Cabin Fever crafting- snow dyeing fabrics

Heat Miser and Freeze Miser battled it out in Southtown this week giving Birmingham and much of the South a snow and ice event. The Boys, as Mother Nature calls them, forgot to inform those in charge of the weather forecasting in the Birmingham area. Those boys always did have a tendency to pull pranks. (Image on the left is the snow just getting started)

So, with two to three inches of snow blanketing the area, and being very, very fortunate not to have spent the night in the car in sub-freezing temps as so many did in Birmingham, I decided this was my rare chance to snow dye fabrics, instead of my usual ice dyeing- with ice from the freezer.

The day started out with an understanding of a dusting in central Alabama, so we all proceeded to work and school as usual. And when the snow started, it was pretty and the assumed dusting was underway. Then we were a city of hills disabled by tiny snow pellets that regular tires cannot grip. I just made it into the melee before the majority of the battlers got in the fight to get home- or to get to children. Two miles and an hour and a half was getting of light.

Image on the right was taken from my car after sitting in "traffic", which really means cars on a major interstate going 1-2 mph for about an hour. Note that I had three bars of gas and three bars of energy in the batteries, I drive a prius. That school bus had been blocking the lanes and attempting to get up the hill for 20-30 minutes. I didn't know at the time that there was school kids on it headed home from a field trip until I posted the pic on facebook and a mom of one of the kids on board commented. However, my 3-4 miles in just over an hour was fast compared to most people.

Once I got home and calmed down from a most harrowing experience, I looked at all the snow and the art show looming in two weeks. Then, I got to work! Soaking the silk and rayon in the soda ash liquid arranging it into the dye boxes and heading out to the back yard with a big spoon to scoop up snow.

box of fabric covered in snow                                  sprinkling the dye                              boxes read for time to do its work.

first image shows too much white fabric, at least for me. So, image two, I added tiny ice cubes to add more water and draw more dye into the fabric. Third image shows the completed dye process with no white fabric.

Snow + fiber reactive dyes + plant based fibers = love color!

I did four boxes of scarves for my art show next weekend, above are some of the silk scarves.

Now off to finish my knitting, I need to make a "zombie apocalypse" kit, as my friend calls it,  in preparation for the next weather event and in case I have to walk miles to get home, as so many has to this weekend. New water repellent cowl and mittens to cover my gloves. Hopefully, I will never need them.

Moss Rock Festival- preview

I am completing pieces and adding them to my displays. Such a feeling of accomplishment when you see you work done and displayed! I love this funny Christmas tree that is just bands of greenery. It is perfect for display. I cannot wait to set it up at the festival. See mt sneak preview of the first wave of completed pieces below!

Outdoor art show season- my checklist for the season

It is always helpful to make a list- especially one that I can amend and use over and over again. Here is my running list for the art show season... in no particular order.

1. Solar phone charger- sure I could get a plug in kind, but I am outdoors at the shows and I can continue to keep the battery charged! Because your phone is basically your cash register these days.


2. THE box- the box contains pens, cash, the credit card swipers, extra tags, receipt book and extra receipt book, a pen to use with the phone, a kleenex or two, a bit of candy or gum. It is my main container for the register and everything stays in the box all year. I use a cigar box.


3. A dry erase board to keep the To-do list and the To-take list so I can make sure everything ends up in the car. I like a board that is magnetic so I can hang drawings from it.

4. floor plan for the tent

5. a list of any display items I need to make, fix, buy, or amend. This list always rolls because many shows are different and some of my shows in the coming year will be antiques as well as art. The next show I am using magnetic boards as my "necks" to display jewelry on. I can also attach info with a magnet!

6 days and counting- Moss Rock Festival

It is 6 days until Moss Rock Festival art show, or as I see it, 5 days until move in for Moss Rock Festival. I am busy, busy, busy with making for the art show, a new client project, and planning for my adventure to Scott's in Atlanta in 9 days.

Here a few working shots... or maybe beauty shots before I really trashed it by working.

Feverishly dyeing pieces for the show- some to be felted.

                                                   Some work table beauty shots.
                         I have moved my normal operations to the kitchen table for the great light!