Showing posts with label Procion MX Dyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Procion MX Dyes. Show all posts

Monday, July 18, 2016

How and Why to Make Dye Test Swatches



Accurate Record Keeping
Is Important

Whether you dye or quilt or paint, keeping track of materials is a very important issue for us all. I know quilters who snap a picture of stack of fabrics they purchase to remember what they got. How about noting on the receipt the special fabrics and amounts, and snapping a shot of that? You will not only know how much you have of a certain fabric, but also what you paid for it. This is helpful if you are making a custom quilt for someone, and want to be sure you're recouping your costs.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Tie Dye for Fourth of July!



First Batch of Tie Dyed Clothing


Like these little outfits, this post is short and sweet. It was on my June plan since I bought the clothing, and needed to be done before the kids grew out of them. Oh, yes, that has happened to me before!

I have done tie dyed fabrics before, and shown you the process, but never clothing. There are lots of babies in the family right now--remember all the quilts, and the Fourth of July is a very big deal in our little town. We host one of two fireworks here, and there is a good, old-fashioned parade. Gnadenhutten, Ohio is Smalltown, USA in every respect.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Dip Dyeing Details




Dip Dyed Fat Quarters


Yes, I know I was supposed to stick with stamping, but I wanted to try out a different dyeing technique I'd read about. That, and I still owed fabric to Jennifer @inquiringquilter for winning the April link up for #BraveQuilter. Let me give you a quick run down on how this process is different, and the recipe is at the end.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Deconstructed Screen Printing: Fabric Art


Deconstructed Screen Printing:
Fabric Art




Making a homemade screen out of my sheer fabric worked so well, I decided to buy some larger frames with stretched and primed canvas. You can often find them reasonably priced in art and hobby stores in two packs. Even Walmart has some smaller sizes. I took a razor knife, and cut the canvas off at the stapled area on the back. I carefully set it aside to use for something else. 

Friday, June 3, 2016

Low Tech Printing: On Fabric


 Cabbage and Valspar Interior Paint

My cabbage had seen better days, but instead of composting it, I stripped down the outer leaves, and sliced it in half. One half was saved for supper, but one was destined for a print. It was hard to hold on to, so I stuck a fork in it for a handle. A tiny bit of paint on a sheet of foil, and it was easy to pull a print off of it. Was it stunning? Nope, but I could see where it might have potential for a background. Can you see using parts of it as frothy wave action? Most definitely!

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

#BraveQuilter Wrap Up for May and June Plans


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It's Time to Link Up!


It's exciting for me to hear some of you writing about your new adventures as Brave Quilters. You're going out of your comfort zones to do things that are a little bit difficult--even scary, and it's making you better quilters and sewists.  You're setting your own goals, and deciding when you've completed them. Goal setting, and the follow through are excellent habits that spill over into the rest of our lives. Practicing with fabric is an easy way to make it a habit. I heartily congratulate each one of you even if you didn't participate here. 

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Dark Sky Compliant: Another Art Quilt



"Dark Sky Compliant"


So, you ask, "What is that?" I'd never heard the term before I saw a notice asking everyone in Sanibel, Florida to modify all their outdoor lighting. In a nutshell, it means reducing light pollution while allowing the stars and moon to be more visible to people, but more importantly, the wildlife that biologically depend on it. Sea turtles nest on the beaches there. The loggerheads depend on the moonlight to lay their eggs, and the hatchlings to find their way back to their ocean home. Reducing artificial light gives them all a better chance at birth survival.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Second Chance Quilts



 Quilters Are Passionate About Scraps!

There are dozens of ways to say this. You've all spoken from your hearts. 

When I last presented my dilemma with the awful term scrap vomit, and how much I disliked it, I asked for ideas to give these delicious quilts a better name. You all came through. What a list!

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

An Update On the Naked Ladies


Spring is harder on my quilting hours than the holidays. As fast as it rains, the grass grows, and so do the weeds. I have to sneak time to work on my projects, and there have been days at a time I didn't get anything done at all. Add to it a little planned getaway last week, and I felt pushed and stressed.

