Dispersed Dye Quilt Finished!

 

I finished the disperse dyed quilt this past weekend and hung in our master bath!  I'm pleased with how it turned out...especially after I struggled with the layout and design!

I started with lots of disperse dyed blocks.  Disperse dyeing is a process of painting papers with a special dye, while wet I laid leaves on the wet dye and covered with plastic wrap.  After it's totally dry, you iron the painted side down on fabric and the dye/pattern will transfer.  This is a touchy process as some fabrics take longer and more heat than others.  

You're only suppose to use disperse dyes on poly type fabric but since I don't wash my quilts, I use cotton!

This was my first idea/design!

and then the madness began with layout after layout...

And more layouts

Yep..still layout out

Adding blocks...taking blocks away

Then decided to use small strips!

Finally, I was happy with the layout...now to hand embroidery the large leaf blocks

I tried to use different threads for each block or at least for the different stems

and then the free motion quilting began!  I haven't quilted in SO long but I have to say I enjoyed this process!

Added embroidery stitches on strips

More threads

More quilting

I blended different color threads in sections rather than using the same color of thread

I'm quite happy with the results...and here's a quick animation I put together of the process!  Hope you enjoy!

 

Day 30 -37 of 101 Art Projects

 Yep, inbetween knitting (and I did square up my disperse dyed quilt top!), I'm still doing some daily art work...some days knitting but that's still doing some type of art/craft work!  So here's what I've been doing so far!

Day 30 I played with gelli printing...nothing exciting but I was able to use papers to make some collages this week.

Another sheet of layout paper I did...these look very pale...actually, they were a tad darker, which you'll see in the collage I made.

Day 31 - 5" x 8" collage...

I knitted quite a bit on Day 32 and finished the bind off on the body of my top.  I also cut binding for my disperse dyed quilt top!

Day 33 - another collage...these are in my Octopus Journal with my other collage pieces I did in Hilary's class.

Day 34 - Woo hoo!  I finished a sleeve!!!

Day 35 - you probably read my previous blog post!!!!  FROGGING!!!  And the reason why I ripped this all out!

Day 35 con't:  WHEW!  I actually ripped out the ribbing and ripped out back to 76 stitches!  So now the knitting the sleeve starts again!!!  

Day 36 - another collage from gelli printing.

Day 37 - another paper collage.  I kinda like this one!

So, that's been my life....more knitting will be ongoing as well as getting the binding sewn on my quilt top.  

The excitment of knitting!

Actually, the only excitement of knitting is being surprise you figured something out!  HA  My blood pressure has gone up and down quite a bit since I started this lace Top!  But, I have to say I have taught myself so much during this process!!!!!   

I finished the binding on my lace top for the body...I tried a new method so that the bind off wouldn't be tight.  I watched several videos and ended up using a technique where you add a YO in between each bind off (in pattern).  I liked the way it looked and it was stretchy but not saggy!

Next up was starting on my sleeves!  I'm almost at the finish line...so exciting...and I did, finish a sleeve that is!

I finished knitting the sleeve, added ribbing and,once again, used a new bind off technique!  This one is call the Italian Bind off and it was on one of Suzanne Bryan's YouTubes which you can see here.  It's really a nice bind off and she also shows a Tubular Bind off that would be perfect for caps or long sleeves, etc.  Just this little bit of bind off took me 2 1/2 hours!  I had to keep watching Suzanne's video to make sure I was doing it correctly!  Yes, I did practice on a swatch I had but I still get nervous when doing something on my 'real' knitting!

And I tried my top on and it fits!!!!!!!!  Whew!!!!  And that's before it's even blocked...so I am/was a happy camper...

Bob thought the top looked so good on as well...then I mentioned to him that I wish I had made the sleeve longer...it's just a short sleeve....hmmmmmmmmmmm    He said "you're right, it might look better".  

I decided that if I didn't make the sleeves longer, I would be pulling on them or I wouldn't wear the top as often as I would like...so what else to do but FROG IT!

Yep...I even had a dream about how to go about ripping out the ribbing and picking up the stitches!  Only big problem I had was ripping out that new Italian bind off!  Holy heck, the sleeves will never unravel with that bind off!  HA I ended up cutting through the ribbing after I cut off the binding!

And here I am!!!  I picked up the 76 stitches I needed for the sleeve!  WHEW!!  This was a major task for me.  At one point, I was almost in tears thinking I ruined my top!!!  And I would never be able to get the stitches picked back up!  But I did it!!!!  I was so excited I text my sister (she's making the same top!) to let her know what I did! HA

So now it's a matter of straight knitting and making the sleeve as long as I want...I'm thinking of about 3/4/to my elbow.  I'd be more comfortable with that length.  

And, yes, I am looking at a new pattern to knit something else!

Day 27 - 29

 

Weather has been strange...2 inches of snow on Saturday but warm enough to walk Kalee on Sunday and both girls on Monday!    And we saw two robins in the yard so spring is coming!!!!

At least I have something to show on my blog, which is a good thing!  Makes me realize that I am doing something!  I had intended to do some more gelli printing but I got sidetrack with, what else, cooking!  I made stuffed peppers, meat loaf and pork and sauerkraut for our dinners Saturday, Sunday and Monday!  I will make more bread next as well as Bob's cookies...Heaven forbid I don't have them in the cookie jar for him!  Geeeeeeezzzzzzzzz

Day 27 - free motion filler

Day 27 - free motion filler continues

day 28 - just some straight stitching

Day 28 - more straight stitching....no I can't stitch a straight line!  But hopefully, no one will look that close!

Day 29 - more filler free motion quilting continues

Day 29 - yep,  more free motion quilting.....

You were expecting something else!  HA  Day 29...third area finished.  Still lots more filler to do but it's easy work!  I just might get this finished!  So glad I decided to participate in this 101 day art project!  A good way to get art work/project finished!

Knitting & Day 25, 26

I'm still at it!  But have to show what I'm working on inbetween the daily art project!!!  Yep, the lace T is getting there!  I just have to finish the ribbing at the bottom and then knit the sleeves.  Still a ways to go but at least the main portion will be done soon!  

DAY 25 - and it's finished!!   The last leaf block too embroider!  Woo hoo

DAY 26 - I started some free motion quilting on the blocks.  I think I'm finished with hand embroidery...but we'll see! 

I was going to embroider the small leaf prints but decided some simple stitching would be better.  There are several of these smaller 3"x5" blocks that I stitched.  You can see them in the large quilt picture below.

I had the hardest time trying to decide what to quilt in the plain blocks.  They didn't print out as well so the leaves are barely there to see...hence, I just filled them in.

I have several blocks to go to free motion...and then the binding...which, the dark strips are really a deep purple, which is what I'm using for the binding.  Should help with contrast against the light blocks.  This will be hung in our master bath replacing a large piece I currently have hung.

Day 20 - 24 101 daily art projects

 

DAY 24

I am too lazy to reorder the pictures so these are Day 24 thru Day 20!

This is the last large leaf block I need to embroider on the disperse dye quilt top.  Then to see which other blocks I hand embroider or free motion quilt.

DAY 23 - START OF THE LAST BLOCK

DAY 22 - Kinda ugly but just using up some papers.  The collage pieces are only 5" x 8".  I'm going to gelli print more papers on Sunday.

DAY 21 - these are some of my older papers...this turned out fairly decent.

DAY 20 - The background is from a piece I did a year or two ago.  The leaves are from a piece I stencil cut...again...nothing earth shattering but fun to be playing again.  

So this week is for working on hand work!  AND I'm on the ribbing for my lace T!  woohoo...then I'll need to knit the sleeves!  I may make spring yet!