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Busy but Still Smiling

I’ve been real busy caught in “catch-up” work and didn’t realize until yesterday that I did not post this past Monday. What horror!

Naughty, naughty.

Anyway, to make you smile today I found this blog (excuse the title please) that had me taking some time to chuckle. Hope you do too.

Here is “where’s Matt?” …..

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Isn’t it funny how everybody really gets into it?

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: monday posts by k grace howes
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Reading Blogs

I love to read other people’s blogs, That’s one of the highlights of my day (if I get to it) to see what other artists are up to. I’ve subscribe to about 50 blogs (so far) and am finding new ones all the time.

I came upon a blog yesterday by Peggy (don’t ask me how I got there) who is from Germany and, unfortunately, I can’t speak or read a lick of German. Now I have an out because my daughter is fluent in the language having attended a German Immersion school since kindergarden. But I would rather read the post myself.

I left a comment for Peggy telling her I wish I could understand what she had written cause I love viewing her work. She wrote back saying it was hard for her to translate all of her posts to English (boy do I understand that). That’s when I went googling and found……TaDa…….translation widgets for blogs.

Who the heck knew that!!

I figured if I can’t read a blog post that’s written in another language then there are artists out there who experience the same when they come to my blog (bummer) so I added another little widget to my sidebars. Check it out now over there on the right…go on…click on your flag.

If you read my blog regularly (and hopefully you are…right???) and your native language is not English let me know how this new widget works. Looking for some good feedback here.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: ponderings by k grace howes
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And the Winners of the Dyed Fabrics Are….

I’m So Excited!!!!!

Thanks to all of you for leaving a comment on my Dyed Fabrics blog post. I loved what each of you wrote and can’t wait to get your little pieces of colour heaven on its way to you.

As I mentioned before I used a random number generator (RNG) to pick the 7 winners of my first dyed fabric give-away.

Each of you were assigned a number and to make it easy I just used the chronilogical order in which you posted, Joyce would be #1; Karoda -#2; Karrin -#3 and so on. Plugging the numbers into the RNG it scrambled your numbers and spit out a list which is (drum roll please)…………………….

2 – 3 – 9 – 6 – 7 – 10 – 1 – 5 -4 -8.

The 7 winners are Karoda, Karrin, freebird, Karen, Judy, Yetunde and Joyce. Congratulations to all and look for me to have more give aways when I dye more fabrics. (y’all don’t know how hooked I am on this now…oh boy, there goes the budget).

(Unfortunately because I got a comment from “Anonymous” I could not put you in the running because I have no way to get in contact with you. Sorry bout that).

I won’t tell you which fabric you won because I want it to be a surprise when you get in in the mail so get cracking and email me your mailing address now (see sidebar for my email addy).

Please email me a pic of whatever you decided to make with your winning fat quarter of fabric. I’d love to see them and post them here.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

p.s. don’t know if you know but I gave each fab a name, click on the individual fabrics in this post and hover over the enlarged pic to find them out.

Tags: hand dyed, monday posts, pay it forward by k grace howes
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Sad Sad News Day

I am blown away by the death of Tim Russert as I’m sure most of you are that watched his political commentary.

We knew he was really good at his job but the extraordinary man that he was has only been truly revealed to us in the “Remembering Tim” programs that have been airing this weekend.

Seems he was bigger than life and more caring than any of us, his audience, ever suspected.

We will sorely miss you Tim……..your insight, your honesty, your tenacity, your BIG heart, your loyalty to friends and, most of all, your ultimate and all consuming love for your son Luke and your Dad, Big Russ.

Our hearts go out to your family. Sleep long and well,

Tags: life etc., ponderings by k grace howes
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Dyed Fabrics

I know I gave you just a small glimpse of the fabric I dyed last week. Well here’s a close-up.

Wet your appetite!

Feast in the colour!

Indulge your imagination!

Random Drawing

I’m feeling indulgent so for the next week I’ll be holding a drawing. Leave a comment and you will be in the running for one fat quarter of one of these lovelies. I will be using a random number generator to pick the winners so everyone gets a chance to win.

Don’t forget to leave your email addy so I can contact you if you’re one of the winners. Good luck! Drawing ends June 15th.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: hand dyed by k grace howes
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New Artwork

I was priviledged to take a workshop with Lyric Kinard this past Saturday. We worked on a surface design sampler of techniques including carving stamps, screen printing and beading.

Thanks to a fun time and a great instructor, today I actually finished the project from a workshop for the first time. Yippee!

The technique sampler is a great way to to learn a few things without taking an intense workshop on one technique you’re not sure you will use again.

For instance I am so into carving stamps these days and learned some great tips from Lyric AND I’ve discovered I love, love, love screen printing.

So much so that I’m now trying to find a thermofax machine (old fashioned mimeograph) that someone has hidden somewhere just collecting dust so I can make my own screens.

If you know where I can get one on the cheap, let me know PLEASE. Until then I’ll have to send out to Lyric to get them made.

I really like the finished journal. I’m thinking Christmas gifts this year.


journal spine

back cover

stamped/foiled word
inside cover



See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: fiber art, mixed media, monday posts by k grace howes
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Colour Play

For the last few weeks I’ve been promising myself a treat…to dedicate a day to dyeing some fabs (finally). Let me tell you I am soooooooooo exhausted because Wed is also the day we had a high of 100 degrees. BOY was it hot.

