Freezing cold Monday

The weather turned cold this weekend! And we had snow Saturday afternoon and evening. Maybe an inch or two but it stuck. The next morning the temps had dropped to the teens, so it didn't melt off until the sun hit it. Most is gone, but the cold stayed. Hopefully it will warm up a bit today.

Never ending Hexagon

I got quite a bit done on my hexagon project while I was working the shop on Friday. This is my center, I think I am going to do a medallion style layout. I was able to get all the black pieces stitched on. I hope to start adding the next round of flowers this week.

4 sets!

Two more sets prepped

Since I can't make myself work on a piece with a deadline, I did some mindless sewing. A group that I used to belong to in California does a monthly block swap. I have participated from distance the last couple of years. I mail them out when I get a year's worth finished. I am running late this year. Their last meeting for 2014 will be the second Monday in December. I got 4 sets made this weekend and 2 more prepped. I will sew those today and get the last set done so they can go off into the mail this week. Cross that off the list.

Leader project.

My leader project is growing slowly. But I did round the corner so it feels like I am making progress.

This is my Design Wall Monday post.

Off

I was able to photograph and get some hand dyes listed in my Etsy shop. I have 5 pieces right now, more will be listed next week. I am trying to earn some money for more dyes.

My blue sky fabrics came out of the dye bath. It is late, the indoor setting of my camera just doesn't do justice to these beautiful blues! I will try again over the weekend to see if I can get a better photograph.

Never ending story

I recently picked up this project again. I am going to do black hexagons between the flowers. It is a good take along project for when I am at the shop and it is slow.

Moved the hoop

I pulled out my hand quilting project. I haven't touched it in 3 years. I forgot how much I enjoy the relaxing stitching of hand quilting . I am trying to put in 1/2 hour each morning with my coffee. I hope to get this guy finished to make the local shows next year.

I am having a serious case of artist block. I can't quite get going on a couple of projects that have deadline looming. So instead I pull out UFO's that haven't been worked on in years. I guess at least I am working on something, anything.

This is my off the wall post for this week.

Design Wall Monday Bring out the UFO'S!

My main focus right now is an art quilt piece that I cannot show publicly until after the book comes out. So I will spotlight a couple of UFO's that have resurfaced recently.

The Never ending Hexagon 

I started this years ago, probably at least 10. It comes out every once in a while and then I get side tracked. I am using shirtings for the lights and 1800's repros for the darks and red centers. The last time this resurfaced I had laid out the blocks that were done and finally figured out a plan. It would have been a good idea to take notes on what that plan actually was! I think that I took a photograph of the layout, so I need to search my photo files and see if I can find it. Meanwhile I have been sewing the wrapped hexes together while I am at the shop and it is slow.

Hand quilting

This is another long time UFO. I was part of a row robin back in about 1999 or 2000. I sewed the rows together in about 2002 or so. Then I started the handquilting about 2005 or 06, I thought I had about a third of it completed. Not. But it came back out again. I am trying to quilt on it every morning for about 1/2 hour. We will see how that works out. I really would like this to be finished and then it can make the rounds of the local shows next year.

Red rock

My sweetie and I took a quick weekend trip down to Kanab! I adore the red rock of southern Utah!

This is my design wall Monday post for this week.

Dyeing for sky

I am working on a project for the upcoming National parks tribute. I need sky. The pieces of turquoise and blue that I have previously hand dyed are too small and I do not want to piece this section. So off into the basement I go to dye some sky.

Two blues

I decided to dye two possible backgrounds so that I would have a choice. I got out my favorite turquoise and then sky  blue.

Dissolving 

I always have a "drop cloth" soda ashed and ready to dye. I use it to mop up messes, to put under the dyes while mixing and to wipe out the containers. You never know what you will get with the drop cloth! I do wet the drop cloth when mixing the powders so that it will grab any powder spills.

Soda Ashing

I saw this hint somewhere online. I mix up a bunch of soda ash in a big bucket. I have a lid for the bucket and after I soak and remove the fabric I am dyeing, I can just close up the lid and it is ready to go for the next dyeing adventure. When it gets too low, you just add more soda ash and water to the bucket.

Turquoise

Sky Blue

I have these two pieces "cooking" under plastic. Hopefully I can get them rinsed out tomorrow. I reuse those cheap plastic tablecloths. These are starting to get tattered, time to get some more from the dollar store.

Ziplock bags

I also did 4 fat quarters in ziplock bags. Again, using the "drop cloth" to catch any excess dyes.

Labeled!

I found out the hard way that I really need to label those bottles with the excess dye. Last time I thought I had extra brown and dyed a piece for a background. It turned out to be Burgundy red.

Sorting some for the store

Pretty pink

I need to get more dyes. So next week I will list on my Etsy shop some hand dyes. I need to pay for my habit! I have a hard time photographing the colors, they never show up as bright as they really are. Something to work on next week.

This is my off the wall post for this week.

First Snow!

Back porch

We are having a little bit of snow. Nothing like those back East are dealing with. But it still counts as snow!

Birthday Hearts

On the back

This year I had challenged a couple of friends to finish UFO's. Twelve for the year. I did pretty well at the start. Then I had a couple of new projects with deadlines come up.  So in the last couple of months I only got one done, So I am at 7 for the year. Time to catch up. This little quilt top was given to me by my daughter more than 10 years ago. She had taken an applique class and this was the class project. She gave  me the top and said you quilt it! Happy Birthday to me! This recently made its way up to the top of the pile. The fabric that I was going to use for the back wasn't big enough and so I found I had this heart print that would work well. I got it pin basted yesterday and hopefully this week it will get quilted in between the new work that has deadlines and can't be shown publicly yet.

Speaking of not being able to show publicly, a project from last year can now be shown! This is part of the Beatles project and this photograph my friend Kaye took at Houston a couple of days ago. What a thrill to have a piece in the show! 

Photograph by Kaye Evans

My quilt is "Twist and Shout" and I talked about it last week on this post.

This is my Design Wall Monday post for this week.