Painted Desert

Pro Chemical & Dye had a booth at Maine Quilts. I have bought dye from them in the past and had such fun creating a rainbow of delicious colors. I remember spending an afternoon dyeing fat quarters with the help of my DD and her friend, but that was 8 years ago. I have been wanting to dye more fabric, but the process uses so much water I put it off. We have a shallow well and I did not like to use so much water. But this year, thanks to all the rain (see a silver lining in this rainy summer?) I feel free to use all the water I want. This colorway is called Painted Desert.


The dyes used are an olive green, a fuchsia red, and a rich purple.

I arranged thirty plastic cups in three rows of ten. Into each cup I crumpled up one fat eighth (9 x 22).


Three jars were filled with the three basic colors, then the fun began! Following the dye recipe each cup got a different proportion of two dyes, either olive and red, red and purple, or olive and purple.


The mottling comes from the scrunched fabric. The more you lift up the fabric and allow the dye to penetrate, the more evenly dyed your fabric. I left mine nicely scrunched.


I used cotton sateen so there is a bit of a shine on one side which adds to the richness. It is subtle but just lovely.


Being a Maine girl, I don't know much about Painted Deserts! Maybe I should rename my collection. Hmm. Tourmaline? Katahdin Splendor?


I bought five yards of fabric which is enough for thirty fat eights and a yard or so extra. I cut 31 9-inch strips by mistake, so I put the last strip with the large leftover piece of fabric and put them in a big basin. The last of each of the three basic dye colors is used on these tail ends. Then the last of the dye activator is poured over the fabric. I didn't have much dye activator left, so I think that is why the color is quite light compared to the color dye I poured onto the fabric.

Still, quite gorgeous! You can leave the fabric in the dye for 4-24 hours. I rinsed my fabric after four hours. I am very pleased with the results. I am going to do this again and it won't be in 8 years!

Coincidentally, the Pine Tree Guild newsletter Patchwork Press arrived in the mail Friday. We are having Sonya Lee Barrington come to give a lecture and workshops in September. She is a textile artist from San Francisco. Her first workshop will be dyeing fabric. I would like to attend, but it is on a Friday which is a workday for me. I might have to take a Personal Day!

p.s. I haven't a clue as to what I am going to do with my dyed fabric!

Paula Nadelstern

Paula Nadelstern is having a one-woman show in New York City at the American Folk Art Museum. She will be on CBS Sunday Morning Sunday August 9. You can also see a video tour of the exhibition on YouTube produced by eQuilter.com. Click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2. Anybody up for a trip to the Big Apple?

Quiltposium

I just saw this on Pam Holland's website-a free online magazine that is starting in September. I signed right up and so can you. Here's the link-a-dink. Just scroll down and click on "register here".

Maine Quilts 2009-32 Annual Show

I took many photos at Maine Quilts 2009. In no particular order, here is a selection. I like to take a picture that includes the quilt information so I can refer to my show book later. This first quilt features the card trick block. It is called "Parisian Solitaire" by Jennifer Varney of Hudson, N.H. Machine quilted by Susan Thibeault. I really liked how she fussy cut border fabrics to get a special effect.



Isn't this awesome? It is by Back Roads member Carolee Withee who is also a member of Art Quilts Maine. This is called Bright Spirals. By the way, I must compliment Maine Quilts for the show brochure. Each quilt is listed by category and includes a statement by the quilter. Abbreviations are used to designate such distinctions as machine or hand pieced and whether a quilt is machine quilted on a long arm by a professional or by the quilter on a domestic machine. It is good to have that information. Also included is an index of quilters and the page number for their quilts in the show book. I like that so I can look up my friends and some of my favorite quilters.


This is one of a few quilts I noticed made by men. This one is by Steve Wright, professionally machine quilted at Whippersnappers. It is called Fish Celebration. All the large triangles are fish theme fabrics, some I have never seen before. I imagine he collected fish fabrics for some time to make this quilt.



Wow, is this one bright! It is called Hot Flash, by Laurel Lashar. She says it is her first entry in a quilt show. Really nice work. I am sure many viewers got a chuckle from the title. Can you relate?

I always look for quilts by Jeanne Marie Robinson. She makes such delightful art quilts. She is another member of Art Quilts Maine. This one is called Orange Aid. I love it.



Tacoma Lakes Quilters had a challenge to use fabrics from their stashes (and I know some of these ladies have prodigious stashes) to make "Fool Around Fun" by Susan Fuquay. This one is by Judy Raymond who must have the biggest stash of green fabrics in the whole state!

This appealing little cottage sits in the center of a lovely applique quilt. The rest of the blocks are charming baskets of flowers. I particularly liked this house. The red sawtooth border really added to the overall effect. "A Summer Place" by Monique McLellan. Hand appliqued and hand quilted.




I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of Lone Star quilts at the show. The colors for this are soft and restful. "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" by Janet-Lee Santeusanio of N.H. She says 'the watercolor setting squares/triangles and over 700 Swarovski crystals give this pattern a contemproary new look.' She won a blue ribbon, too!


I just looked up the information on this quilt. I really liked it and now see that is by a 12 yr old boy! It is called "Aberash (African Word Meaning "Gving off Light")" by Steven Minns. He says 'I just loved working with African prints. It was a challenge to work with them because they were heavy and the gold in them was hard on the machine's needle. Original design. Paper piece, machine pieced, machine quilted on domestic machine.' I am impressed by his use of many fabrics and his treatment of the borders and sashing.

"Autumn" by Ann Titus, professionally quilted by Darlene Street. It wasn't until I got up close to this quilt that I realized that the center and borders are printed not appliqued. I really like it and am impressed with the quality of some of the panels available now.


Here is another quilt using pre-printed blocks for the center of the stars. Called "Serendipity" by Jan Fox, she says it was a kit she won as a door prize at a Cobblestone Getaway. Some door prize!

This bright quilt is by Wendy Rose of Bowdoinham, someone I remember from the library. It was fun to see her quilt at the show. It is called "Starry Night: Artist's Palette". Professionally quilted by Lynn Irish.


Great fabric choices!


"Delft Jar" by another New Hampshire quilter, Wendy Coffin. She says she admired Kaffe Fasset's work and made her own version. Professionally quilted by Sue Foster. I am interested in this quilt because of the color palette, which is typical of Kaffe Fasset. My own quilts have much more contrast than his and I don't think I could really make this work, but it is certainly luscious.