Icey Delights on 8 Tshirts

I basically use the ice-dyeing techniques that Lynda Heines shared with us through her Icey Delights Online Class. You can find all of the information on her Bloom, Bake, and Create Blog. She shared how many specific colors looked when they split during this process.

I chose my own colors for some Tshirts for the grandkids. Each picture gives you a pretty good idea of the splitting, and the dyes that were used. 

I hope this helps those of you that had questions. 

If you are getting too much white, I suggest to massage your fabrics once all the ice has melted. This tends to move things thru all the layers. And if a few dots of dye annoy you, put your garment in with the front away from the ice. By the time it moves thru the fabric the dots are generally gone. 

Hope you're having as much fun as I am. Luann

Convergence, Fibonacci, Thread Play, Decisions, Decisions

There are so many decisions in the creative life. Today, I'm pondering a piece that would incorporate several different artist's techniques. I like the interplay of fabrics in a 'convergence' piece. Ricky Tims has shown us that. And ever since Caryl Bryer Fallert was on The Quilt Show I knew I'd enjoy making a 'Fibonacci influenced' piece. They have some similarities, yet they are different. I have done some free-cutting and improvisational piecing. Liked the freedom when I was working on those.  I think that can be attributed to Joe Cunningham.  So, as you can see, lots of possibilities! 

To start with, it seems that I want to use some of those recently dyed fat quarters. Maybe one of each subgroup that came out of that workshop. Here are my choices. 

 

If I choose to put them together in a 'convergence' sorta way, these are the pairs. 

 

The one on the left is NOT goldens, it is the greens like in the top photo. The light reflected at the wrong moment. 

 

These look pretty close to reality. You may notice some dye specks. That's due to the ice dyeing method. Sometimes an ice piece melts faster than it can mix with the dye powder that's sitting on top of it. I don't let little things like this bother me. I love the overall textures and color splitting and mixing that happens. 

Because I have 20 more fat quarters that coordinate with these, I will be able to do something a bit out of my ordinary on the borders, outer edges, ?? And if I keep the narrowest strips on the wide side, I could do a little Libby Lehman 'ribbon thread play'. That's another technique that's on my bucket list. 

I really do need to get a bigger bucket, this one has been spilling out on the floor,,,

I'm off to do some creative playing. I hope you're having a great day too. 

May God bless you with the ability to see your bucket as overflowing, and not see the floor as getting messy. 

Luann

Dyed Sheets and Pfd Cloth

A few days ago I got the urge to get the 'grunge' out of some sheets. I did an ice dyeing process. I also did a heap of snippets and 2 dozen fat quarters of fabric. I put up pictures already of the cloth but finally have a couple of the sheets. First, a 'group' photo of those fat quarters. 

 

A total of 6 yards of scrumptious eye candy. 

And the sheets.

 

 

I really like how these came out. Try to ignore the purple rug bombing this picture!

Yesterday I set about doing a second set of sheets. These were NOT done with the ice dye method. More of a low water immersion. I squirted dye stock onto them and gave them a good massage. After all was said and done, this is how that set looks. They aren't on a bed, just over the back of the rocker for 'portrait' time. I like the colors as they combined to make new hues and shades of my favorites.

 

 

 

All in all, I like both methods. Each has its own final look. These will be fine in the same room. After all they are usually covered up with a blanket or quilt. And I may just need to make two coordinating quilts for these beds. Since I lean toward intense colors when dyeing fabric, I'm sure I can find plenty to look good with these sheets. 

The best part, about doing ice dyeing and 'squirt it on' method, is the serendipity  of it, and I don't keep records of mixtures, etc. 

The worst part of doing them in either fashion is that sheets weigh a ton when they're wet and they are near impossible to rinse properly. My back will testify to this. 

All in all, though, I like having things personalized. And what can be more personal than the sheets you sleep between done up in some favorite colors. Hmmm,, maybe the hubby's undies could be more blue and green and,,, ahhh, maybe not! But I bet my grandkids would think it was cool. They're just young enough to not be embarrassed by such things. 

Well, I'm off to see what else I can 'personalize',,,,,

God bless your color adventures,

Luann

And The Results Are

Yesterday I showed you some pictures of sheets, pillow cases and fat quarters. They were basking in the sunshine, after having spent some time going through an ice dyeing. Later I finished them with a good pressing. And, here are they are.

 

I just love that purple highlight on the first on the right. And the mottled colors on the second one has me thinking about mermaids and under the sea stuff. 

  

Third one from the right could pass for a piece of rust dyed fabric.

 

And then we have some midnight sky, and ocean currents.  

 

 

Deep rich reds, golden bronze, and some that will work nicely as tree trunks. 

And now for all of them in a group shot,,,,

 

I sure do enjoy dyeing fabric. It doesn't matter whether I'm ice dyeing, low water immersion, shibori techniques, indigo vat, batiking, or any number of other methods. 

Surface design has become a passion of mine. I have dabbled in computer generated and printed fabrics, gelatin plate printing, screen printing (conventional as well as deconstructed), painting directly to fabric, and well, the list goes on and on. 

One last photo. I painted this quilt top back in the early 1980's. It was for my kids. I used acrylic paints watered down and some sort of permanent marker, and a Father's Day card. Yikes! It lasted through over 30 years of on and off use. The batting and backing have long since departed. But I love it,

 

I've been pondering turning it into a 'family art quilt'. I'd like to have all the "users" sign it, or doodle on it, something. It will be my fidget quilt when I am 127 and the great grandkids are carting me about! 

That's my plan, and I'm sticking to it!! 

Let's Create Pleasant Memories with Loved Ones Today,

Luann