Summer of Color: Rainbow Sherbet

I wanted to join the Summer of Color last year after seeing a few of my friends' entries. By the time I actually realized what was going on, several weeks had passed. This year was different, though. When two of the people I visit every time they post, showed their first challenge entry, I really wanted to join. This year there would be a combination of colors. That piqued my interest and it was then I decided to join Kristin at Twinkle Twinkle in this six week fun filled and colorful ice cream journey. I can already tell it's going to be a lot of fun.



The first week's colors were rainbow sherbet. Had it not been for my friend Halle at Halle's Hobbies, who yesterday sent me some awesome Oriental fabric, I might not have joined this challenge. It is my understanding we need to have a completed project and I'm all about making backgrounds for later use. When I saw the fabric, I knew I had a way to join this project.

It doesn't take long to dye fabric the way I do it using Staz-on reinkers and 91% alcohol. What works on paper works equally well, if not better, on fabric. I adore the mottled look I get using this technique on fabric. I dyed pre-washed muslin yellow and pink to match the Oriental background, then added white and orange from my stash. I stacked the colors and sewed a heart.

I didn't realize I had turquoise thread in my bobbin, because I had changed to pink for my top thread. Oh well! All my rainbow sherbet always has lime in it. So, a little greenish blue wasn't going to hurt that much.


In case you have no idea how I made the heart, I stacked the four colors, then sewed around the fabric in the desired shape (in this case, that of a heart). Next, I cut the fabric to shape. I sewed random swirls that overlapped each other, then cut the fabric inside some of those swirls, exposing the color underneath. If you make one, be sure you don't cut through your final layer. I try to only cut one layer at a time.

I used some hand dyed pink cotton to complete the back of the quiltlet, because the Oriental fabric was quite slippery. I need to add flaps to hang this beauty, then it will be finished. Now I'm off to join the Summer of Color!!

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