Tying Up Loose Ends

I taught a stamping class yesterday to my local art quilt group, and what a blast we had!  We focused on carving with SoftKut blocks from Dick Blick, and making stamps with sticky-backed foam cut and applied to thicker foam.  You can get the sticky-backed foam just about anywhere.  Stamps made with both these materials are really easy to use -- they both take paint or ink really well, and because they're soft and have give, you don't have to work on a padded table or print board.

These two pieces are a couple of my fabrics that I stamped over.  What a wonderful thing to do with "iffy" or "icky" fabric!

Now I'm focusing on finishing up projects in process, including UFIs -- Un Finished Ideas...you know, those thoughts you have about stuff you want to try, maybe the ideas make it to your sketchbook or notepad, but somehow you never have time to try them out.  A couple weeks ago I started putting together a batch of pole wrapped, folded and tied fabrics for shibori...and today I spent the day finishing off enough for two dye batches, which I'll put up tomorrow morning and leave overnight to batch.  I've got a lot of different types of fabric here -- including two handwoven pieces that I've been saving since I wove them in late 2008.

Incidentally, my favorite shibori books are these, each highly recommended ~~







For the past year or so, most of the shibori I've done has been quick folding or easy pole wrapping.  It's been a while since I actually spent the time to do proper arashi (pole wrapping) with or without resulting pleats in the fabric, hand stitching, and wrapping with string or cord rather than using rubber bands.  But that's what I've been up to this time, which is why it took me so long to get two buckets worth of pieces to dye.  I'll post photos Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, I'm planning to make headway this week on last week's list of stuff to do!  Seems like it's taking longer to get stuff done these days -- or probably I just have too high expectations for what I can accomplish in a week or a month!

It poured for most of today, but now the sun's out, it's partly cloudy, breezy, and beautiful.  A lovely end to a wonderful weekend!