Mad About Fabric

Custom Shibori Gauze

2012-01-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

The last day and a half I've been working on a custom order of shibori gauze for Martha McQuade of Uniform Natural. Can't wait to see what she creates with this lovely sheer gauze. These three yards are in grey and black.

There's something uniquely gratifying about completing a custom order. It validates my efforts to make quality art fabric that isn't designed to profit on a current craze. Slow thought and slow process does lovely make.

Design & Hue

2011-11-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was noodling around with new motifs and patterns.

Here's what I came up with -- a pattern as yet unnamed. I started with some fabric I had previously dyed in a pale cerulean blue. I waxed the fabric with the new pattern and overdyed it in a royal blue. This pattern waxes the positive space, with the unwaxed areas comprising the negative space. It can be difficult to imagine ahead of time how this type of pattern will realize on cloth.

I can see a lot of potential for this motif. When I come up with a new pattern, my first thoughts always turn to color. I try and imagine what hues would work for the pattern. Since dyes are transparent and mix like light, overydyeing is something that has to be thought through carefully.

Yesterday I waxed this pattern on white silk hemp and dyed it in royal blue and the effect is beautiful. I think this pattern would also look stunning in black and white on silk hemp. I can also see this working well with a pale tan background and a darker siena brown for the patterning. Also yellow & red might work too. More later!

Getting Organized

2011-11-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

Over the last six months I've run many swatch tests combining primary dye hues in varying proportions. Until now, I've just been storing them in a big pile in a drawer. Yesterday I decided I really wanted to get these swatches organized, to make it easier for me to flip through them and combine them together to create unique palettes.

I cut my swatches to 5" by 8" and using spray adhesive glued them to same size index cards. Now they are easier to look through and store. I have them stored in a file box.

It just occurred to me that these fabric cards are also easier to mail than loose fabric and could easily be mailed. Hmm. I'm thinking about how to design a swatch loaner program.....more ruminating to come!

Swatches

2011-11-14T06:08:00.000-08:00

A friend has ordered a custom tablecloth and twelve napkins. But they have to be just the right hue of purple! After running many swatches, we hit on just the right one. It's great to think someone will use and enjoy my fabric for a long time around a table of fellowship.

Linen Blues

2011-10-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some batiks I did a day ago. Love this soft blue. The funny thing is that this dye was some old navy blue dye that has been sitting around for several months. Its potency has faded and I'm glad for the soft denim that I got. I probably won't be able to make this color again!

These are on 100 percent hemp linen, with one on a silk hemp blend (top left corner Caracol). I wasn't sure how the silk hemp would dye -- often fiber reactive dyes shift color on silk and are very different than the same dye on cotton or hemp.

If there's time today, I'm going to start working on some black and white batik.

Patterns shown from top left clockwise are Caracol, Minoan Fishscale, Mesa, Nimes Mosaic and Flower Trellis.

Creating a Feather

2011-10-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

After much procrastination, I'm started to work on a feather for Jude Hill's Magic Feather Project. I'm using an arashi shibori piece I made a few weeks ago. The 45 degree patterning of the arashi shibori is a natural soulmate, I think, for a feather. I cut the piece apart and sewed it together. This is one side.

This is the other side. Haven't decided which side to use yet. They both offer lots of possibilities.

This is a 100 percent hemp linen that is a pleasure to hand stitch.

I've also hand dyed some embroidery floss in the same blue hue. I think I'll use that to stitch the outline of the feather and to perhaps embellish a bit.

Fall Changes

2011-10-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Fall ushers in cooler weather, a soggy carpet of leaves, and new pathways.

I'm waxing some fabrics today -- hemp and silk hemp. Later today, they'll go into the dyebath.

I've tinted this photo sepia so you can better see the wax.

New pathways I'm pondering today --- indigo hemp batiks. Also, a silk screen kit sits in my studio lures me into new art forms.

New ideas bring anxiety, but excitement too. The air is crisp and so are the opportunities.

Cool Miami Palette Fabric Bundle

2011-08-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

Cool Miami

The beauty of fabric reactive dyes is the incredible range of hues you can achieve by mixing pure dyes.

Here's another bundle of fabrics I'm calling "Cool Miami". This is a a five step gradation palette mixed using a pure blue and a pure yellow. Doesn't it evoke thoughts of warm sand, cool blue green water, and icy cold drinks of limeade?

I'll be offering a bundle in my store soon. This palette will also be available by the yard at $18 a yard for cotton. I'll be trying it out on my favorite organic cotton and hemp blend soon also.

Dyeing by Numbers 'Round the Color Wheel

2011-08-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Fen Palette

The color wheel is an important -- no critical -- tool for anyone working with color. I first started studying the color wheel when I became interested in interior design. I love a colorful home and learning how to put colors together to set a mood or evoke an atmosphere is fun and inspiring. One of the first books I studied when I was trying to decide on paint and furnishing colors for my home is Interior Color by Design by Jonathan Poore. It's a detailed primer on color theory and how it translates into interior design. This was my introduction to the color attributes of hue, value and chroma. Poore details different types of color schemes like monochromatic, analogous and complementary. His book is a terrific resource on color that can be applied to many art forms.

Understanding color is especially important for fabric dyers. Just like with interior paint, mixing dyes is subtractive color. Subtractive because every time you add a color to the mix, light energy is absorbed and a darker color is the result. If you combine all of the subtractive primaries (magenta, turquoise and yellow) in equal proportions, you'll get black, where all light energy has been absorbed.

When working with dyes, we can use more than three primary colors, because dye manufacturers make more than three pure (unmixed) reds, blues and yellows. This increases tremendously the number of secondary and tertiary colors we can create from pure dyes.

My project over the summer is to create swatches exploring combination of 11 pure dyes, as well as combining various sets of three primary colors in a 10 step process to create a color triangle. That's a lot of swatches!

I got the idea for combining three primaries in a 10 step process from Linda Knutson's excellent book Synthetic Dyes for Natural Fibers. If you buy only one book on fabric dyeing, buy this one! Linda's explanation of how the color wheel works relative to fiber reactive dyes is outstanding.

I'll be offering small samplers of the swatches I'm making for sale. All of these hues are available by custom order by the yard. I can dye them on mercerized 100% cotton or on a hemp/cotton blend.

Miss Scarlet

2011-07-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

Scarlet red....a bold and bright hue that I love when I'm looking for a true red. Not a dark red, toned with black. Or a plum red, swirled with blue. But what I'd consider a pure primary red. It does have a slight orangey tint to it...ever so slight.

For this piece, I used 100% hemp linen. I really love this fabric! It is soft and durable. And best of all, it is easy to sew. That means it is a dream for creating stitched shibori. For the piece on the left, I tied marbles into the fabric before dyeing it. This is a simple technique, but it creates lovely irregular circles. I call it "jellyfish" because it does remind me of schools of jellyfish I've seen in the ocean.

