Off the Wall Friday on Location at Arrowmont

Greetings from the Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft Library  - which is amazing btw!  I mean - where else can you find a library that has all the best art books, latest magazines, great tech AND comfy leather couches??

Well you all know that I love you, if I stopped working tonight so I can get this post in just under the wire.  Its been a long day, starting with me getting ready to dye fabric at 7 am and continued to work throughout the day.  The last two days, I've been finishing up the Circles quilt (its almost totally quilted now) and starting my next composition.

My work space - half dyeing - half sewing - Look at the lovely light!

Elizabeth has kept us super busy. (big surprise)    This class is basically 1/3 designing, 1/3 hand

Doesn't she look great?!

dyeing and 1/3 sewing.  Plus, she's so easy going that you can do any mixture of the three.  I did manage to do a bunch of hand dyeing.  I found a new color I love - Chino!!  I did a 8 step gradation in it and am planning to do a monochromoic piece in it soon.  I also had to redye a few cups today since I forgot to put in soda ash yesterday.  Sighhhh - menofog!!  So I left myself a note to that idiot proofed the process.

I chose for my next piece  -  our second exercise.  Something about it reminded me of the praise ladies with its curves.  I thought that's exactly how they would be if they were abstracted.  Then that thought process lead me to the palette of the praise ladies - so I repeated that.  I did have a hand full of those colors with me but proceeded to dye up a bunch more since I would need a lot of darks for this composition.  With a little brainstorming from Elizabeth, I chose a nice cool grey for the light background.  "Neutrals are so important to a piece" . (I would try to do my best Elizabeth impersonation but my English/Georgia accent is terrible!)

The exercise - brown is the medium values 

With the patterns finished up on Wednesday, all I had to do today was start piecing.  Now I distinctly

Doesn't it look like Easter threw up?

remember telling Elizabeth that I wasn't going to do any intricate piecing - that I was going to stick to bigger shapes.  Obviously - I was wrong.  I have no idea how it got so out of hand!  I only have 3 more pieces to get done and then I can start sewing it all down!  So glad we have till 3 to work tomorrow before "Grand Rounds"

Now that I've made you all jealous. . . . .

PS.  If you'd like to take this type of class - Elizabeth is teaching in Cape Cod this October - here is the Info -

 Dyeing to Design on Cape Cod
October 14-18, 2013
call Linda: 508-477-0057, 800-537-5191

What have you been up creatively???