The Rainbow is .... Finishing!!!

While on the island for holidays I fell.  I'd love to say I was rock climbing or beachcombing, but it was actually a slip in the bathroom.  How "old lady" is that!!  I've discovered that gum boots and heavy socks are very forgiving footwear......that and a holiday season where a lot of visiting is done and not a lot of activity.  But I did trek around the island, wander on the beaches and get in and out of boats!  Albeit tenderly. 

I came home three days before I had to go back to work and took it fairly easy, other than a walk to the beach and back with the dog.  But it was when I went back to work, sat at my desk all day and was wearing a work shoe that it became apparent something was really wrong.  My foot swelled quite badly and was burning inside.  I decided I should go to a walk-in clinic and have it checked.  Long story short.....I ended up with my foot in an air cast with three broken metatarsals to nurse back to health!  I was quite honestly surprised as I thought it was just sprained!  I told my husband that I'd felt like a very old woman getting in and out of the boats....bad enough they rock and slide away from you when you get in them, but I was nursing a tender foot.  His reply?  You looked like one too! 

However, the rainbow in this story is that I've been instructed to keep the foot elevated as much as possible, and haven't been able to drive.  Doesn't seem like a silver lining does it?  But it's led me to FINISHING things!  Anything I can do sitting with my foot up.  I've done hand quilting, stitched on binding, and even did some hand mending!  I used to say "Finishing is an "F" word", but now I'm thinking it's a pretty good feeling. 

Here are some pictures of the things I've completed.  The top one is a quilt for a friend's baby, two are samles of classes I'll be teaching this spring.....and I won't bore you with the mending! 

QUILT INSPIRATIONS GALORE

One day while spending Christmas vacation on the island with my husband, he was out splitting kindling and I was inside cleaning the cabin L  He called me to come out and bring the binoculars.   Across the channel there were a pod of Bottlenose Dolphin swimming along in front of the most beautiful rock wall.  I watched their every move until they were out of sight.  Then Bob said “There’s an Eagle....look at him through the binoculars”.  WOW.  A Bald Eagle through binoculars looks vicious and scary!  I actually took a step backwards from the effect of the close up view.   This photo is the rock wall....picture it with a school of dolphin swimming in front of it!

All this told me I need a new camera, with a telephoto lens and a tripod.   My current one is geared towards close-ups for stitching!   The dolphins and the eagle were completely out of reach of my camera, as was the kingfisher that landed in the tree in front of us.  He was so striking with his color amongst all the blue/gray/black. 

After viewing the dolphin through the binoculars I asked Bob to take me over to the other side of the channel so that I could get a picture of the rocks they had been swimming past as a backdrop.....yes, a quilt is percolating.  He was happy enough to do that.  I got close up photos of the rock wall, the beach, a waterfall, the kingfisher, and best of all, when we turned around to come home, a log in the middle of nowhere, with two seagulls on it.  Here's the picture I got....you can see why I say I need another camera, with interchangeable lenses so that I can try telephoto! 

Bob slowly brought the boat up on that log and I was thrilled at his sensitivity towards my artistic endeavours.  I got a couple of pictures of the seagulls on the log, missed them when they flew away, and turned to thank Bob for giving me that photo opportunity. 

But he just kept creeping up on that log.  Next thing I know he is hammering in a metal loop, tying a rope to it, and we towed it home.  It was a cedar log and HE was pleased to find so much shake (roofing) material and kindling.  I groaned at having been sucked in yet again.  A new-age-sensitive-man he is NOT!  Here he is towing the seagull's roost home!  You can see the log behind his left arm following us home. 

Tyson Vick.....an Artist

Check out this link and read about half way down the page.  I've been corresponding with this man for two or three emails now and have his permission to mention his work here on my blog.  I am so proud to see one of my designs used so spectacularly! 

http://onedelightfulday.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/il-re-pastore-a-fugitive-princess/

Stitching on an Island in the Pacific!

Not a tropical island, but one that was just as beautiful in it's own way.  This winter saw a change in our lifestyle as my husband has taken on the position as caretaker on a remote island.  The island has several cabins on it and is owned by a doctor whose family only visits in the summer months.  They are missing a lot  by only seeing it in one season!  This is the view from the caretaker's cabin.  Just at sunrise and that mountain was SO pink!  My camera has not done it justice!

