Deana: Val's Tuesday Archives

Val's Tuesday Archives' topic for today is stars and stripes.  Well, I have lots of star quilts and who doesn't.  It's a great topic.  Several years ago I participated in a "Brown Bag" competition.  You found fabric in your stash you didn't want and swapped it with a partner.  We all had to make a quilt out of the fabric mailed to us and we could add other pieces to it.  

My brown bag partner sent these fabrics to me.  There were four half yard cuts.  

I felt like they sort of went with an old "Stack N Wack" UFO and decided to finish it up with these fabrics.  You can see them together below.

Ok, so one of my brown bag fabrics was just THE WRONG COLOR for the fabrics I found to go with it so... I decided to dye it.  Originally I thought I would just tea dye it, but I didn't have any tea and didn't feel up to a trip to town.  Instead, I got out my trusty old Dharma fabric dying products.  They really come in handy when you live in a rural area sometimes.

The photo below shows the magazine I order out of (have literally spent hours dreaming in this catalog) and the products needed for dying.  Here are the steps I follow:

1.  Wash the fabric in Synthrapol to remove any excess products that may be on it.  This prepares commercial fabrics to accept the dyes.

2.  Make some chem water to dissolve the dye powders in.  It is made up of urea and water.

3.  Make a soda ash/water mixture to presoak the fabric in so they will accept the dyes.

4.  Dye the fabric in the urea/water/dye powder mixture.  I used Dharma Golden Brown hoping to darken the pink.

5.  Let sit for 24 hours in the dye cup.

6.  Rinse and machine wash in synthrapol again.

7. Wash in Retayne to set the dyes.

These babies DO NOT RUN OR FADE-- wonderful! 

Below was my pink fabric in the dye cup after 24 hours.  It looked much darker then the look I was going for.

Below is a pre-dyed picture of the pink (far right).

Now it is orange/brown.  The fabric really isn't as pretty but it is the right color for my project.

Below shows all of my Brown Bag project fabric.  The first 4 on the left were the ones sent to me.  The rest were ones from my stash.  The colors went nicely together (no pink).  The blocks were a UFO that were made approx. 12 years earlier.  The photo is a quilt I found on the internet which models the pattern I am making.

The Brown Bag rules allowed us to purchase one fabric.  I bought the background fabric the blocks are sitting on.  Fun Fun Fun

This is the fabric I sent away.  I didn't hate this fabric; I just didn't know what to do with it.

Well, here is what I created, and yes, to go along with Val's Topic today it is stars.

 Below is the back side. I used up the leftover blocks and some leftover green fabric from the top.

Brown Bag Winner Links

1st Place went to Linda McKenzie, D.C.
2nd Place went to Linda Burton, PA
3rd Place went to Judy Rust, TN
Best of Show went to Susannah Heath , Canada
Best Overall Use of Fabric went to Kathy Smith, TX
Best Design went to Lydia Lee, CA
Judges Choice went to Andie Johnson, OH
Honorable Mention went to Tonie Peterson, MN
Simple & Sweet went to Sharon Robinson, WA
Most Inspirational went to Lynn Vandijk, AUSTRALIA
Most Creative went to ME -- HOORAY!

Here are some links to some other participant quilts that I liked.
http://lalaslovelys.blogspot.com/2011/03/totally-scrappy.html

A finish!

The Brown Bag Flickr Group is here.  You can see all the other brown bag quilts -- fun fun fun!

I finished my brown bag quilt just in time for the deadline.  I may go back and fill in some quilting in the navy border at a later date, and then again I may not.

This has been a fun project and best of all, I finished a UFO while I was at it.

 Below is the back side. I used up the leftover blocks and some leftover green fabric from the top.

Deana: Brown Bag top done

I just need to add two side borders in cream.  They are cut and ready.  I hope to get the back pieced and start basting it for quilting tonight. 

P.S. It is no longer "coffin" shaped.  I just couldn't like the old shape so I picked it apart and ended up with this -- much much better.  I think it turned out pretty ok for a brown bag fabric swap (fabrics not of my choosing) combined with old orphan stack-n-wack blocks.  It is approximately a "full" sized bed quilt.  I think I'll use it to snuggle on the couch (like I ever have time to do that). #140

cool idea for #6 dj

A UFO finish and other progress...Deana

I am happy to say that I finished my February UFO.  Horray!! I am 2 for 2 -- 2 months 2 finishes.  This quilt will now move to the "needs quilted" list.

 

I also completed another Dear Jane block.  It needs a little fine tuning on one point, though.  D-12 Crossed Swords has 27 pieces and took 1 hour.

