What to do next???

The most thought about question for crafters and artists.  Everyone has a different way of answering it.  Some just dig in and make a quick selection, or know exactly what they intend to work on; others (myself included) often procrastinate - will I have a play?  Will I finish a UFO?  What if I did this? Some of you even work off a list.  What do you do?

After all the work involved in making the Orca Bay mystery quilt, I felt the need to have a breather. Relax and re-focus. 

Relax - did I - well a little!!  My sewing area was quite a mess with bits of red, black and neutral fabrics that  it was time for a clean up.  As I was working I started to think about my next project I suddenly remembered the quilt I had started making for my DS2 Travis.  It uses mainly reds and some blacks - the colours of his favourite football team - Essendon, known as the Bombers.  This has to be finished by 20th of this month.

Decision has been made.  Sorry but can't put up any photos until he has received it.  After 20th I will be able to.

That solved the immediate problem of working on my UFO's. But what about some hand sewing to take along to Guild and other meetings of like minds. I need a hand sewing project. Hmm. Thinking cap on.

I spied a bundle of brights that I had been keeping for a project called Candied Hexagons (the original was published in 2009 in the Australian Mag - Quilters Companion).  Unfortunately this edition has been out of print for some time, but you can access the templates and see the original in the link above or here. As the hexagons measure 2" on the side, it makes it the ideal project for a take-along - easy to do, but no teeny-tinie little bits that can get lost.  The idea of calling it a Candied Hexagon comes from slicing a boiled candy across the middle and seeing the beautiful patterns inside.

Take Care,
Joy V

What if???.....A little experiment.

Not long ago I was wrapping a present with bright pink tissue paper and it was hot and my hands were a little damp - some of the dye from the tissue paper stained my fingers and a light bulb went off in my mind......What if......

I took out a small bundle of natural silk tops (undyed), put some water (only half cup) in a container and placed the threads in the water then put in a piece of the tissue paper (about a quarter of a sheet) - and voila - this is what happened within seconds.........beautiful pink silk threads.  My only wish is I had some more papers.  Will leave these for a few days and see if by ironing them with some Misty Fuse onto a backing they keep their colour.  I will let you know the result.

Don't you love the colour - you can see a small piece of the original tissue on the left and the threads next to it.  Think a trip to the $2 shops and see if I can pick up some more papers is on the cards to do.  Such quick and cheap way of dying.   No need to go down the mixing/stirring/measuring/wearing a mask way of dying little bits of stuff.  I will have to try it on some fabric next and after heat setting will see if the colour stays or runs.
(Again my apologies for the missing photos - when they are found I will replace them).