow and lime. Shimmer without the glam. I also tried metallic thread with good stitching results. No stabilizer was needed to do this applique. Invisible thread was used in the bobbin and for couching.

Catch Up

I have a lot of C&G handwork samples on the go right now. Each day I think one will be finished and blog ready but it just isn't happening. I met my tutor, Catherine, for coffee in Vancouver while we were enroute to Parksville for Christmas. Her quilt, 'Sedna' was featured on the cover of Quilting Arts, Dec./Jan. We had a great chat, time flew, and I know I am in good hands.

I have been spending an inordinate amount of time on flickr. My resolution, as of Dec. 19th is to improve my picture taking skills. Step 1 is to actually take pictures rather than look at everyone else's. I try to post one a day on flickr. Each photo venture holds surprises! As with quilting I can see when something isn't working but I don't always see the problem or how to solve it. I have made lots of mental notes for future images. I just can't seem to remember to not shoot into the light! Step 2 will be to explore some camera settings.

I found this wonderful book at the second hand store in town $20!!). Gorgeous pictures and laden with information. 'Quilted Planet' by Celia Eddy, Octopus Publishing 2005.

Very Scary

Someone broke into our house last night while I was on the computer posting yesterdays bird. OK, they didn't exactly break in - they pranced through my UNLOCKED dining room door. I did hear a sort of clumpy sound but exercised my usual ostrich coping strategy when I hear a funny sound at night. After about 2 minutes of being an ostrich I decided I really did hear something and I should look into it. I first noticed how damn cold it was by our front door (just off the dining room). I turned the outdoor lights on and made sure the front door was locked and made a mental note that glass doors and lots of windows are poor insulation. I went back to the computer and felt a definite draft that even an ostrich couldn't deny. OK now my heart is beating fast. I went back to the front door and noticed my dining room door was wide open and my family room door was slightly ajar. Yikes! The wind must have blown it open. No wind. I wandered through the house a bit to see if I felt a presence. I didn't. But I did decide I would be safest outside so I stood outside in absolute stillness and silence for 5 minutes until I started shivering. Should I call the police? Should I wake up my husband to help me check the house? Should I check the house myself. No. No. and Yes. I am not brave I am an idiot! I found nothing and felt nothing weird so I went to bed. Pillow over my head. Cell phone on the nightstand.

I woke up (5am)to my husband yelling (I wear ear plugs to bed) "Where's my wallet"? Right away, straight from a deep sleep I said "The person who came into our house last night took it".

At first light I found the wallet and credit cards strewn about our yard. Only the Blackberry was missing. Very scary, especially considering our house is somewhat isolated and we have lots of windows with no curtains.

Anyway, to the quilting. It seems appropriate to post this scary Hawaiian applique. My tutor is quite happy that I tried so many ways to find a way to enjoy this technique. Satin stitch-too flat and factory like. Fused- flat and dead appearance. Raw edge-like this best. Needle turn applique- too many narrow and sharp corners, usually I like applique. I have yet to hand embroider one of the fused sections. This is one activity and sample that I happily bury in the strata of samples.

Mola Bird

This picture of driftwood was taken during our boat trip to Desolation Sound this summer. I like the quilting potential of the cracks. The bird shape was an after the fact bonus. The history of molas and the colourful outfits of the Kuna Indians (First Nations?) of the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama captured my interest. Molas (literally meaning blouse) are generally extremely complex layers of colour and pattern. The designs range from complex geometric patterns to primitive animal shapes and everything in between, often all on one piece. The freedom of design and brilliant colours are a big lure for me. Molas are usually 13"X16" and come in pairs, one for the front of the blouse and one for the back. I wanted to use a flowered blouse in background like some of the images shown on this website. But the directions for this activity said to create a 2 colour mola http://www.galenfrysinger.com/mola_panama.htm

I extracted a version of the mola bird from the driftwood quite quickly; took a smidge longer to pick the colours and one hour to baste the layers around the motif. By the time all was said and done I forgot to watch the Survivor finale. I am really enjoying this technique. He looks a bit silly right now but I have hopes he will improve. A tail and legs will help.

