More on flat dyeing and other things

A big thank-you to the folks who commented here or by email regarding the flat dyed samples. Just to clarify, I'm not taking the class with Nancy, I'm just helping friends with their dyeing. Doing the work did prompt me to get her two recent books 'Nancy Crow' and 'Crossroads' out of the library. I enjoyed looking at her work, and especially seeing her inspirations translated into cloth. Last year I took 'Dyeing to Discharge' with Carol Soderlund at Nancy's, and got to see her students' work in process upstairs when we took breaks. (Click on the subject list, below right, for links to my posts on that class. Then sign up for it!) The small samples were done with proportions from the Color Mixing I class, but only two primaries. Looking at the recipe book reveals that if you disregard value differences there are about 11 different ratios for two colors mixed together. Because of my fondness for discharge, I was trying to flat dye the darkest samples I could. I did get a question about the texture; it's the result of putting the dye on with a plastic pipette. It struck quickly in the center of each pool, with white/light areas around it. I used a squeegee to move the colors around, out from the areas where I applied it. That was an effort to minimize the white areas. The other thing I want to try is an 11-step color gradation, using those different proportions, and pure colors at either end. Then try the same thing with mixtures. Oh, to be able to dye all day, every day!

On a sad note, the dog is no longer with us. He got almost five months which he seemed to enjoy before illness caught back up with him. So we have a less hairy, much quieter house. Here's a picture of Dudley that captures a bit of his silly nature.

On the up side, another friend is coming in to dye on Thursday & Friday. And she recently returned from Color Mixing 2, so I'll get a preview of that class. If I do OK at the fall shows, I hope to take a disperse dyeing class; will post on that if it happens.

Thanks for looking!

Dyeing solids

Got some work done a couple weeks ago with a friend, helping her dye some yardage for an upcoming class with Nancy Crow. Am I being too obsessive? The solid shade dyeing seems a bit uneven, but it also doesn't look like commercial fabric. The rosey piece is the worst one of the bunch - click on it to see a larger view. Those of you who have taken strip piecing with Nancy Crow, please let me know what you think.

Now to follow up on my last post, I have washed out and ironed the flat-dyed fabrics I was sampling. This picture shows several of them overlapping. The top one has the most varied areas; they're all textured more or less, but none have the usual crystalline LWI effect. What about these for the strip piecing classes?

Thanks very much!

Experimenting

Have spent some time over the long weekend experimenting with disperse dyes on polyester (a post for another day) and flat dyeing, using a different set of primaries. Also trying to resurrect a barker, using the same primaries. And a new fabric that turned out pretty nice!

Here's a picture of 11" samples I did using the flat dyeing technique written about by Robin of QuiltAntics at http://quiltantics.blogspot.com/2008/04/flat-dyeing.html. Thanks, Robin. The primaries are Turquoise, Golden Yellow, and Boysenberry (Pro Chem names.) The pictures show the fabrics batching under plastic. I was going for a deep depth of shade, and started by measuring how much liquid the dry fabric could hold. Then I mixed my recipes and applied the colors - a total of about 15 ml of dye for each 11" square. When they have had their final washout and ironing, I will post again. Did find a hole in the new vinyl that I used between the layers. I get about 10 yards at a time at JoAnn with the coupon.

Here's a before and after in one shot photo of the reviving attempt:
The section on the left is fabric I flag-folded between wooden triangles, tied tightly and dyed with a mix that included the creepy turquoise. Not very nice, in my opinion (or fugly, if you'll excuse the expression.) On the right is a half-yard section I tore off and did LWI in a mix of equal parts of the above primaries, aiming for 10 -12% DOS. I rather like the crystalline LWI markings with the bound shibori showing through. Again, it hasn't had it's final washout, but it's good enough to test for discharge. If I decide I want to!

Finally, I have a picture of a 100% cotton Jacquard weave from Robert Kaufman that I dyed - same primaries, no surprise there, but just golden yellow with a hint of boysenberry. This was done full immersion. I think it's a little warmer in person than in the photo, and the flash really highlighted the weave more than in person, too. But it's lovely stuff. I will be adding it to the 'PFD' category at http://www.dippydyes.com/ - anything to make a buck to support this habit! It's not technically a PFD, but I did nothing to it before dyeing - no scouring, prewash, whatever, and I think it came out fine. Haven't done any LWI on it yet; I think the two kinds of patterning might fight each other. That is, the crystalline markings from dyeing and the woven pattern.

So, that's it for tonight. Please post a comment if you have one! Thanks.

Website update in process

Well, the video ad editing by qnnTV.com is nearly complete, so today was the day to upgrade the website version and upload all the items I have photographed. That is turning into a major disaster. So now I have to wait for their tech support person to get back to me, which is why I shouldn't try this on a Saturday. Maybe I can print thumbnails of fabrics and fill out the important details, in a spreadsheet even, so when I can get back to it, I can do lots of cut and paste. Sounds like a good use of time that is otherwise filled with grumbling and nail biting.

Have created some new items, but I haven't taken pictures of them yet, so I can't post them here. I did order more PFD fabrics from Robert Kaufman, and should see them in about 10 days. Before they show, I will be getting another order from Pro Chemical & Dye - new dyes for cotton and polyester. I hope to make some fabrics for garment sewers that won't need as much ironing, and will be unique. And I'm dreaming and scheming about the next new process, but have to pay for:
Quilt Show booth fee - I'm going to be at the show at Oaks in September
Fabrics & Dyes I just purchased
Tech support for the $%#%(@ website shopping cart software

On a positive note, I will have enough white and black stuff to keep me busy all summer. No excuse not to have enough inventory in September. Hope to see you there! - Lisa

Idle thoughts

Hi - had a couple nice emails from Kit Vincent, textile artist (for real). Wandering around her blog and ran across the following posts that I'd like to share:

http://art-at-work.blogspot.com/2009/05/art-of-gardening.html

http://materialmama.wordpress.com/2007/02/06/how-a-bobbin-works-and-some-free-pattern-ideas/ Scroll down a bit on this page to see the GIF animation.

Now I need to go check out my niece's blog, to see how that's going. Possibly get some studio work in later this month - sooner would be better by far!

Go Phillies! (Sorry)

Just got a look at Dyed & gone to heaven

A friend put me on to Lisa Walton's inspirational site. Go there and look (by clicking on the title of this post.) Got to go muck about with my website now. (Grrrr)

Lancaster show aftermath

Last weekend was my first big show as a vendor. I thought I'd post a picture of the booth taken before the show opened, and some pictures of discharged pieces that sold.

This is the booth, complete with the 'Casbah' look. The floor is actually the ballroom carpet, but it adds to the look, I think.
The remaining pictures are of fabrics that underwent various resists, then were discharged and overdyed. From top to bottom, they are Kaufman's Radiance,
a Moda batik,
Kaufman's Panda

and Sateen,
and a white broadcloth that was dyed several times before discharging the final dark purple.

The studio is at present a disaster; not wasting any pictures on that! And I have three weeks before the next show to restock. Gonna get DH to do some tyeing and ironing, I think. Thanks for visiting!