One of the fun activities of summers past was gradient dyeing. Some people call it "pickle jar dyeing," but I use canning jars because I have plenty of them. With only 4 or 6 jars and two dyes, a pleasing array of colors can be achieved. When the jars of dye and scrunched-up cotton fabric are lined up outside in the sun to "cure," they look almost as pretty as my filled jelly jars on the pantry shelf. The center stack of fabric started out as a lavender and white print. The other fabrics were white. If these daily thunderstorms let up, I just might go down to the basement and mix up some dyes.
My online fabric postcard swap groups hosted a MiniQuilt exchange, with size requirements of 8" - 10" square. I had fun using a picture I "saw" in my head to design the "Flowers Of Imagination" quilt. A background of purchased hand-dyed fabric, flowers cut from batik, some free-motion thread-painting on netting and washaway stabilizer, two fusible-backed butterfly cut-outs and some opalized clear glass beads for dew drops completed the quilt. (The striped border seems to be one of my trademarks. Now if only I could find some more of that narrow striped fabric!)I'm working on a series of postcards which are truly yummy, but have to wait to post the pictures until someone out west receives her very special first one. Stay tuned!
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