Just Playing Around

Today was dyeing day. I am hand dyeing and making fabric packs for my upcoming Flower classes at Road To California, a big show, and Quilting in the Desert, a retreat in Phoenix. All are in the month of January, of course. This is my first time to teach at Road and it is quite an honor. This is my second time at The Desert which is also a great venue. The Snow Birds from all over the country and Canada come to get warm and have fun being creative in the Phoenix sun. I know it's a busy life, but I love it.

So I get out the big rubber gloves and the face mask, that has been known to scare the UPS driver. I prepare the fabric and watch color happen. What a life! But there is a new technique which is really very cool and I want to try. It's called Shibori.

I have no idea how it is done, but want to do it and I am not one to wait to take a class. So I spent a week trying to find out how to do pleated Shibori . But finding out information on this ancient technique has been quite tricky. I have gone to the web, then tried youtube. I talked to a creative textile artist friend of mine who was most helpful. I think this is an ancient secret that no one shares lightly. I hope I am worthy.

So I decide to just jump in and wing it, like I do most stuff in my life. Sandy (my textile artist friend) gave me some good ideas. So I decide to be a big girl and just do it! It's only fabric, we can get more.

Creativity is experimenting. Making something from nothing or, like I do most of the time, fixing your mistakes. It's not about knowing everything about a certain technique. It is about doing it!

Well, I just unwrapped my experimental pieces, just like a mad scientist or, in my case, the nutty professor. What a wonderful surprise. It worked. They are so beautiful and shiny with these little folds that shimmer. What was I afraid of?
The only problem is that nothing is quite big enough for a scarf. I love it anyway.

Then I tried my hand at dyeing silk ribbon to make knitted silk scarves. Don't tell my friend Peggy but she is getting this peach colorway. So much fun and turned out great.

Last night as we again watched Breakfast at Tiffany, one of my favorites (Joe almost made it to the end of the movie this time), I wrapped the silk ribbon back onto its spool. I call it therapy.
Here is the pink ribbon scarf I have started and hope to have done for Road. Now I just need something to wear with it. Or do I ????? What would "Holly Golightly" wear with it? Something black, of course and with some great shades. By the way, Joe informed me today that "That movie is so sad " and that Micky Rooney was so stereotypical and that he wouldn't be able to get away with that today. My man is deep, when he's not SNORING!