My Dyeing Day

It has been an absolutely gorgeous day here today and I have been having a ball! A church friend has commissioned a quilted silk wallhanging, and today was the day to steam it, wash it and finally press it. Here it is just prior to steaming:

The colors are much more vivid...the background being a lovely shade of "Spring green" and the dragonflies are shades of periwinkle. The silk is my favorite Charmeuse, and I am happy to report that I am finally getting the hang of using gutta on Charmeuse. It has taken a while! Here is a closer up photo:

My plan is to use a very low batt and minimally quilt the background, so that the dragonflies are poofy. I may have to add some beads. I will finish the edges with a pillowcase finish. Any opinions here? I would love to know what you think and how you would finish it....don't be shy!!

My garden is beginning to look pretty nice, and so I'll share a few photos with you:

These Rhodies are just outside my sewing room...I am a lucky girl indeed! They are just about at their peak now. My floxgloves, peonies, roses and wild gentian are all in full bloom. The poppies buds are getting fat, promising some lovely flowers in the not too distant future. I have no favorites here....love them all!

Just two more......

This is my French Hollyhock...a gift from my friend Jeann. One of these babies and watch out or it will rule your garden forever, as they reseed like crazy!!! Isn't it a pretty bloom? ...and my beloved Foxglove!!! I just love their speckled throats!!

I know I said it was a dyeing sort of day, and it was....I did a lot of dyeing...gradations of purples and ochres. What fun!!! I'm also busy at work on a second Radiant Suns quilt (with the polka dots)....this time a wallhanging. Stay tuned for photos of that tomorrow or Friday!