Working Weekend

Yesterday I low water dyed two of the pieces I recently stitched for shibori.  I had stitched two large old linen napkins with the same pattern so that I'd have a lovely pair of napkins in the end.  To use or giveaway?  Who knows.

The design is handstitched mokume, but instead of the basic rows of uneven stitching, I tried something different.  Back when I was doing woven shibori, I wove gathering threads into the fabric in a Monk's Belt pattern.  Weavers will know what I'm talking about here.  The gist of it is that the gathering threads are not random but follow a pattern, which produces more of a structured design on the fabric after gathering and dyeing.  So I thought, why not do this by hand?!

I drew inch-wide columns on the fabric with disappearing ink, then handstitched several rows of over-under stitches between the lines before alternating which threads were over or under, creating short columns of rows of straight stitches. Sure enough, the resulting fabric looks quite a bit like it would had the linen napkins been handwoven with gathering threads woven in.

Also yesterday, I nearly completed my second Fiberactions' challenge quilt with the "monotone" theme.  The group's reveal will be March 15.  And besides that, I'm nearly finished with my oak leaf eco dyed hand quilted piece.

It's being a wonderful working weekend indeed!