Indigo Dyeing in the Studio

Below are photos of some more indigo pieces I made the other week.

This is a photo showing the fabrics tied, folded, clamped with rubber bands, etc. 

ready for the indigo vat.

Folded and clamped.

I used the honeycomb technique on this one twice, changing the direction of wrapping the fabric around the rope to get it darker on all four edges.

Folded and clamped with chopsticks.

Folded and clamped.

Arashi Technique on linen. The linen takes the dye beautifully.

This was a silk scarf that I overdid in the Indigo vat.

Folded and clamped with popsicle sticks to create the chevron pattern.

This was a piece on which I used potato dextrin and thickened orange dye and then who knows what else. I wanted to cover up mostly everything but the orange circles.

This was also an over-dyed piece. I used the honeycomb technique on the fabric originally

 and it just needed more. Still needs some more defining, but I have a couple of ideas for it.

Folded and clamped with wooden squares.

Folded, clamped with large metal washers.

Finally Finished Shibori Quilt

Except for attaching the sleeve and the label I finally finished my shibori quilt. It's been difficult with my back issues to sit or stand very long so it was done in many mini sessions. I really like how it came out and hope it gets accepted into the SLO Art Museum's upcoming Dimensions Show. I'll find out by November 15th.

I used my own arashi and itijime dyed fabrics and it is hand stitched with a big stitch. Here's a couple closeups of it.

New Shibori Fabrics

Over Labor Day weekend I had time to do some over-dyeing and discharging of fabrics that already had patterns previously created upon them.  I actually did more, but will need to post those later when I have a chance.

Below is the closeup.

This fabric had been previously low immersion dyed and stamped.  I accordion folded it and rolled it up, placing it in a small plastic container so it stayed in a roll.  Next I squeezed red and black dye on the crests of the folds on both ends.

Below is the closeup

This was an itajime fabric made previously and I wrapped it around PVC and did 

arashi shibori using black.

This fabric was itajime dyed, then discharged, re-tied and dyed and then arashi shibori dyed yesterday.  I think it's done.  Love the layers of pattern in all of these.

Itajime over Arashi

This is the story of the evolution of one piece of complex cloth.  Here it is after it's first treatment, which was arashi (wrapped around PVC pipe with string, squished down and dye applied).  I liked it, but wanted it to have more depth.

Stage 2:    Discharged dye using arashi method and bleach/water mix.  I left it in too long and it removed more than I wanted.

Stage 3- Wrapped fabric with string tightly and applied dye, still not what I was looking for.

Final Stage - (I think)

This time I used itajime techniques as you can see in the upper picture.  I accordion folded the fabric, clamping ceramic coasters and wooden sticks on either side and then squirted on the dyes.  What do you think?

Yeah! Two Hand-dyed Quilts Finished

Yesterday I finished up two quilts that I am planning on entering into our Cutting Edge group exhibit for the Pacific International Quilt Show this next October. Both quilts still need to titles and labels. I'd love some suggestions for titles, so please send me a comment on any ideas you have.

This one is made from three arashi shibori fabrics.  I wanted the fabrics to speak for themselves and did not want to take away from their strong designs by adding a lot of stitching or embellishment.

The one below is made from two ice dyed fabrics.  The side borders have embroidery and the top and bottom borders have fabrics with rubbings made from one of my linoleum blocks using oil based paint-stiks.  The top corners have angelina fibers and the bottom corners foiled designs.

  

Ok, now help me come me come up with some names for these two quilts.  Thanks for your help.

New Arashi Silk Scarf

Last weekend I made a new arashi dyed silk scarf.  I did this one a little different than I usually make them.  I soaked the fabric first in soda ash, and let it dry a little outside on the lawn, with rocks on top, so it wouldn't blow away, because it was pretty windy out there.  Then I wrapped it around the PVC  pole and squirted Wasabi,  turquoise and fuchsia dyes onto it. Usually I don't do the pre-painting, but wanted to try it this time.

Here is the wrapped scarf on the PVC pole waiting to be unwrapped and rinsed.

The fuchsia dye really took over.  I tend to forget what a hog it is for grabbing the fiber molecules and taking over.

Here's a closeup of a turquoise area I really liked.

New arashi shibori and really low immersion dyed fabrics

Here are a couple of new fabrics.  I really like the cotton velveteen pictured below.  It takes the dye so beautifully in that the colors look very vibrant. For this one, I used fabric that had been previously soaked in soda ash and allowed to dry.  I carefully arranged it, scrunching up here and there in a container and then applied the dye using squeeze bottles. Unlike low immersion dyeing I do not add very much liquid, either in the form of  plain water or soda ash water. following the dyes.  I wasn't sure how potent my dyes would be since, some of them I've had since last September, but you can see they are still very good.  I keep my liquid concentrates in a small, dorm size fridge in our barn.

The fabric below was also dry, pre-soaked in soda ash.  I wrapped it around a four inch piece of PVC pipe and squirted dyes onto it. I think this one is going to need further surface design,

perhaps some discharging here and there.

Hand-dyed T Shirts

I'm getting ready to sell some fabrics, T-shirts, scarves, books, etc. at our next Almond Country Guild Meeting, where for $10, members can rent a table to sell their "Trash to Treasures."  Everything I'm selling are treasures, its' just that I have too many of them.  I have discovered over the last few years that I enjoy dyeing fabrics and wearables probably more than making them into quilts, even though I enjoy that as well.  So I have accumulated a lot of arashi and itajime shibori fabrics, along with some T-shirts and scarves which will be for sale at the March meeting.  I'm also selling some great quilt books that I no longer use but will hopefully be a treasure to someone else.

All the T shirts are 100% cotton, machine washable and can be thrown in the dryer.
 The shorts sleeved ones are $20 each and the one long-sleeved on is $25.
  Not bad for a one-of-a-kind wearable.  This one is an ice-dyed shirt.

This shirt is part arashi (tied resist) and part itajime (clamped shape resist) 

This shirt is also an ice-dyed one.  I think the patterns resemble flowers.

This shirt reminds of patterns found in marble.