Category Archives: Hand dyed fabric

They Liked Me – yeahhh!!

The Threaded Forest – a no stress free motion quilting opportunity!

 

Last weekend was the 87th Lost Acres Quilt Happening http://www.lostacres.com/. My Mom and I have been attending about 17 years, and my Aunt and Grandmother have since joined in on the excursion!  There are three Happenings per year and the summer Happening has a wonderful buffet of fresh, homemade foods to sample that shouldn’t be missed!!  There are also items for sale: quilts, quilt tops, blocks, fabric and more – I purchased a hand quilted pillow this time (Thanks Mary!)

The day consists of:

  • A little socializing and shopping
  • A lecture
  • Food with more socializing and the ongoing opportunity to shop

The lectures are usually historical or quilt specific (applique, sampler, etc) in nature but for a change, Ginny decided to cover some of the ways quilting has changed with time. One woman covered her methods for completing a multitude of baby quilts for donation, two other women covered their different approach to a town green (with surrounding town buildings) style quilt.

Quick Quilts with Hand Dyes – 4 Patch Stars – if you only have to cut big pieces, are you less afraid to cut hand dyes?

This is the first time Ginny has asked me to speak, and I was honored. I talked about how I moved into hand dying fabrics and the different lines I’ve come to carry: print, tone on tone, trees, landscape, starburst and snowflakes series of fabrics.  I also showed some of my new – Quick Quilts with Hand Dyes pattern samples.  That was the highlight, from their we covered in depth, the different opportunities the hand dyes offered for feed dogs up and feed dogs down machine quilting, specifically LOW STRESS introductions to MACHINE QUILTING, for example:

  • Baby Quilt in 8 hours, including binding with the feed dogs up on the Snowflake fabric

    Baby Quilt in Eight – feed dogs up machine quilting, 8 hrs includes the binding YEAH!!
  • Renegade Hawaiian Quilting with feed dogs up (quick table runner) Quilt As You Go & feed dogs down
  • The beauty of hand dyed Velvet as a doodle practice piece for free motion quilting
  • Beginner free motion & thread painting on the Threaded Forest (tree fabric)

Of course I included a trunk show. All was quiet while I spoke so I think it’s safe to assume it was entertaining or informative or both.  Actually, based on the compliments (thank you everyone) later, I think I’ll add this topic to my lecture listing – who knew there was so much interest in stress free ways to explore machine quilting.

Not everything needs to be quilted? –right?

Although I love to quilt everything, sometimes people say they’re afraid to cut up hand dyed fabric. Although I’m a strong advocate for using your beautiful fabrics, and trust me your fabrics would rather be in a quilt than in your closet (they tell me this during my one on one dyeing time with them).  There are other options.

Firey mountains landscape hand dye - hand dyed cotton wrapped around archival stretcher, ready for handing
Firey mountains landscape hand dye – hand dyed cotton wrapped around archival stretcher, ready for handing
Hand dyed landscape line - hand dyed cotton wrapped around archival stretcher, ready for handing
Hand dyed landscape line – hand dyed cotton wrapped around archival stretcher, ready for handing

Here are two hand dyed fabrics from my landscape line simply wrapped around a stretcher. Just one of the many alternative options!  These will be available at the Powder Hollow Brewery event this Sunday.

Road to California nearing the Finish Line

My apologies for not posting, between the holidays and preparing to vend a Road to California with hand dyed fabric, hand painted cheese cloth and other items it’s been an all-out race to the finish line. My flight is fast approaching so I hope to ship some of the products on Monday and bring the rest in my suitcase and carry on, at least my carry on will be lighter on the way home LOL.

Here are my holiday puppies, they loved their stockings Christmas morning!!

Merry Christmas - Pete & Bella 2015
Merry Christmas – Pete & Bella 2015

And here is what I’ve really been up to – a couple new hand dyed designs, the ones below are a Mandala design.

Hand Dyed Mandala Green & Purple
Hand Dyed Mandala Green & Purple

 

Hand dyed Mandala Pink & Yellow
Hand dyed Mandala Pink & Yellow

I’m off to rinse and wash the sky fabric tonight along with rinsing one of my “Kitchen Sink” fabrics made from the left over dyes (I throw everything in but the kitchen sink), I love it when it’s all about serendipity and there’s no stress!!

RELAX – Live music, Art, Antiques & Artisans

Flights of Fancy Open House Feb. 29, 2015
Flights of Fancy Open House Feb. 29, 2015

Where will I be the Sunday after Thanksgiving ( November 29th, 2015)??? – at one of my favorite events of the year – Flights of Fancy Gallery’s Open House.    Why might you ask is this one of my favorite events, because of the combination of happenings occurring simultaneously:

FIRE - fiber wall art by Charlie
FIRE – fiber wall art by Charlie
  • Live Music – acoustic guitar played by fingerstyle guitarist Glenn Roth 12:30 – 3:30 http://www.glennroth.com/
  • Artisans – invade the Antique shop co-located with the Gallery – this year has a French Open Market theme so the variety of artists should be intriguing (click on the postcard above to see more details)
  • Art – Flights of Fancy Gallery in the lower level offers the work of painters, potters, fiber artist, photographers, glass artist, twig furniture maker, felted accessories and more. The products range from bookmarks to framed oil paintings, etc. http://www.pondhousebb.com/html/artgallery.htm
  • Antiques – from furniture to collectibles, I always find something I can’t live without (last year was a working Treadle Sewing Machine that became a Christmas present from my Honey) http://mallardsnest.com/
  • Food – the Gallery owner Georgia is a wonderful baker, she makes breads, treats and drink
fiber wall art
fiber wall art by Charlie

It’s a laid back end to a busy long weekend, a place to just relax, enjoy some music and take in some art.  It’s also the perfect place to find that certain something for that someone who has everything.  Hope you can make it!

Flights of Fancy Gallery, 17 Crystal Lake Rd, Stafford Springs, CT