Dyed In The Wool

 Color . . . . rich, saturated, yummy color. 
Today I decided to do something just for fun.  I called my sister Margaret and asked if she wanted to come dye wool with me.  Me and several $$$ worth of Kool Aid.  It all started several weeks ago.  I had heard that you can dye wool with Kool Aid, but I had never tried it.  One of our projects at Quilt Retreat this year uses wool, and I decided to give it a try.

First,  you need wool.
So I made a trip to our local thrift store--D.I.  I bought everything I could find that was 100% wool.  That included several blazers, one suit, and one coat.  (It is really inexpensive.)  Then I took the scissors to them.  Cut them all apart and felted the pieces by washing in really hot water with soap and then rising in cold and drying in a hot dryer.

Now we were ready for color.  Talia  and Erin came in to join us.  The more the merrier!

 We started with several flavors of Kool Aid.  We even used a few packets of FlavorAid.  We just mixed up each packet with water (Don't add sugar!)  so we could see what color it was.

We soaked the wool pieces in hot water with a splash of vinegar to get the fibers ready to accept color.   (It's a good idea to use rubber gloves.)  Notice all the colors we started with.  I tried to find wool garments that had little color, so I could over-dye them, but a few of them were quite dark gray or tan, and they also turned out beautiful colors.

 In a glass bowl, we mixed up several packets of color with some hot water--enough to cover the pieces.

Then we zapped them in the microwave for 2 minutes, took them out for a stir, then 2 more minutes, until most or all of the dye is absorbed, and the water is clear.   

We rinsed them in running water then off to the dryer.  This also helps to felt them more so that they won't fray.  By the time we had finished we had sooooo many beautiful pieces!  Check out all these colors.  And some of them are still in the dryer, so we even had more.

Everything from deep purples, reds, pinks, and oranges. . .

through gold, yellow and greens.  (So many shades of green!)

All the  way to blues and grays.

My camera does not do these colors justice.  They are so rich and beautiful!  It makes me want to design a wool project right now.   Don't you just love how you can see the texture and the weave in some of these fabrics?  Of course you can buy white wool by the yard and do this, but when you use fabrics found in jackets and coats, you get some really great pieces.  The tweeds and herringbone weaves were especially beautiful.  And starting with wool that is gray or tan can give you more grown up colors than just the pure Kool Aid colors.   (Notice I just used the term grown up and Kool Aid to describe the same event.)
Well, even if it wasn't grown up, we sure had fun!

Diary of a Procrastinator

It has been several days since I last posted.  Sorry about that.  I have been a little bit busy.  (More about that later.)  Last Thursday I taught a class at a local shop.  We are doing a block of the month--well actually, it is a row of the month.  This was our first class, and we have 4 to go, so there is still time to join us if you would like.  We are doing the Garden Rows quilt from my book, Stitched Together.

We just did the first row, and next time we will do two more.  It's a fun, simple quilt with a lot of character.  Last year at quilt retreat we did this quilt in two different color-ways.  Here's Maika's in the alternate colors:

Sorry, not a very good picture, but it really is darling in person.  This close up shows the colors a little bit better, and look at that beautiful quilting!

Maika is one of my nieces.  She does all her own quilting on her home Bernina.  No long arm for her.  Why would you need one if you can quilt free motion like that?  And this from a gal who said she really didn't want to come to quilt retreat. (The first year---after that, she was hooked.)
The class is at Quilting Cottage in American Fork, Utah.  It is taught on the first Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm.  Come join us, we have a good time and learn a lot!

What have I been so busy with, you ask?  Well, orders of course, always, but then I realized that I only had a few days to get a very important quilt done for a big event.  Sound familiar?  I think I have done this before.  Problem is---it usually works out, so I continue to procrastinate. 

Well this time it didn't work out.  I just will not get done in time.  So sad.  Here's a few of the blocks.  Can you guess what I am working on?

I will try to get the center section done tomorrow before the big event in the evening.  But there is soooo much to do.  I need a personal assistant.  Preferably one who can quilt.
When this quilt is all done, I will post some more photos.  Hopefully that won't be too long.

Count Down...

Have you ever  been so excited for an upcoming event that you made a paper chain to count down the days?  (since you were 8?)

This is apparently not a "normal" college apartment.  Nope, not normal at all.  There is a sewing room upstairs and I spotted this stack of quilts in the living room.

Looks like the people who live here are QUILTERS!  A little bit unusual in the social world of college life.  But these girls are on the ball!  And what are they counting down to?
Why the Family Pieces Quilt Retreat, of course.

Yes, it almost that time again.  One of the best times of the year.  I just sent my registration off (aren't we official) and signed up for 3 of the 4 optional classes, as well as the main group project.
I am very excited about the main project because it involves wool this year.  I love working with wool!  The colors and texture are so rich and inviting!  And what a joy to applique.  This will be really fun.  We are making a pieced cotton quilt with wool applique.  I will of definitely post some photos of the finished projects when I get back.

