A wonderful workshop with Melanie Testa

I went to the City Quilter in NYC on Saturday for an inspiring day with Melanie Testa, learning the basics of batik using fabric paints and soy wax.  It was kind of like making Ukrainian Easter eggs (something my children did in Elementary school).  You approach your design backwards -- in other words, you start with the lightest color, cover it with wax, and add more layers of color on top.  Everything looks like a giant mess until you iron away the wax to reveal beauty underneath.... (or not, as the case may be!)  The tricky part is getting the wax to drip off the mark-making tools evenly and consistently.  It is definitely a learning process, but the technique is one that appeals to me, so I have a feeling I'll be doing more of this.