Creating some pretty fabric

The quilts are on their way to MQS.  All my teaching supplies for my classes all boxed up and on their way too.  So, now all I have to do in preparation to go is make my quilt for the auction.  That means a play day for me to get some pretty hand painted fabric done for my background.                                                                                                                                                                                This is the finished piece.  Done with Dye-na-flow paints diluted 1:1 with water, brushed on wet PFD fabric.  I then scrunched it, threw a little sea salt on it, and laid it outside in the sun to dry.  The beauty of drying it out in the Florida sun, is that it heat sets it at the same time...saving a step.  It works because the sun is closer to the earth here and much more intense than up north.  and a close-up of the salt effect. 

And of course Harry claims it right away!  Once I get him off, I'll load it and start quilting!

Now, I have tested this sun heat setting process many times.  It did not work in Virginia...even in the heat of the summer.  Because it has more to do with the intensity of the sun relative to it's position to the earth.  But it works like a charm here and I love it...such a time saver.  Once it comes out of the washer and dryer I use Mary Ellen's Best Press and iron out the wrinkles.  

If you don't live under a tropical or sub tropical sun, you'll need to heat set yours, You can do this easily by covering your ironing board with foil and pressing for 10-15 secs in each area. Then turn over and repeat.  Then it can be washed.

And here are the rags I used to clean up and use up the rest of the paints I had diluted.







This one I'll use again as a rag...still has room to soak up more color!

Have a great weekend!

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