Another Dyeing Day, etc.

Before I go into my newest dyeing experience I think I'll share my latest tatting piece for my 25 motif Challenge for my HBT (Here-Be-Tatters) group. This isn't a doily that I particularly wished to make but my needle tatting student wanted to do this and as often is the case I generally work the pattern to help her understand the simplicity or complexity of the piece and also to see if there are any errors. This doily, known as Cherub Doily was designed by Ann Wilson who submitted two versions .... a Novice and a No Ends! I stitched mine with #20 Anchor crochet cotton in an antique rose color and used my shuttle instead of the needle.

Here are the results of my mauve coloration. The really lacy piece is nylon lace and quite frequently nylon laces do not take well to the dye baths but this piece is the softest mauve imaginable and is really luscious. On all my colorations I still have to smooth out and fold my silk ribbons.

Here in this blue bath one of the pieces is a flower basket that before it dried I did some painting. I like to do that quite often ..... add painting to some of my dyed pieces. This shade of blue reminds me of robin's eggs.

Because I have signed up to do the Season To Season - Summer block on my CQ4Newbies group I wanted some really bright light colored silk ribbons. So here is a beautiful bright light blue. Definately a lighter, brighter color than the previous blue. The almost white looking piece at the top is a piece of white Aida cloth that although it doesn't look it, is a really pretty bright blue. I will use it to embroider some "new" stitches as a practice piece for my Carole Samples stitching journal. One of these days I will blog my progress on that journal.

This is an aqua dye bath and you can see another "painted" and dyed basket of flowers here. Some of these flower basket motifs will be added to some of the flower basket blocks for the round robin on another of my groups (CrazyQuiltingSisters). Believe it or not all of the pieces were dyed at the same time even though the one piece of lace looks quite a bit darker. That is part of the fun of dyeing .... you never know how the pieces will turn out.

These pieces are a combination of blue and green .... I just kept adding blue to the green and this is what came out! The top piece of fabric was a natural color linen and the bottom piece was a natural color piece of Aida. Both (after pressing of course) will be used somewhere in my cq. The Aida for more "new" stitches or combinations of stitches for my journal.

AHA! The left half of this group was dyed first .... bright Spring green! From the peacock to the right side pieces were dyed in a watered down version. The peacock was then "painted" before it had a chance to dry. The right side pieces are the softest mint green you could possibly imagine. I think I have some lovely ribbon colorations for my STS Summer block.

These six four inch cq squares will be made into pincushions for the seniors bazzar sale in October. Although the way they are here they would make a nice sashed cq wall hanging don't you think?

I have some more tatting, dyeing and completed cq work but that will have to wait until next time.