Work in progress

I have been using soy wax more this year to create batik designs on my clothing, and really love the results! So I decided to go a little beyond just single images on t-shirts... this time, I am working on a rayon poncho, using found objects to stamp designs with wax, followed by brushing on dyes.  Here's a picture of the front... still have to dye the back, but because of the size, I have to do it in sections, then let the dyes dry before moving to the next section.

Once I finish the initial dyeing on the back, I plan to do some more waxing, then I may overdye the whole piece with black, or I may decide to continue brushing on dyes, using some different colors.  My dilemma right now is whether to leave some of the piece un-dyed... I like the white showing through, but I am concerned that the dye may bleed and discolor the white.  So I have to give it some thought before I progress much further.  I will post a picture of the final piece soon! 

 

New to my inventory

I've been wanting to find a pattern for a shoulder bag for the longest time!  Well, the bug bit me again yesterday, and I did some searching online.  I found 2 tutorials, and actually combined parts of each to create a bag from some of my tie-dye fabric:

Since I can't take a picture with it on my shoulder, this will have to do.

Here's a little better shot.  I couldn't find a button, so ended up making a covered one with some of the leftover fabric. 

I like plenty of storage, so I added pockets on each side of the lining to hold small items.

Finished size: 16 3/4" wide, 12" high; strap 13" long, 4" wide.  I hope to have a few of these in the shop by the middle of June... don't know what the price will be yet, but they are quick to make, so that should keep them affordable!  Stay tuned...

Pigments of the Imagination

We are ready to roll!
Note:  For easiest class enrollment, call 928-526-7613.  Don't forget to request a supply list when you register!

Taos fiber art update

Good Grief... time has flown by since the last time I posted about this piece, but the truth is... until the past few days, it has been languishing while I worked on a huge project!  I finally finished that and a couple of others, and then I had to clean the studio... it was in total disarray, and filthy to boot!  Soooo... here is a picture showing some of the progress I have made on "Outside Taos" since January:

I actually went and bought the frame I will use for it when it's done, and that made me take measurements to see what the finished size should be:  16" by 20" when I complete it.  That meant doing a little cropping, and that was fine with me.  I have folded back about 4-5 inches of the right side to reduce width to 20", and that eliminated a problem area that I was going to have to deal with.  Since my last photo update, I have done quite a bit of free-motion stitching on the trees, the latest being on the portion of foliage that juts out from the left.  Then today, I fused a little more of the orange/yellow fabric to the left side of the middle tree.  Now I need to do more stitching... lots more!  Eventually I will work down the middle where the horse is, and finish by stitching the foreground.  I may add some edge-stitching to the top of the mountain range, but have no plans yet for stitching in the sky.  I think I will know eventually if I need to do anything there.  I can't wait to see how it will look framed.  The one I did last year blossomed beautifully when I framed it, and the hope is that this one will too!  I am aiming to finish it in the next month or so, as I plan to have it on display for our annual Open Studios Prelude exhibit in August.  Helps to have a time frame to aim for!   

What's new?

Yikes! I can't believe how long it's been since I posted! It's not that I didn't have anything to post about... just no time! In addition to my tie-dye biz, I have also volunteered to post on a blog for my artfire guild, Fiber Arts. And for some reason, I thought I would have time to create a post every week... what was I thinking? Right after I made that commitment, I got a HUGE order to dye 80 drawstring bags, 80 pieces of fabric that a friend is making into golf cart seat covers, and then I still have 80 terry towels to dye. All this is due to the customer by the 3rd week in May, but I needed to get the fabric done and passed on to my friend so she could do the sewing. Well, I'm down to 10 more pieces, and I should be ready to hand the fabric off to her on Monday. Here are a few shots:

Here are the towels, waiting to be dyed.

Here is one of the fabric pieces, ready to be made into a golf cart seat cover.

The drawstring bags.

Then, just about the same time I got this order, one of my regular customers e-mailed me to order 10 tank tops. I'm almost done with that order, but have had to sandwich them in between the batches of fabric. Fortunately, she is patient and understood that my turnaround would be a little slower than usual.

Other than that, I have been working to schedule 3 dyeing classes this summer - two with my friend Wendy, who I have co-taught with the past 2 years, and a third class that I will be teaching on my own to a couple of gals, which will include both tie-dye and batik techniques. Hopefully, I will have some nice photos to share here from these classes. And then there is just... life in general! My house looks like a wreck, I have other time commitments I have been trying to balance with my business, and I have an overwhelming urge to play in the yard now that the weather is warming up! Breathe in... breathe out... but it's all good!

Happy Spring!

More batik

I've made progress on my batik line... one thing I discovered is that if I have a design with easy to see markings, I can slip it under the shirt when I have stretched the shirt over a foam board and secured, and I see the design well enough through the shirt so I can trace it onto the shirt, rather than having to cut a stencil and trace thru the stencil onto the shirt. A time-saver for sure!

So here are a couple of rompers I finished yesterday:

I didn't have great light when I took these shots... the dyes are actually brighter in person.

I also want to see if I can have a couple of thermofax screens made up of some of the batik designs I have been making, so I can make a printed variation, although I really do love the crackled effect I get with the soy wax.

I just put another shirt into a dye bath that has a batik lotus blossom... I really like the design, and hope to make more of them if this comes out well.

Meanwhile, I'm off in the morning to Scottsdale for an overnight stay with a friend... so amy more batik will have to wait until Sunday... have a great weekend!

Batik... this year's project!

I have had batik in my project board for awhile now... I've been doing autumn leaves shirts for 4 years, and I love them, but I have wanted to broaden my horizons a little, and I decided this is the year. Yesterday, I cut a stencil of a dragonfly, and tried it out on both a t-shirt and a piece of muslin, both pre-soaked in soda ash solution and dried. In both cases, I traced the design on using regular pencil, then I waxed the design on. On the muslin, I added dye to the body and eyes with unthickened dye and an artist's paintbrush, then I brushed the dye on around the dragonflies, over the wings to pick up the divisions, and out toward the edges. I used 4-5 colors of dye, a couple of which I actually mixed and stored back in August! Amazing how well they hold their strength if they are stored in a cool spot! When I finished applying the dyes, I covered the muslin with plastic wrap and batched overnight.

Here's the muslin:

After I let the wax harden on the T-shirt, I scrunched the shirt into a small bin, then I poured over the dyes and let it sit for about an hour before I rinsed and washed. Here's the shirt:

I'm pleased with my start, and got busy this morning creating some more stencils. I'm also searching the internet for pre-cut stencils to see if I can find some I like. It is pretty time-consuming to cut the stencils, and although it goes faster if I cut them from card stock, I'm concerned that the card stock won't last very long before it starts to break down. At any rate, thi is definitely going to be my big project for the year, and probably beyond!