Next up is Brown Bag.  I had a strange number of blocks to work with and ended up with this shape.  Originally I thought I would take the four remaining blocks and place them in the four corners.  There is a problem though, I DON'T LIKE IT.

Next I played with halfing them instead -- better -- but I still don't think its right.

I think the last pictures (below) is closer to what I'm looking for.  I will need to half the blocks and remove the navy border, but I think it will work.  I will also have to duplicate two of them because I don't have enough.

Brown Bag partner

So what is my Brown Bag partner doing with all those novelty print purples I sent her?

Take a look here.

She is nine patching them with white - cute.

progress... (Deana)

I have been busy this week.  Below is a selection of fabrics I found in my stash to help me fulfill the Dorinda Mystery #3 rule.  I must use a fabric or color I wouldn't normally use.  My mystery quilt is all done in batiks so I thought any of these novelty prints would certainly fit the (not normally use) rule.  Below I have tropical birds, Star Spangled Banner music, pink (I don't like pink), frogs, and the very ugly fruit & vegetable print.  Next to that is a netting type fabric and then a silky grey.  Hmmm.  I think I will just ponder ideas for them for a couple of days.

Next is the progress of my Brown Bag quilt.  I have come a long way because I now have blue borders around all the blocks and all the setting blocks stripped and cut for the star points.  Do you see that very ugly fruit and vegetable fabric above?  Well, it is the main fabric in my stack -n- wack fabric below.  I'm actually REALLY liking this brown bag quilt and its journey. 

I've also been making string hearts for the Block Lotto.  This is my first completed one and there are others well on their way.

Dying to Brown Bag

Ok, so one of my brown bag fabrics was just THE WRONG COLOR for the fabrics I found to go with it so... I decided to dye it.  Originally I thought I would just tea dye it, but I didn't have any tea and didn't feel up to a trip to town.  Instead, I got out my trusty old Dharma fabric dying products.  They really come in handy when you live in a rural area sometimes.

The photo below shows the magazine I order out of (have literally spent hours dreaming in this catalog) and the products needed for dying.  Here are the steps I follow:

1.  Wash the fabric in Synthrapol to remove any excess products that may be on it.  This prepares commercial fabrics to accept the dyes.

2.  Make some chem water to dissolve the dye powders in.  It is made up of urea and water.

3.  Make a soda ash/water mixture to presoak the fabric in so they will accept the dyes.

4.  Dye the fabric in the urea/water/dye powder mixture.  I used Dharma Golden Brown hoping to darken the pink.

5.  Let sit for 24 hours in the dye cup.

6.  Rinse and machine wash in synthrapol again.

7. Wash in Retayne to set the dyes.

These babies DO NOT RUN OR FADE-- wonderful! 

Below is my pink fabric in the dye cup after 24 hours.  It looks much darker then the look I was going for.

Below is a pre-dyed picture of the pink (far right).

Now it is orange/brown.  The fabric really isn't as pretty but it is the right color for my project.

Below is all of my Brown Bag project fabric.  The first 4 on the left were the ones sent to me.  The rest are ones from my stash.  The colors go nicely together (no pink).  The blocks are a UFO that were made approx. 12 years ago.  The photo is a quilt I found on the internet which models the pattern I am making.

DORINDA GIRLS:  do you recognize the fabric on the far right (orange)?  It was one at our first retreat at Marie's that no one else wanted but me.

Brown Bag allows us to purchase one fabric.  I bought the background fabric the blocks are sitting on.  Fun Fun Fun

Brown Bag received...Deana

I was excited to pick up my mail today because of these fabrics.  My brown bag partner sent them to me.  There are four half yard cuts.  THANK YOU PARTNER and thanks to Joylynn for the project.

I haven't decided if I'll use them or not yet, but I found some blocks from an old UFO that match pretty good.  Maybe I can finish up an old UFO while I'm at this project.  I haven't had the fabrics long enough to decide what else I have that goes with them.

I also found this quilt from eagleswingsquilts that has wonderful hexagon shaped blocks that could use up some of this brown bag fabric and be combined with my UFOs above.

I also found leslie-farmfreshquilts.blogspot.com had a pretzel hexagon shaped quilt she is working on that has inspired me.

I also found http://eagleswingsquilts.blogspot.com/2011/01/design-wall-monday-week-5.html

Deana: Brown Bag Update

I am so EXCITED!  I received my brown bag partner via email today.  I will be sending out this fabric to D. Duperault in Kansas City, Missouri today.  I cannot wait to see what I receive in return.

We are supposed to send 2 yards but I'm sending 3.  She might as well have the entire set as I won't be needing it.  There are six different fabrics and two fat quarters of each.

I actually don't hate this fabric - just not sure how to use it so I'll pass it onto her.

Wish me luck on my new Brown Bag Journey!