Yesterday - 1st dyefest of the season

It was great fun to hold the first dye day of the season at Elizabeth's studio.  We are both always on the lookout for happy chemical accidents, neither one a stickler for rules.  Here she is working over a piece that came to her from another well known fiber artist (a prize if you guess who via email). They have a swap going, each taking turns changing the piece.  I don't know when they are going to stick a fork in this one and call it done.

Another view of the day's doings here.

This is part of my murky results, but murk was just what I was after because I've been having visions of those discharged discs and have a half baked idea along the lines of Shell Vapors and I'm fresh out of spots.


Overall results ran from the sublime to the ridiculous, as usual, which means something for every occasion.

There were great lessons remembered and new ones learned like, don't waste soy wax on wet cloth, make the wax hot enough in the first place, split peas were a waste of lentils and SHAKE THE DAMN BOTTLES! and don't forget to check your gloves once in a while..you don't want to see my thumb.

freakin' friday

I'm convinced that this will be the fate of this telecommuter unless drastic action is taken immediately.

Until then, play with this .

I'm rounding up stuff for a studio day at Elizabeth's place tomorrow.

finishing touches

Sweetie's on post for the birds setting up housekeeping in the hedges.  I've decided to name this one "Rêver" - french for dreaming. 
I've been falling asleep listening to people speaking french in foreign films which leads to dreaming in french and I wake up wondering who and where I am.


It's perched on top a pile of white fabrics all destined for the dyepots at some point in the future. I'm headed to EB's studio this weekend for some fiber r&r - someone else's workspace is always a treat and a challenge for me. Some of these pieces will come along and be transformed.


I chose the bits of cloth for this piece as much for their texture and character as the colors - everything is very weavy and soft, easy to stitch. 

Appropriately,  I'm busy building a  small army of  french knots wandering in the streets and alleys. 
Each one says "You Are Here" but not in red.

Cusspot decanted

This is the first cusspot I ever made. I keep it with my hand stitching basket to capture thread ends rather throw them any old where which caused the early demise of my Hoover upright vacuum.

After a year, it was bulging at the seams. We had hellacious storms in the night with high winds, hail, lightning and threats of tornadoes all night. It went from 80 degrees at 11 pm last night to barely 50 degrees this morning but everything looks fresh scrubbed as if Winter was blasted away and Spring can finally get on with Summer.

I went out side and put all the clippings and snips in the shrubs around the property so they can become nesting material. We are aswarm with cardinals, eastern bluebirds and many other birds in this neighborhood all rioting around the property and setting up housekeeping.

small stitches and grand plans

I started this bit of embroidery last night during "Mildred Pierce" but I was too tired to get into it and it may languish. It's an odd little cartoon that I've had in my head for a while - I think the gesture comes originally from a H.Bosch painting, a pickpocket working the crowd.


Saturday JR and I met at HoAnn's to confab over the weight (not!) for the batting in her quilt and not arriving at a choice for backing fabric - there's plenty of time for that, and 50% coupons still unripe. I did have a couple to use up and went back yesterday and was compelled to by a pattern and two lengths of fabric intended for wearing.

After spending some time with the pattern instructions I'm tempted to email McCalls the meaning of the word "easy". I remain doubtful but having once upon a time replaced the engine in a 1963 Ford Fairlane, I think I can handle building a garment from cloth. As you can see, the quilt has affected my color sensibilities. My wardrobe tends to the "denim mudhen" spectrum so these will be a welcome change of pace.