Wednesday, this week, we got 5-6 inches of snow here at our house. The Seattle-Tacoma area was slammed with 5 to 12" of the cold white stuff. It brings this town to a standstill. Since it was treacherous to go out and I didn't need to, I made good use of the time, spending it up in my studio, sewing.
Then on Thursday, we got freezing rain on top of it.
Since I'm working on my Connecticut Winter Quilt, and I'm getting close to finishing the top, I naturally started thinking about the back. I knew I didn't want to use the leftover fabrics - then the back would be too much like the front. And, I really don't want to buy fabric for it, because all of these fabrics were purchased while on our trip to Connecticut last winter. That leaves just one option - dye my own! I love this idea.
As my mind wandered while piecing the many blocks into rows, I thought remembered ice dyeing.
I had done a little of that a while ago - and the fabrics where beautiful.
I started some fabric heating in some soda ash mixture.
Then I let it drip dry for a short while.
I got out a large tray and over that I put an old window screen, where I arrange the folded prepared fabric. I was thinking about using it as binding, so I folded it into strips, thinking that when cut on the diagonal for binding it would look very nice.
And then I headed out to get some of the 'local' ice.
Brrrrr. With bucket in hand, I smashed through the thick ice crust and broke some up and brought it in.
I had to break it up into even smaller pieces - it was soooo cold - and arrange it over the fabric.
Then sprinkle the dye over the ice...
And wait, and watch as it melts.....
....and drips dye onto the fabric beneath....
...and does weird and magical stuff....
...it is so beautiful to watch as it slowly melts....
Then, the next morning, the ice is all melted into the tray below and the fabric has absorbed the dyes.
The dye-design on the fabric is like none you'd get in a conventional way...
Here's some close-ups...
Beautiful and strange and so much fun.
