Art Nouveau Poppy I have long admired the poppy. The graceful stems that hold that bright red flower have led me to acquire fabrics that include a poppy motif, to hone in on photos of quilts as I search internet sources, and to admire those …
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place, and in the sky, The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard among the guns below.” My first memories of poppies (the Oriental Poppy) relate to the border along …
I didn’t have to wait for the weather to turn cold to try ice dyeing but that is what happened and now I wonder why on earth I kept putting off trying it!!! While the ice was melting I kept tabs on the process and began fearing the worst—pastel colors, not enough dye, too much dye, totally muddied colors. Usually I dye with the primary colors in my own mixes but for this I wanted some autumn colors so chose chocolate brown, honey mustard, soft orange, light red and granny apple green.
Ice dyeing is not for those who want/need complete control of the outcome. I was blown away by the final product and totally love it.
As soon as the icemaker catches up I will be doing another batch. I put in my order for some additional pre-mixed colors so will wait for that delivery. NO, I won’t wait!! The icemaker has generated enough ice and the new colors won’t be in for another week so will just have to go with what I have and I’ll wager that the results will once again be spectacular. The down side is that I don’t know if I can cut up these luscious fabric creations.
Take one dyed vintage linen towel, post it on the design wall for deliberation while other projects are worked on, see a bench pillow at Hickory Stick, dig out some sunflower fabric from #$&+ years ago and, voila, another project is born.
I have been resisting the urge to get back to my fabric dyeing but today I could resist no longer. The creative urge won! I had my color choices in mind, again drawing from nature. The Calhoun peaches first came to mind but at a …
It’s always fun for me to learn and to fine tune techniques and skills that can be used in art quilts. Today it was all about trying different manipulations of paint on the viscose surface of a carrageenan and water mixture and then transferring to fabric or paper. These photos show the steps to a final design but I could have been happy transferring to fabric after the first manipulation of paint. What a versatile technique!
Remember those linen towels picked up as souvenirs from your travels? I pick them up in “trash” boxes at auctions, dye them in appropriate or related color schemes and then……And then they become something stitched, like this tote bag. What fun!!
Evidence is gathered, clues are being followed and soon we’ll see the first block. What fun and diligent detectives!
Care and Conservation of Heirloom Textiles
Excerpted from University of Nebraska publication G1682 in cooperation with International Quilt Study Center, Lincoln, NE (full publication available online at extension.unl.edu/publications)
Light—low levels for display and darkness for storage.
Humidity-moist air, warmth, and lack of air circulation cause mold growth that stains and causes deterioration; avoid extreme fluctuations of humidity and temperature levels as in attics and basements.
Insects-clean storage areas frequently; cedar chests and closets do not kill moths and have no effect on carpet beetles; wood releases acids that weaken textiles; mothballs are not recommended.
Archival materials—use acid free boxes and tissue paper and change every 2-5 years; avoid direct contact with unsealed wood; plastics should be avoided as moisture can be trapped inside resulting mildew.
Storage—avoid attics, basements, kitchens, laundry rooms and unheated areas; avoid outside walls and areas where people smoke; store flat and, if folded, refold periodically to distribute wear; roll on tubes that are layered with unbleached muslin or acid-free tissue; wash fabric covers periodically.
Displaying—quilts can be hung using an attached sleeve; do not display permanently and allow to rest between hangings.
Cleaning and care—if not too fragile, vacuum with low suction to remove loose dirt that can abrade and cut fibers, place sheer polyester or nylon tulle or fiberglass screening over the surface to prevent sucking the item into the nozzle.
Wet cleaning—cotton and linen may be cleaned in water and detergent to remove acid build-up leaving them clean and more flexible; wool and silk become weak when wet; if not colorfast do not wet clean.
Dry cleaning—heat and agitation can damage the item; solvents should be fresh or filtered but do remove natural oils and waxes found in fibers; item should not be steamed or pressed.
Many universities have textile conservancy departments but the International Quilt Study Center at Lincoln, Nebraska has an in-depth focus on quilt conservancy and has information on their website.
Ragged, tattered, faded and torn but still holding memories of my growing years. This quilt was hand stitched, hand quilted and then turned and buttonhole stitched around each hexagon with lots of love by my grandmother. I surely did not appreciate the workmanship at the …