The second piece is an arashi shibori. I folded the fabric onto a PVC pipe and wrapped it with thick twine. Because it is wrapped on an angle, the resulting lines are on the diagonal and alternate direction across the cloth. There were four layers of cloth on the pole, and the contrast of the pattern varies, depending on how close the fabric is to the dye. This technique makes unique and beautiful cloth and no two pieces are ever alike. A looser weave cloth like this hemp linen is a perfect candidate for arashi, because it allows the dye to penetrate the layers more easily.

These pieces would be terrific for a creation of fiber art because they are easy to hand sew. The fabrics are colorfast. Hemp does unravel easily, so that's something to take into consideration.

Spring Cleaning my Studio

2011-06-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

I've been in a cleaning frenzy lately. First I spent two days cleaning my filthy house. Vacuuming, wiping floors on hands and knees, washing rugs...

Now I'm extending my cleaning binge to my studio. I'm bursting out of my fabric containers and need to pare down to make room for new fabrics. So, every day this week I'll be listing new fabric on sale.

So far, purple and blue fabrics have been added to the Sale section. More will be added every morning this week. These are a really great value. Shibori fabrics originally priced at $28 per yard are now $16; half yards are $8 instead of $14.

Check it out!

More freeform fun, this time in warm hues

2011-06-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here's another group of fabrics I hand painted using a variety of tools, like sponges, rollers, paint brushes, and stencils.

To keep the finished product harmonious, I used several hues that are close to each other on the color wheel: fuchsia, bright orange, bright yellow, and golden yellow.

I layered the colors on top of each other to give the fabrics depth and extra interest.

The best part of painting fabric freeform is that you can't really make a mistake! If you're not happy with it, you can always paint over it with more dye paint in a darker hue, or add another layer of texture on top.

Happy Hemp

2011-06-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Hemp in a bundle is priced right at $20. You'll get eight pieces measuring approximately 14" by 9". A great way to jumpstart that project you've been meaning to get off the ground. These hemp fabrics are very stitchable. Meaning they are easy to sew by hand with needle and thread, due to their lower threadcount. How do I know? I've tested them using stitched shibori and they work beautifully. Making some magic cloth for Jude's SpiritCloth class? This hemp bundle is a great way to get a mix of hues and design in one little package. Happy stitching!

More fun with the Fun Bundle

2011-06-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

This fun bundle of cotton fabrics has been extremely popular with my clients. After a couple weeks where I wasn't able to offer it, I've restocked it. A nice assortment of hues, all dyed on mercerized cotton. Soft, easy to sew for quilting or crafts, and a great value. Let me know what you make and I'll post a picture on my facebook page. Enjoy!

Freeform in blue

2011-06-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Found and repurposed objects are an endless source for designs and ideas. Here, I used some burlap (bought to shade some transplants from the searing heat) and a paint grid to make some cool, blue fabric. I used four different dyes, but because they are all hues of blue, the effect is harmonious and soothing.

Layering grid textures in soft and hard lines keeps it interesting and allows the darker grids to acquire a three dimensional quality. They almost seem to float on the soft backdrop. This would have been very boring on plain white.

Dig around in your drawers and see what you come up with. It's just a matter of looking at your "stuff" in a new way. Most importantly, have fun.

freeform play

2011-05-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's nice just to play....no pressure, no rules, just foolin' around.

A new sandbox and impromptu "tools"

scrunch, sponge, squish, squirt

aahh. Nice.

Garden Surprises

2011-04-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

When I don't have my hands in a dyebath, I have them wrist deep in dirt in my garden.

This is a clump of Verbascum I started from seed last spring. They didn't do much last year, but this year is another story. They are stunning.

I bought the seed from Thompson & Morgan and started them in small pots in early spring. I had a few blooms last summer, but as with most perennials, they really came in their own this, their second year.

I've read that these are not true perennials, but biennials, so I'll start some more this year, just to be on the safe side.

The chartreuse leaves on the right are Agastache Golden Jubilee. They will flower in summer through fall, with purple spikes providing a complement to the yellowy green leaves.

We can't grow delphiniums here in Virginia; it gets hot too early. These verbascum are a pretty good substitute though for a tall spiky plant with airy, delicate blossoms.

April Gift Certificate Giveaway

2011-04-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Tax Man Cometh so enter my Gift Certificate Giveaway

2011-04-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

I hope you've finished your taxes. I haven't. Still plugging away. In honor of taxes being due April 18 this year, I'm having a giveaway.

The giveaway is really a moving present from me to you, in honor of moving my store to ArtFire from Etsy. ArtFire offers easy gift certificates that don't impose fees on the seller, so I'll be offering gift certificates in my store very soon. But I wanted to try one first and make sure they work well.

My giveaway is an $18 gift certificate to my ArtFire store. A pretty nice way to celebrate a move, and it will cushion your tax burden by a teeny tiny amount.

I'm only imposing one rule. To enter the giveaway, you have to post a comment to this blog post, telling me about a sewing project that is more taxing than you thought it would be when you first embarked on it. We've all had those experiences. You read the instructions for inserting the zipper, and it seems like a snap. You struggle for 2 hours to no avail. The project gets pushed under a bunch of other unfinished gems in a box at the back of the closet. Sound familiar?

Anyway, post your comments between now and April 18. I'll have the drawing on the 18th and hope to bring a smile to someone's face.

more fun with itajime shapes

2011-04-11T06:27:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing to do is play. Play with techniques, dye, fabric. This weekend I played some more with itajime. I created fabric sandwiches with different shapes. Here's a heart that turned out fairly well. I didn't get quite the definition I wanted on most of the pieces I worked on, including this heart. I suspect my problem is that I soaked the fabric beforehand in warm water. My hunch is that the water soaked fibers actually prevented the dye from penetrating thoroughly. The top layer (top half of the fabric to the left) has good definition, but the layers underneath are blotchy. Presoaking might be a good thing to do with silk, but I am having my doubts about using this method with cotton and hemp.

Today I'll be clamping and using my usual tub dye method without the water pre-soak, and we'll see what happens.

I love, love, love this flower motif. If I can improve the definition, I think this could be really gorgeous. So far this is my favorite.

Here's a small piece that I blocked out with two triangles, leaving just a small corridor for the dye to penetrate. This could be a great frame for some beautiful stitching.

Working on these pieces makes me want to create some really lovely pillows, with itajime patterns centered in a square or rectangle of hemp linen. Hmm... more to ponder. As usual, so many ideas, too little time.

