I have been playing in the dyes again- the first time in awhile, and enjoying getting back in to it.  I was part of an Ugly Fabric challenge in a Yahoo group I'm part of- this was the piece I got to transform.

 

It was dark except for the one side, and blue.  I knew I wanted to discharge first, and all that blue meant I'd have to use bleach.  So I folded it, clamped it with two plexiglass rectangles, and threw it in a bucket of bleach.

 

I kind of liked it at this point, the yellow made me happy.  But the brown parts were too muddy for me, so I overdyed it in a bit of red.

This sat on my design wall for a good month while I pondered what to do next.  I knew the red was too orange for me, so I finally decided to overdye again in a very pale shade of navy blue.

The blue overdye really did knock back the orange, just like I wanted.  From a distance it looks like a very toned purple, but up close there are all kinds of colors showing.

After another few days on the design wall, I decided it needed one more layer to tie it all together.  So I used a rubbing plate and three colors of metallic Shiva paint stiks on it.  It is now DONE!

It still has marks that hark back to its past as a dark blue fabric- but it has also been totally transformed.  I'm rather pleased with it!

I also spent a day this past weekend doing more dyeing- but I don't have pictures of the fabric yet, so those will have to wait.

I also got a lovely surprise this weekend.  Del Thomas from California came through on her way home from Indiana, and we met for lunch.  It was great to catch up with her- we had a nice lunch at Olive Garden, and shared a piece of rich chocolate cake at the end.  She is a fascinating woman who has done a lot for the quilt community all over the country.  I've loved getting to meet and get to know her!!

Summertime Music

I do not know where the summer is going, time seems to be flying by.  I have been loving every hot moment of it, I am nowhere near ready for a change in seasons!

My brother flew out from Reno the last weekend of June, and we went to the Salt Lake Arts Festival.  It was the first time I've been in all the years I've lived here, and I'm sorry I waited so long.  We had fun walking around looking at all the vendors, and trying out the food offerings.  All of my photos are his, taken with his fancy new Fuji.

Michelle doesn't look too happy here- but I think she had a good time!

I loved the scrap metal sculptures from one vendor--

The glass garden was another high point.

The festival includes performance art, and one that we saw was unlike anything I've ever seen before.  It was an Australian group called Strange Fruit, two women and two men dressed in nineteenth century (sort of) clothing.  Their entire performance was done standing on very tall, flexible poles.  There really are no words to describe it, but it was entrancing and highly entertaining!

They interacted with each other, interacted with the audience, and told a bit of a story to a variety of music.  The entire time, they were swinging back and forth on those poles.  Judging from some of the contortions I saw, they all have incredible core strength!  

The setting was also an amazing backdrop to their performance.  That blue sky and the lines of the library building just added to the ambience.  By the time it was over, I had a crick in my neck from looking up, but it was worth it.

The highlight of the evening, however, was a performance by Angelique Kidjo, and African singer that I have followed for twenty years.  I love her music, and she gave an amazing performance!

She came out in full African dress, with a turban, but within a few songs had lost the turban--

She had a wonderful band from all over the world.  Most looked to be her age (fifties), but her percussionist was a young man originally from Senegal.

It was a lively and interactive performance in a small venue, the best kind.  Before her final song, she invited the audience to come on stage with her, and it was filled!  She sang one my my favorite songs, 'Tumba', while those on stage danced around her.  It was just incredible!

It was an amazing end to a fantastic day!