I told you all yesterday that the red and green applique had some red bleeding on it. I couldn’t zoom in on the bleed very well so you could see it. I could see it – it wasn’t a lot but I thought what the heck lets see if I could get it out. Before I do another red and green block I will pre-treat all of the fabric first, just plain washing it doesn’t always work with red and green I have found!!
Ok so here is what I did – first I basted Shout Color Catchers all over the colored pieces of the block.
the catchers basted on the block
Then I put it in the wash in a lingerie bag with some laundry soap – cold water wash. This is what it looked like when it got done.
I don't know if you can see on this photo that there is red dye caught in the catcher - but when I looked on the other side I could still see dye in the fabric.
Remember this was an experiment – if I had to re-do this block I would. I had a fourth of a bottle (4 oz) of Retayne (I have not used the company at this link but I am showing what the product looks like for those of you who have not used it) left so I put the machine on a small load once again and I dumped the rest of the bottle in it!
When the wash load stopped I took it out and took the stitches out holding the color catchers to the block. Can you see the red dye in places? I'm happy to report that all of the bleeding came out. What did happen though is that the background block is actually just a tad lighter now - weird! There had been a brownish type of marking by the top rose bud on the left side at the top. If you look at yesterday's picture you will see it. It is not there now. But all the bleeding is out.
the finished block - it shrunk just a tad. It is supposed to be a 16 1/2 inch block and it is a 16 1/4 inch block instead. I will deal with that later by having a skinny seam allowance when it is sewed together.
the rose bud where there had been a brownish type of marking that was in the fabric is on the top left side.
before using the color catchers and the Retayne - see the brownish mark? I don't know if you can see the bleeding -it is just a light pink
It is possible that the red and green colors have lost just a little bit of color but as all of the blocks will be in various red and green fabrics it doesn’t matter for the overall quilt. I am ordering more of the Retayne (the company I use is Connecting Threads as their books are 40% off right now and there is one I want (of course I will find a few other things I need as well) – if your order comes to $50 it is free shipping) and I will follow the directions on the bottle and pre-treat all of the red and green fabrics I will be using! I learned my lesson. 
Our snow is starting to melt already – we got up to 35 degrees today and the rest of the week should be in the 40’s – this snow will not last long!! Because I spent just about 3 whole days in the house and barely got outside I did get some sewing done, and a bit of tv watched! Too much, I don’t like to sit still for so long and can only wander back and forth in the house so much. I spent a lot of time on my applique square for the Red & Green Traditional quilt. Even though I washed my reds and greens 3 times I can now see I will have to pre-treat as well. I finished the block and washed it this evening as I had glue basted and I like to wash the glue out. I had a little bit of bleeding!!! Not a lot and it isn’t real noticeable. I have some Retayne and I will try treating it tomorrow and see if that little bit will come out. I am also going to order a new bottle as I am almost out – I might just order two while I am at it as I can see that even though I washed all of these reds and greens numerous times I might just as well pre-treat them all as well.
Block one of the Red and Green Quilt. In this photo the bleeding does not show up well and my husband couldn't spot it without me pointing it out to him so it is not real noticeable - probably just to quilters that are looking for that kind of thing. All of the rosebuds are from the same fabric, it was a really great mottled red that had some black in it as well to almost shades of pink, great for buds so they are not all the same. The really dark ones in the photo though are a little darker than they actually are, they appear darker here and I couldn't lighten the photo up properly.
Block 5 from Row 10 Dear Jane, Insanity Revisited. The first time I made this quilt I pieced this block as shown in the book, this time I appliqued it for something different - I think it was actually easier to piece.
Tomorrow I am getting out of the house for sure – I can’t stand being in the house all the time I go crazy.
I know I already did one post today, but I thought I would do another. I think we are going to be home bound for several days to come with the ice storm fast approaching our area of Arkansas. I thought I would get an applique project ready to work on. I have the Christmas Quilt on the frame but if we loose power the room that the quilt frame is in is far from the fireplace so most likely I would not be back here working on it all that much. I will have to put one of the space heaters back here if I do quilt.
I posted of the Red and Green Traditional Applique by Jeana Kimball at this post I had not gotten started on it although I did get the background fabric last month. I thought it was time. I think what I will do is alternate between the Little Brown Bird Quilt and the Red and Green. I won’t get bored that way I hope.
