LOTS GOING ON PART 2

It's Carnaval time here in Mazatlan...parties, music, late nights, events and festivities. With the opening of the new road from Durango,  the crowd is sure to swell this year. And of course all the Mexicans (and maybe a gringo or two) want to take selfies of themselves in front of the Miramar Condominiums, where drug kingpin El Chapo Guzman was arrested and taken into custody last Saturday.  Mazatlan is a happening place these days.
And my studio is a happening place these days too. I am close to departing so I'm trying to get in as many dye days as possible. My friends come with so many ideas they want to try. Today I had Vicky who wanted to create a Carnaval scene to sew onto a teeshirt (but maybe it will be incorporated into a bag...see above) and Emma who wanted to make curtains for the change room in her daughter's boutique dress shop.

What a big job that was...and fun!

For me,  I find snippets of time to create new pieces to add to my stash. I have been into flag folds (with thanks to my friend, Ellen Russel, who makes the MOST BEAUTIFUL folded pieces) and also cheesecloth prints. These are so delicate...I love them!

There is definitely an art to getting the best prints...the cheesecloth shoud be barely wet and one should press ever so lightly on the fabric with a dry rag to achieve that lovely mesh look. I know I'll be using these in many future pieces.

I finally got around to creating a piece for my quilt journal group using fabrics from these two techniques.  The topic was "unfolding" so I wanted to feature my hand-dyes, both a folded piece (which are so beautiful to UNFOLD) and a cheesecloth print. I know, another bird! I just can't help myself!