My granddaughter Anna recently graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in psychology. Anna and I spent many crafting hours together when she was younger. One week, while on a week's visit when she was maybe nine, we embossed velvet, marbled fabric, tried our hand at flower pounding, and got started on a quilt, which we finished. Oh, and we did some paper piecing. It was a very full week.

Because she has cystic fibrosis, which is nicknamed "sixty-five roses," the term being coined by a child who had the disease and mispronounced it, I wanted to give her something with a rose. I have many photos I've taken of roses, but I chose this one to give her.

No, I didn't just print the picture. Well, yes, I did print it, but on fabric. With my ink jet printer, I printed one copy on cotton, and another on silk organza. When the two are layered, the result is shimmery, almost 3-D.

Next I put together both prints with batting and backing, tacking the layers together, and then quilted.

After writing a personal note that I sewed to the back, I framed it.

Baby quilt becomes a 2-year birthday present

I've not been completely idle as far as quilts are concerned. (But nearly.) In April I gave this baby quilt to a dear little boy that I love. The quilt had been in the works for the two years since his birth, but I think it's still appropriate. Doesn't every child like animals and farms? I hope so.

 

I had a limited number of intact squares of the farm fabric, but managed to do some invisible piecing so as to have enough to make a quilt large enough for a toddler bed. One of the blocks in this detail is pieced.

 

Here's my most recent work. I painted this scarf during a fun day at Karen Loprete's house a few summers ago. Sisters in Cloth members were invited to join the CT Fiber Arts Collective members for a silk painting "play date."

I never felt the scarf was finished, and left it in a pile of UFOs. Last week I decided to try the Sharpie marker and rubbing alcohol technique on it. 

If you aren't familiar with this, here's  how it works:

Make marks on your fabric (I've done this with paper, too) using Sharpie markers. Next, drip 91% rubbing alcohol on the marks. That's it. I love the outcome.

 

The next scarf started out white. I made short strokes on the scarf, 1/2 to 2 inches long, using four colors of fat-tipped markers. I love the way the alcohol drops make the colors spread out into floral looking designs.

This is a perfect scarf for spring.