BEFORE THE MIGRATION

It's time to leave again...my gypsy life is now highlighted with lists and boxes and piles and last minute projects. We're soon to leave and wind our way down I-5 toward our Oregon home.

Above is my summer challenge entry for the Quadra guild...the components were pieces I stamped and dyed at our summer retreat. I hand-quilted the flower while my bobbin case was being repaired in Comox, and once it arrived, I machine quilted the dragonflies.

This pillow was a surprise gift for Diana, one of our Refuge Cove residents. This is her cabin, tucked back in the notch at the head of the creek leading to the lake.

Here's a surprise gift for Bonnie, from her husband. I know she likes neutral, earthy colors, so I put together this raven scene.

And this surprise was a must-do, as I am soon to visit cousin Kristine who LOVES birds and blue and all things happy. I'll be staying at her house in Seattle for a few days enroute to Oregon. I hope she likes this!

SPECTACULAR SEPTEMBER

 

On a crystal clear September evening, my husband and I were sitting at our favorite perch on our front deck, overlooking the peace and beauty of Refuge Cove. It had been a stunning day, clear and sunny, and the twilight hours were just as lovely. The sky had a particular brightness against the horizon and the simple silhouette of the trees added to the scene. I looked up to the night sky and noticed the Big Dipper located perfectly in the notch created by the trees. It was a quilt journal moment! (The theme I was pairing it with in mind was "All That Sparkles".)

I knew that my black dye would leave a cast of color as it climbed up a piece of fabric, so I set to doing that. I half-filled a cylinder with black dye and soda ash, then set a loosely rolled piece of fabric into it and watched the color climb up and eventually leave a margin of light turquoise. From there it was working with blacks: creating the horizon, using “Steam a Seam Light” as a fusible for the trees, adding the binding. A wiggly, feathery stitch along the branches added texture to the trees. For the stars, I disassembled an old, never-worn piece of jewelry which happened to have the perfect blue crystal beads.

I love the stark simplicity of this piece. It will forever remind me of the many lovely nights, sitting on the deck with Tom, appreciating life.

MANIC SCREENING

After our retreat, I was on a roll: my studio was all set up, the dyes were made, and I was excited to try my hand at more screening. PLUS, the days were beautiful and warm, perfect for drying the screens (like the one above), and for hanging the fabric on the line.

Cathy was keenly interested too. She joined me for two or three days, as we eached produced a meter a day. In the piece above, she tried to create a mountain scene, and I think she succeeded.

After the initial screening dried, a top color was added. In our case we just smeared a thickened dye on with a credit card.

My favorite objects for creating the screen design were heavy cotton string, coins, and poker chips. Cedar boughs, lace, fishnet, and plastic mesh also created interesting textures.
Now I am the owner of eleven beautiful meters of screened fabric, with a winter of time to use it!