First Dyeing Workshop!

I had fun today! I taught my first dyeing workshop for the Omaha Quilters Guild. Each person got a 3-jar set of the three primary colors. Following my recipes, they dyed 12 fat quarters.

Here they are, hard at work!

The end result was a tub full of colorful baggies.

Happy dyers, each holding their fabrics.

After being dutiful students and dyeing with my recipes, they got to play. Most people chose to dye two 1-yd pieces, other dyed half yards, and one mother-daughter team dyed fat quarters. The pictures show just a few of the colors which were dyed. So often in dyeing, the prettiest pieces are those which are created by accident. The last photo is one of the wipe-up rags - beautiful!

Color Wheel Bouquet

Last fall, I was asked to teach a couple of dyeing workshops for the Omaha Quilters Guild. It sounded like fun, so I dove in. I developed two workshops, which I am teaching this weekend. If you are interested in more info about the classes, go to DellaJane Dyeing Workshops

I decided to have the beginning dyers class dye a color wheel. After I'd run through it a couple of times, I had several samples and thought I should make a little quilt using the fabrics. And so, for lack of a better name, I designed and made Color Wheel Bouquet. I really think the name is boring - if you have any suggestions, PLEASE share them!!

Color Wheel Bouquet





Back to prepping for the class!

Sketchbook for 2007

I love blank books! Lined & unlined, mostly the covers attract me to buy them. Many don't get used, some get used once or twice, others are filled up. I found a WONDERFUL blank book in a bookstore in December and decided to use it as a sketchbook. I don't pretend to be an artist when it comes to paper and pencil, but I do sketch a lot of things I see. The sketches are done on a scrap of paper, a napkin, or the back of a receipt. The sketches often end up trashed just because I'm tired of dealing with the small piece of paper. I'm hoping that keeping all these tidbits in one place will allow them to inspire me down the road.

I carried the book to Sedona, Arizona on Dec 28, my official Sketchbook Start Date. Another page was done at the Heard Museum. I find I am writing notes as well as drawing. Words come easy & often! The page I've chosen to share here was done as we traveled on I-40 east of Albuquerque. We made 150 miles in 7 hours. Not bad roads, just heavy traffic due to road closures the day before.

There isn't anything particular inspiring in these images, but they recall the day for me in vivid detail. Other pages are similar. I'm not sure that "Sketchbook" is the correct name for my book. Maybe I'm more of an Illustrated Journal person. So be it!