Screen Printing

Yesterday Mary Ann and I gave a deconstructed screen printing demo to the ladies of the Fiber Frenzy group. I forgot my camera, so have no photos of the meeting, but here are the pieces I screened...


This series started at the bottom left and went around to the top left. For the last print I was running out of color on the screen so I added a little thickened purple dye.


The series above isn't finished yet as there is still more dye on the screen. The darkest screen came first. This is my favorite of all my screens so far.

My plan is to combine some of these screen prints with Japanese indigo fabrics to make a blue and white piece.

Leaf Challenge

Friday's Fiber Frenzy meeting will include not only our Deconstructed Screen Printing demo, but also the group's "leaf" challenge. So, while we were screen printing this weekend, we also printed our challenge pieces.

Mine is not finished, but here's what I have so far...


These prints are made with small elephant ear leaves. This was the first time I had ever used a size 12 thread; Mary Ann introduced me to it and it's nearly the width of several strands of embroidery floss. It gives a wonderful dimensional look to machine quilting.

Here's another leaf print from this weekend. The indigo and white prints are my favorite. I use the indigo colored Procion MX dye, not actual indigo dye.

Art Weekend

On Friday, Mary Ann Mauney and I had planned to make samples for a program, Deconstructed Screen Printing, that we're giving to the Fiber Frenzy group next week. The planned "single day" of art has turned into three days.

We decided that since it takes so long to set up our deconstructed screen printing equipment, we should print a second day. Today, we decided that we should print again tomorrow. Here's part of the setup...

We've also taken over the laundry room and deep sink. We have a total of 10 different colors of thickened dyes, six screens (we're making more tonight) and lots of finished pieces.

Here's one of my screens with thickened dye ready to dry on it. The image comes from a rubbing plate...


These are my indigo colored pieces...


Did you know that blue-and-white decor is coming back? It's a classic, but Architectural Digest (my favorite mag.) featured some home decorating with blue & white rooms last month.

This is two days worth of my prints...


Here's Mary Ann working on one of her pieces...


We just can't stop! It's too much fun--and yes, we don't want to start the clean up.

High Gear

Continuing on my new path of anti-procrastination, I checked off a bunch of list items today! The bulletin board is now cleared of old, useless paperwork and is ready to really use.
I started collecting citrus-mint leaves and drying them for winter tea. This jar should be full by autumn...


I've been reading The Artist's Way and having "artist dates"--yesterday I went to Harbor Freight to see what I could use for my art. They had some wonderful clamps for fabric dyeing and some "carpet" blades which are the same as rotary cutting blades for quilters...


Two blades for $1.49. Not bad at all.

Today I found some scrapbook items that I'll use for deconstructed screen printing...


Next week Mary Ann and I will give a demonstration on this topic for the Fiber Frenzy group, so today we're preparing our screens.

A stop at Goodwill yielded these wonderful storage boxes, a set of four for $2.50! Just in time to organize the notions drawer.



Have you been in a summertime slump too? Let me know what you've been accomplishing in this hot weather.

Anita

Bryan's Potholders

This week I finished making these potholders for my younger son, Bryan. He just moved to Alaska this year to attend the University of Alaska on the GI Bill. It's a new opportunity to make homey items for him.

Just got word that my older son, Darrell may be moving soon to a whole new part of the country--I've got ideas for items to make for his new place too!


After the binding is applied, I extend it past one corner and press for a hanging loop.


I make the loop and tack it down well and then apply Fray Check to the end.


On the back of each potholder I stamped my new hallmark, AH. In Asia they call the hallmark stamp a "chop" and it is usually very small and stamped in red.

Here's the finished set...a little bit of sunshine for the dark days of an Alaskan winter.

On a Roll

Here are a few more of the items that I've finished this week...

Frances and Deb gave each of the quilt show chairwomen a wall quilt as a thank you gift following our quilt show. Mine has been on my design wall, on the dining room table, on the sewing table, etc. for months and this week I finally put a sleeve on it to hang in the "purple" bathroom where it fits perfectly.


I also blocked a quilt that will be in the Asheville Quilt Show in Sept./Oct. Here's a little corner of it...


Marybeth Thomas Tawfik quilted it, and the quilting is beautiful! Can't wait to show it off. Marybeth is also working on a quilt top that we are entering as a group into the show.

Besides fiber related projects, I am also working on organizing my studio. This bookcase stood on end and always seemed to be in the way, so recently I set it horizontally under the windows where it is out of the way but can still house all of my class-teaching binders.


Since this window faces southeast, it will be the perfect spot to place winter herb pots.

On the Design Wall

I've been hard at work fighting procrastination which sneaked in on me this summer and took over.

These are some of the small projects I've been finishing...


I put the borders on this child's quilt that was made about 4 years ago. It's now ready for quilting.


This triptych has kept my hands busy in waiting rooms all over town. They were made from a stack of 5" squares that were purchased as a set. The applique is finished and they will be quilted next. These are small pieces that will hang from chop sticks when they're finished. Here's a close up...


Later today I'll finish sewing the bindings on these potholders for my younger son who just moved to Alaska to go to the University...