Monday, May 30, 2005

Little Things and More Testing

I had lots of fun on Sunday working with tones of rust and tarnish. I was going for moss greens, but could only control the KoolAid so much. These are my hand dyed wools, in some great greens, and two really weird looking reds. No matter how hard I tried, and how many times I over-dyed, I could not get rusty looking wool. Could that be because wool doesn't rust? Trust me. However, if you don't believe me, go ask a sheep. Dags, yes. Rust, no. Anyone care to comment as to what dags are? Come on, I dare you!

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I took some of the dyed wool and made it into a fabric base, basically just stitched the heck out of it in a hoop with wash away stabilizer, which I then washed away. See, I can read instructions! The result of that was turned into a teeny tiny ATC (Artist's Trading Card, 2.5" x 3.5"). Never one to be easily satisfied, I went a little crazy with bits of amber. Pointless fun!

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This was the final piece I made yesterday - "the rust rules". The odd looking sheen is vinyl coating - I coated my rusted fabric with iron on vinyl to protect it (and me) from the rust rubbing off. It also gives it a really neat look. There is a small cut-out in it too. It may need more work - I will look at it again tomorrow. And probably treat it to overkill.

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Now the big question - what the heck to do with all of this stuff? DH suggested I start a collection area below the stairwell, in the den. The lighting is poor, but it is an easy place to add more pieces, or rearrange when the mood hits me. Maybe I should just put up a bulletin board, or some mesh, and pin or tie things up as I make them.

So my next challenge ought to be making something larger than 8" x 10" ... that isn't a traditional quilt. Maybe after the wedding quilt and my brother's quilt are done, I will go Big, Bold, Bright, and purely decorative. I love a lofty goal! Fat chance in hell. Even as a toddler I made little things - tiny drawings that my mother referred to as bumblebees. Apparently I've been practicing most of my life to make tiny little messes, only now they're with fibers and beads rather than crayons, strained peas, or my own poop. Ah, childhood. There are some parts of it I really don't miss.

6 comments:

Sonji Hunt said...

Who cares what size you work in. Pretty is pretty. You could always bind all of your tiny pieces into one big one.

When I taught art there was a purposeful reason to get those who drew small, to draw big and those who drew big to draw smaller. Now, I don't care. I do find, for myself, that when I'm trying to figure out something, I tend to work smaller. I'm insecure about quilting, so my scale doesn't get as big as I'd like.

Deborah Boschert said...

You. Are. So. Talented. Great job. I just love reading about your projects and seeing pix!

Karoda said...

i've been in a lull for about a week...after looking at your wool atc am glancing over at a piece i should have finished weeks ago and thinking "i can do this". thanks for the inspirarion!

arlee said...

Dags, in the medieaval world, are the shaped pieces of cloth that decorate pavillions, or articles of clothing. In the sheep world, i bet they're the baa baa baa equivalent of dreadlocks:}

Size doesn't matter, it's what you do with it!

Anonymous said...

Fascinating little tid-bits--so like YOU!!! The chosen colours, the size, the amount of detail you put into a small area, and the playful neatness with which it is achieved, are you to the core. Gorgeous!

Arlee has one definition of dags--but is slightly out in location of sheep posterior anatomy. Dreadlocks are usually on the head, aren't they? Run fast to the dictionary, and you will rattle your dags! And the greatest dag of them all? Young brother dressed up as Fred Dagg, the Kiwi sheep farmer from down under.

Oops--Dutch farewell--dag hoor!

Anonymous said...

dags -- almost everyone in New Zealand knows dags are those poo's stuck to the wool around a sheeps bum, when they run the dried bits rattle hence the term "rattle your dags "(get a move on)as for" he's a bit of a dag "refers to someone with a dry wit, ok enough kiwi slang explanations.As for small creations, Logan I still have a little drawing you did for me the year you left the "land of the long white cloud" so you go girl do your thing be it large or small from what I have seen you are one talented chick