30 April 2020

Masks


I'm sure you are aware of the fact that sewers are making masks in droves. Me too; I've made about 60 and they've gone out all over the country. I found this is the best mask pattern, by Leah Day, the free motion queen.

It's amazing, once the word gets out, how many friends, family and neighbors will want one of your masks. We all have scraps to work with.

For people with small faces (tiny women) and children, I either make the Leah Day mask narrower- 6 inches or use the cone mask pattern.. This is a bit of a weird site but they have a huge array of sizes. I make the small for kids and small face people.






Some masks in process




Let's all be safe.


27 April 2020

Work from Ann Standish





Hi Beth, I continue to really enjoy your blog posts, and saw that you posted Jean’s finished quilt using her grandmother’s doilies, dyed in indigo.  Gorgeous.    I thought you might enjoy seeing my own finished project, using a piece of pink fabric dyed one year, and over dyed with indigo last year.  Hand stitched, with machine quilting.  “16 Crowns”, a quilt for these times we are in.




23 April 2020

snow dyeing outcome



My "assistant" Brian holding up the cloth

































20 April 2020

Making lemonade: part one



Spring finally arrived on the coast of Maine and the daffodils were blooming all over my lawn then.............we got seven inches of heavy snow. I was so mad about it because all my valiant daffs were bend low under a blanket of heavy snow. I posted about that on my Instagram page and one of the women who was a yearly participant in the Maine Event from Vermont suggested I snow dye. Perfect---lemonade from lemons!!



Soaking




Really really OLD dye (6 to 9 months at LEAST)



Loaded with dye









Dye in fabric and empty snow left on top.

16 April 2020

A new dog sweater for Jaic


On Instagram, a woman was making these great sweaters for dogs. I messaged her and got the name of the pattern. From Google search, I take it this is a very popular set of patterns. I LOVE cables so I did the Joe coat in cables. This is washable wool. The Patterns are called Knits and Pieces and be found here. I made Joe and instead of striped, I did solid cables.





The thing that looks like a mistake was a buttonhole I added to the pattern to allow the metal ring on the harness to pass through.




13 April 2020

Jean's indigo dyed project


Remember Jean from Indigo Dyeing Days?? One of the things she dyed were old crocheted doilies from her mother-in-law. She intended to put them together in a quilt. Well, she did and here it is in her own words.

Here is the wall hanging I made featuring my mother-in-law's doilies--many of which I dyed in your indigo vat.  Some are the natural color of the perle cotton, so I went for the layered look.  There are also bits of vintage lace and trims and some mother of pearl buttons.  In the background patchwork are bits and pieces of "hand-dyes by Beth".  Over all I'm pleased.  The quilting looks very unprofessional.  It was hard to keep it steady and smooth over all those bumpy layers.




What a beauty!!


10 April 2020

some more 2






















This is the one I like the best so far


03 April 2020

So this is where I might lose you....


I REALLY love surface design: playing with dys, all kinds, shibori, indigo, deconstructed silk screens, and straight silk screening. I also love sketching, watercolor and mixed media work.

A month ago I signed up for a three month long art workshop. It isn't designed to really teach you how to paint or make whatever you art practice is but rather to see larger concept and see your work with an eye to improvement. I am really enjoying it. So for the foreseeable future I will be showing you my work. There is no fiber or fabric in any of it. This is the "losing you" part. 

I do hope I don't lose you and you enjoy see what I am up to in my painting and mixed media work. Here they are in no particular order. These are all "play" although some came out really well.