This Christmas vacation it has been my pleasure to join my husband and experience remote island living. I am fortunate enough to have two weeks off work over the Christmas holiday period.  This year I spent that with my husband on that tiny little island in the Pacific Ocean. It didn’t start out well when he said as we climbed out of the boat onto the wharf.....”You’re in my domain now.”  I laughed at him as I unloaded a suitcase of fabric, two sewing machines, all my stitching equipment, my laptop, my clothes, my baking supplies and a couple of boxes of fresh vegetables!  However, at point of writing, day 7 of my visit, most of the fresh vegetables are gone, and I’ve staked my claim on “his” domain!!!  Because he works on that island, I took things with me to keep me busy.  Samples for upcoming classes, some mending (I know...quilters don’t do mending.....but he hasn’t caught onto that yet)!  We had ten days in the wilderness and it was spectacular.  Here I am in the biggest house, doing what I love, in a "dream studio"! 

When he was working I spent my time working on sewing projects.  The skipper on the crew boat who brought me into the island asked if I was staying six months!  But I left at least half of it there for next time.  A sewing machine, sewing supplies, cutting mat, pressing cloth, design wall....everything I would normally take to a workshop.  It was like dying and going to heaven.   Here's a photo of the view from where I was sitting. 

I cut fabric, arranged, stitched and just luxuriated in the time available to just design and sew.  I worked on a class that will be offered at Serge ‘N Sew in March.  And this one......to be offered at Serge ‘N Sew in April.  Here’s the link to their web site so you can see other classes they offer as well.  http://www.sergesew.com/

During the times I wasn’t sewing, we went on boat rides to beach comb.  We saw Bottlenose Dolphin which have caused another quilt to percolate, noisy Ravens, Bald Eagles, Flying Squirrels, any number of tiny birds looking for crumbs, and best of all, on the day I went home, Killer Whales!  Absolutely exhilarating!

Stitched Christmas Cards

Saturday was a good day.  I was teaching a class at Serge N Sew in Nanaimo.  http://www.sergesew.com/

The technique was the stitched tree in my book, "Embellishing with Anything." It's the same technique used in the tree on the cover.  On Saturday we were translating it to Christmas cards. 

The most delightful group of 6 ladies were registered and what a great group.  Three left with beautiful cards, one made TWO trees and decided to do a wall hanging with one.  Two had trouble with their machines but coaxed them into working..... with the help of Linda from the store who saved the day. 

It encouraging to see the students I had catch on to what they were doing and then talk about different ideas for the same technique.  To the left we have Tina who has been in one of my classes before.  She's a delight and a creative "power sewer"!  Lots of ideas and unstoppable energy.  She's produced many many postcards since that class and has a travelling kit to do more!  

To the right is Mary, an elegant woman who mastered her machine and the technique.  Her card was completed except for embellishments when she headed home.  Her husband picked her up and he was the best man for being interested in what she had accomplished!

And this is Irene, who also took a class with me previously.  On Saturday she brought her binder of finished projects, all of which she worked through following the instructions in my book after the one class.  She had an amazing variety and quality to her collection.  I was really pleased to think that someone had spent the time she that she did with my book and produced such wonderful treasures, both the patterns and ideas in the book and more of her own design.  Beautiful work Irene!

To the right is Maryanne.  She had a terrible time getting her machine to cooperate, but once it got adjusted, (thanks to Linda, at Serge & Sew)....she was on a roll....look closely at the lovely tree she is working on. 

And here is Judy, the maverick in the class.  She worked quietly and intently and asked great questions.  She is the one who made a wall hanging, and then started on a card and had great ideas to use the technique in other ways.

I love it when that happens.  Such great ideas when they all started with the same project. 

Liquitex Inks from C&T Publishing – Another tutorial of sorts!

On the weekend of November 11, I had the privilege of meeting with a group of quilting friends for our bi-annual retreat.  While there, we work on whatever we want to, and appreciate the input of friends of almost 20 years when pondering our work.  It’s a great time together, lots of fun, food and laughter, wine too!  And believe it or not a LOT gets done!!!

This time one of the projects I took along was the Liquitex Inks provided to me, as one of the “author ambassadors”  by my publisher, C&T.

