Valentine's Day -- Sunday -- Must be "Blog Day!"

Rather than being so erratic about posting to this blog, I'm going to follow my friend Karen Bates' example     ( www.karenworks.blogspot.com ) and (try to) post every Sun.  Most aspects of my life feel erratic these days; maybe I should have written New Year's Resolutions!  But since that date has come and gone, I decided that my REAL new year begins on my birthday, which just happens to be tomorrow, Feb. 15th.  

Today I will set some goals for my year, and on top of those, I chose two words as my theme for the year:  "Focus" and "Finish."  I have problems in both of those areas and really want to work on them.  As I write this, I had a vision of thin, sheer organza (representing my themes, "Focus" and "Finish") floating down over my "block" of goals!  That's interesting . . . I may have to make make that in fabric -- a strong visual statement of my goals and intentions for the year that I could see throughout each day.

Back to TODAY.  Lots to get done:  working on the shop samples for the two new classes I'll be teaching at Greenbaum's Quilted Forest this spring/summer:

 "Seaside Village" (by Dyed and Gone to Heaven)

I loved this quilt as soon as I saw the pattern because it feels so summery.  I have piles of fabrics pulled together and will begin cutting and piecing this afternoon.

  My other new class has no pattern; it came straight from my head and a desire to share many of the surface design techniques I've learned (many were self-taught).  It will be called "Surface Design Sampler" and will meet for 3 hours once a month, for 3 months.  I'll cover fabric painting, stamping, stenciling, foiling, rusting, etc. for art quilt backgrounds, plus monoprinting, and painting on unusual surfaces (Color Catchers, batting, etc.).  We'll learn to use new products -- Texture Magic, TAP (Transfer Artist Paper), and Lutradur; discover 3 techniques for image transfers,

and create lacy effects with painted fusible web, Angelina fibers, and organza (right).   We'll do one mini-project at each class, then put samples of all our new techniques in a handmade canvas book.  Wow!  I'm EXTREMELY excited about this new class!  (can't ya tell??)

And to finish up my multi-post series on Fabric Marbling . . .  I continued to practice, and here are more results (below) , made with a fresh batch of fabric treated with alum -- much better at retaining their color!

And a few made by my friend, Kristen.  These two were done earlier, with the older alum-treated fabric from last summer, which is why they're so washed-out):

(aqua + black, left)

 (purple + white + black, right)

When the Fiberexplorations group met last Mon., Feb. 8,  we had 3 pans set up containing methocel base, so most members got to experiment for themselves (with mixed results).  Aren't there always challenges?  This time, the droplets of dye kept dropping to the bottom of the pans, rather than floating on the surface as they're supposed to.  Nevertheless, we got some good prints, but sorry . . . I didn't think to photograph them!  Once everyone left for the night, I continued experimenting and got some muddy prints (from overmixing the floating drops of dye), but I did get this one I really liked.  Because of the large pan, it took more than 1 precut piece of fabric:

That wraps it up for this Sunday.   
          
      HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! 

Be sure to spread the love today; the world needs it.