I took the more orange and red fabrics, and overdyed them with a dilute greenish-brown. Sadly I didn’t get a photo of them again before they went to the workshop and made it into the tree.

These are the little guys I have designed for the monster quilt

I took a workshop with Elaine Quehl at Greenwood Quiltery last week. This is the trunk of the tree from that class:

I am currently doing the initial machine quilting, then I will decide on a background.

A few more together:

Back to the sewing:

Y F T B
10 2 1 1
10 2 1 2.5
15 2 1 1
15 2 1 2.5
10 2 1.5 1
10 2 1.5 2.5

2 containers for each colour, 3 fabrics per container:
put the dyes in the first container with 1 tbsp softened water.
take 1 tsp total from there and add to 2 tbsp softened water in the 2nd container
after adding wet fabric and 2 tbsp soda ash, wait 5 mins then do 2nd fabric and 2 tbsp soda ash
then again for the 3rd fabric

Y F T B
20 4 2 0
20 4 2 2
20 4 2 5
30 4 2 0
30 4 2 2
30 4 2 5
10 2 1 0
15 2 1 0

This time I will be alone while I do it, so I can MIX WELL, and allow 5 mins after soda ash step before next fabric goes in.

Left to sit an hour before rinsing.

I made the following concentrates:

2 cups deep yellow (8.2g)
1 cup fuchsia (8.7g)
1 cup turquoise (12g)
1 cup better black (24g)

I used 36 pieces of fabric, 1/24 of a yard each (9″x7″ roughly). For each of the following dye mixtures I added a piece of wet fabric, followed by 2 tbsp of soda ash solution. Mixed well, then added a 2nd piece of wet fabric, followed by 2 tbsp of soda ash solution. And then again with a 3rd piece of fabric and soda ash.

Y F T B
18 12 6 0
18 12 6 1
21 12 4 0
21 12 4 1
24 8 6 0
24 8 6 1
27 10 2 0
27 10 2 1
30 6 4 0 — these are close to what I want, but a bit too turquoise
30 6 4 1
33 6 2 0 — ditto these a bit too red
33 6 2 1

making the dye concentrates:
sodium hexametaphosphate: 1/4 tsp per cup
sodium sulfate: 1 tsp per cup
Fuchsia 8.7g per cup
Lemon Yellow 4.2g per cup
Deep Yellow 4.2g per cup
Turquoise 12g per cup
Sky Blue 4.5g per cup
these concentrates are then diluted 1:1 for use with fabric

making the softened water:
sodium hexametaphosphate 1/4 tsp per cup

makng the soda ash:
5 tbsp per 4 cups water

for dyeing a yard:
soak with 1 cup softened water
add 1 cup diluted dye
after time to mix and stand, add 1 cup soda ash mix. mix and let stand some more, then rinse and wash.
I wash first in cold water with synthrapol, then in hot water with regular laundry detergent.

For the monster quilt I want to make a yard of each of these:
red (120 ml lemon yellow to 120 ml fuchsia)
orange (220 ml deep yellow to 20 ml fuchsia)
yellow (240 ml deep yellow)
green (220 ml deep yellow to 20 ml turquoise)
blue (220 ml turquoise to 20 ml fuchsia)
purple (80 ml fuchsia to 160 ml turquoise)

so my totals of dye required are:
lemon yellow = 120 ml diluted dye, 60 ml concentrate
fuchsia = 120 ml + 20 ml + 20 ml + 80 ml = 240 ml diluted dye; 120 ml concentrate
deep yellow = 220 ml + 240 ml + 220 ml = 680 ml diluted dye; 340 ml concentrate
turquoise = 20 ml + 220 ml + 160 ml = 400 ml diluted dye; 200 ml concentrate

since I like to have dye left over (in case of error, and for dye experiments) I will make these concentrates:
lemon yellow 120 ml, 1/2 cup with 2.1g dye powder
fuchsia 240 ml, 1 cup with 8.7g dye powder
deep yellow 480 ml, 2 cups with 8.4g dye powder
turquoise 360 ml, 1 1/2 cup with 18g dye powder

The resultant fabrics (fresh out of the dryer, not even ironed yet!):

I am going to combine them with these:

To make this: http://dontlooknow.typepad.com/dont_look_now/2010/04/little-monsters-on-the-loose.html

Although my little one’s room is sea themed, so I am in the process of designing my own creatures for it.

Over half way there: