More Mandalas -- It's True -- I Can't Stop!!

Well, here are three more yards worth altogether of the ice dyed mandalas in the smaller format (22 inches x 22 inches).  I tried two different techniques here to see if one was better than the other and the verdict is -- yes, one is better than the other.  With 8 pieces, I did my usual process of soaking them in the soda ash water and then laying then down on the racks slightly scrunched.  For 4 of the pieces, I allowed them to dry after soaking in the soda ash solution.  Then I placed them on the rack.  They were harder to scrunch dry as well.  The dry ones (my experiment) had much more of a distinct variation in the amount of dye the various layers took.  In addition, they had some rather strange patterning.  So I have concluded I won't try that again!!  8 of those 9 pieces above used my prior technique of putting the ice on the wet pieces.

These are three of the four pieces that used dry fabric rather than the wet fabric.  They are okay,  They can easily be cut up and rearranged so that the bits are interspersed which I think will be more pleasing to the eye!

A blowup of one of favorite ones using the wet technique.

This is a closeup of one of the dry dyed pieces.

I have also started the quilting on the last top I did.  I am doing a lot of quilting and hopefully you can see some of it.  There are so many solids, that it needs to be quilted heavily and evenly all over.

Just another view.  I am doing flowers in the white part and leaves in the green "leaves".  The large green areas have feathers coming out from the center.  I still have to decide what to do in the larger white areas but it will be some sort of flowers but may have to do a little marking there!  I am relatively pleased at how it is looking.  I am using a cotton/bamboo batt which I prewashed.  It held together really well but the quilt is really heavy!  Hopefully I won't destroy my shoulders doing the quilting.  I am trying to pace myself!

I have had a bad ankle for awhile which has limited my walking quite a bit.  Saw an orthopedic surgeon last week who said I had a lot of arthritis in my foot caused by some sort of traumatic injury -- have no idea at all what that could have been!!  Anyway, MRI tomorrow.  In the meantime, have a new ankle brace which is super comfortable and does help with my walking a bit.  Weather seems to be the biggest factor in how my ankle feels though!

A big week coming up with the Genesee Valley Quilt show coming this weekend.  I will be taking photos of the 600 plus quilts on Thursday, participating in an Iron Quilter Challenge on Saturday and modelling four of my garments in a fashion show on Sunday.  Whew, makes me tired just to think about it.  After I take the pictures, will have to edit them and apply names which takes a long time but I will have lots of blog pictures!!