Dear Readers,

We may have passes the Vernal Equinox yesterday and the days may include more sunlight , but here in up state New York it is still very cold.   I will really bundle up when I go for my walk today as it is still only 20 degrees in the sun shine.  I have been staying indoors a lot and working in the studio although I do not have a lot of completed work to show.  I have been playing with my thermofax screens.  Again my connections with other quilts- specially members of QuEG’s has born fruit.   At the March meeting Angela talked about using shaving cream as a carrier for ink with her screens.  I have been playing with that too.  What fun! I spent two days this week playing with this idea.  One day was with my friend Ethel.

Pictured here are the tools, a plastic containor, spoons, the screen and fabric.The second shot shows the shaving cream( I got it at the dollar store) mixed up in smaller containers. The mixture is them spread on the top of the screen and using the edge of credit card one draws ink mixed in the shaving cream across the screen forcing the ink and shaving cream through the screen.  

This shot shows the images printed on the fabric.  It drys so fast that one can print a second color on top with out much time passing.  Ethel and I tried also mixing dye with shaving cream and printing it too.  It seemed to work as well,  but the dye caused the shaving cream to break down quickly and them it runs and bleeds.     That fabric is still batching so I do not have a shot of it yet as I have not washed it out.

 

Progress Report: Speculations on Value   I have now finished this quilt.  I really did enjoy the  Mac Tavishim quilting patterns and went back and fixed the messy ones from last week.  I am sure I will use this style again on a future work.

This close up also shows some old silk screen work on the white area pictured here.

 

 

 

Window Work   I also put together this simple quilt to serve as a window cover in the west window of our bed room. It is made from navy blue fabric and leftovers from a “Scrap Happy” project from the fall.   This is ready for quilting now and  I will add those things plus a sleeve.  Then it will go up in the bed room.  I need to replace the cover on the east window too so that will be a second piece  using even more of the leftovers.

 

 

Baby Quilt   I am making this quit for the  first grandchild of  one of my good friends, Beth.  The nursery  theme is the jungle so that is how I got started.   I have cut and pinned the giraffe, elephant,zebra and lion.  The  Kola, gazelle ,monkey and at the bottom, lizard remain in the paper pattern stage.   I am a bit frustrated as the big sewing machine is not working correctly, but I will pull out the trusted Bernina 1008 and do the zig -zag applique when all the parts are cut.

 

Far  Horizons  This work is coming  along.  I am only showing a close up this week as it does not look much different than last.  I have been doing all the quilting from the back side because I am using very heavy silk thread and do not have any needles for the machine with big enough eyes to do the job any other way.    The thread was a gift from my friend Judy.  Her grandfather was a tailor in NYC  years ago and it was left over from his shop. I have had it for several years and I am delighted to finally be using this wonderful thread.

I am hoping for some warmer weather  by next week.

Keep Creating

Carol