Art, Craft and Needlework, May, 2012

[Harriet]

What is making your eyes light up this month? What's the interesting plan rattling around in your head when you daydream? We know it's there. Creativity makes the world go 'round! Indulge yours today!

Nancy found this quote:

Creativity is intelligence having fun. - Albert Einstein

Reports from April's thread :

Emptynester painted Kokopelli for a focal painting for her home, from recycled materials
Harmony is hand quilting sea images for the 2nd of her surprise quilts, and thinking thimbles
Nancy learned a new pattern for a prayer shawl and completed it, and is also working
on a tote bag now. She shared knitting loom thoughts.
Harriet hand-sewed on the new quilt label and shared using a pillowcase to protect projects
Indiana encouraged!

[Harmony]

I am still hand quilting. I only work a little bit on it then I find some excuse to get up and do something else. This is tedious, this kind of quilting. It's not an interesting pattern, like stitches that make a rope or something. I must get this part done. Gotta say, I'll be happy never to quilt around a turtle ever again.

[Nancy]

I finished that tote and it's in the donate bag it did not turn out as well as the one I made before but I'm learning! started a new prayer shawl with a new pattern ripped out some and restarted it we will see how this one turns out!

[Harriet]

Harmony, I guess that's why ropes and garlands became so popular! I think it's when you must turn your hand so many directions rather than aiming in the same general direction that it gets hard.

Yep, Nancy, learning from a project means you have more fun with future ones.

I did odd mending today that I wanted to mention - out of the ordinary. I have a white bra I like but its straps slip off my shoulders entirely too much and it bugs me and makes me fiddle with it all the time. So I measured between the straps in the back while wearing it and sewed (machine-tacked) a plain (silk?) narrow white ribbon between the two straps, about 6 inches above the back band. Now that's one thing I don't have to think about.

[Nancy]

Still learning! Did manage to get another color added today.

[Harmony]

Nancy, I think ripping out knitting is very hard. I never seem to get the loops back on the needles going all the right directions. And if I miss one, it rips out way way back down the rows. Crocheting is easy to rip out and start again...not knitting. I never could do that well.

I'm done with the turtles. I have a few more half squares of the one fish print, but this print isn't getting stitched around the outline of each fish. I'm doing a meandering wave-type set of lines between & amongst the fishes, this kind of quilting goes much faster. The other squares took way too long, because it was tiny stitches that changed direction every 2-3 stitches, so I couldn't go very fast. The backside looks almost solid with stitches. I'm almost up to the sky and lighthouse. I still have the bottom sand to do also.

Harriet, DD2 had one of those clips she had me attach to her bra straps in the back. It was very tight and made it ok for her to wear with a halter-type dress. I don't know how one would go about attaching that without help, though, yours sounds like a better idea.

[Nancy]

Frustration is high around here today for a number of reasons sigh I see the edge is not good on the current project I'm doing more ripping. This one is crochet. Harmony I know what you mean about the loops going every which way in knitting I know I have to take a corrective row just to
make sure the loops are all on and going the right way sliding them from one needle to the other with out knitting. Checking my work before starting again.

That project is toast! I ripped it out and started a totally diff. one.

[Sunny]

Nancy.... I was never good at ripping out knitting or crocheting and getting the stitches right again.

Harmony.... your design sounds very intricate. Is there much left to do?

Harriet.... your bra fix was a good idea.

I have a small dilema here. I finally made time to wash all the new fabric for my dgs10's quilt. I hand washed it all first because there are 12 prints and 12 solids. Only one of the prints ran a little, the solids only a little also. I machine washed the prints together with a couple of bath towels and they are fine. The solids I washed together with the towels and I think they are fine also. The black solid is three yards so I washed that separate with the towels (I won't use all of that, but wanted it all washed and done with.) It's the red material that's the trouble...it also is three yards and wanted it all done. I hand washed 3 or 4 times and it is still running. I washed in machine with towels twice and same results. I don't know what to do now??? Do I keep washing till it stops? Wonder how many times that would be!!! Is there something I can use to set the color? I don't want to dry in the dryer until I know it's ok. Maybe I need to look for a color-fast fabric?? Can anyone help?

[Harriet]

Sunny, there is a product called Retayne that can be used to wash a bleeding fabric and get the dye to set. it should be available at a quilt shop, definitely, and at better stocked fabric stores, and of course online.

Of course, theoretically you can just keep washing until it stops bleeding dye. I myself have never had a modern red that didn't eventually stop. BUT red is the worst, and there's a possibility that this fabric is going to have to have Retayne. If you ask at the fabric store from which you bought your fabric, you could speak to a manager and explain how many times you have rinsed and that you have a complaint about the fabric, you might get a discount. As a matter of fact, I believe this would qualify for a refund if you return the fabric. But lets hope it stops bleeding dye.

Be careful of home remedies like vinegar. Vinegar has to be washed out so thoroughly, because it is an acid and continues to damage the fibers on along if it's not PERFECTLY washed out. Just a little left behind will result later in pinprick-looking holes in your fabric.

[Nancy]

I put away yarn projects for now I've stalled out on ideas ran low on yarn and they were not turning out. So I've turned me efforts to the yard and garden for now. Maybe some reading as well.