Stitchin' Hearts

2011-04-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

Stitched shibori is all about symmetry. Here's a heart I stitched recently. You can still see the crease where I folded the fabric before I stitched it.

I'm not sure how I got this color. A splash of lime green, a jigger of golden yellow....It looked nothing like this when it was in the dyebath. The final hue was only revealed after several washes in hot water.

I pulled out my Benjamin Moore fan deck and the closest match is Yolk #2023-10.

I decided to stitch the hearts close together so they are linked together, like parent to parent and parent to son and parent to daughter and son to daughter. Irrevocable bonds that can never be broken by adversity or ill-fortune. Links that bind and hold with love and patience. Life-long, love-long connections.

Experimenting with Hemp and Itajime

2011-04-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of a perfectionist. I don't feel comfortable selling any fabrics until I've tested and re-tested techniques. I just don't think folks should be using their hard earned money to buy my mistakes or my "almost worked" projects. Being an artist of any medium requires skillful techniques and methods, acquired through many hours of learning and experimenting. Working in fiber is no different.

Itajime is the only method I haven't really experimented with yet using the new hemp cottons I acquired recently.

I've been clamping and dyeing small pieces to see how well the color penetrates the fibers. It's always best to work with small samples first when you're working with a new fabric, then move up to larger, more complex pieces.

These pieces are roughly 14" by 9". They are perfect for squeezing in during lulls between larger jobs and for using left over dyes. I've been clamping circles, squares and petal shapes.

I've found that 16 layers of fabric is pretty much the limit for this fabric. More than that and you start losing definition in pattern.

This hemp cotton has a translucent quality I am really growing fond of. It feels and looks organic and comfy. Not as smooth and polished as the cotton I normally use, but I like that. I can imagine it being used to wrap a loaf of freshly baked bread or as a bag for some just picked greens from the garden.

These samples will be gifts tucked in with other purchases of sustainable fabrics.

Making Hemp Organic Cotton Exploration Bundles

2011-03-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks, I've been working on creating bundles of hemp fabrics. Not very many folks are familiar with hemp. It is a very versatile bast fiber, and most importantly to me, it does not require the same level of pesticides, herbicides, and finishing chemicals as conventionally raised cotton. I've been experimenting with different fabrics made from 100% hemp and blends of hemp woven with cotton and silk. I'm creating bundles of hemp fat eighths, themed by color, that will showcase a range of fiber techniques. Each bundle will have a sampling of low water immersion, pole wrapped shibori, stitched shibori, and Jackson shibori. Jackson shibori is shibori of my own invention, using traditional techniques as a starting point, but with innovative techniques I've developed through trial and error.

I've found that I actually prefer the hemp fabrics for stitched shibori. The fabric is very easy to needle, much easier than needling high threadcount cotton. The stitched shibori patterns are even crisper on hemp than on cotton. That surprised me.

I thought that a lower threadcount fabric like hemp would not work as well for stitched shibori, but I was very pleasantly surprised! Here are examples of a 100% hemp linen I just finished dyeing yesterday:

I've also been using a silk hemp blend, that works beautifully whether pole wrapped or stitched. It has the drape and weight of a heavier weight silk. Here's a terracotta orange piece, stitched using ori nui stitching.

It also works well with pole wrapped techniques:

and low water immersion, as in this vibrant blue piece.

I'm also going to include some organic cotton gauze in the bundles. This has become one of my absolute favorites. This fabric is certified organic cotton, milled in the U.S. It has a light airy feel and a soft hand. Here it is shown in three hues, chartreuse green, dark red, and navy blue.

Finally, I've been using a hemp cotton blend, similar to a light weight linen. You'll see it referred to as "summer cloth" on some websites. It is very sheer, light weight, and very easy to needle, because of its looser weave. It is woven from 45% certified organic cotton and 55% hemp.

I've found it works very well for both pole wrapped and stitching techniques. Here, I've stitched leaf and triangle shapes using ori nui stitching prior to dyeing it in a dark terracotta.

I'm planning to list these bundles very soon in my ArtFire store. Each bundle will have 8 fat eighths, for a total of one yard of hemp/cotton fabrics. I'll attempt to include a variety of methods, with at least one stitched shibori piece in each bundle. Each bundle will feature hues of either red, blue, green or orange. Eventually, I'll make some black and grey bundle too.

Thanks for reading, and happy dyeing (and or stitching!).

More Fabric Experiments

2011-03-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

I'm working my way through the hemp fabrics I've bought and testing them using the many techniques I use in my studio. One of the fabrics I've purchased is a 100 percent hemp "summercloth", comparable to a medium weight flax linen. Earlier, I wrapped and bound it arashi style, and was happy with the results. So, the next process I wanted to test out was stitched shibori.

I folded the piece of fabric in half and drew on pattern lines with a soft pencil. Then I stitched lines in small running stitch. I wet the fabric and gathered the stitches tightly before dyeing it in a lichen green dyebath. I chose a dark depth of shade -- 6%. I really like darker values for shibori because they provide the best contrast with the stitched patterns.

Here it is. What do you think? I am quite happy with it. The stitching is very prominent. The lines almost look like rows of teeth, don't they? I like the mottled patterning between the white teeth also. I suspect the heavier weight and looser threadcount of this fabric is what makes this stitched shibori so successful. When I compare it to some of my cotton broadcloth shibori, this hemp shibori has bolder, stronger lines.

If you'd like to see and feel the texture of this hemp linen, send me an email to sljack@jacksonfabricarts.com. I'll send you a washed, undyed swatch. Thanks for reading and happy dyeing.

Stitched Shibori with Silk Hemp Blend

2011-02-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

What I really love about stitched shibori is that you can use very simple motifs to make very striking textiles. The compression of the stitches create the movement and poetry of the cloth. It's best to keep your designs simple so that they complement the natural visual textures that define stitched shibori.

Yesterday, I stitched a small piece of silk hemp fabric. I drew basic leaf outlines on folded sections of the cloth. I changed the direction of the leaves, just to add some interest. Here is the fabric after I had stitched it and when I was just starting to pull up the stitches.

The key to good stitched shibori is pulling the stitches really really tight. Make sure you have a good strong knot on one end and then pull.....hard. Make sure you wear gloves, or you might shred the skin on your hands!

I dyed this piece in a black dyebath. Here's the result. I think the white and grey on black is a particularly effective combination, especially when working with graphic shapes.

I am really enjoying working with this hemp silk blend. It is easy to stitch and takes dye beautifully. One word of advice: be careful when removing the stitching thread.

Normally, with sturdy hemp linen or cotton, I pull the threads loose, with no damage to my cloth. I discovered on a previous piece of silk hemp that you can't do that with this fabric. It will tear and you'll end up with some holes in your fabric. So, use a magnifying light and carefully snip the threads with a seam ripper. There's nothing worse than spending a lot of time stitching and have your work ruined by some hasty snipping.

