String Art Work - progress is slow

This was the original string art piece before stitching.  I added additional coloring using Gelato crayons.

 Yes, it is slow going working on all the stitching I want to do on my string art piece! 

And I'm using Maderia Lana thread in the bobbin as well as the top thread!  Appears to be working just fine.

This was the back after I started with the deep purple stitching on the background.

And this is the back of the work as of yesterday, so you can see how much stitching I've already done...but I do have a ways to go!

I love the color of the threads I purchased and think it enhances the piece.  Still a ways to go but I'm happy with the progress so far.  It's a good diversion from other projects!  

Oh, I'm started a knitted cuff!  Well, I have to have a project to work on while watching pre-season football don't I!!!  And the football season is right around the corner as well!  I/We love our football!

Knitting & Stitching!

 Well, I finished the lace poncho I've been working on and it's not even fall yet!  WooHoo!  I believe I started this in March!  And with all the other projects I work on at the same time, I'm happy I finished before the snow falls!  HA

I have this same yarn in a beige color but thought the peach would be something different.  It's really a nice color in person.

Lace pattern is very easy to do.  You can purchase the Lattice Lace Poncho on Ravelry here.  

It folds up nicely for putting on the shelf with my other shawls.  Yes, I love shawls and poncho's!

No, this isn't a great picture of either myself or the poncho, but you get the idea on what the poncho looks like on my body.  I think it will go well with black pants and a black turtle neck.  Bob said "I always see you in black and white".  I said I was "living on the edge" by wearing something peach with black!  HA  I do wear more spring colors in addition to black!  HA  Could wear a turtle neck with it or not.  

Now to get back to stitching on my 'string art' piece!  Lots of stitching!!  Whew

Disperse Dye Prints

 Here are the printed results from the disperse transfer dyes I painted last weekend.  There are still tons of ink remaining on the papers because I wasn't applying a lot of pressure with the hot iron...some of the fabrics started to turn brown, even using teflon sheet on top.  But now I can experiment with more fabrics and papers!  

These were small rectangle papers I dyed/painted.

And this is the print I got. I had some Mixed Media Sheets by Icraft that I played with in 2019 while doing Hilary's MIP online class.  These picked up the color well but the sheets did start to bubble, which you can see on the orange in the middle!

The printed paper is on the right and the transfer results are on the left.

I used blue, orange and yellow dyes on this paper!

I printed 4 different times with the transfer paper below.

It is so deceiving when you look at the paper you painted with the transfer dye.  You need to keep in mind the dye you used.  In this sample, I painted Yellow and blue, which you can see on the print but the paper doesn't show that!

Again, these are pretty prints and with stitching you can enhance what you see.

You would think the leaf print would be black!  Fooled you!  I used a mixture of blue and purple and I think I may have added some orange paint.  Hence, some 'mud' color but this is one of my favorites.

These are really pale prints but there's a lot of paint left on the paper.

I mixed blue and yellow...duh...

Actually, I think I may just use some of the papers in some art pieces!  I could seal the transfer ink/paint with some of Hilary's wax that I purchased for preserving the colors on dyed/stenciled papers.

8.5" 11" paper!

These transfer dyed papers look the same but if you look closely they are different.  Lots of color left to transfer!  

I almost finished knitting the cowl on my poncho, so once that's finished I'll print some more from the papers in this series.  I am anxious to do something with these!!

Disperse Dyeing (again!)

 I know...why don't I finish a few projects before starting more!  Well, the hand stitched rail fence is almost finished...just need to get a pillow form or make a pillow form!  I'm almost, also, finished with the poncho.  Just need to pick up stitches to make the cowl collar...so that means, I can start some new projects and that's what I did this weekend. I've played with disperse dyes before and posted on my blog.  You can see two posts here and here!   So thought I'd give it a go again!  Here here are some papers that were 'cooking'.  

Pro Chem sells disperse dyes, which you mix with water.  You paint on to paper (printer paper is what I use), allow to dry then you iron the transfer/paint onto polyester fabric.  At least that is the fabric that is recommended to use.  You get several, several prints from each paper and the papers last forever!!

You can see on this blog post,  where I achieved good results on 100% cotton fabric.  Thanks to Laura Kemshall, from last March, for testing this out.  Let's face it.  I'm not washing my pieces that hang on a wall and I'd be careful to not make a small piece to sit on a table to hold my glass of wine!  

I cut some leaves from out back to lay on the papers!

I mixed up orange, yellow, blue and a purple dye.

I laid a leaf on top of a painted piece of paper, sometimes using one color or two.  Then I laid a piece of saran wrap on top of the leaf and paper and pushed out any air and crinkled some of the saran wrap.

Linda Kemshall did a video on their Design Matters where she demo'd using the saran wrap.   Just an addition to what Laura showed.  Linda suggested to keeping the paper(s) small because of  the difficulty in keeping the heat even on larger piece of dyed papers.  I kept mine at around 8" square and colored the leftover papers to use as well.  "Waste not...want not", right!