I wish I knew how to get a photo in the middle of posts.

Broderie Perse Ginkgos

I always feel like I am getting caught up in my blogging. This post is 'what's up' almost right now. The objective of this City and Guild activity is to apply broderie perse applique technique to hand stamped leaves.

I used Setacolor fabric paint and a stamp made out of crafters' foam. The stamp is actual ginkgo leaf size. The stamping took place over a fews days. Day One: I stamped yellow and green on white fabric and let it dry thoroughly. I tried scoring some veins into the foam which helped a small bit.

Day Two: I wanted to get a bit of colour variation, but not too much. Ginkgos seem to go from chartreuse to brilliant yellow over night. I got into the red paint! I couldn't help myself. I wanted to try and get a brown fringe on the yellow but it didn't work. I noticed a watery wash helped to define the grooved veins a bit better.

Arrangement: I was fixated on using the centre threesome. I first tried circling the centre with another ring with all stems shortened, facing the centre, and tucked under the centre leaves. I hated to cut off the nice straight stems so I 180'd them to get the stems radiating out. Much more interesting to my eye.

Background: The blue fabric resulted from a very short audition. I just liked the combination. I see the stems hang off a bit. Oh well. Now to fine tune the arrangement before 'wonderundering' the lot. I am not sure how to finish the edges. My machine goes in for servicing tomorrow so I may practice a few hand embroidery stitches I recently learned.

Very Scary Hawaiian Applique

Traditional Hawaiian applique is not for me! First of all, I blame the colour choice on Halloween - when I started this. The only thing I enjoyed about this activity was cutting out the 'snowflakes'. Even this I should have paid more attention to as my motif is very irregular from one quadrant to the next. My lack of excitement over this activity explains why it has sat with the last 3" of applique unfinished for 7 weeks!

Applique experiments:

1. Needle turn hand applique. I tried following the stitching line that we used to outline the motif and join the 2 layers of fabric together. It seemed like I was forever stopping applique stitching and taking out these basting line stitches. Once the stitches were removed there was no line to follow. I finished one quadrant using the needle turn method prescribed, and then decided to free myself to experiment with other options in the other quadrants.

2. I used the Kate Pasquini-Masopust technique of starching the fabric and ironing the shape over a piece of posterboard to create a nice smooth edge all ready to stitch. Of course the sharp corners and tiny pieces in my motifs were challenging but at least I could enjoy the hand work somewhat.

3. Heat n Bond fusing made for a very very lifeless, flat look. which would have to be salvaged with stitching or embellishment. Satin stitch makes it look factory made.

4. Raw edge applique was the closest I got to satisfaction. Once I trim the edges better, (need to get some nice sharp small scissors) I think it leaves the most interesting look.

This is one activity I would be happy to leave unfinished, but we have to do some echo quilting. I have heard that hand quilting is quite unpleasant on batik.

Now to get at my mola design which I am very excited about. The broderie perse ginkgo is also proving fun and I can't wait to get at the isometric exercise. I'm loving the photo I have chosen for the isometric colour exercise and English paper piecing exercise to follow.

Flower Fossil Applique

I loved doing this C&G Heat n' Bond applique even though the fossil/shells turned out stiff as boards. I felt the embroidered edge was too fancy for the shell. So the sample sat for a week. But, the exercise called for machine stitches so eventually I went with fancy edges and lots of different patterns, thread and colour. The stitching went like magic. No breaks, bad tension or stripped threads. I started to really love the exotic look all the stitching gave the simple shell shape. The background was a struggle to find. The shells are gradations of pink and orange hand dyed fabrics. I was fixated on using a background that used similar gradation values in blue or green. It just wasn't working. This corally looking piece materialized one afternoon. Without a lot of thinking (for a change) I just added in a few of the brilliant green and blue blocks to meet the '4 patch' requirement for the exercise.

