Coloring My World

This is what I've been up to for the last week, and there's more to come.  Shibori samples!  Every other piece of fabric in these photos is a fat quarter of muslin, and the other pieces are all old linens from various sources.

I don't have plans for these yet, other than as samples, but I'm sure they'll make their way into my art quilts in the coming years.  The linens are particularly lovely.  As I've been working, I've been thinking about the concept of dyeing fabric for specific uses -- like, needing a particular color for a special quilt.  And I realized, again, that I rarely, if ever, work that way.  I create the fabric first -- because I love surface design -- and then I design quilts based on the particular fabrics I have available.

I'm starting preparations for a local show I'll be hanging at the end of March.  Two big(ish) quilts to make yet, two more pieces to mount on stretched canvas, 10 framed pieces to varnish, hanging wire and/or slats to be taken care of.  My local art quilt group meets again on February 14 and I've yet to do our challenge quilt for the month...although it is designed and will get done this weekend.  I've had no inspiration yet for Fiberactions' next challenge, impression, due March 15.

And then there was the bamboo earlier this week, what a job that was.  It's clumping bamboo, there were no runners to deal with, but the roots were hugely knotted together and the root balls needed to be cut apart with an axe!  A neighbor saw me struggling with my garden spade, hatchet, and two big sharp kitchen knives, came over with his axe, and in five minutes the job was done.  Once everything has overcome transplant shock and gone back into growth mode, I'll take photos of the exterior of Rose Cottage.  It certainly looks a far sight better than it did!