An Afterthought

After making all that fabric using the kemshall batik techniques, I finally put the pear design and purple and green/yellow fabric together and finished the small quilt. I used a pen (brown) to shade the pear and colored thread to do additional shading then made half square triangled to surround the pear and the tjanting fabric to bind it.

I recently bought the world ugliest coffee cup - mat black with a grey lid. I decided to make a dress for it to pretty it up a bit. The coffee cup dress is attached to itself with Velcro like a wrap. I bound it with the color catchers I threw in the washing machine for the final wash of this fabric.

One last batik ( of sorts)

I found this in my archives as a draft. I am going through all my posts and adding labels - after 3 1/2 years!! Thought I would publish it ah, a bit late

These two shirts were in the rag bag. They were beige and mint green (what was I thinking) linen. Nice shirt but pukey colors. I was going to get some shirts from Goodwill but found these while purging my studio during the re-design of my space.
I was going to do a two color dye but ended up liking these colors so I stopped here. The first one was beige and was dyed dark navy.

This next one was mint green. I was going for a nice deep green but it ended up this color. I may over dye it in the future but mean while, I kind of like this eye popping color.

Also this week I bought a new book  just out called Digital Alchemy. I took this picture because I couldn't believe my batiked quilt was the exact same colors as the book cover. Check this out!

stuff from our play date

Today the FIVE got together to play. Kathy brought her cousin, Claire , who got to play too. Mostly we did snow dyes had a lunch and then tried our hand at the "Kemshall Technique" (see the last tutorial). Here are my two and I hope Judith will post her two also. We were in two-tone heaven.

TA-DAH

OK. Now before I get any credit at all, remember I totally stole all this info and even the pear design from Laura Kemshall. I watch shows on DMTV Design Matters TV and it is SO worth the yearly price. Can you imagine studying with Linda and Laura Kemshall all year?

First I brought my 2'X4' ironing board down which I made on the painted batik tutorial and placed it on my folding table in my wet studio (a.k.a. kitchen)

 

Then I covered it with the heavy heavy poly film I use for monoprints maybe 6mil.

 

Then I cut open a trash bin bag and placed the fabric on it. I should have pre-soaked the fabric in soda ash and hung to dry but nooo, I'm in too much in a hurry so I'll need to add the soda ash to the print paste.

 

Next I use a brush to make a basket weave design on the white cotton

 

I set this aside on its bin bag to cool and dry in another room

This on I messed up a bit but whose judging - it's a demo! I also plan on re-waxing and over dyeing later in the week so lots of blank spaces for future batiking.

This is the pear batik that Laura did so I am copying her design all in a good cause.

I used print paste (see ProChemical website for product and directions) Since I rarely follow directions I won't confuse you but I mixed this print paste up and added DRY dye powder directly to the print paste. Use a mask since your lungs are like gold. I mixed mine too dark since I don't measure.

 

Now the fun begins. I dropped a glob (about 3 T) of thickened dye onto fabric and scrapped, not spread, but scrapped hard across fabric. I scrap up all the excess and put it back in the cup.I decided I wanted to dye the other side of this fabric another color so I turned it over when I'd finished this side and used the other color dye paste on the reverse. Laural did this so It wasn't an original idea. I never would have thought of it. The thickened dye is so thick, it doesn't penetrate to the other side.

green side down, naked back facing up then I did purple on the back.

 

It doesn't look like the front because of the way the wax penetrated the cloth. It looks even more interesting!!!

A piece of fabric with wax designs that I did with a tjanting then scrapped dye onto.

Now the neatest one of all. Laura did this design with the pears. Her signature designs are pears and dried poppy heads. Watch this....

First I applied purple to the "table"

 

Then olive to the top with interspersed drops of purple to break up the two tone monotony. I finished off with olive over the pear which was almost completely covered with wax. I meant to scrunch the wax on the pear to get crackling but I forgot. 

First I covered each piece of fabric with the other half of the bin bag and rolled it into a tube. Then I folded each in fours.

I heated my trusty rice bag for my neck in the microwave and placed on the four "packages" of dyed fabric for one hour.

 

I washed the dye out of the fabric after an hour with hot water to melt the small amount of wax

 

Then I popped them in the washer for a 30 minutes fast wash with HOT water , Synthrapol (Prosapol) and Shout brand Color Catchers - very important. Not only does it aid in preventing dye back as does the Syntrapol but you end up with a cool piece of color catcher in great colors.  I always put 2 in each wash out.

Here are the washed and ironed pieces. I could make a quilt with fabric I created with 2 or three uniting colorways. I think this is so wonderful. Check out the 2 toned basket weave piece. That's two colorways for the price of one.

Later in the week I will do the shading Laura showed and quilt this pear. I will also take a picture of some of my dyed color catchers. They have amazing texture when put in the dryer.

I hope you are as blow away with these techniques as I was. This was a "must do" or is that "must copy" for me. Unfortunately the dyes were VERY darkly concentrated so if I were to do this again, I would start with less dye powder and add more if necessary. I was going for a chartreusey green but ended up with an olive because of my heavy handedness.

Please try this. It is TOO much fun especially the "picture" like the pear. Maybe buildings or a landscape...

I've gotten juried in

Yes, it's true. I have been juried in to the No Holds Barred exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum. I'm so excited my feet still haven't touched the floor. Part of the deal is that my piece can never have been seen online, on blogs or websites nor in any other show so you won't be seeing my piece here either until the exhibit is over. However I will include a description of the piece:
                             FALL  18W X 30L
On a linen ground: a strong vertical and horizontal made with torn strips of hand dyed (tray dyed) blue and brown fabric woven at their intersection, sari yarn in a switch back configuration indicating downward movement with vertical and horizontal bands of leaves made from magazine images attached to organza with mat medium and a silk screen of a beech leaf.

Looky, Looky, Looky

I have finished the "robins egg blue" shirt and I love it.

 

The brown dye ended up olive green, along with the purple final dye, and the combo is my favorite color combination.  

 

You can almost see the iridescence.  

These are details of the other shirt that was tray dyed. I think you just need to see the shirt in person to appreciate the nuances of color. On me it looks like a bunch of blotchy colors.

And now for the fun toys:

             NOW.... think quilt.........................................YEAH!

the FIVE at play

Well. We had another playdate thanks to Veterans Day - Judith could come!! First, the big news our 50 yards of silk charmeuse came today with other play things from the west coast (Dharma).

Now all I have to do is measure and cut this 50 yards into 10 yard pieces.

During our play date, Marcella from Rockland came and brought me a surprise gift of two shirts from her wonderful store, Mace's, in downtown Rockland (Maine). I buy all my hippie shirts from her and they are known as my summer "uniform". She brought me a pale yellow shirt which I tray dyed with blue, turquoise, green and brown. You can't tell from the picture but it looks like an oil slick (in a good way). It's almost iridescent looking. VERY nice. Thank you Marcella.

 

 She also brought a robins egg blue shirt which I decided to batik with dye - much more traditional than my painted batiks. It is unbelieveable. I applied the wax with a tool that I think looks like a baked potato. Then I over dyed it in khaki. Please don't groan until you see the final outcome.

This is the blue shirt with khaki dye and the next wax applied with a rectangular sponge. See the dark shapes?

Judith did a black gradation which we read about on Melody Johnson's blog. You can check Judith's blog for her pics. Here are a few of mine:

I also dyed some embroidery floss and I also bought a gilded feather wreath which is fabulous so I MUST share!

I LOVE my playmates!