There are more and better quality images at my flickr page. Click on flickr badge on the right side of these posts.

Comments and Picture

Success -I got my picture onto my blog page. The box that accepts the copied url from my computer was operational this time. It took about 1 minute. Patience is definitely helpful on learning curves.
I've noticed the 'comment' section has been missing in the last couple of weeks. Whoopsy, I inadvertently hid the comments. I think it is fixed now for future posts. This post is the test.
I started a wish list of quilting books. This could be a handy place to keep a list of novels I want to read and ones that I have read. However, between flickr and blog surfing, my reading time has vanished.

Tie With Flow

The self imposed Bargello quilting deadline has been removed. Now I can enjoy coming up with a quilting plan and then enjoy the quilting without the ridiculous idea that I must get this done by a certain date hovering over me.

I have always envisioned a turquoise something and leaf shapes flowing through the Bargello strata stream. I abandonned the idea when I saw the huge size of the quilt. This tie is all I needed to spark my enthusiasm. While purchasing the substitute birthday gift - a sports jacket, I spotted this tie. The helpful sales clerk took it in stride when I asked her permission to photograph the tie. A first apparently! The flowing lines in the tie are just what I have had in mind all along. Now to adapt the lines to quilt size. I have to be careful to keep the quilting even and not too dense. I want this quilt to stay cuddly not stiff like a chunk of carpeting.

Mountain of Thread

I removed this mountain of thread last Sunday. It took 3 hours! Would it have really mattered if I had left them there? The black minkee, wool and top are all spray adhesived together. I have no idea how I want to quilt this. To get it finished by the 12th, I was going to quilt straight channels in the border and follow the curve of the bargello. BORING... to look at and to execute. For now, I stitched the perimeter of the interior to keep that straight and square. I also quilted in the ditch around the narrow border. The straightness of the borders are killing any creative thoughts that enter my head. The borders are a prison for the cente of the quilt. The quilt looks really great laying on the bed in the guest room while I work out a quilting plan.

Quilter's Block

I am trying to extricate myself from 3 areas of Quilters Block. If writers can have a block, quilters certainly can!

1. I did this stamp making exercise for C&G. I was imagining the gingko leaves being pelted to the ground in the huge windstorm we had 2 weeks ago. I tried out the as yet unused umber and sienna acrylic paint. I had no foam stamp material so I used various types of plumber's gasket to create the gingko stamps. It was fun figuring out how much paint to use and see the overlapping effect of colour and leaf form. I got carried away with the stamping and didn't love the look of the end result. Way too many leaves. I know...IT'S JUST AN EXERCISE! But. I feel I need to do it again with a bit of restraint.

2. The Bargello needed to be batted, backed and basted. I know... ONE THING AT A TIME - START WITH WHAT YOU KNOW. But. There were issues. I did the miters late at night even though I new better. What was I thinking? I eyeballed the miters! All the borders seemed to line up so I sewed them. All was not perfect even after redoing 2 corners. I guess I should have used a ruler and the angle thingee. The top lay abandonned for a week. Finally I got down to business to correct wrongs. Resting was just what the miters needed. Everything measured perfectly. All was square and flat and the border corners met quite acceptably. The black Minkee got cut and sewn for the back. The wool that had been relaxing over my railing for the past week got cut to size. I spray basted the back of the Minkee and laid the batt on top. I used the basting glue from Walmart. It doesn't seem very tacky. Nothing like the 3M spray adhesive. The layers will rest while I will remove the zillions of threads from the back and front of the quilt top tomorrow while I have my morning coffee.

One more Quilter's Block to go! My mind will get too revved if I start thinking about it just before going to bed.

Twisted Ribbon

54X66

The bargello strips, bit and pieces are miraculously together! Miraculous because I perservered the tedium and because I didn't run out of strata prior to completion. I have the borders cut and ready to mitre but may have to save that for the morning when eyes, mind and energy are fresh. Tomorrow I will check out the Wonderfil http://www.wonderfil.net/index_en.htm thread at Sew Fine for quilting considerations. The thicker rayon thread sounds interesting. The colours on the web site look just fantastically intrigueing.

