Green Dying Fabric

While traveling in Oregon, I found a lot of berries ripening and thought about all the natural dying process that are being used with natures bounty.  Right now where I am staying on the Oregon Coast the  Huckleberries and Slala Berries are ready to be picked.  I picked some of the Huckleberries to eat on my pudding, they produced  beautiful red purple juice, and very tasty. The Slala Berries are very tart - it is a berry that is found everywhere in the Northwest and was discovered by Lewis and Clark and there are drawing of them in their diaries. The Native Indians used them for cooking, but I decided not to eat any of them.

Berries cooking in the pot on stove.

The 3 fabrics I got from berry dying.

First, I looked up on the Internet how to fix my fabric. I had brought with me, some PFD white fabric I was going to use.  The information said I could boil the fabric in salt, and that was what I had readily available. I think soda ash would have been better, but not available around here. Got me a big pot from the thrift store in town - this is a very small town - and began my task of fixing the fabric.  The next day I started with the Slala Berries, boiling and simmering them in a mesh bag I had available from my fruit. Strained it and boiled a piece of fabric and let it sit in the dye bath overnight.  In the morning, I began to rinse it and we had to leave to go canoeing. I let the fabric sit in the cold water.  Well, that seemed to bleach out most of the color, but I did get some nice variations in the fabric.  The next 2 days, I did 2 more pieces of fabric. With the Huckleberries I smashed the fabric down so it was completely covered in the dye bath and I got a nice solid piece of red purple.  The 3rd day I went back to the Slala Berries and did not soak it in the cold water, just rinsed it.  I got a color very similar to the Huckleberry fabric in color, but lots of variations in the fabric because I left peaks above the dye line.  All in all, a fun experience, but not something I will do again unless I find a different color foliage/berry.  I do have 3 nice pieces of hand-dyed green fabric.

Another Win

"Charlie - Ironworker"

Just got notified that my little quilt in the Labor Contest with Machine Quilting Unlimited placed 3rd.     My little quilt (these were an 8"x 10" requirement) was a tribute to my husband "Charlie - Ironworker".   I had a photo of him taken while working on a high rise building in Los Angeles and I printed it on fabric for this quilt.  I am very happy and excited  with this honor.  It will be printed in their September issue and it will be in their booth at Houston - where I can see it too, along with my Estuary. 

Playing with painting

After a watercolor class doing macros, I wanted to try this on fabric. I took close up photos of some dahlias and took out a center section.   Traced it onto cloth and painted with Seta Opaque paints. When quilting, I took my stitching out over the edge of the border and I think have a nice effect. 

Currently in Seaside, Oregon I am doing some more painting - if the sun comes out today and will post more later. 

Happy 4th!

Enjoying Sunriver - beautiful holiday. Rains have gone away and weather is nice a warm in the afternoon. Family coming shortly and we will be doing canoeing and biking for the next few days. 

Eagle and her baby

Deschutes River, Sunriver, Oregon

And... the horse wanted to pose for me!

Wild Blue Iris

Mt. Bachelor, Oregon from our camp

Great News!

I have been honored as the Grand Prize Winner with my "Estuary-Oregon Coast" quilt I designed for the Fairfield Processing American Spirit Calendar Contest.  I am very excited about this as I will get a 3 day trip to Houston Quilt Festival this November, as well as batting, calendars and mugs.  Here are some photos of my quilt and it will be exciting to see the finished product.  For all 12 of the winning quilts go to the following link:  http://www.fairfieldworld.com/gallery.php?type=gallery&id=18

While making this quilt I was very impressed with the American Spirit Batting and you should give it a try. Makes the quilt easy to stitch and is lightweight for hanging.  

Hi from Oregon

We have started our annual trip to Oregon and I have included some photos of the trip that give me so much inspiration for my quilting.  Having lots of rain off and on, but use the nice days for biking, walking or canoeing.  The canoe is a new adventure for us this summer and really liking it - arms get sore, but worth the beauty we find in back woods and calm lakes and steams.

Got some good news the other day about winning a wonderful contest using my Oregon adventures as the theme.  Not sure I can post anything about it just yet, but coming soon.

Newport in the fog. Famous Bridge is a dramatic photo

Beautiful reflections on a calm canoe trip at Bear Creek

Went to a Farmeer's Market and a great Mountain Band was playing - I think  this might be my next quilt!

Oregon Rain Chains - unique item I saw that hang on your gutters to give sound to the rain coming off the roof.

Sunset last night in Salem - rain is coming.

After a rain, beautiful clouds.

 .

Busy, Busy...

Haven't posted in a  while - have been very busy with creating new pieces for teaching and getting ready for our trip to Oregon. Went to my sketching/watercolor class earlier this month and worked on learning to work with macros.   This close-up of bee in the flower is my sketch - always a fun class and learning so many things.

Christmas Joy, Embroidery, stenciling, beading

 

Asian Delight
Embroidery elements, Stenciling, Paper uses, beading

Poppies in the Garden
Dyeing fabric, fusible, beading

 Been designing a number of small quilts for upcoming teaching in the fall and spring 2013. These are some photos of  things that are scheduled.

Have several new things being juried and soon as I know results, will post with photos - right now they can't be shown.

Swirls and Curls
Fusing, decorative stitching, stenciling, beading