Shibori Results

Here are some of the results from the shibori that I dyed on Saturday:

The stripes are not bold enough

Love the results with the beads

Loving the texture the pegs give!

 I also folded some more ready to be dyed another colour:

Stitching the triangles

The triangles pulled and bound

Aren't these just sooo cute!!!! These were gifts from two of my quilting buddies - Thanks Alison and Jesse.

Went to Arab street today with Jesse to shop for fabric eat at our favourite Lebanese restaurant and saw a large rat in the restaurant!!  They certainly look much cuter in liberty fabrics!

Happy Quilting!

Shibori Techniques

This week my kids FINALLY went back to school!!!  I love my kids but 10 weeks of school holidays puts a bit of a damper on any kind of creative expression.....Anyway back to it!!!

This week I am trying out some other shibori techniques, I have been watching you tube videos of how the masters do it in Japan.  If only my fingers were that nimble and quick!

Here a 1/4 metre was folded in half then machine sewn with large basting stitches.  The stitches were then pulled tight.

 This is a fat quarter which has been pleated then machine basted.

 This fat quarter was folded in four and hand basting in a wavy pattern.  The stitches were then gathered.  I have attached a chopstick to one side so that the threads wouldn't come undone and it gave me tension to pull the fabric tight. (sadly one of the rows came undone when the thread broke)  Its not a mistake - just a redesign!

With this piece I have marked two inch by two inch dots, add a bead under each dot and secure with thread.  I am sure the Japanese masters could have this finished in a matter of minutes but I have to be patient and it will take me a while.  I do find it relaxing though.

I hope to do some with clamps as well before I do the dyeing next week. I will post the results next week.

This week I also met the sister of one of my quilting friends and she has just been on a course on natural dyeing.  This is something I have been thinking about as I wonder how environmentally friendly the procion dyes are on the environment.  I would love to hear your thoughts about this.....

Happy Quilting!

Challenge quilt finished - Opposites attract

Well yesterday was reveal day for the http://aroundtheworldin20quilts.blogspot.com.  The challenge was Opposites attract.

Here is my piece:

"Opposites Attract"

detail of quilting

detail

detail red embroidery

I have always loved zentangles and it seemed like the perfect "opposite".  This piece was designed by my daughter Celine (15).  It is machine embroidered, machine quilted, 100%cotton front and back with peltex inner.  No black and white is complete without a dash of red (hand embroidered).

AND it was finished 3 whole days before the deadline!

 Loved making this piece - now onto the next challenge - "the road less travelled".

Today I am doing some more fabric dyeing for my friend Jesse (http://whatshequilts.com) who is making this amazing rainbow colour quilt with some of my hand dyes!

This would explain the yellow and blue fingers today!