First good decision: do not set up in the back garden which was my original intention. so off to the garage I go and pull down the table and set my area up, my trusty dog Logan right there to keep me company.
It was also better this way cause the large sink was right there to use instead of the garden hose out back.
Today was just experimentation to get back into the groove of things. I went at it with no set agenda, no specific colours to dye or any expectations on the outcome. The only thing I had I my mind was “What if…?”.

Safety first, I donned my respirator and made my dye concentrates and went at it. Only had a few dye pots left so I knew this was not going to be a big batch of fabrics I was coming away with.

But experimenting was so very cool. Look what I did…I played with the leftover dye that wasn’t enough to dye fabrics with (teaspoons left) and made a small dye study chart for myself. Just kept mixing and mixing and recorded each one.

Now this is nothing compared to the colour study you make when you take Carol Sonderland’s workshop. Oooh how I would love to do that one. I keep checking her schedule and one of these days……ooowee!
Anyway, for now I have these to work from. Am about to order more fabs and dyes for my Annual Dyeing Party in July. I am so looking forward to that.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: hand dyed, pic of day by k grace howes
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Ouch!!

I’m in a bit if a pickle today. I finally decided to get the cortisone shot in my foot that had been recommended to me. Can you say BIG big OUCH!!

My husband sat with me (thankfully) as Doc gave me 2 injections and I just about squeezed the bugger out his hand on that second one. That one really hurt. Apparently that injection site was the exact area where I’ve been experiencing my foot problem.

So 7 hours later here I sit, on my bed, with my foot propped up on 3 pillows wishing I could be at my friend’s 1st gallery opening tonight. Boo hoo.

Are you feeling sorry for me yet? Aw shucks forget about me (for now at least), go create something new in my honour. I’ll just deal with the pain……sigh…that might last 48-72 hrs.

Oh well, it’s all for good. It has to be. I’m taking a workshop with Lyric Kinard tomorrow and my foot has to be able to be hobbled on at least!
See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: life etc., ponderings by k grace howes
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Speaking of Revamping

Please bear with me while I check out some other templates for my blog. As you know I’m revising, rethinking, retooling………and my blog is obviously not immune from change.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

p.s I think I kinda like this one. whadya think????

Tags: ponderings by k grace howes
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June TIF Challenge and Stashes

I’m hanging in there folks trying to keep up. I really would like to have the whole year done in TIF challenges but….

Anyway, the concept for this month’s TIF challenge is all about stashes. Here’s how Sharon B describes it: “Stashes are either purchased or scavenged materials that have accumulated over time and as such they often have a story to tell.…….So this month, the idea is to think about stories that are, and stories that are possible.”

My Stash Story
Because I’ve been retooling, revamping, revising myself as it pertains to my artwork, my stash (much of it is commercial fabrics I no longer use regularly) just sits there for the most part.

I feel guilty…lordy, lordy yes I do…because I went out and bought all it of, no one else helped me (well maybe a friend or two persuaded me to get more than I thought I would get at the time…no names of course but you all know who you are!!!).

For the most part though, just like the rest of you just starting out (and some of you who’ve been at it for years) I too went thru a “gotta have it” phase.

So for me, my stash represents my greed phase, the “I CANNOT live w/o that loud red/orange/blue psychedelic number or that it-just-jumped-into-my-bag green to match all the other greens I have. I feel guilty for hoarding all this fabric but I do have some cool ideas on how to use it all up.

stash1My working stash on the other hand includes:
…my hand dyes which are yummy, yummy. I used to belong to a monthly hand dyed club run by Judy Robertson but regretfully had to quit that and it broke my heart.

(Judy produces some of the most beautiful hand dyes around and it was like getting a big box of chocolates every month when that mailer came with the 1 yd cut);

…my batiks in all those drop dead gorgeous prints. I came to batiks later than most because I didn’t see what the craze was about. Boy was I wrong. NOW I have a batik stash to die for and funnily enough it’s not that large at all. I didn;t go crazy with the buying (mainly because the guilt from all the other fabrics I had was already eating me up);

…and my black and whites. Don’t know how I started this collection but now love working with a bl/wh background pallette (bottom shelf above).

Now I do have to confess (yes…here she goes you say). The top picture clearly shows my nicely folded stash of commercial fabrics, the 2nd pic my working fabrics. What I have not told or shown most people is the stuff that I haven’t laundered and therefore is not folded as nicely. That’s the stuff that really stirs the guilt right up.

This 3rd pic is of that “stash”. Those fabs that haven’t been touched since I moved to the room I now use as my studio…4 yrs ago (What shock! What horror!)

In a space, off to the side (you can’t see it when you enter the room thankfully) is this plastic tub full…and I mean FULL…of the last of my commercial fabric purchases.

I periodically rummage thru it looking for that perfect piece to add but, for the most part….it just sits there……staring me in the face.

So now you know my story. I’m gonna have to think about how to put this into a quilted piece.

What about you?…what’s your stash story and what’s it tell about you? I would love to hear your stories.
See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,
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Tags: TIF Challenge, monday posts by k grace howes
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