Reflecting on Grace

When I first began working on the Grace quilts for our church's youth auction, I was auditioining all of my techniques on practice fabric and and then heat setting them with newsprint, thus protecting my iron. So, I ended up with lots of black steeple images on newsprint,the words 'Amazing' and 'Grace' on newsprint, and verse from that wonderful old hymn also on newsprint. When I dye, I tend to sop up the run off with paper towels or rags, and I love using both mops for other things later. I decided to apply the newsprint from Amazing Grace plus some dyed paper towels to a piece of hand-me-down gauzey cotton, using watered down white glue. I just left this mix out in the studio for a few days, and here is how it looked when I went back to retrieve it:

I hung it up on the design wall in my sewing room and contemplated making another wall hanging. I photographed it, and then this morning when I was completing the application form for the juried show, I decided to add this one as well! What was I thinking????? It's not even completed! I just loved how the blue and green dyes sort of oozed out from the paper towels onto the cotton fabric when they got wet. So I added "Reflecing on Grace" to the application. I figured: nothing ventured, nothing gained. Who knows?

This afternoon was another rainy Portland kind of time, and I put the pedal to the metal and quilted away on 'Reflecting on Grace':

I think I may have liked her better before the quilting! LOL Here's a detail shot:

I like the added texture of the paper towels and the newsprint on top of the cotton. My friends Richard and Julia have given me several wonderful old large pieces of rusty metal, and one particular sheet seems to be beckoning to me and this new piece. So we'll see where this goes.

On another totally different note, I've been playing around with some Shibori. I like Shibori more and more everytime I dye another piece. When you undo all of the knots and threads, it's like Christmas morning! Here's a piece ready to be opened:


I haven't photographed the finished product yet, but when I do, you'll be the first to know!

PEACE!!!