The colors may appear quite dark and to be honest, just because you see gold, green, etc. on paper, you may not get that same result when you iron on to your fabric.

I laid each piece on top of one another on a piece of plastic trash bag.  Because the saran wrap was on top of each paper, I could layer them easily.  

I took the entire 'pile' outside in the sun, covering the top layer with the trash bag and placed about 6 heavy books to squeeze the pieces a tad more!

Here's one set with the leaves removed and papers all dry.

I can't wait to print!  Again, I don't expect each piece to retain the intensity you see in the colors here....but you never know!!!!  Until the next disperse dye post, enjoy your week!  I sure will!

Some more projects

 I did finish the poncho base and blocked it.  Now to seam the top edge so I can pick up stitches to knit the cowl collar!  Almost finished and it's not even fall yet!  Woo hoo!

With the internet down last week/weekend, I decided to edge the driveway and sidewalk around the house!  Of course, being the farm girl I am, I didn't use the electric edger but instead used the old farm tool! 

When Bob got home, he said "oh, you used the electric edger?"  Well, no!  That electric edgers trims grass and can edge but holy heck!  It was more effort to figure out how to contort the bugger to edge vs trim, so I didn't even attempt to use it.  I'm used to hard work on the farm and just pretend, sometimes, we live on a farm!  HA

No those aren't my boots!  Just wanted to show what my edger looked like!

Pretty good job, right!

I was quite happy with the way the lawn looks but it was hard work!  Holy Heck!  I think that's the last I'll do edging in my lifetime or at least in this lifetime!  

Are We Having Fun Yet??

Between power outages and no internet for four days, it's been interesting around the Payne household!  Can't get upset because there's nothing you can do about it but deal with it!  So, that's pretty much what I did.  Of course, using the data on our phone caused our bill to be increased by $15 but that's a small price to pay.  I did stay off FB and other apps on my phone, which wasn't a bad thing!  Always a plus side, right!

I finished the hand embroidery on the rail fence quilt top!  I'm going to make a rectangle pillow from the top.  I sure don't need another quilt to hang on the wall or on a table.  Now to find or make an insert for the top which is 24" x 19".   I know...kinda crooked picture, right!  

Here are some closeup's...now to finish up the knitted poncho!

Dog Progress!

 

And you thought this would be a sewing or art post!  Fooled you...well, actually, I can show some more progress on my 'string art' piece...about 75% finished with the background blue stitching...can't wait to start on the orange!

This way I can see my progress!

No, it's not an afghan for the couch!   I'm at the point on the poncho to start the seed stitch on the side edge so I can then bind off and block.  Then I'll pick up stitches to knit the cowl part.  And it's not even fall yet!  I may get this finished after all! 

With my back out the last week or so, I'm a tad behind in our dog lessons but the nice thing about Susan Garrett's online Recaller class you work at your own speed.  We have 40 weeks of lessons but the course is for a year.  There is so much information so I do spend time at night listening to Susan's Podcasts or watching video's for our lessons or just reading ALL the pdf files Susan provides.  Yes, there's a lot of information but I do so enjoy learning and teaching what we learn to our dogs!  Plus, we are encouraged to take video's and upload to our respective lesson for trainers to critique or assist us when lessons just aren't going as they should. 

 This won't seem like a big deal to most of you but my little Gigi used to jump up on the side of the cabinets and just continue to jump up and down when waiting for her dinners. Too bad I didn't take a clip of that!

I started out when she would jump just standing still and not saying or doing anything. After awhile she got the idea (without words! How cool is that!) And she started to just sit on her carpet/Hot Zone in the kitchen but as soon as the dish hit the floor, she would start to run and jump to get the food.

I then started to pick up the dish and she would actually back up - wish I had that on tape! - and go back to the rug/HZ. Now she sits and waits for me to release her to eat!!

I combined this clip to show both girls.  They are  suppose to 'search' for the treat and then come back to their mat/HZ (hot zone)...no matter how small it gets!  My big butt is in the way so it's hard to see little Gigi but you get the idea.  

And for those who don't follow me on FaceBook....we have the best farm to buy the best corn!!!  Bob and I go crazy for Weil's corn and I try to freeze as much as I can.  Today I cut off 16 ears and packaged.  I already have four other packages in the freezer from doing this about a week ago.  BUT the corn tastes SO good come fall!  Well worth the effort!

I put four ears in boiling water for 1 minutes then in ice water for a minute of two.  Each bag  holds 4 ears along with 1/4 cup of water.  One of my buds in Florida, thanks Nancy B.!, told me this about a year or two ago and it works great.  

So guess I need to get back to my dog lessons or Hilary's MIP lessons (yes, she is still doing some video's that I haven't watched yet).  This is our last module but another online class that I've loved for the past two years.  Now to produce some work, right!