More printing with Inkodye

Seriously, this stuff is addictive.  I've already run out of the blue color and have to order more.  Here's my latest efforts...3 baby outfits...onesies and diaper covers to match.

Here are the pattern pieces for the diaper cover by MADE with

my contact paper "stencils" adhered.  I've learned that 

a double thickness of contact paper makes for a more 

opaque stencil and thus light tight 

after "developing" in the sun...the fabric turns

a fantastic shade of orange (in just 8 minutes)

Here's the completed outfit...the shirt 

was just one stencil with a few quick

brushstrokes of Inkodye around it before 

heading out to the sun.  The fabric stays

soft, the image really becomes part of the 

material...soooo cool

I couldn't stop at just one outfit...had to make 

some for Kale's friends

And...here's my model

Kale

linking to Sunday Showcase Party

Printing Fabric Using Inkodye

Well, once again it's been forever since I've posted.  It's not like I haven't been doing things...but I always forget to "document" my projects with photos...and then the finished product is given away before I can share.  This new thing is SOOOOO fun, I just had to let you in on it.  I saw a post on How About Orange, a cute and clever blog, and knew I had to try it.  So fun.  As a lifelong silkscreener, the printed image has always held a certain fascination for me.  This is along the same lines, but the image actually becomes part of the fabric rather than "sitting on top of it".  It uses the sun to "cure" the ink you've applied to the fabric while your stencil blocks the sun from developing where you want your design to remain undyed.  It is much like the sun prints we made as children using special paper and leaves as designs.  Instead of cardboard cutouts as stencils like the All About Orange post used, I cut out objects from contact paper with my Cricut, adhered them to fabric, painted on the reactive dye and watched the sun do it's magic.

Here's my fabric (with contact paper stencils adhered), 

the dye  ready to brush on in a darkened area.

Once in the sun, it begins to turn orange 

(there are also other colors one can use)

The longer it's out in the sun, the darker it gets

The brochure recommends 8 minutes for bright sunlight

Bring inside, remove stencils and wash in 

hot soapy water.

Finished fabric, ready for sewing

Zippered pouches...lined with Provencial fabric

The names on pouch #2 are the grandchildren of my girlfriend!

Here are a couple other projects I've started

Light blue linen dyed dark blue

and this will be a pillow...probably dark blue as well

To purchase this stuff...go to their website...

they ship super fast

linking to Sunday Showcase Party

Custom Hawaiian Sheet for the Pack n Play

My 6 month old grandson Kale, assorted children, son in law and girlfriend are coming to visit next week.  I'm very excited.  We've been busy getting ready for the visit.  I thought baby Kale needed a custom sheet for his crib so dug around in my fabric stash for something appropriate.  I had a yard of a great Hawaiian print I thought would look good on the mattress as well as matching his parent's room.
I took the crib mattress pad out and just measured around it to get my dimensions right.  I ended up with a piece of material 33" x 43".

Next I cut out a notch 3"x3" on each corner

With right sides together I sewed each corner 

(makes a pouch to fit over the mattress pad, think fitted sheet) 

Bought a packet of elastic at WalMart

Stitching the elastic to the edge of the sheet...pull on the elastic and sew,

the fabric should bunch behind the pressure foot as you go.

Here's the completed fitted sheet 

before putting on the mattress pad

And everything in place in Kipp's room

Now we just need Kale to get here :)

New Watercolors

We're back in Hawaii for 6 weeks...good news when we got here there was a check waiting from the gallery.  I continue to sell which is fun and as a consequence I need to paint to create some inventory.  Here are the latest pieces...

Kauai Plantation House 16x20 watercolor

Orchid 16x20 watercolor

Baby Kale (my grandson) will be here in 2 weeks along with his mom and dad and uncle.  We're pretty excited.  They're all coming over to visit of course as well as cheer on Ryan and his girlfriend Katie while they compete in the Honu 70.3 1/2 Ironman June 2nd.  We've been busy getting things ready for the baby...new crib, new high chair, new car seat...yipppeeeee grandparenting is soooooo fun!

More Quilted "Buckets"

I enjoyed making the quilted Easter Baskets and thought I could improve on the design a bit.  We're heading to Hawaii soon and I always like to have a gift for our caretaker...thought this Hawaiian themed basket would be perfect.  I silkscreened the hibiscus designs on white fabric, then sewed them into a patchwork pattern with a contrasting navy cotton.  I quilted it using felt so the piece would have some structure and sit by itself without collapsing.  I lined them with lightweight cotton.  Since I made so many hibiscus squares I was able to make a second basket (always good to have a hostess gift on hand)

Baby Booties

Saw this great link for baby booties on Pinterest the other day.  Kale is now 4 1/2 months old and may be too big for them, but they're sooo cute I had to make a few pair.  Takes a small amount of yarn, very quick and easy.  I even made a girlie pair for a friend of Kipp's.  Think they'd make a great baby shower gift ...maybe with a matching cap.  The ones I made are from leftover "argyle sweater" yarn...so Kale will be quite color coordinated!

and the models

Argyle Sweater for Kale

Having a new grandchild affords all kinds of opportunity for projects.  I've been a "so-so" knitter forever but haven't done much in the last 20 years or so...not since my children were little enough not to complain about what I dressed them in. Now with our new grandson Kale I can make things for him to wear and he doesn't have much to say about it yet...it's really fun.  I just finished a little argyle cardigan for him...very preppy...too cute.  It took much longer than I'd anticipated...complicated (for me) pattern...but fun.  The collar was supposed to be navy but I ran short. A little big for him yet, I did a 12 month size so it wouldn't be too small before I even got it finished...so no modeling pictures except for one "try-on" iPhoto. I have just enough yarn for a white hat with blue and green stripes.  My daughter wanted an argyle hat but I'm ready to be finished with this project and move on...so it will be simple.

4 month old Kale squirming in

his new sweater