Thanks for reading.

Beautiful, yet Sustainable

2011-02-25T10:33:00.000-08:00

I continue my quest to find fabrics that are organic and/or sustainable that I can use to create batik, shibori and other hand dyed treasures.

My newest fabric is a 100 percent hemp linen. You'll also see it referred to as "summer cloth". This fabric has a threadcount of 54 by 54 and weighs about 4.5 oz every square yard. It has the feel and look of a medium weight flax linen.

My only gripe with hemp so far is that is it not easy to tear. I am too lazy to cut lengths by hand with scissors or rotary cutter. The high threadcount cotton I use is a breeze to tear into lengths. This saves a lot of time. With hemp, you really need to put some muscle behind your tear, and you will have some threads that pucker. Hemp frays easily, so washing by hand or by machine on gentle cycle is a good idea. I washed this piece before I dyed it. I wrapped it around a pole, bound it, and dyed it in an orange dyebath. It came out a soft butternut orange.

In the picture above, you can even see where water droplets were trapped below the fabric. Really neat!

One thing I do like about linen -- flax and hemp -- is that when used in pole wrapped shibori, you don't see as big a difference in color from the layer closest to the pole and the layer furthest from the pole. Normally, with high threadcount cotton, you'll see a big difference in the value of hues. I suspect this is because it is a denser cloth, and the dye has a harder time penetrating and bonding through the multiple layers. Hemp linen, being a lower threadcount, allows the dye the penetrate the layers more readily. For this piece, I accordion folded the fabric into four folds before binding it.

Hemp linen is about four times the cost of the conventionally-raised cotton I normally use. But sometimes you have to pay more to do the right thing. It's priced pretty comparably to flax linen. I did use some unscented softener on it after washing it out -- the fibers do get rather roughed up from the salt and soda ash in the dyebath.

here's the link to this hemp fabric in my store:

Hemp Linen Shibori in Butternut

Thanks for reading.

Disposing of Soy Wax after Batik

2011-02-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

I often use soy wax for my batiks. I keep reading in various books and online that soywax can be washed away in your washing machine or down your drain. That really makes me nervous. I live in a house built in 1939 and I've had my share of plumbing issues, with all the expense plumbing repairs entail. I would not recommend washing your soy wax down the drain. Would you pour liquid shortening down your pipes? Probably not.

Here's what I do. After my dyebath is complete, I rinse the waxed fabric well in several sink fulls of cold water. Don't use warm or hot water at this stage. The cold water will remove soda ash and salt, without reactivating your dyebath, which you don't want to do.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Don't be stingy with the water. The more easily you can move the fabric around, the easier it will be to remove all the wax. Hold your waxed fabric with a pair of tongs and plunge it into the water. The soy wax will melt immediately. The boiling water has two purposes: it removes the soy wax and it removes any reactive dye that has not chemically bonded with your fabric. Push the fabric to the bottom of the pot and let it soak for about an hour. As the water cools, some of the soy wax will become solid again and form a crust on top of your pot. Push aside any solidified soy wax and remove your fabric. Rinse the fabric well with warm water, then either wash by hand or throw in the machine with a gentle detergent. Synthrapol is not necessary, because the boiling water will remove any excess dye without the use of a surfactant. After washing, your fabric will be wax free and colorfast. Don't pour the contents of your stockpot down the drain.

In the winter, I put my pot, still filled with water and wax, outside. Wait until the soy wax forms a solid crust on the top of the pot. You can break off chunks of wax with your gloved hands and throw them in your regular trash.

There will still be a lot of small granules of soy wax remaining in your pot.

To get rid of the small bits of wax, take an old piece of stocking and stretch it over a container. Pour your remaining liquid into the stocking.

The stocking will capture even the smallest pieces of soy wax. Put the solids in your trash. You'll probably have to do this a number of times to clear out your stockpot. The remaining liquid with some dye in it can be safely disposed of down the drain.

This may seem rather time consuming, but I figure it's better to expend a little time now to save time and lots of dollars in the future if my pipes become clogged with soy wax!

Happy batiking.

Dyeing with Sustainable Fabrics, continued

2011-02-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

I received some lovely hemp silk fabric this week and have started experimenting with it. This fabric is 60% hemp; 40% silk. Grown without pesticides or herbicides and minimally processed. Semi-bleached with peroxide. No formaldehyde treatment applied. A really interesting fiber that is soft and has a very interesting weave, almost reminds of a shantung weave. It appears that the weft yarn is hemp and the warp yarn is silk.

I started by prewashing it to test for shrinkage. I split a half yard down the middle and washed a piece measuring 29" by 18". After washing, the width was still 29" and it shrank by only about a quarter inch in width. It does fray very easily, so I recommend a gentle cycle machine wash.

I want to try a range of different techniques with this new fabric, to see how it will work with batik, clamped shibori, stitched shibori, and pole bound shibori. Yesterday, I used a tesuji shibori method and dyed it in a black dyebath. This time I did get a wonderful dark, pure black, with lots of grey and white patterning. The patterning is just as nice and crisp as the patterning I achieve with broadcloth cotton. I was worried that the soda ash might ruin the hand of the silk in the blend, but there is very little difference between the dyed and undyed fabric's drape and softness. I did neutralize the fabric in a vinegar bath after the first cold water rinse, just in case. I don't use fabric softener, but I imagine a touch of softener might be useful.

Grey Black Silk Hemp Available for Purchase

A lovely piece I think. Stay tuned for more experiments soon......

New Fabrics, Old Techniques

2011-01-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

In exploring new fabrics to use in my dyeing, I've been seeking out organic and environmentally friendly fabrics. Conventionally-raised cottons are grown with a liberal application of pesticides and herbicides. Additional chemicals are used in preparing the cotton for market. Most cottons are produced in countries where there is no regulation of chemicals used. Chemicals long banned in the U.S. and the E.U. are used in India and China to maximize crops, with no thought to their environmental or human impact. Workers are routinely exposed to toxic chemicals, either during the growing process or during the production phase. In addition, serious questions remain as to the amount of residual chemicals remaining in the fabric after processing to which end consumers are exposed.

I am seeking organic fabrics raised without pesticides and minimally processed. To that end, I'm purchasing organic cottons, hemps and silks to integrate into my work.

Whenever I buy new fabric, I run many experiments with different methods of dyeing before committing to buying or dyeing large quantities of yardage. Fiber reactive dye does not react with all fabrics equally, even with all cellulose fabrics equally. Testing is critical. Different techniques may work better on different fabrics, dependent on threadcount and weave.

