March 2025

 We are back again.  Looks like Spring is on the way too!

We have been accepted to display our Trailblazing Women of BC pieces in the Sunset Room at the fall VSSQ Quilt Show.   Sandi has agreed to coordinate this for us.  She will be looking for assistance as the show gets closer.  Please remember the size requirements, 14" wide and 23" long.

A remimder that we are doing Show and Tell at the April 17 meeting at the VSSQ guild.  We will be showing our scrolls and our 3D pieces.  One person will talk about the scrolls and another will talk about the 3D.  We will have them displayed during the break and it would be nice to have more of you there to answer any questions that arise.  Please bring your pieces to the April QuArtz meeting if you cannot attend the guild meeting.

Gallery Vertigo has a showing of an embroidered tapestry made by 50 people throughout the Okanagan.  It is 7 panels and shows the Shuswap River Watershed.  It will be on display until March 29th.

Christine and Cathy talked about their Trailblazing Women and if you go to the post about them you will find a summary of what they told us.

Inset Circles

We then did the inset circles and as I was showing how to do it I didn't get any photo's of the progress.  My apologies.  I do have a picture of the one Shirley did, and it is a beauty!

Here are some links to help you try it again.

https://www.modestoccq.com/uploads/1/3/6/1/136136518/sixminutecircle.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaKu06xs9Cc

Here is one where she uses a very similar technique to sew a Perfect Curve.  The possibilities are endless!

https://nightquilter.com/tag/six-minute-circle/

 Fabric Butterflies was next.  Brigitte had been making these in the past for an art installation.

This one got away from the kaleidoscope of butterflies!  
They can also be called a flutter of butterflies!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hPQp4RzyMQ

Easy Origami Butterflies

We then went on to learn how to make paper origami butterflies from Cathy.  I have put her instruction pages below and here is a link to the YouTube she recommends.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfI3MIbbkgM

Here are her instruction pages and a link to a YouTube video.

Snow Dye Show and Tell!  The results were wonderful and varied.

Christine had overdyed a green piece of fabric with black.

Linda used red and blue and has great results.

Bev used turquoise, blue, pink and purple.

Elisabeth has this yummy raspberry and yellow.

Cathy went orange with her dye.

Cath used two different greens.

Cath also did another one at home with 3 greens.

Shirley used a tie dye kit at home and had some great results.

Lena made some beautiful soft turquoise.

Show and Tell

Jan has made her scissor holders and while playing with beads on a denim jacket she used scraps to make a bracelet for a granddaughter.

Cathy went to the Cyanotype workshop at Gallery Vertigo and brought in her piece on paper.

Shirley W. is back from her trip to Africa and had a great picture of an artistic snake pit.  Can you guess what they are made out of?  She aslo had cyanotype, some more little people and her scissor holder and ball.  

Joan saw an improv pod quilt in Quilting Arts Magazine, Fall 2024 and had to try it out.  Great result!

Shirley P.  brought in a 3D piece she had made years ago.  She used the Ohio Star pattern and distorted the grid to make this silk tea pot.  Wonderful!

Lena made a beautiful curved piece quilt in soft blue and grey.

Brigitte used her marbled fabric and toilet paper rolls (?) to make these cute boxes.  Ask her how!

Here is a link to one way to do it.  I bet there are many more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcKJJ4uNFzA

February

 Hello again!  We had a busy and exciting meeting this month.  

We are reminded that on April 17 we have been invited to Show and Tell at the Guild meeting.  One or two people will stand up and talk about the criteria we had for our 3D pieces and scrolls.  As space will be limited to two tables we are asked to bring one 3D piece each that can stand on a table on its own.  If you are not able to attend the April Quartz meeting can you please arrange to bring your piece in earlier.  

The Trailblazing Women of BC and Yukon rules were gone over again.  Due to display area constraints we will have to adhere to the rules for size and orientation.  It must be 14" wide and 23" long, that is a portrait orientation.  It must be 3 layers and have a rod pocket and be an art piece.  

The Guild has a Silver challenge going for the fall quilt show, if you are interested the rules for size and entry deadlines is in the latest newsletter.  You can find it on the VSSQ website.

We will be having Janet Scruggs giving a trunk show and small workshop at the May meeting.  It will be an all day meeting and there will be a $5 charge that is payable in April.  Her theme for the workshop is Paper/Fabric, Fabric/Paper.  An overview and supply list will be sent out later.

Show and Tell

Christine used some of her marble fabric to cover a journal she has been working in for a few years.

Linda W. brought in a beautiful tapestry pillow she has finished, her newcomer's bag and some of her marbled fabric.  

Bev showed us another one of her lap quilts called Twisted Sisters, her scissor holder and some marble fabric she made at home.

Cathy mounted her marbled fabric on a small canvas for display in her studio. She made her granddaughter and exploding book, also called a squash book, and showed us her copy of What Women Create Magazine.

Lena showed her marbled fabric and a beautiful Valentine's Day card she made for her husband using Zentangles.

Sandie made a little book full of envelopes with her marbled fabric an inspired a few of us to try to do the same.  

 Judith also made an envelope book with her marbled fabric.

Elisabeth had so much fun making her scissor holder that she did another one!  She found this cute Art Idea's book at the second hand store and tried out the glue pictures.  Looks like fun.

Cath had used up all 3 pieces of the fabric and made a dumpling bag, a round hat box and an envelope book as well.

Snow Dyeing 

The main event of the meeting was a chance to try out snow dyeing.  Everyone brought fabric and containers, dyes, and even snow!

We started off with mixing up a bucket of soda ash and water and soaking the fabric for at least 20 minutes.  The soda ash water will keep well for quite awhile, giving you more opportunity to try dyeing something else.  You can also let the fabric dry with the soda ash on it to use later.  You would then just rewet it before dyeing in the manner you choose.   There are many websites with excellent information on mixing and using it in the dyeing process.

When the fabric was ready we crumpled, folded or whatever you like and placed it on a rack in our tubs.

  

Snow or ice was  then placed on top of the fabric and dye powder (wear a mask!) sprinkled on top.  You can use more than one colour, a lot of dye powder will result in darker fabric.

After that you just have to wait until the snow melts.  Let is batch for 24 hours before rinsing the fabric out and washing it.  Dry in the dryer and then iron so you can see what wonderful things have happened.  You do not have a lot of control over how the dye moves and spreads through the piece of fabric.  But that is the charm of snow dyeing!

Adding dye to the snow and fabric.

Covered in dye

Partially melted

Fully melted but not yet rinsed.  

All the dye in place

Partially melted

Fully melted but not rinsed.  

Covered in dye

Mostly melted