Friday, April 29, 2016

Mandalas Created with Ice Dyeing



These four mandalas were created using a new technique for me: Ice dyeing. After reading all I could find, and watching several clips from You Tube, I gave it a try. 

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Dyeing a Mandala



Experimental Dyeing Process: Mandala #1


I spent several months working with both vat dyeing, and low immersion dyeing. I played with wax/paraffin, soy wax, and glue resists. I stitched shibori. But up to this point, I never did good old tie dye as most of us grew up with. It was time.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Three Naked Ladies Blooming In the Moonlight


Three Naked Ladies


In my early years as a gardener, I was a plant hound. If I knew a house was to be torn down, I would ask to go in first, and dig out all the useful plants I could haul. Sometime in my scavenging I brought home some tag-a-longs. Several belladonna lily bulbs were planted along with daffodils, and it wasn't until nearly a year later when most of summer blooms were over that they magically popped up at the edge of the woods. Beautiful, pale pink flowers on leafless stems, hence the name, Naked Ladies!

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Dyeing Techniques: Shibori


Shibori Techniques


This was one weekend I was grateful for poor weather. Having an excuse to not go out meant I could play for hours on end, and so I did. I've been planning to try out some dyeing techniques from a new book, Shibori by Janice Gunner, and this was perfect timing.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Freestyle Improv Blocks: Declaration for One Monthly Goal





Block Play


A few weekends ago I wrapped up my work for the day, and decided I had earned some play time. Playing with blocks is my favorite creative outlet as a quilter. Drawing things out on paper or the computer is good, but physically handling fabric is far more therapeutic and inspiring.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

A Solid Dyeing Experience


Left to right: Avocado, Soft Orange, Chartreuse, Clear Yellow

"Wow! I'm finally getting a grip on dyeing!"--
What I said to my family last night before dinner,
and before they all stared and laughed.


The assortment of fabric resulting from yesterday's dye session had me really excited. I finally found a reliable process to get solid colors! That is, a consistent color without the mottled effect that is so often indicative of hand dyed fabric. That may not sound like a big deal, but certainly is for me. It's one step further in controlling how and where I put color on fabric. 

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Soy Wax Batik & Over Dyeing Experiment



Hands down, my favorite! 
I'll show you why.




It started with a fat quarter of Kona previously immersion dyed with Procion MX Dyes. That translates as 'cold water dyed in a cup', and that's why there is a mottled color to the fabric instead of a nice, overall distribution of color. This was Lemon Yellow by Dharma Trading Co., and one of the 3 primary colors I started with. It was bright--almost neon, and perfect to experiment with over dyeing.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Uppsala Stars Goes Modern Is Quilted




 Uppsala Stars Goes Modern
in Mochi by Cotton+Steel 
from RJR Fabrics



This sweet little quilt is a modern version of Uppsala Stars that I published last month seen here. The pattern is available as a pdf download from Craftsy, and available by linking through my sidebar. 

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Dyeing Pink to Orange, Painting with Dyes, & Project Quilting 7 Week 1 Challenge


Left to right: #12 Light Red, #10A Chinese Red, #10 Fire Red, #9 Scarlet--2 pieces, #6 Deep Orange, and last a tri-color piece 


These are all examples from my latest batch of low-immersion dyed cottons with Procion MX Dyes. This run was an experiment using the range of red to orange on my shelf. I chose not to use #13 Fuchsia, which might have been included.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Rule #1: Do What They Say Not to Do



Traditional Wax Batik on Muslin 
with Procion MX Dyes


Here's a peek at my set up. It's in the same building as my studio, but in a corner close to the utility room where I have access to a sink.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Add Batiking to My Love-to-Do List!


True Colors

Honestly, if I had known how fun and easy the process was, I would have been dyeing fabrics years ago. As my wise husband would say, "Sometimes you just have to do it to understand it." Yes, indeed.