Fibermania

Dye Results Part Deux

17.5 Yards of breathtaking Special Editions in Cotton.

This was not such an easy task compared to the solid color dyeing. For one thing, the plan was to do this outdoors, but the weather did not get the memo, so we tried the indoor plan. This required layering plastic sheets, one atop another after each layer of dyed panels.

Dripping occurred, shall we say.

Then we decided the next morning to put them out on the lawn for the sun to dry them. The wind was fierce so rocks held down the plastic and fabric and soon we were able to rescue them and do the spectacular washout. I am so PLEASED. They look yummamente.

There is nothing wrong with yesterday's solids, however they are midrange to light, which we all have plenty of already. I want a day of dyeing saturated solids, which required more dye per cup of water than I used initially. And then I want a day of dyeing darks and then I can ride off into the sunset, knowing my job here has been done.

But this Lone Ranger can't quite schedule another two days between now and New Jersey, so today we're shelling at Manasola State Beach, to look for shark's teeth!!!

And now for some QUILT CONTENT

Tommy has these two wonderful wall pieces, ceramic with some nice raku areas, that caught my eye. I thought we could use them as inspiration for our quilting day projects. The idea was to fuse one half yard piece of Special Edition Cottons and go through the steps that I use to produce a design.

We planned to adapt elements from the ceramic wall sculptures, such as the curves, the sections or the faces and translate them into fabric, beginning by sketching the design out in full on the release paper from the wonder-under and then constructing it section by section. While this is something I do all the time, it is not, nay NOT, something I have ever taught as I am making it happen. This was challenging!

I was like having to pay attention and think and then announce the process like a sportscaster. Phew! Trying to look confident, while not having a clue what I should do next was, um, impossible. So I relaxed and just let things happen. It was really really fun. We both did different things, but similar too. I will allow Tommy to post her's when she is ready, but here is mine at the semi-finished point.

I am calling this Tom and Mel, because I can. It is about 15 x 22".

We still got in our daily skate, but at about 3:30 in the afternoon. The strong headwinds made this more difficult than usual and we wore heart monitors to chart our cardio rates. My standing rate is about 85 beats per minute and I was expecting to get it up to 140 while skating. With a few spurts I was able to reach 153, but then it nearly wiped me out and I slowed down quite a bit on the way back. This is a new concept in exercise for me. And I must say it fits right into my competitive nature. If there is a goal to reach for, I am more likely to try and reach it rather than be satisfied with just having a nice skate.

This being Fat Tuesday, we are planning to do something fun ( what? Like this hasn't been fun yet???) How will we top the whirlwind of giggles we have been having? Let me see...