Where Is That Quilt–Part 2

I am continuing to show you the layers of quilts on my bed in my studio where I can store them flt.

Layer 9

Layer 10
Layer 11

Layer 12

Layer 13

Layer 14

Layer 15

Layer 16
There is quite a variety of quilts in this stack. They were stacked in the manner they fit best on the bed.

Where Is That Quilt?

Although I have a photographic memory, each and every time I rearrange and organize things I often have a hard time remembering exactly where things are.
I have done this before and I am doing it again as things have made major moves in my quilt storage areas.

It is going to take several days to share all the layers of quilts with you on my blog. This is the bottom quilt on the bed I use to store quilts flat.

Layer 2

Layer 3

Layer 4

Layer 5

Layer 6

Layer 7

Layer 8
I know some of you have seen many of these before. I hope you enjoy another glimpse of them.
This is not my any means a record of all of the quilts I have ever made as over half of them are no longer in my possession.

The Show Is Over, But The Memory Lingers On

My show at the Anderson Arts Center In Kenosha closed almost 2 months ago.

If you missed the show I am sharing the entire show on this post!

Here are most of the Ice Dyes Tapestries.

This shows the largest pieces and some vertical pieces.

And last but not least the shibori quilts and other similar quilted work.

I was not there for the closing but my work was pick up by a friend.

I was so pleased to see how carefully it was arranged in my studio.

I know you can’t see each layer in the stacks of work, but hopefully the show will make an appearance  in your area in the next few years.

The show has been scheduled already for another solo show. Stay tuned for details at a later date.

I am  currently in the process of taking bookings. If you know of a museum or art center that would be appropriate for this show please have them contact me.

Nicholas James Sorensen

One week ago today my grandson Nicholas graduated from the University Of Wisconsin-Madison.
Congratulations Nicholas.
He will spend the summer tending his garden, fishing and I am guessing playing some golf.
In August he will be studying dentistry at the University Of Minnesota.
I know you will be an exceptional dentist when you graduate.

Oh Oh Oh…Pretty Colors….Fascinating Design

This is another one of my newest ice dyes.

I PLAYED….and that is how I create some exciting ART!

I could never get what I do if I didn’t let my mind wander and continue to try new manipulations of my fabric and the dyes.

It is hard to share how gorgeous some of these are in a photo as there is so much detail, true color and shapes that can’t be seen in a small picture.

It was hard to end my dyeing season for the next few months with so many ideas swirling around in my head. I did jot down some ideas so I’ll be ready to hit the ground running when I am ready to dye again.

My Garden

It’s hard to visualize the size of this hydrangea blossom but I am guessing it is about10 inches in diameter which makes it the largest so far this year.

I love how the colors, shading and detail shows up on this close up of one of the other blossoms. In another week the entire plant will be covered with flowers.

How I Came To The Point Of Creating My Ice Dyes

This is a rerun of a post I wrote a few years ago. I get so many requests to teach this and questions on how I do this. I hope this explains how I got to the point I am at.

I have been christened “The Queen Of Ice” as my work is the best ice dyeing out there.

These are 3 of my experiments on the journey to create the BEST. I consider the above so-so but it takes a lot of these to achieve the best.
Thanks you to everyone for all your comments about a recent piece which I consider the BEST of the best Florida Ice.
This never could have happened without a lifetime of learning involving fabrics and color.
Many have asked how I do this and it is not something I can share.
For one thing, the results are serendipitous.
And the other thing is unless you have lived the same life I have for 77 years you will never achieve these results. It is all the experiences, education, and my research and development that have directly or indirectly made what I am currently creating happen.
I am no longer teaching, but am pursuing my own art.
To attempt to share this would not be fair to myself, nor to people who would try it and not get the results I do.
When I was doing one on one teaching for a fee I had a student ask if she could come and learn everything I knew about color from me in a one day session as she would have to travel a distance to get to my studio. It would not have been possible as she had not lived my life. I could have taught her about color theory but even if I did that until she did exercises,etc she still would not have learned what I attempted to teach her.
I can only suggest you take as many color and design classes as possible from the very best instructors and do the work from the classes.
Don’t concentrate only on working with dyes, but with paints, fabrics. yarns,interior decorating, food and papers.
Then play with your chosen materials until you get results that please you.
Devote every waking moment to your art as only then will you achieve your potential. You can multitask and think about your art being influenced as you live your daily life and think about what you want to do and how you will start.
You are all welcome to follow me on my BLOG and sign up to the email list on the page which will notify you each time I post to the blog.  In addition to my art I share parts of my life on my blog. Although I try to post as often as possible, sometimes a week or more may go by with no posts as I have nothing to post. The blog address is: http://quiltspluscolor.blogspot.com/
And in closing I am going to share some not so successful things I’ve dyed recently so you don’t thing I get a winner ever time.