This cotton gauze fabric is certified organic and is made in the U.S.A. -- a rarity given that more than 90% of cotton processing has moved overseas!

Here's a picture of it before dyeing:

This fabric has a wonderful weave. Almost like a cheesecloth, but with more texture. It is a natural color and has a wonderful crinkled surface that gets more crinkled after washing.

I washed the fabric in warm water on gentle cycle in my machine. This fabric, because of its loose weave, frays easily.

I wrapped it around and pole and bound it tightly before dyeing it in a black dyebath. This is a shibori technique (arashi) that I frequently use with high threadcount cotton, and I was curious to see how it would work with a much looser weave.

The color did not come out as dark as I expected, but I suspect I didn't add enough salt to the dyebath. Salt is critical to achieving darker values of dye, especially black. I used about 1500 grams of salt, but next time will need to use more to achieve a true black.

But having said that, I love the resulting hue! It is a a gorgeous dark charcoal grey, highlighted with flashes of white where the binding thread formed a resist between the cotton fibers and the fiber reactive dye.

Most importantly, this fabric is organic and manufactured here in America. That makes me feel even better about this fabric choice.

Available for purchase here. Thanks for reading!

Happy Bundles for the New Year

2011-01-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

Over the last two years I've spent many happy hours puttering (and muttering) in my studio. I really love trying new techniques and pushing my artistic and technical boundaries.

Through all these tests, I've accumulated quite a pile of fabrics. Fabrics that are excellent quality, but didn't come out exactly as I had hoped. Most are smaller than fat quarters, but are still very usable in a quilt or fiber art project. Some are batik, some shibori, some low water immersion.

I'm boxing up these fabric swatches and shipping them off by priority mail. I try to include at least one fat quarter in each box, and aim to give you a nice blend of hues and textures.

$15 for a nice bundle of my fabrics with fast shipping. A good, square deal. Enjoy!

Fun Bundle

Artemis -- a nod to the Greek key

2011-01-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

This article in House Beautiful got me thinking about greek key motifs. Greek keys are classic, yet blend seamlessly into a contemporary interior. They are intricate yet unfussy. They lend themselves to a wide range of colorways and fabrics. Sized up or down, greek key motifs can be used on curtains, upholstery, cushions and accessories.

I wanted to create batik fabric with a greek key theme, but didn't want borders of interconnected keys. I wanted to be able to place my motifs individually and change their direction if I wanted to.

Here's what I came up with. A simple greek key with two turns. To add interest and movement to my fabric, I rotate the key by 90 degrees as I place the motif along the width of the fabric. This means that the pattern changes on both the lengthwise and horizontal grain. I like that!

I've named this new pattern Artemis. So far, I've created it in navy blue and red.

The motifs are approximately three inches square.

If you're interested in creating your own greek key design, check out this terrific website:
http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/greekkey/index.htm

You can generate your own greek key design to use on fabric or a craft of your choosing.

Thanks for reading and look for more colorways of Artemis soon.

August Begets Geckos

2010-08-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

This month I decided to create a new pattern featuring a creature. Most of my patterns are geometric or floral, so I figured it's time for a change. I found a picture of this wonderful stylized lizard in a pattern book:

I have used this gecko motif before for a stencil design. I copied the design onto freezer paper, cut out the lizard shape with an exacto knife and ironed it onto a black tee shirt. I had discharged the tee shirt with some bleach cleanser and it had some neat rusty brown streaks all over it. I decided to stencil this lizard onto the bottom hem of the tee with Lumiere metallic copper paint. It got rave reviews! I decided to take a second look at this lizard and thought it might make a very nice batik pattern.

According to my pattern book, this motif is from the Ivory Coast. My pattern book doesn't indicate how it was used -- whether on ceramics, beaded, woven....but I thought it would work really well on fabric, repeated in a grid pattern.

For batik, keep in mind that the areas that are waxed will remain white or the color of your fabric before you dye it. So, for this motif, I applied wax everywhere EXCEPT in the black area shown in the picture. The dye will penetrate the unwaxed areas, leaving a pattern of dyed geckos on a white background. Of course, the beauty of batik is that in the waxed areas, dye will seep through cracks in the wax and create lovely fissures of color, so the background will not be pure white. In order to fit the fabric into my sink that is 18" square, I have to fold the fabric (gently). This also creates cracks in the wax and more opportunities for the dye to bond with the fabric.

So far, I've created this pattern in Lichen Green and Navy Blue. In the picture of the navy blue colorway you can really get a good idea of the unique crackled look of batik. I'll be experimenting with a dark red colorway next.

A New Pattern called Romulus

2010-08-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't have time to post this before running out the door to Canada, so I'm updating my fabric friends now. I introduced two new textile patterns in August. The first pattern I'm calling Romulus. It's a pattern based on a Roman mosaic tile. You've probably already noticed I'm very fond of mosaic patterns. I enjoy their regular linear form and how they fit together to make interesting patterns, whether on a floor, wall, or a piece of fabric.

On the left you'll see the pattern on paper in black and white.

The black areas of the pattern will be waxed, the white areas will remain unwaxed. Then, when I dye the fabric, the waxed areas (black) will remain white (or the color of my original fabric), and the white areas will absorb and react with the dye.

I waxed the fabric in my new pattern and then dyed it in a bold lichen green. For this piece, I used a 4% depth of shade. If I like the hue and value and want to be able to replicate it, keeping track of the depth of shade I used is critical.

Here's the finished piece --

I really like this pattern! As with most mosaic patterns I find they work best with strong contrasts. Next, I'll try this pattern in deep navy or dark red.

This fabric is available in my Etsy store:

Romulus 20" wide by 38" long

Thanks for sharing my creative process.

The Water's Running!

2010-07-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

After many months of plumbing and electrical adventures, my new dyeing studio is up and running! This room, formerly a kitchen in the original part of my house, is small. Eight by ten feet. In this small space, I've packed a lot of functionality and storage.

While designing our new kitchen a few years ago, I learned some valuable lessons about space planning. I learned that setting up stations or work zones for different activities is crucial. When planning my studio, I knew I needed to set up work zones for a number of important activities:

* Waxing zone: at least 4 feet of running surface at counter height for applying melted wax to fabric with outlets above the countertop surface for electric saucepan
* storage above the worksurface for waxes, paintbrushes and other tools for applying wax
* Dyeing zone: two sinks for dyeing and rinsing fabric, with washable, easy to clean space on either side of the sinks for placing supplies during dyeing process
*storage above the sinks for chemicals, dyes, paints, measuring cups, scales, plastic containers
* Ironing zone: 3 to 4 feet of running surface to be used as an ironing station
* Mailing zone: countertop area for measuring and weighing fabric and preparing mail shipments

* Photo zone: blank wall area, preferably lit by indirect daylight, that could be used for photographing larger pieces of fabric

In addition to my lengthy requirements, my other family members also wanted to use my new studio for their crafting fun, like painting models for table top role playing games (Lord of the Rings, Warhammer). A lot of activity to pack into one small space!

