ANIL

I took a mini vacation yesterday.  After making some semblance of order in my studio I saw the pile of recent indigo dyed fabrics.  Even though I should have been completing projects already on the go, I chose to work with blue.  

This is ANIL, spanish for "indigo dye".

CATCHING UP

It's been a while since I've posted.  I don't know where the time goes.  I'be been trying to catch up with all sorts of projects.  This months postcard exchange theme is trees, but I've only started to receive "birds".  The post out of Africa is very slow.

This one came from a new member to the exchange group.  I don't want to sound ungrateful, however it's just a printed piece of fabric bound to a backing - no stitching or quilting at all.  These are supposed to be little works of art, not a reiteration of a fabric line.

This one is a stamped partridge (prevalent in Africa) on a hand-dyed background.

Now a few trees:

Tracey sent a lovely "retro" style tree.

A Bonsai:

These are mine - kinda abstract.  

POSTCARD HEAVEN

I received another group of postcards in the mail.  All three are from Lynette in South Africa.

Home is where the heart is.

Colour!

Birds

AGED TO PERFECTION

Happy 60th Birthday!  

Yesterday, a friend of mine hosted a 60th birthday party for my husband.  Since I still haven't learned to make a decent meal, my job was to make dessert and decorate.  The Happy Birthday Banner was hung between two trees at the entryway.

 

I made a photo collage in the shape of 60 (I know, use your imagination) using scanned and printed copies of photos taken throughout the past 60 years of my husbands life.

Here are some chocolates (from the bulk food store) re-wrapped with quotes like "aged to perfection, celebrate 60, I'm not 60 I'm 18 with 42 years experience".

Place settings included a tootsie pop riddle.

This is the cake with plastic wrap over it.  I forgot to take a picture of it before I was ready to go out the door.

Muffin tins with liners were a great way to transport scoops of ice cream.  When the cake is cut, the ice cream is ready - no fuss.

For those that don't like cake and ice cream, a few dessert squares were added - brownies (my favourite), date squares, pineapple/coconut dreams, and English tea squares - yum.

Small bottles of wine were given as a take-home favour.  A shipping tag was added with "Happy 60th, Aged to Perfection, Vintage 1953", and tied with twine.

A great time was had by all.

INDIGO DYEING

This past week, the Group of Eight Fibre Artists, went on retreat.  The project of the week was Indigo Dyeing.  Lots of prep work was needed before the week even began.  Fabric was folded, braided, crimped, clamped, tied, squished and smushed.

The indigo dye mixture was made.

Waiting for the air bubbles to subside.

Already dipped in dye, set out to dry.

Hanging to speed the drying process.

Wow, what a beautiful assortment of patterns:

    

 

 

 

 

GRATE IDEAS

The Group of Eight Fibre Artists July challenge was based on a photo taken by one of our members.  While visiting Mexico, she came upon rusty grate, on a golf course.  Our challenge was to interpret this photo in some way.

I saw the photo and said "What?!!!!".  I kept coming back to the photo and here's what I came up with.   It's a rough depiction of the photo.  This one is made using the Stonehenge fabric line, and backed with golf-theme fabric.

For this piece, I used all hand-dyed fabrics from my stash, picking up the colours from the photo.  I have to admit that most of my hand-dye fabrics are made for me by my sister.  Aren't I lucky?

My first idea (and last to create) was to use transparent fabrics, but it took a while to come to fruition.  This piece represents the sewage troubles that plague Mexico city.  Every year, their water levels recede up to 7cm.  Unless drastic measures are taken, the water ways will be taken over by land and sewage.  

50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of going to a 50th birthday party for a friend.  The party was a backyard affair and the only things to bring was a chair and whatever I was going to drink.  No gifts were expected.  Of course, I have an issue with that, because I always like to take a little something with me if I visit.  

Here is a look at the "50 BLOWS" gift that I put together.  I filled a fishbowl with gum balls, bubbly Perrier, Pepsi, and 7-Up,

then added a few skewers fitted with the various "needs" of an aging someone, a card, some blow horns, and a small bottle of Champagne.

This was all wrapped up in cellophane and tied off with a pretty bow!

JOURNAL COVERS

It's almost time to think about making some more journal covers.  Each year the Group of Eight Fibre Artists donate journals, complete with covers, to a local women's shelter.  I'm getting a head start on them.

This cover is made from old plastic bags, cut up and melted together.  Take note that I added a bit of stitching.

These two were made from left-over half-triangle squares stitched together, then quilted.