more marbles on my fabric

I had a second marbling session, here at home, on Thursday. There were some hits and misses. I'm showing a few of my favorite pieces.

This marbling is on blue jean fabric.

This was on some lovely black rustly fabric. Silk? I don't know what it is.

Part of the mystery is whatever fabric is underneath. This was leftover cotton sateen from a Spoonflower order. It's amazing how you can take ugly, failed fabric and make something interesting.

I dyed this lovely green linen in a Teresa Shippy workshop and it was wonderful as is. But I do love it with marbled orbs on it.

Here's a peek at my design wall with some marbled fabric that I made in my first session, at the Fibreye retreat. This is not the kind of quilting that I usually do, but I'm having great fun with it. Some of the recent marbling creations will find their way into this quilt, too.

marbled fabrics

I can't believe I haven't posted anything about the retreat I went to at Casa de Maria in mid-May. It was a wonderful, creative time. I taught knitting. I spent the rest of the time playing with fabric: dyeing silk scarves with silk neck tie fragments boiled in vinegar water. Marbling on all sorts of fabric. It was all so much fun!

Some of my marbled fabrics hanging on the line. I tried everything from silk chiffon to linen and all sorts of cottons, some of them already dyed or printed.

Completely different looks another day.

An array of gently washed and ironed fabrics. The ones on the far left are the dyed scarves.

The fabric in the middle was from some disappointing green dyed and rusted fabric that I hated. Marbling it made it rich and wonderful.

I have an idea for a quilt (or two) that I want to do with the marbled fabrics, but I have been too busy with other things to get started. Soon!

recent creative pursuits

I made this little quilt shop (see the tiny "quilts" in the windows?) for the president's quilt for my guild.

I went to a retreat recently at Casa de Maria in Montecito, with some creative people. I didn't take many photos, but I found these dyed fabrics hanging on the line irresistible.

Here I'm making a necklace with tiny felt squares. The baby quilt I'm working on is underneath - I should call this photo "Quilt Interrupted."

We walked up to the San Ysidro Inn one evening and marveled at the genuine Tiffany windows in the lobby.





My son gave this colorful wallhanging to me on Mother's Day. I can't decide whether it's an owl or a hedge hog.

New stuff

First of all, I want to thank "Dollbugy" for buying my quilt in the recent auction! Your generous check will go towards finding a cure for Alzheimer's.

I've been busy with this and that, some things I can't share, other things I can.

Here's more fabric from the workshop at Teresa's. I painted over some ceiling tiles; after the fabric dried I dry-brushed all over so that the pattern would show better.



Detail. I intend to use this fabric in the border of my snowflake quilt.

I like this butterscotchy one. Teresa has some really cool grates, tiles, etc. Her blog is http://blog.teresashippy.com/

I recent re-covered the seat cushions on our landing. Man, it was harder than I remembered! I may have to re-do one of them, but they will do for now. Matilda approves.

I made the seat covers as a result of our new bookcase next to it. I love it! It came from Plummers, and it is real wood. Unlike the previous bookshelves which were faux rosewood.

I think this is the cutest sundress ever. Whipped it out yesterday, from fabric purchased at the Long Beach Quilt Festival. I hope Samantha enjoys it. She is already imitating the chickens at the farm. Yes, for any new readers, our granddaughter lives on a farm.

Fun with Fabric Paint at Teresa's

I took a fabric painting workshop yesterday at Teresa Shippy's house. It was so much fun! Deborah and Linda were also there. Unfortunately my camera had dead battery cells (both!), but Teresa took some photos, which I am happy to share here.

The linen fabric is draped over a large metal tile and strewn with coarse salt.

This is what the underside looked like.

This is the top side after it dried. In reality it looks richer than this.

This piece of cotton was painted over a metal grate and salted.

Here's a detail. I don't know what I'll do with it, but I love it. I love most of the pieces I made.

Here we are at work. I took more photos after I got home and will share those next time.

I highly recommend Teresa's workshop. I will give you a link next time.

what I'm working on quilt-wise

I have begun a quilt with a winter theme. Here is some of the fabric that I've been dyeing for it.

This is the quilt currently being exhibited in THe ArT QuILT ExPERIENCE in NY.


I'm also working hard on teaching plans for my three classes at Flying Geese Fabrics in Tustin. Here is more info:

July 6, Wednesday - "Bringing Home the Trees" from 3 to 7

August 6, Saturday - "Baby Hexagon Ball" from 1:30 to 5

August 18, Thursday - "Holiday Cookie Stocking" from 3 to 7


Flying Geese Fabric
307 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA
714/544-9349
http://www.flyinggeesefabric.com/

fun with fabric

I've been experimenting with some of the dyed fabrics I made in Rayna Gillman's class. I made some more stamps with fun foam and stamped away. Even the dyed fabrics that I had been disappointed with seemed to benefit from the extra layers.

Once again, Matilda has to be in the photo.

Notice the two baby hummingbirds on one of my stamps!

It occurred to me that these fabrics might look great in clothing. So I made a blouse, mixing in some other fabric that I also stamped on. What do you think?

My dressmaking skills are still rusty. I'm still figuring out current-day pattern sizing versus current-day me sizing!