Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Work in progress

I have been using soy wax more this year to create batik designs on my clothing, and really love the results! So I decided to go a little beyond just single images on t-shirts... this time, I am working on a rayon poncho, using found objects to stamp designs with wax, followed by brushing on dyes.  Here's a picture of the front... still have to dye the back, but because of the size, I have to do it in sections, then let the dyes dry before moving to the next section.

Once I finish the initial dyeing on the back, I plan to do some more waxing, then I may overdye the whole piece with black, or I may decide to continue brushing on dyes, using some different colors.  My dilemma right now is whether to leave some of the piece un-dyed... I like the white showing through, but I am concerned that the dye may bleed and discolor the white.  So I have to give it some thought before I progress much further.  I will post a picture of the final piece soon! 
 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

New to my inventory

I've been wanting to find a pattern for a shoulder bag for the longest time!  Well, the bug bit me again yesterday, and I did some searching online.  I found 2 tutorials, and actually combined parts of each to create a bag from some of my tie-dye fabric:
Since I can't take a picture with it on my shoulder, this will have to do.

Here's a little better shot.  I couldn't find a button, so ended up making a covered one with some of the leftover fabric. 

I like plenty of storage, so I added pockets on each side of the lining to hold small items.
Finished size: 16 3/4" wide, 12" high; strap 13" long, 4" wide.  I hope to have a few of these in the shop by the middle of June... don't know what the price will be yet, but they are quick to make, so that should keep them affordable!  Stay tuned...

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Pigments of the Imagination
























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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Taos fiber art update

Good Grief... time has flown by since the last time I posted about this piece, but the truth is... until the past few days, it has been languishing while I worked on a huge project!  I finally finished that and a couple of others, and then I had to clean the studio... it was in total disarray, and filthy to boot!  Soooo... here is a picture showing some of the progress I have made on "Outside Taos" since January:

I actually went and bought the frame I will use for it when it's done, and that made me take measurements to see what the finished size should be:  16" by 20" when I complete it.  That meant doing a little cropping, and that was fine with me.  I have folded back about 4-5 inches of the right side to reduce width to 20", and that eliminated a problem area that I was going to have to deal with.  Since my last photo update, I have done quite a bit of free-motion stitching on the trees, the latest being on the portion of foliage that juts out from the left.  Then today, I fused a little more of the orange/yellow fabric to the left side of the middle tree.  Now I need to do more stitching... lots more!  Eventually I will work down the middle where the horse is, and finish by stitching the foreground.  I may add some edge-stitching to the top of the mountain range, but have no plans yet for stitching in the sky.  I think I will know eventually if I need to do anything there.  I can't wait to see how it will look framed.  The one I did last year blossomed beautifully when I framed it, and the hope is that this one will too!  I am aiming to finish it in the next month or so, as I plan to have it on display for our annual Open Studios Prelude exhibit in August.  Helps to have a time frame to aim for!