One of the talented people there has a machine at home, which makes silk screens out of good contrast photographs.  I had sent her a photo of my favorite tree, a Garry Oak,  earlier in the month.  She prepared two silkscreens for me and brought them to the retreat for me.  I set out the inks and medium that had been provided free of charge and promptly 16 very creative and talented minds went to work trying them out on various silk screens.

The ink itself is a little too runny for silk screens and flows too freely, smudging the design.  However, when mixed with the medium, it is perfect.  We tried several different silk screens and this is the one I produced.  Making something of it will be a challenge as it’s so beautiful just as it is! 

Here’s some photos of the project “happening”.  Note the elegant container that the “medium” and ink are mixed in? (I DID say we were at a retreat!) 

Here are the steps we followed:

1. Use a slightly padded surface.
2. Smooth out target fabric, right side up on padded surface.
3. Place silk screen wherever you want the design (this one was done   three times).

4. Lay out a line of the medium/ink “goop” at the top of the silkscreen.

5. Pull it down across the design with a credit card, paint scraper, anything with an smooth edge that will not tear the silk.

6.  Second screening.  No extra ink needed.

7.  Load again for third screening. Scrape as before.

6.  Lift carefully.

7.  If not re-using, wash the silkscreen in cool water immediately and lay on a tea towel to dry.  Be sure to handle it very carefully so that it’s good for the predicted 1,000 copies! 

One detail that we noticed is that the silkscreen, after being thoroughly washed, still has a bit of iridescent flake here and there.  Next use will tell whether that blocks the screen or is just visual!

 

This design was done with white ink in iridescent medium.  I was thrilled with the results.  This picture doesn’t do it justice.  Now to stitch on it!! 

Liquitex Inks, Silk Carrier Rods - Another Experiment

An article in Britain’s Embroidery Guild magazine, “Stitch”, http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/

It used silk rods and Liquitex Inks and enticed me to try this project.  Since being designated an author ambassador by my publisher, C & T Publishing, and receiving some of these inks to experiment with, I had everything I needed on hand so thought it would be a great little project to try these inks out on. http://www.treenwaysilks.com/

Happily on this sunny morning I got out all my supplies and proceeded to arrange everything for this project.  I soaked the silk rods in a bowl of warm water.  The article said 20 minutes to an hour, but I found after about half an hour they separated easily.  The goal is to not lose the gummy stuff that makes them stick together!  They are multi layered so this was also an experiment in how thin to use them.  Here is what they looked like when I started.

When separating these “carrier rods”, it isn’t unusual to find bits and pieces of stuff other than silk.  I found two little brown bits, that made the silk in that area a color just a shade earthier than the surrounding silk, and I think there was one piece that was a silk worm!  However, they are hard and dried and just fall out as you separate the layers.  I tried to capitalize on those spots, but two of them got lost in the inking! 

There are two good sources for these silk by-products.  One is Treenway Silks on Saltspring Island, BC  http://www.treenwaysilks.com/ .

Another supplier is Stef Francis in the U.K. http://www.stef-francis.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10&products_id=12236  I have purchased from both and find both of them to give excellent service, mailing the order quickly and providing a high quality product. 

Here is a photo of the soaked and separated layers.  They are still wet here. 

From here I laid them out on wax paper on top of paper towel, laying the strips horizontally and overlapping so that the gummy residue could glue them back together.  Another layer of wax paper was placed on top of the wet layers and more paper towel, and then it was pressed with a dry iron. 

And here is a picture of the project after laying out the strips, pressing it dry, peeling it off the wax paper, and painting  water diluted Liquitex  ink onto the surface with a paintbrush.  See the inks here:  http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1987 The ink worked very well but I was not too happy with this sample, although it did stick together the best of the two:

But this one I painted while it was wet, and then pressed it almost dry in the same layered arrangement as the first one.  I think this one has potential for embellishment and mounting on a quilted background. You can see that some layers didn't bond, but I think hand stitching with embroidery floss will fix that problem and add another design element.   I can’t wait to get to that. 

I hadn't worked with Silk Carrier Rods in any capacity other than an already colored item that made an excellent embellishment.   I have a number of items that I’ve done with Liquitex inks now, and they all worked well.  I recommend the product highly.  Now I need to get busy and put them together into pieces of art!  What a lovely way to spend the day.