More homework

This workshop is just so inspiring!  I have several more projects in the queue, but probably won't ever get to half of them.  When trying to sleep last night my brain came up with one project that I'm really excited about.  Spent a few minutes today checking out all of my supplies, including finding my bottle of discharge paste.  I wanted to see how the most important fabric, for the piece in my mind, would discharge.  Well, either the fabric won't discharge or the paste is so old that it will no longer work.  Yes, it's 15 to 20 years old, and nothing happened to the fabric when I tried a bit on the corner.  It was more than  bit, so should have worked.  The fabric was 100% cotton quilting fabric so it should have discharged quite nicely.  It is black and can discharge to almost any other colour, but I was hoping for a rich golden beige.

So I ordered more off the internet.  Discharge paste $10.00/bottle, postage $15.10.  But this was the only Canadian source I could find, and I don't want to have to deal with custom's brokers.  This will be a long term project and will involve hand work, so certainly won't be started for a few weeks.

I consoled myself by working on my internet workshop.  I have one small piece put together, and rather like it. This combines two of the techniques we were supposed to explore, but doesn't go as far as maybe it should have.  There is another one I want to try out, but that will wait for tomorrow.

Homework

This week has been largely spent on homework for my "Mod Meets Improv" internet class with Elizabeth Barton, Through The Academy of Quilting.  There are two pieces that I think have worked out fairly well.  

 This is a mod version of the Rail Fence block.  I'm really quite pleased with it.  Originally I had thought I could use it as a charity quilt, but am so happy with it that I plan to keep it as is, quilt it, and maybe even display it as a modern quilt.  I know that modern quilts are usually full bed size, but I'm sure I can find somewhere  to exhibit it.

The next one was a study on planning seams that can be concealed by intense quilting, or otherwise hidden. The black is a modification to my design wall that makes working with a white background easier. Both of these are yet to be quilted.

I plan to link this with The Needle and Thread Network.

The class continues

There is a lot of work involved with this class, and a lot more that could be done, if needed.  Not a lot of the information is new to me, but I am trying out a few of the techniques ( I could never do all of them, in this lifetime).

But it is just like my inspiration, interest and just basic joy have all exploded.  I am very busy, and excited just to get up in the morning.  I'm even working in the studio after supper--something I haven't done in months.  So if nothing else, this course has paid off in bringing me back to life so to speak.

At the same time, I'm spending time looking at the videos that are now available with my membership to Design Matters TV. I even tried "eco" printing leaves on water colour paper by boiling them together, along with rusty iron and vinegar.

I just have a few minutes now, but hope to post pictures tomorrow.

Busy times and a bit of navel gazing

Started my class, and then spent two very full days doing the exercises.  Didn't know that the supply list was available prior to the class starting, so had a bit of a jolt when I finally read it--about half an hour before class started.  She has asked for several yards of clear fresh colours.  Thank Goodness I knew what she meant, but that still didn't mean I had any in my stash.  Nor did I have any money to buy them.  So, I finally decided to use the stash of white cotton, and Procion dyes that I did have to create my own.  So for the last two days and still at it today, I have spent the entire day, hour by hour, dying fabric--one dye bath at a time.   I tried to be careful how much dye I used, as I always tend to use far too much and it ends up going down the drain.  As a result most of the results were far to pale to be "bright and fresh'.  Did those over again, but at least all that is costing me is my time, and a little dye.  I did have to buy some prints--a large floral, a stripe and a tartan.  The tartan was half price but still cost me $16.74/m, plus tax.   It appeared to be the only tartan in the store, but after it was cut I found a few more.  Not an issue as they were of such light weight, loosely woven fabric that they would have been useless.  But, I've ended up using the best part of a full bolt I had of the white quilting cotton.  I decided not to worry about that as it had been in the house for over two years, and I'd not used any of it before.  I didn't worry about the dyes either, as they have been around for quite awhile--well past they're shelf life.

Here are some pictures of the exercises I posted on the class site.

First working with vertical lines.

Next working with horizontal lines.

Then adding vertical lines to the horizontal lines in the second picture.  I rather like this one, and may consider working it into a pattern for a wall hanging.  I already have yellow and purple fabric ( hand dyed!)

This last one is actually a full size pattern for a potential "modern" wall hanging, to be done in white, black and red.

So, yesterday evening, after a very busy day, as I was leaving the studio, I looked around at all of the hangings that I have on the wall.  And gasped!  While each was somewhat different, the fabric they were worked on was all exactly the same value--and in slightly different shades of grey/blue.  The first word that sprang to mind was "Depression".  I'm thinking that playing with the bright clear colours opened my mind to a different way of looking at cloth, and at how I could use it.  This has bothered me ever since.

This afternoon was a meeting of the craft group I belong to, in a rural town close to where I live.  Two of the ladies are good friends, and I spoke to them about the above.  One of them then says "I've been trying to tell you that you had a problem with value for years".  I know I have a problem within my work, generally, but I think the problem I noticed yesterday, is on a whole other level.

Man plans, God laughs

Yep, nearly a week later, and very little studio time.  Did some beading on my tree ornaments.  Did the ironing, tidied the studio ready for action, but not much more.  Rather, My husband decided that this was the week that he would bring his garden up to "snuff".  This meant a trip to the garden centre, and then lots of physical work for him, while I sat on the patio, cheering him on, offering cold drinks at regular intervals, and working on my beading.

Tomorrow I start my on-line class with Elizabeth Barton.  Hopefully that will get me back into the studio.

Addicted to the studio

The last couple of weeks have been a frantic time of energy sapping events and commitments that exhausted me.  Finally, today I was able to gear down, and catch my breath.  I now have a period ahead of me of few commitments, and the potential for a great deal of studio time.  I've really missed it, and am looking forward to my "fix", just like an addict.  But first I had to deal with mess and routine studio chores.

When I got downstairs this is what I found.  First of all, ironing that really needs to be done, or I'll have no trousers to wear tomorrow.

Some second hand frames and  matting that I picked up in my travels today, and hope to use "some day".  We all know what that means. (Snort!)

Two half done projects that have been waiting far to long for a bit of attention.

A third project that I have tried to work on over the past two very busy weeks, and just isn't working out very well

And finally, a big pile of old, somewhat broken jewelry that we picked up in our travels yesterday. I don't have anything in mind for using it, but wanted to claim it anyway.  This was culled from a large shopping bag that was on it's way to a thrift shop.

Two hours work and it was sorted out into like objects, and later carefully sorted into various boxes in my bead cupboard. 

Tonight I just plan to "veg out", but tomorrow I can return to my alter-ego as a studio artist.  And loving it!!