The above are some less than lovelies but it takes creating a lot of these to find my direction to make the BEST!
Even the less than lovelies are useful for backs of quilts or they can be cut up and used in piecing. So all is not lost no matter what happens in my work.
I wish you success on your art journey wherever it takes you.
Be willing to play and accept the fact that you most likely will have to create 100-200 pieces to get some really good ones.

Don’t Believe It If They Say It is PFD Or Prewashed By Someone Else

This T shirt is from a company who dyes and washes their garments before selling them. SO…,I just figured I could dye it without prewashing it myself.
BIG mistake.
It didn’t want to absorb the soda ash solution so I just added more and tried to squish it through the fabric. Well, it was obvious when I took it out of the dye it didn’t make it all the way through.
This is the front.


This is the back and the same thing happened on the inner layer. Not only did the dye not work, but I lost all the patterning I had carefully arranged when I was trying to squish the liquid into the fabric.
The only thing I like a little is the colors I got, but even they were not what I would usually get with those dye colors.
If this doesn’t make a believer out of you, then you too likely will experience something like this when you are dyeing something special.
Is it worth the risk to take a chance when it is so easy to prewash your fabric or garment?

What Did You Picture My Dyeing Studio Looked Like?

There is nothing fancy about my dye studio. It is in my garage and uses the work bench area and a table I have covered with a plastic table cloth.
On an adjacent wall there is a laundry sink which I use for water and the rinse out process.
It took a while to figure out where to dye but now it is second nature. I also have some other stuff on the shelves across from here which are used occasionally.
I do make some adaptations depending on what kind of dyeing I am doing.
In this photo I have several containers batching ice dyed fabrics and I believe between them they contain about 7 pieces of fabric of various sizes and various manipulations.
And I can do all of this without taking the car out of the garage.

Through The Years

This is not the type of quilt I make. I made this for a contest where one had to use Thimbleberries fabric in 1999. It was a finalist but not a winner.
It measures 61 inches square. It has a traditional feel to it and I do like it.
The reason I am sharing it now is because at lunch Tuesday the subject of their fabrics came up in a conversation between Kathy Metallica Cray and myself.
She said she no longer has any of their fabrics and I know I still have a few of their buck bundles I have used for guild projects, etc.
It is a good quilt but not my style. They did buy the pattern from me to publish a calendar which was never created but I was paid.
I actually designed this in Corel Draw but when I made the units they didn’t work so I made some changes and made a better quilt with them.
When I am creating I really need to work with fabric and not on a computer. I also need to let the quilt talk to me and tell me what it wants to be.

How Long Does It Take To Arrange Lunch With 2 Friends?

The answer is somewhere between 2 and 3 years!
Kathy Cray and Teddy Pruett were here for a visit and lunch.
With my crazy busy schedule it took me that long to make it happen.
It was so great to see both of them.
So many fun things to share and talk about.

Kathy brought along this wonderful sampler quilt to show us. It is amazing and her own design. The blocks are very traditional. She used fabrics that she has spent years collecting which gave the quilt the look of an older quilt. The construction is perfect.
After lunch I shared some of the ice dyed pieces I am working on, then dessert and a little more socializing before they each had to leave for their long drives home.
I am so glad we finally got this chance to get together and hope we will meet again without waiting two more years.

Ice Dye Different - The Newest

This is my most recent ice dye.
It is very different that anything I’ve done before.
I have mentioned before I am an ART ice dyer, not a production dyer.
Each piece I do comes from a new and different idea I have.

Horses, Food, Fun, Family and Friends! Part 2

Living in horse country the Kentucky Derby is a big day with BIG parties.
The race only last about 2 minutes, but the pre race and after race extends it…..
but the parties go on for hours and hours!
Now most people think it is all about the horses, the race and the Run For The Roses.
We Southern Ladies in Marion County Florida know what it is really about!
The HATS!

