Snow Business

The Beast from the East storm has brought snow and chaos to the country but after a walk I decided to make the most of the bad weather and experiment with snow dyeing. 

I soaked my fabric in a soda and salt solution, gave it a quick wring and crumpled into a plastic bag, then sprinkled procion dyes on the top. They will now stay in the garden until the snow thaws and I can see what effects have been produced. 

My dye combinations are 

Cobalt blue and marine violet.

Carmine red and marine violet.

Cobalt blue and turquoise

and lemon yellow and rust orange.

It will be exciting to see how they turn out.

The weather provided the excuse for several days of studio time and I used it to carry on with the New York Beauty blocks. These are developing over the year and I provide two pattern each month to the class at Tudor Rose Patchwork

Cherry made a lovely display of her New York Beauty blocks at the class this week. 

And Chris finished a cushion using a variation of Manx patchwork.

So now it is back to the studio to take more advantage of the Snow Time.

Happy Quilting

Bev

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all my textile friends.

My usual refrain is that I don't know where the time has gone and the beginning of this year is no different. It is already the 4th January and I am hoping that this year I will not be playing catch up so much. With last year beginning with cataract operations and ending with a tonsillectomy I felt as if I was always playing catch up. I have made a resolution that this year will be different. 

The new year is already bringing new projects and challenges. Tomorrow, the Friday Focus group will be starting a new project when we start focusing on New York Beauty blocks. There will be 24 blocks by the end of the year and so far I have designed 12 of them. I am going to work in two colour schemes to see how the blocks look with such different colours. 

This is the first block worked in Citrus colour scheme and again in the Stone colour scheme. 

The Stone colour scheme is very subtle, where as the Citrus one will be much more vibrant.

I am also looking forward to starting my new Modern & Art Quilt group this month. Each month we will be making a small "journal quilt" using different techniques.

These journal quilts are based on a photo of a trench at Ypres. I have completed them with quilting lines to look like barbed wire.

The Sevenberry marbles fabric in muted tones fits the feel of the pieces.

One of the pages from my sketch book 

Each month there should be one little journal quilt but this has sparked my imagination, already I am seeing a series and even a larger quilt on this theme.

I am excited to see what this year will bring.

Happy Quilting

Bev