fiberhart

Strip Sets

Our weather took a definite turn for the cold this weekend, so I decided it would be a good time to actually put some of my hand dyes and hand printed fabric to use. Apparently I'm still fixated on water (same subject as my 'released' journal quilt), and I've had a design floating around in my brain for awhile. With the laundry done, and the house clean, I was in my studio by 7:30 am, coffee in hand. I love early mornings, and do my best thinking then.

I thought I would use Vicki Pignatelli's construction method- but after one try, I could not get a stitch I liked. So, I ended up using Sharon Shaumber's Piecelique method, and it worked great. I got the pieced look I wanted, the curves were easy, and I got almost two complete strip sets done. Here they are--



The one on the right is not quite done, I'll add a few more strips. I plan to make one more, then pin them on the design wall and start playing with sashing. Curved? Wonky? I don't know yet, but I'm sure it will tell me eventually.

I also tried discharging one of the darker turquoise pieces I dyed last weekend. Here it is, after I activated the discharge paste with my steam iron-



I've never gotten purple like that before, but I liked it even if I didn't get the value contrast I was hoping for. I tried discharging more with Soft Scrub, but it had absolutely no effect. Then I washed it, and used it in the strip sets. That beautiful purple? It vanished, and is now a barely visible taupey color. If you click on the strip set picture, you can see it towards the bottom.

I'm determined to get serious about making quilt art this winter. The Utah Surface Design group, of which I am the current president, has two opportunities to show next year. April, we will be in a gallery in Salt Lake that emphasizes sales. We can do wearables, so I'll try to do a bunch of scarves. And next fall, we'll have a show at the same Provo gallery we were in a year ago. I want to have good pieces in both shows!