Dye day

I've been wanting to have a dye day for a long time and I finally got around to it over the weekend.  Above you can see some of my dye pots, batching around the wood stove.  I have a lot of dye powders and I also have lots of fabrics and vintage textiles that I collect at garage sales.  A few white tops that have been waiting for my next dye session too.  Here is my favorite:

Which is brighter, my new shirt or my shower curtain?  This is an Eddie Bauer shirt, brand new for twenty five cents at a garage sale.  Now it is a brand new Jannie Brattain, ha ha.

Miss Sadie enjoys guarding my drying dyeing.  These are some of the small pieces.

My wooden drying rack is overloaded with the rest of my fabrics.  I love that orangy red and the periwinkle.

I ironed most of my small pieces and just folded the big pieces.  Above you can see some of the dyed vintage napkins and other textiles.  I love the hand of the vintage pieces, so soft and worn.

A few lovely doilies.  It is a shame to let them molder away in the closet.  I rather hated to treat them this way but I'm hoping that now I will be more likely to actually use them.  Such beautiful hand work is frequently found in garage sales, very cheap.

I threw in some scrim and a few cut off strips of batting.  The scrim takes the dye beautifully.  I had also tossed in some cheese cloth but evidently it was not cotton and all it did was make a big mess as it unraveled and shed on everything.  It was the same with some unknown sheer fabric I had and was hoping maybe it was silk but no, it is something that didn't take the dye at all.  I did have one silk scarf that now matches my new shirt in tangerine, fuchsia and lemon yellow.  Beautiful.  Wish I had some more silk.

Now I had better get busy and do something with some of these fabrics.  Maybe I will turn one of those vintage napkins into a dooleybobber.

I'm in the mood for some rock and roll today, listening to the White Stripes.  Turn it up!!

Be well.

 

Happy Birthday Steve!

I'm heading over to my brothers to help him celebrate his birthday.  The above photo is for the ladies;-)  It is from a few years ago.

  This one is current. 

He is a family man, very good father to his children.  Here he is with son Walter.

This photo is a little blurry but I have always liked it anyway.   Happy Birthday, big brother!!  I love you!

Slow progress

I have been trying to get a blog post up but many things have been interfering.  The situation in Japan has been very much on my mind.  I have friends over there and was amazed when I received an email from them, letting us know they are all alive. They live in Tokyo and their home is a shambles, but they are grateful to be alive.  Also my blogging friend has been posting daily from her Japanese home.  You might like to read her blog, I have her on my side bar or just click here: Taniwa.  She had a friend visiting when the earthquake hit, they were out sight seeing and were underground!  You should go read her blog.  It is fascinating.

My little life seems hardly worth talking about right now.  The first photo shows progress (barely) on my current dooleybobber.  I applied the denim beads with sequins, copper washers and beads.  The close up photo is unavailable right now.  My power has been going out, already twice today.  But I'm not complaining!  Just saying.  Above is my design wall, covered with various things.  My work and some gift hearts over on the right side there.

This is a glimpse of dooleybobber #13.  I will be giving it away on the other blog, Fox on the Run.  That is the group blog of my art group.  We have been having give aways all month long and they continue, so go on over and leave a comment if you care to.  I haven't posted my piece yet, it will be later, probably next week.

Many of you have asked about my llama Grace and how she has adjusted to her new home. I'm happy to report that she is doing great!  She seems to have taken it all in stride and fits right in.  Isn't she cute?

My older llamas are still not happy to have the little whippersnapper pushing her nose into their hay flakes, but there seems to be less spitting than before.  The Divas let her follow them around, although they are a bit grumpy about it, plenty of laid back ears and posturing.

The snow is gone now, it was very pretty on this sunny day.

Thanks to my newest followers, you brought me up into the 90's.  I had better figure out a good give away for if I ever hit 100.  Thank you all for following and especially for taking time to leave a comment, I always appreciate it.

Be well.

 

Still here, dooleybobber #12

Dooleybobber #13 or Waiting for Spring

11"X11"

I'm still here.  Been playing with the embellisher, the needle felting machine.  Here is a new Dooleybobber I just finished, I also call it Waiting For Spring, because I am.  Aren't we all?  Well, maybe not those friends in Australia.  Here in Oregon we have had a rather mild winter, nothing too drastic as so many others have been experiencing.  I'll take this mild NW winter any day over the extreme winters so many of you others have had.

This piece is so light in weight, I love how the fibers bond to the scrim on the back.  It is hard to anchor a thread in it to stitch the beads and things down. 

I put black felt on the back to give it a bit more substance and to frame the needle felted work. 

I'm enjoying the hand stitching these days.  It helps clear my mind.  I try to just go with the flow, not think too much about what I am doing.

Here is a new piece I have started.  It is machine needle felted to a scrim background, with a fleece piece behind that I will be stitching to.  I was inspired by some denim bits I have to make this.  I'm going to make some denim beads to put on it.  You will see.

Don't forget to check out my creativity group blog, http://foxontherunarts.blogspot.com/.  We are having give aways all month, you still have time to get in on this one that we pick a winner for on the 8th: http://foxontherunarts.blogspot.com/2011/02/second-give-away.html.  Hurry!  You must leave a comment on the original posts to be entered in the give away.  I will be giving one of my dooleybobbers away later this month over there, so be watching for it if you are interested.

Been infatuated with Mumford and Sons lately.  I have to listen to Sigh No More every day or my day isn't complete.  Do you ever get that way with some music?  I'm loving it.  Also the Avett Bros are in my radar. Those guys get so enthusiastic about their music it is contagious.  Love these young groups.  Give them a listen.  

Be well.