My first and best decision was to buy a stainless steel sink from a restaurant supplier. I bought mine from
GalaSource and am thrilled with it. I initially was drawn to a self standing sink because I thought the installation would be easier than installing a countertop with a drop in sink. When I started researching prices of double stainless steel drop in sinks versus self standing stainless sinks, I really got excited. The restaurant style sinks are a bargain. Also, they come in many different configurations, with choices in sink size, drainboard size, and number of drainboards. I opted to go with two sinks and two drainboards, and am glad I did. Always "size up" when you're planning a kitchen or work area -- don't cheat yourself and regret not spending an extra $50 here and there to get the extra functionality you will need.

Once the sink decision was made, I had to figure out what to use for my worksurface for my waxing, ironing, photograpy and mailing stations. I opted to use a storage cabinet that I've had for about 10 years that I already was using to store craft supplies. This terrific cabinet, made by IKEA, (part of their VARDE line) is a pain in the royal arse to assemble, but is a tremendous value. It's sturdy, attractive, and most importantly, holds lots of stuff. At 47" wide, it just fit next to the stainless steel sink, with about an inch to spare. Phew! The cabinet has a natural birch countertop that I varnished with spar varnish. It's very durable. Water spills wipe up easily and with adequate padding, it even works as an ironing board! And, because this cabinet is designed for a kitchen, its height matches the height of my restaurant sink, so the overall look is uniform and organized.

One of my pet peeves about most American kitchens is mounting height of the wall cabinets. Usually cabinets are mounted so that there's only about 17 to 18 inches between the counter and the bottom of the wall cabinets. For me, this feels very claustrophobic. When I'm waxing or ironing fabric, I don't like to feel as if I'm in a cave, with cabinets on top of my head. So I purposely chose wall cabinets that are 24" tall, mounted under an existing soffit. This left 25" of wall space between my countertop and the underside of my wall cabinets -- a much better proportion of space. In an eight by ten room, those 6" of extra wall space really makes the room feel less cramped. Even though I'm petite at 5'2", mounting the cabinets a little higher still allows me to reach everything on the first shelf of the cabinets, where I'll be storing everything I use on a regular basis. Items that I won't need every day go on higher shelves, where I'll need a stool to reach them.

My wall cabinets are also from IKEA, style STAT. The cabinet fronts mimic the beadboard we installed throughout the room and add a cool white contrast to the warm orange walls. Amazingly enough, the white of the cabinets actually matches the white of the VARDE base cabinet, the white beadboard, and the white trim paint I have used throughout my home (Benjamin Moore's Cotton Balls)! How's that for lucky decorating?

Stay tuned to see what comes out of the sink!

Thanks for supporting Craft Hope for Haiti

2010-01-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

This week, I donated these linen tea towels and this batik fat quarter to the Craft Hope for Haiti store. They appeared in the store's listings on Friday and sold in under 10 minutes! Way to go!

All sales, minus Etsy listing and transaction fees, go to Doctors without Borders.

The Craft Hope for Haiti store has sold 1411 items as I write this post. Incredible. Over $20,000 in sales and counting.

I lived in Haiti from 1977-1978. The dignified people of Haiti were in dire need long before the earth's plates started shifting. I pray that folks all around the world will care about the welfare of Haitians long after stories of the earthquake have vanished from the front page of the newspaper.

JANUARY SALE

2010-01-12T07:17:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to remind everyone that I'm having a January Sale in my Etsy store. I'm trying to clear out some pieces that have been in stock for a long time. Many of them are patterns and colorways I won't be repeating.

Hopefully, these lower prices will inspire you to buy my fabric and get started on that project you've been putting off for a long time! Once my new dyeing studio is up and running, I'll be introducing new patterns and colorways. Any thoughts you have about new colorways are always welcome!

Out with the Old, in with the New

2010-01-11T06:43:00.000-08:00

The beginning of a new year brings an opportunity for reflection and renewal. I like the start out the new year with a project that I can realistically complete and will have tangible, visible results.

After much thought, I've decided to build out a functioning and attractive dyeing studio. When I started my dyeing experiments over a year ago, I started out on a 3' X 3' old table in my laundry room. As my stash of fabric, dyes, auxiliary chemicals, and tools multiplied, I carved out out small workplaces all over my house to accommodate my different processes. I converted my cutting table in my sewing room into a station for waxing my fabric. I set up more workspace in my basement near my laundry tub to store dyes, soda ash, plastic containers, tubs, and stock pots. Over the summer, I set up an outdoor dyeing station next to my garden hose. All of these workplaces served their function, but having several work areas on different levels and in different rooms has been frustrating. I waste a lot of time locating supplies and walking up and down stairs.

As 2010 begins, I've decided to consolidate all my dyeing activities in one room. I'm going to convert my sewing room into a dye studio, complete with double sink, microwave, and small fridge. For the time being, sewing will have to be relegated to another part of the house -- to be determined!

I've cleaned out my sewing room and am getting ready to spackle and paint. Next step will be to complete the layout of cabinets, using the IKEA planner software. Several years ago, my husband and I remodeled our kitchen using IKEA cabinets and are very happy with them. They are inexpensive, easy to put together, and durable. It will be wonderful to have all my supplies behind cabinet doors. The clutter factor will definitely improve.

I have my eyes on a double stainless restaurant sink with double drainboards. When I first started looking for stainless double sinks, I was shocked at the prices -- $1000 and up for two stainless sinks! Yikes! Then I got the idea to look for stainless work sinks that are freestanding. Installing a freestanding sink with drainboards will mean we don't have to install a countertop and sink cutout. Also, the stainless drainboards are a much better choice than laminate countertop where caustic soda ash, dyes, and lots of water will be in constant use. And I've been able to find a double sink with drainboards for about $400. I think that's not only a bargain, but a terrific investment for a hardworking room.

I'll post pics of my progress. If you've built out a dye or art studio and have some ideas you'd like to share, please do!

Exploring New Colorways

2009-10-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

I started out the month of October determined to develop several new colorways for my current batik motifs. I thought I'd start with several "base" colors and experiment with overdyeing them to see how the colors developed.

My first base color was a warm, golden yellow. I call it saffron yellow, because it has a definite orange hue to it. To begin my experiment, I dyed up several yards in a large black tub that previously served as a cement mixing tub. Reduce, reuse, recycle! Especially plastic. It's actually a perfect size for dyeing fabric. Here's a picture of my dyeing in progress.