City and Guild exercises are languishing but the bargello must be completed by December 12.

Bargello Taking Shape

Paying attention is the name of the game in making this Bargello. Is it possible I'm just not good at following directions?! A system eventually developed. I enjoyed doing this late at night when my mind is prone to wandering. I fell victim to 'doing just a little bit more' and had some very late nights. I loved watching the pattern tighten up with each seam. I am planning to give this to my husband for his 50th birthday in December. I'm worried that it is too pink. A dark border might masculinize it. I am definitely using Minkee on the back. His only request was that it be soft and cuddly. I guess that means pink is not a problem! I am thinking about quilting lines and will probably do the predictable and follow the curves rather than an all over pattern. I'll just have to see what the quilting gods have to say when that day comes.

Strata Swatches

Every now and then I have the need to slip into "Sweatshop" mode and do some factory work- (cut 20 of this sew 100 of this cut it 20 more times sew it all over). The timely offering of 'Twisted Ribbon Class' at Poppins Parlour suited me just fine. I also knew the instructor, Gwen, would be adding ideas that add quality to the project.
The first class consisted of selecting 20 fabrics that will be used to build 5 stata. The stratas will be cut into various widths and arranged just so, with the end result being a 'Twisted Ribbon'. This is a tweaked version of Chris Timms 'Twisted Bargello' that I first saw in an Australian Patchwork magazine.
I kept coming back to the orange and corally pink colour scheme with it starting at white and plunging through a mossy green to the black depths. I struggled with the transition from pink to moss green but I made do and hoped for the best. Tomorrow I will post the partially finished strips as assembled on the design wall.

Shape in a Fruit Jar

Under the duress of procrastination I finally got 10 ‘shape’ pictures to Catherine for the Module 3 City and Guild exercise. The shape images were to be found in our own homes and gardens- no cruising the internet for excellent and inspirational photos for this exercise! My yard, things and photographic skills just don’t thrill me. Or so I thought. It turns out that looking, really looking, and opening my mind to what I see leads to even more seeing. (I thought I knew that.)
The fruit jar photo session was a good lesson. I hauled my beans and rice jars out of the cupboard thinking the form of the jars and various sizes would take care of one shape photo. My first background was white, way too harsh for the light, but I noticed interesting overlapping jar shadows playing out on the white background. I'll explore that later.
The beans have curiously perfect shapes and colours. DNA is an amazing 3D photocopier. It’s usually best when DNA doesn’t get too creative. Now the beans interest me and I decide to take a photo from above, I’m thinking circle shapes are good, so off come the ill fitting zinc lids and glass tops. Imagine preserving food in these things for families of 13 hungry farm boys. The thought of the absolute necessity of preserving such copious quantities of the harvest to sustain a large family overwhelms me. Now I notice the glass tops have interesting and varied regal crowns. Some lids have stars and other pattern embossed. So I decide to photograph the whole lot. The glass has subtle hues of greens and blues and clear with different size bubbles capturing the breath of the glass blower. Yuck.

My dad collects fruit jars. He has all the more intensely coloured jars including at one point the much coveted brown ‘Pansy’. He would put them in the sunlight to bring out more colour. Coloured jars were distained by the farm wives of the day but coveted by collectors today. Now I realize I have a personal connection to these jars. So much for having nothing that interests me in my house.
Now on to the compost pile.

Box Fish

box fish
Originally uploaded by Zé Eduardo

This fish is the latest background on my desktop. The more I look at it the more interesting I find it. Notice the hexagon pattern on the body. I love the translucent fins with the green tinge. The lips...well they are just fun. The background is fantastic, I think I have some fabric that would be perfect. It is very unlikely that I will ever get to Bonaire in the Dutch Antilles so I am loving the photos that 'Ze Eduardo' has been uploading to flickr during the last few weeks.