But for now it is a few links away.  31 to be exact.  But who's counting?

Well FINALLY!

Today I picked up my first order of finished Poke-A-Dots.  It was a very small order, just enough to keep me happy for a few days, then later this week I should get the balance of the order.
Once I pick them up, I have to package them, but hopefully they will be shipping out pretty soon!
FINALLY!

This has taken soooo much longer than I expected.  (Obviously)  Perhaps I should have consulted my resident manufacturing engineer (DH) about the time line, but I was (as always) optimistic.
Overly optimistic.
So I am a few months behind.  I can only do what I can do.

So, you ask, what do you do with a Poke-A-Dot? 

 Well, you stick it on your finger, and use it push your needle so that you don't get POKED!

Great for stitching on bindings, hand applique, even just sewing on a button.  And they come in a cute little tin, which is perfect for holding your thread and needles, too.  So when you are on the go, this is all you need to grab.

 Sometimes if I am working on an applique project I need many colors of thread with me. I don't really want to be carting around all those big spools of thread, so I wind thread onto bobbins.  That way I can take lots of colors and still fit them all into my little tin!

And they are re-stickable.  Just take it off and stick it back on the tin until the next time you need it.  You can use them a few times, until they don't stick any more.  Better yet, I don't even bother taking it off.  You can do all sorts of things with the little Dot stuck on your finger and you won't even remember it is there!
Like address a package...

 Play a tune...

 Eat a snack...

Hug a grandchild...  (use your imagination on this one.  I find it hard to take a picture of myself hugging a grandchild when my arms are full of grandchild.)


Any way, you get the idea!  And these little wonders are "grippy" too, so they can PULL your needle when you get in a tough spot.  The cute texture on top makes it so the needle doesn't slip off and gives you a lot of control.

There are 18 dots in each tin.  That's enough to bind 4 quilts, applique 12 blocks and sew on 17 buttons.  (At least in our independent marketing study.  Results may vary.)

To those of you who already know all about Poke-A-Dots, sorry to repeat myself.  But I am so excited about this new little notion!  I will have these available on my website within the week.  You can also watch for them to show up in quilt shops.  Soon all the cool quilters will be wearing Poke-A-Dots!

No Place Like Home

       Madame Samm at Stash Manicure made this name tag for me.  Isn't it cute?!  I like it a lot, but I'm not sure when I should wear it, so if you see me at the grocery store wearing a name tag, you will know why.
(Editorial comment:  Wouldn't it be nice if people wore name tags?  We would never wonder who we were talking to, and we could call everyone by name.  I bet people would be nicer to each other if they knew their names.) 

They are having a drawing over at the STASH for some of my fabric.  Check it out because you could win!  And it includes one of my patterns.

I feel like I have been gone a lot lately.  I need to get back to my regular routine.  (Someone sure needs to clean this kitchen, anyway.)  It is nice to just do all the everyday things.  The mundane, seemingly insignificant  things we do is what life is made of.  It's true, isn't it.  There really is no place like home. Just being in your own space with all your loved ones around you and your stuff so you can do what you like and what you need to.  Sigh.  I'll get back to it soon.

The other day I gave a trunk show in Alpine, Utah.  We had so much fun.  My sister and a few of my nieces gave me some of their quilts (well, loaned me..) to show along with mine.  That always makes it so fun.  I wish I had taken some pictures, but I was busy talking.  I talked a little bit about my family quilt retreat, and some of the quilts we have made, including the round robin groups that we have.  (I will have to do a tutorial post on Round Robins sometime.)  That is so much fun!!!  Here's an example of a round robin quilt.  I started with the center block and sent it on to the next person, she set it on point and sent it on, etc, etc.  Then at the end of the year we each get a quilt back.  I LOVE the quilt I got back.  And it has been worked on by some of my favorite people!

Next time I do a trunk show you will have to come see the rest of these beautiful quilts.  (If you live nearby, of course.)
Well, I have a few mundane things to do, so I better go.

A Sweeeeeeet Day

This is the newest member of our family.  Meet Eli.  Isn't he a doll?!  Such a sweetie!  We are so happy he is here and all is well!  I have had his brothers for a week and we have had the best time.  Grandchildren are the best!

I am in New Mexico for a few hours.  I brought the boys back home, and now I am heading back to Utah because I get to give a trunk show tonight in Alpine, Utah at the Alpine Quilt group.  So if you are local, I look forward to seeing you there.  

Don't forget.  8 pm at the red church.

ONE OF THE FAMILY

I picked up my sewing machine at the repair shop the other day.  I had to take it in because a broken needle fell down in the bobbin case and I couldn't reach it to get it out.  (That is a whole other story.)  It needed a tune up anyway.  When I took it in I had it in a case and all packed up nice,  but they don't want to keep any superfluous covers or cords, so I left only the machine. When I went back to get it, I didn't have the case with me. 

Please tell me that I am not the only one who buckles their machine in when traveling.  Some people around here think that is so funny.

But it's just normal, right?  After all we try to protect the ones we love, don't we?