The thing about using fabric dyes is that they’re translucent. They give beautiful results, but it’s impossible to add light colors at the end. For that paint is needed. So, I decided to use some fabric paint and see if I could improve a couple of dyed fabrics. This was my starting point: I decided…
I’m not sure where I heard that quote, but I agree with it. And, I’ve been doing plenty of experimenting lately. Yes, you guessed it: I created a big failure rough draft. I’ve been doing quite a few abstract quilts in a style I call “Slice and Dice.” As the name implies, I slice into…
Here are a few more apples from the Double Reverse Applique class I recently taught for a guild in Oakland county, MI. Gail’s machine died mid-class. How frustrating! As you can see she got all the way to the very last piece, (the blue background for the bottom.) Gail was excited about the technique, however,…
In a recent Double Reverse Applique class, the students finished their apples in about four hours and had plenty of time to start on their pears. Aren’t they looking great? I love seeing the different colorways. Each on is unique. These ladies really stayed on task quite well, and it shows in…
These ladies, in Oakland county, Michigan, did a great job in a recent “Double Reverse Applique” class. Check out their awesome apples. Cathy As you can see, most students made red apples, which was consistent with the class sample. Very striking, right? Can you believe that most of these gals finished their…
These ladies got a lot done in our 3-hour “Love It and Leaf It” Class! Carol chose a lovely medium-scale printed fabric for the background. It was the first time I’d had a student make such a choice, but it worked beautifully. (Can you tell she’s happy with it?) Janet chose mostly solid fabrics, which…
Well, after two years, I finally got to teach an in-person class recently. I taught the class “Love It and Leaf It” to a welcoming group in Avon Park, FL. Of course, we had fun! Rose did a great job on her quilt. Don’t the veins make it pop? Lorri had a beautiful piece of…
When you combine one of your favorite activities (dyeing fabric) with one of your favorite people you KNOW you’re going to have a good day! Such was the case when my friend, Perlie, came for a dye play day. She’s an experienced dyer, but we have very different ways of working, so it was interesting…
When dyeing fabric, it’s not at all unusual for me to wash out a fabric, decide it needs more, treat it (again) with soda ash, and continue on. Such was the case with this one. The eyeballs/ovals on this piece were originally pale yellow. Well, that was just creepy! It looked like a lot of…
I’ve been wanting to dye some luscious terra cotta and rust colored fabrics, but wasn’t having good luck with my usual primary mixtures. Therefore, I bought some “Strong Orange” and set about learning what it would do. First, I made swatches of it mixed with each of my other colors. Yes, it took A WHILE….