My first block, I am in the process of glue basting in place. When that is all done it will be ready for me to bring into the living room where I can applique in the comfort of the fireplace in the living room if the power goes out.
With the cold weather approaching I thought it was a good day to bake some bread. I love the smell of bread baking don’t you all? I made some modifications to a recipe I had – yes I know I do that a lot –
Mixed Grain Bread
1 package active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups of warm water (110 degrees about)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
4 cups white flour +?
2 tablespoons ground flax seed (optional)
In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, oil and wheat flour, oats, 1 cup of flour and the egg. Beat until smooth. Add as much of the flour you can with the mixer you use and beat until smooth. Turn onto a floured surface and knead in a little more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic. You might need more than the 4 cups of white flour total. If you are a bread baker you will be able to judge this ok.
Cover and let rise in a warm area until the bread is double in bulk. About 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down and divide the dough in half. Shape each into a loaf. Place into 2 greased bread pans and let rise again until double in bulk.
Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool.
Don't they look good! I think I am almost ready for an evening snack - some butter and jam will make it perfect
Stay tuned – I’m sure I will have photo’s of our winter storm over the next couple of days — thank goodness for our generator! I don’t know how we would survive our winter storms without it. Maybe we won’t loose our power – one can hope!
Comments are now closed on this blog post, winners will be announced shortly. (edited 1/22/ 11:59)
I started blogging in April of 2007 – almost 3 years ago – wow how time flies. At first I really didn’t know what to write and didn’t write very frequently. I finally decided to just write as I talk as though I was actually chatting with you. I am not very good about formal sentence structure and I know it! I just don’t care anymore – I assume if that is what a person wants to read they will go elsewhere About a year and a half ago I really got into it and started blogging on a very regular basis. To celebrate this 500th anniversary I am having a give away – winner will be announce in one week on Friday the 22nd of January.
There will be two winners. The rules are simple. Leave a comment and tell me where you are from and you get one chance. Blog about it and make sure you tell me and you will have two chances.
prize #1 included 20 light aqua hoffman batik 6" squares, 20 dark aqua hoffman batik 6" squares, a McKenna Ryan pattern and the other things in the photo.
prize #2 is another stack of both colors of batiks, another McKenna Ryan pattern and an assortment of other items in the photo.
The two aqua fabrics are the ones that I used in my Dutch Treat quilt which originally was going to be much larger than it ended up being. I had cut a lot of 6″ squares in preparation for the quilt so had a lot left over. The 3 bears pattern featured in the second grouping of prizes is the one that I used for the wall hanging in the motorhome. It is like new as you trace the pattern on to fusible web so the pattern is not disturbed in anyway. I had cleaned my sewing room back in the late fall and filled a basket with items that I do not used – possibly used slightly but not so you would notice. Some things were given to me that I never used as was not something I needed or use. I still have a basket – no longer overflowing but still full so plenty for future give away’s.
And the weather today with this warm up that we are having and enjoying!
slightly out of focus as I had to stand over to the side so my shadow wouldn't be on it. The little boy has no jacket this time and no little snowman in the corner Someone asked the last time I posted a photo of the thermometer what kind is it. It is from the Weather Channel and is digital.
I have been busy today organizing fabric – yes once again. I have decided that I will go ahead and start soon on the Little Brown Bird quilt after all. I have been undecided about it. I do not know if I will make the whole thing, but I am going to give it a start and decide as I go. I will be using a lot of almost solids – batiks and moda marbles. I want to make sure there is no bleeding so I have been washing fabric and pressing all day! And still more to go through in my wire baskets on the shelves. I will use a little of the other fabrics (prints) here and there but most of them I will wash as needed.
The Red and Green Traditional Applique quilt I will be starting first. I have the background fabric for both quilts on bolts on the shelf. The Red and Green quilt will be mainly moda marbles and batiks also with prints thrown in here and there. I have been collecting batiks and marbles for sometime now in preparation. I mainly get fat quarters and I have plenty of them. I might be organized enough tomorrow for a photo. My fabric needs organizing and I have a feeling it will take several days of working on it to get it all under control (and I have a very small stash compared to some of you I know).
Continue reading about Blog Post #500!!! I am having a Give Away