Even some of the men get in the spirit and sport their favorite hats.

It’s me, my Florida daughter and my twin!

My middle child and my Florida daughter intent on watching the race.
Sorry middle child, it looks better on Tina!

The fun ladies in their hats!

Tucker and Harley thought they looked pretty darn cute!

And last but not least, the back of Lauren’s hat is spectacular!

Horses, Food, Fun, Family and Friends! Part 1

What a great Kentucky Derby party.

Sally and great grandson Andy. Sally bought her outfit to coordinate with the hat she chose. That is the proper way to do it and she is a very proper lady.
Everyone was in a great mood and had such fun.

Tucker really loved my hat. I think he wants it!
We each brought an appetizer or dessert and what great food it was. there is no better was to host a party that to let each guest bring something. The food was outstanding.

This year there was no clear cut favorite so we all had fun watching the horse we drew in our pool. My horse, State of Honor, started the race in first place and stayed there until another horse took over…and he didn’t finish in the money It was fun to see him get off to a good start since he was a long shot.
Hats were not required but added a lot of fun and color to the party. Stay tuned for part 2.

My Art, My Passion, My Life

I have been very fortunate to have my art recognized as it has been recently and in the past.

I have always been too busy creating my art, living my life, teaching, running a business or two and being involved with family, NOT necessarily in that order, to seek recognition.

From the first time I was aware of fabric and fibers my life has been centered around using them in one way or another. I still can remember the texture and exact color of Navy blue of my Uncle Charlie’s Navy uniform and also the texture of his starched hat.
I have had so many people who have helped me share my work over the years, whether it was in publications, shows, or awards.

I won’t even attempt to name names as there are just TOO many people who have helped me and believed in me. But I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit to my mother who encouraged me and sent me to camps and classes where I could exercise my love of fibers and crafts.

Without the students who pushed me for more, MORE, MORE over the years I don’t believe I would have done all the research and development to satisfy them. It allowed me to develop and create work, even long after I gave up teaching. Sally Fry took classes from me for over 30 years and never repeated the same class twice.

I have not written all of this so you can tell me I am great, wonderful, talented, etc. It is more of an affirmation of what my ART means to me.
I am not done yet, not my a long shot.
I am fortunate I now have the time to create my ART as the major passion in my life .
As I just heard on a show I am watching and I hope this is true:
YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET!

Embellish Magazine From Australia

Do you see anything you recognize on the cover of the June issue of the magazine?

My show Ice Tapestries and Shibori Quilts is being featured in Embellish magazine  Issue 30 June 2017!
I am excited and can’t wait to get my copy.
If you missed the show you can read about it and also see photos of many of the pieces from the show.

Another Color Hue Dye Scarf

Knowing that the Color Hue dyes do not mix once they are on the fabric like ice dyeing colors do, I still wanted to attempt a mandala with them.
I am quite pleased with the results even though this is very different than the ice dyed fabrics. It was a quick project to do.
This is a very lightweight silk perfect for a scarf or any number of other things.
I was using the very last of some of my dye colors. Even though the bottles of dye are very small, once they are mixed with water they do go a long way. I think we’ve dyed close to 40 scarves with this set and I still have a fair amount of some of the colors left.

A New Silk Scarf

A friend and I each dyed a large scarf with Color Hue dyes.
They are fun to work with and behave differently than any other dyes I’ve ever worked with as they set instantly. No rinsing required and no color transfer to anything else.
If you want to mix colors you have to do that before you put the dye on the silk as once they are on the fabric they don’t mix with subsequent colors you add.
This one was a two step process. I first did baggie dyeing.
Next I folded it and did fold dyeing.
It’s always fun to try new ways of using the dyes.
It is 14 x 70 inches which means it can be tied a lot of different ways.

Pincushions For Two Special People

I made these two small pincushions for 2 very special people. The blocks are 4 inches square.
The third dimension is created by sewing the tops to a back that is exactly the same size but is rotated 45 degrees. This means you are sewing the corner of a square to the middle of the other square. I love the depth this creates.
I stuff them with leftover wool batting which gives them shape and also is a great filler to stick pins in. These were the smallest ones I have made and I have to admit it is easier to make larger ones!