Absemt Blogger

is what I feel like I've been.  Either I haven't been doing anything worth posting about, or life has just been too hectic.  And, now that I have an iPad, I've found I get out my laptop much less.  If they'd make the Blogger app more user friendly, I might use that to post more regularly- but it is a PITA.

I have gotten some stuff done in the studio this weekend- having four days really helps!  After seeing what some other dyers were doing with Dye Magnet, I decided I had to try it again.  I bought it last year, and wasn't overly impressed with my initial results.  This time I had a little better luck.  My favorite piece of the ones I did . . . 

I wanted a mottled background, and was happy with what I achieved here.  I used a couple of my Thermofax screens.

I also used one of my Thermofax screens to do this rayon scarf.  I used mostly Cerulean blue, with some splashes of navy, turquoise, and sky.  Again, I wanted a mottled background against the darker image.

It's now sitting in my closet, waiting for an opportunity to be worn! 

This is the last of the pieces I did with a Thermofax screen.  I wanted to see what would happen with a mixed color rather than a pure, so I used a light value of charcoal gray.  Interesting what the component colors did. . . 

I also tried using a stencil I bought last spring at HMQS, using a silk screen to apply the product.  I can definitely see cutting this into pieces to use in a quilt- but it's interesting what the colors did.  I think I used light red and grape on this one.

On the last one, I tried using a few of my stamps- some I'd cut, others are the big foam stamps you can find at any craft store.  I don't think the product works as well with stamps as with screens.  I will probably overdye this one.  I wanted to see what would happen if I folded the pieced, since I knew I'd get interesting dye effects with that.  It ended up with lots of white.

I think I used lemon yellow and light red on this one.  I was surprised by the color that showed up where I'd used Color Magnet.  I was expecting red, since it is the quickest color to strike.  Instead, I got a kind of taupy-gray.  With a nice apricot overdye, I think this one will be fine.

And just to show how behind I am, here's my completed quilt for our last Tangled Textiles reveal that happened in mid-September.  I was trying for a modern design that combined my hand dyed fabric with a solid color.  I was pretty pleased with how this turned out.

I wanted the quilting to give the sense of the wind blowing- I really like how that turned out.  And, the gray background does highlight the hand dyed fabric.

We are off next Thursday for Breckinridge, Colorado, for my second son's wedding.  It will be a relatively small affair, but it will be good to see Ian and Corey again, even if only for a couple of days.  So I probably won't be blogging next weekend, either!!