In order to get an even color, it is important to stir the fabric often. It takes about an hour to dye several yards of fabric this way. If you don't stir enough, you'll end up with blotches of uneven color. After an hour, I rinsed the fabric well in cold water and let it dry. Normally, I would boil this fabric to remove any excess dye, but since I wanted to batik it and overdye it, I skipped this step at this point.

Next, I tore my saffron fabric into roughly fat quarter size (approx. 22" wide by 18" long). Then, I decided that I would wax three fat quarters with various motifs.

I applied three patterns in melted wax to my saffron yellow fat quarters. From left to right in the photo, they are Caracol, Retro Petals, and Minoan Fishscale. The far right fabric is a linen napkin that I waxed with my Dogwood pattern.

Wax acts as a very effective resist to fabric dye. Everywhere I applied melted wax will remain saffron yellow, regardless of what color I overdye this fabric.

I decided I really wanted a yellow and red colorway. I needed a bold enough red that would be able to complement and stand up to the strong hue of the saffron.

I decided to try overdyeing my fabric with fuschia red. Fuschia is a pure dye, not a mixture, and is considered a primary red when working with dyeing. Depending on how much dye powder you use and the weight of your fabric, fuschia can range from a pale whisper pink to a hot, vibrant pink. I wasn't sure how much fuschia red I would need to get the value of red I wanted, but I knew I wanted to be able to repeat my results, so I measured my dye solutions very carefully and jotted down my amounts. It can be a little difficult determining the final color, because wet fabric is always several values darker than the final fabric. I kept adding more fuschia dye until I had a deep red.

Here's a picture of the fat quarters after they were dyed in the fuschia dye bath. At this stage I haven't removed the wax yet.

Everywhere I had waxed a pattern stayed yellow and the remainder of the fabric changed to a lovely red I'm calling cayenne red to stick with my spice theme.

The final step: I boiled the fabrics to remove the wax and washed them thoroughly.

I'm pleased with how this new colorway turned out! I am offering as a "made to order" fabric in my Etsy and ArtFire stores. I'm also going to think about using creating some of my other motifs, like Whirling Dervish or Nimes Mosaic, in this colorway also.

I also used some saffron yardage to experiment with arashi shibori....but that will have to be a post for another time.

Deep Rose Batik Hand Towels - Minon Fishscale

2009-09-03T17:15:00.001-07:00

Deep Rose Batik Hand Towels - Minon Fishscale
Originally uploaded by JacksonFabricArts

For a change, I thought I'd batik some linen hand towels. These are wonderful quality 100% linen, with a deep hemstitched border.

I applied the melted wax in a fishscale pattern and then dyed it in maroon. It actually came out more like a deep, dusky raspberry. Not the color I was going for, but lovely all the same.

When I started my waxing, I started in the middle of the towel and worked my to the edges. This centered the main motif on the towel, and the pattern repeats across the two towels when they are folded and hanging on a bar.

I'll try these out in another color next.

Custom Fabric Order -- Turquoise and Blue Batik - Minoan Fishscale

2009-08-31T19:32:00.001-07:00

Turquoise and Blue Batik - Minoan Fishscale
Originally uploaded by JacksonFabricArts

I have really struggled with the stamp for this fabric. I mounted the stamp to a piece of hard foam with various adhesives and still can't find one that will withstand the heat of the wax pot for more than 30 minutes without falling apart. Aargh. Hot wax seeps under the stamp and pretty soon it's a big mess.

Having said that, I managed to produce a yard of this fabric. I started out by dyeing a yard of Kona cotton in a turquoise dyebath. I used a cup of Glauber salt and it resulted in a deeper value of turquoise than when I use just plain old salt.

I then stamped the turquoise fabric with the fishscale design and submerged it in a navy dyebath. I used nearly 2 oz. of navy dye, but the resulting color was more cobalt than navy. I suspect the lower thread count and heavier weight of the Kona cotton requires a higher percentage of dye than most.

A half yard of this fabric was purchased by Jamie Ribisi Braley, a fellow artist and shop owner on Etsy. She's making a scarf with it. Can't wait to see the pictures! In the meantime, check out Jamie's store on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=1633

Navy Hand Dyed Batik Caracol

2009-08-03T04:46:00.001-07:00

Navy Hand Dyed Batik Caracol
Originally uploaded by JacksonFabricArts

Caracol is a new pattern in my batik patterns. What I really love about swirl pattterns is that you can create very different overall patterns just by adjusting the placement of the swirl motif.

For example, in this piece, I changed the direction of the swirl every other row. One could get a very different overall pattern by placing the motifs in a square pattern instead, with the openings of the swirls meeting each other in the middle of the square. I might have to try that next.

I have tried Caracol in red, turquoise and navy so far. This kind of bold, large motif seems to work best where there is a strong contrast between the white motif and the colored background. I have some wonderful lichen green dye I need to try it with next.

The pattern would look fabulous on some very large pillows - 20 inch square would look terrific. It needs to be used on a large enough piece that you can see the repeat.

Navy blue Caracol is available now in my Etsy shop. I have a limited number of fabric swatches available in this pattern also.

Like the pattern but don't have a use for navy? I can dye this batik in at least a dozen colors and combinations of hues. Send me an email to discuss your custom needs.

Turquoise & Navy Batik Fabric Set

2009-06-18T17:26:00.001-07:00

Turquoise & Navy Batik Fabric Set
Originally uploaded by JacksonFabricArts

About a month ago, I hand dyed about 5 yards of turquoise cotton fabric and have been using as a creative base to create batiks and low water immersion projects. Yesterday,I stamped a half yard of the turquoise fabric with my "Whirling Dervish" motif and overdyed it in navy blue. It is wonderfully vibrant.

For a change, I thought I'd offer the batiked half yard with a solid half yard of turquoise as a set. That gives the crafter a full yard of fabric to work with that is already color-matched.

The fabric I've been using is a pimatex cotton that is 58" wide, so there's plenty in one yard to do several throw pillows, for example. A pillow with the whirling dervish motif on one side and the solid turquoise on the reverse would look fabulous. The finishing touch would be to pipe the pillow in turquoise. Lovely!
Check it out on my Etsy site: Turquoise and Navy Batik Fabric Set

Raving about Red

2009-05-30T13:21:00.001-07:00

Terracotta Red Batik Fabric - Minoan Fishscale
Originally uploaded by JacksonFabricArts

I haven't posted in a long time, as I 've been experimenting with different techniques and carving more stamps!

One of my latest creations is a pattern I'm calling Minoan fishscale. Here it is in Terracotta Red on Etsy.

A relatively easy stamp to carve, it's based on a mosaic from Crete. I love being able to use an ancient design and know it can work for a quilt, wall hanging, or an interior accessory.

It's also a very forgiving pattern if you don't align it exactly. Applying hot wax can be tricky and is not always precise, so I like a pattern that looks good even when I have an oops! moment.

The dye color I used for this piece is a deep terracotta red, with rusty orange undertones. I am crazy about it. It takes a far amount of dye to get the rich color, so it isn't exactly economical, but the result is lovely.

This pattern would look gorgeous on throw pillows. It works beautifully with the colors in my family room -- warm yellow, brown, red and toffee.

I'm considering trying this pattern with a navy dye next -- another classic look.

Fuschia on Fuschia Damask Pearl Fabric

2009-04-15T16:54:00.001-07:00

Fuschia Damask Pearl
Originally uploaded by JacksonFabricArts

Thought I'd try out a new technique....hand painting previously hand dyed fabric. I started out with a fat quarter of cotton that I had hand dyed in fuschia using low water immersion. The fabric is a medium fuschia, with lots of darker fuschia swirls throughout.

I bought some wonderful repeating stencils and used a damask stencil to apply the design. I used Lumiere magenta fabric paint. The color of the paint is very close to the fabric colors, so it blends beautifully, while adding another layer texture with its pearly finish. What a wonderful paint! Easy to apply and dries quickly too.

Fabric stenciling isn't difficult, but certainly does take some time. This fat quarter took about 2 hours to paint all together. I had to wait for one section to dry before I could move the stencil to continue the pattern repeat.

The most difficult part was photographing it! The pearlescent finish just doesn't photograph well at all. This photo doesn't really do it justice.

Nimes Mosaic Batik in Rust Orange

2009-04-11T21:44:00.001-07:00

Rust Orange Mosaic Batik
Originally uploaded by JacksonFabricArts

I love the way this fabric turned out, but lining up the motifs was very time consuming. A fat quarter took over an hour just to wax.....Yikes.

I planned for this to dye dark red, but the batik gods said "terracotta orange", so there you go. This rusty orange makes me think of late summer, when my tomatoes are ripening and the rudbeckia, echinacea and salvia are thriving in the high heat and humidity.

I'm thinking I'll try this motif in navy blue and white next. Any other colorways folks want to see?

Check out my store to purchase a swatch of this pattern.

Trial Swatches

2009-02-20T06:37:00.000-08:00

I've decided to offer swatches for fabrics on a trial basis. I understand it is really difficult to buy fabric online. Every monitor shows the fabric differently. I spend a great deal of time trying to take the best photographs I can and describing the fabric colors as best I can, but is it enough? When I say "maroon", does that mean the same thing to me as to an online shopper? Probably not. One person's maroon is another person's plum.

So, going forward, I'm going to make an extra length of fabric with every dyebath that I can cut up into swatches. I'm offering them essentially for free -- you just have to pay for the shipping. They are small, so they fit into a letter size envelope and only cost 42 cents to mail. A bargain at twice the price!! Check out my first swatch:

Orchid Marbled Fabric Swatch

Any other ideas for making fabric shopping easier? I'd love to hear your comments.

New Color Combinations

2009-02-19T05:23:00.000-08:00

Over the last several weeks, I've been busy trying out some new color combinations. As with anything involving dyeing, you have to like surprises!

My favorite dyes are those that I can use in different concentrations with wonderful and wide ranging results. I call these my workhorse dyes. They offer great value and flexibility.

One of my favorite dyes is fuschia. Depending on its concentration, it can yield a color ranging from a pale rose reminiscent of David Austen roses to a bright, knock your socks off, shocking pink. Here are two examples. Hard to believe they were created with the same dye, isn't it?

I also used maroon dye to create both of these fabrics. I love the way it works both with the pale pink and the hot pink. I suspect there must be some fuschia in the maroon mix for them to work so beautifully together.

For the hot pink batik, I dyed the fabric in fuschia before waxing it with the leaf block pattern. Then I dyed it in a dark shade of maroon. The maroon has enough visual weight to balance out the brightness of the fuschia. You really could make an infinite range of combinations with just these two dyes, fuschia and maroon. Want to see more pictures? Click here to view my Picasa web albums.

How I became obsessed with fabric

2008-09-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

I'm an avid reader and my reading often leads me into new hobbies and interests. About fifteen years ago, I picked up a second hand copy of Melanie Paine's Fabric Magic. Thus began a life long obsession with all things fabric.

If you can get your hands on a copy, I'd highly recommend this book if you're interested in creating soft furnishing and decorating with fabric. It was printed in the U.K. so some of the terms may take a while to get used to, but it's a book that's very accessible to the beginner.
The first American edition was printed in 1987, but some twenty years later, the designs and techniques still look fresh and lively.

The first chapter of the book is a fabric primer that is a must read before you run out and plunk down tens of dollars a yard on fabric. Paine goes into great detail about the characteristics of various fabrics and their suitability to different sewing projects. She also devotes several pages to a discussion of different fabric patterns, how they are woven, and special finishes on fabric.

Need some ideas for using fabric in new and innovative ways? Check out her section called Transforming Fabric. You'll find great ideas for combining fabrics by creating borders, layering fabrics, and decorative stitching. Also, there are some great pics of fabric that has been transformed by painting, applying resists, and stencilling. Although there isn't a lot of detail in this section as to technique, it's a great source of inspiration for your own fabric experiments.

The rest of the book focuses on sewing soft furnishings, primarily window treatments. The photographs are wonderful. If the photos look familiar, that's because you've probably seen them in many other decorating books. They are timeless designs. Instructions on sewing curtains and shades are detailed and well illustrated. You won't find much in the way of time saving devices here! It's evident that this book was written by a professional sewer whose business relied on faultless sewing skills, much of it done by hand.

My very first sewing project was a piped and zippered pillow cover (page 194) in a rose and cream striped glazed cotton. I was so proud of my new creation! I then began sewing other pillow forms in the book, like the self bordered pillow cover and the box pillow cover. These small projects are great first time projects for anyone who is interested in sewing but isn't sure how to get started. You can purchase a small quantity of fabric for pillow covers from the bargain bin section of a fabric store for under $3 a yard. If the thought of inserting a zipper scares you as it did me, try an overlap closure to start with. Then, when you are more confident in your sewing ability, you can move up to snap tape closures, zippers or tie closures.

For your first pillow project, I'd recommend looking for a fabric with an "overall" repeating pattern that is not too large. This will eliminate the need to match a pattern at the seams or position a motif or design in the middle of the pillow. Also, pick a fabric that is washable and prewash it in warm water before sewing. Pillow covers soil quickly. You don't want to save on fabric, but pay $20 to have a pillow cover dry cleaned!

More later about other favorite titles in my sewing, fabric design and decorating library.