Tag: indigo

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Arashi Again

This is the part of being obsessive that I love.  I spent my July 4th holiday wrapping fabric around poles and then dyeing it in indigo.  I can’t get enough of that arashi. There’s so much variation within this technique.   image11(2)

This is one that I wrapped, dyed, let dry on the pole, unwrapped, re-wrapped and over-dyed.  Whew.  I have to ask myself why.  It’s ok and all but whatever.  I don’t see the point in drying and then re-wrapping.  I must be doin’ it rong.image10(4)I won’t walk you through each one.image9(6)Though I do love this skinny one.  Fun to make, too.image8(7)I did throw in some itajime.  That’s the kind where you cover part of the fabric with blocks.  One cannot live by arashi alone.image7(8) image6(12)Love this.  Uneven pleats ftw!!image5(14)Also cool, if I may say so myself.  I accordion triangle folded it and then wrapped it.  Even fancier than it soundsimage4(13)Hell yes.  1/2 a yard of cotton looking fine!image3(13)Another variation on willow pattern.image2(13)Ok.  So I guess I kinda did walk you through each one

IMG_2990

But I did spend my day with them and perhaps I got attached.

Come and dye with me on Sunday, July 12 from 1 – 4 at Paradigm Gardens!!!  Call them to register at 608/241-3800.  That’s a week away.  Holy Cats Time!  Slow down!

Posted on by — 6 Comments

Arashi Explored

I really got excited about arashi shibori and made a bunch of scarves with this technique.  Arashi means storm in Japanese and is made by wrapping the fabric around a pole before dyeing it. I want to try several different ways to make patterns with it.

image10(3)

This one was made with random pleats and no string at all!

image9(5)

Some with by putting the scarf on the pole horizontally.  They’re still so different because it’s such a versatile technique.

image8(6)

image7(7)Accordion folded and wrapped on a diagonal.

image6(11)No string on these either but I put a rubber band at each end to hold it in place.

image5(13)

I couldn’t possible pick a favorite.  I had so much fun making them all and they are all so beautiful.

image12(2)

This is my favorite kind of mess to be left with.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Friends Discount

That’s right. Bring a friend and you can each take $5 off the class price.

IMG_2710

I had this great conversation with my Sister in Law who said my pictures made her curious about indigo and she thought it looked way fun.  But she didn’t really want to learn a whole new hobby and have to buy a buncha stuff to play with indigo.

She thought it looked like a fun outing to do with friends.  She is right, of course.  🙂

Scarf

It’s totally awesome amazing fun!!  Now more funnerer with a discount.  🙂

IMG_2751

Just tell the guys at Paradigm Gardens – (608) 241 – 3800 – about you and your friend wanting the friends discount and it shall be yours.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Willow Pattern

image1(13)

I had an super awesome fun time making something pretty.  What could be better? First, random circles then…

image2(11)

…messy pleating.  The messy part is not required but it’s just my way.

image3(11)

Grab a short length of rope and…

image4(11)

Wrap string around the rope and pleated piece of fabric.

image5(12)

Till it looks like a cocoon.

image6(10)

You don’t have to have a hole in your glove that turns your hand blue but it could happen.

image7(6)

Dip it in the indigo lots of times so it really gets dark.

image9(4)

Unwrap it, it’s an adventure!  Use a seam ripper or little embroidery scissors and BOOM you’ve made the willow pattern, my current favorite Shibori pattern.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Indigo Classes – Stitched Samples

IMG_2753

This isn’t a sample, this is just a yard of blue.  I thought it would make a pretty sky for a landscape quilt.  My backyard vat is getting tired, it could use more indigo. Until I add more, I’m experimenting with the different shades of blue I can come up with.  It’s been so dark, navy has been my only option.

IMG_2750

This is so pretty, isn’t it?  Am I allowed to say that about my own stuff?  hmm…Yes, I am.  I love it.

IMG_2749

 

And this guy, wooooo!  Fun.  I like the stitched pieces A LOT.  But they do take time.

IMG_2751

Oh yeah, had to do this.  It’s the PG version of my thought process when things are going well,  It’s lighter than the others because a stitch popped and I didn’t want to lose any letters so I stopped dipping it into the indigo early. The more times you dip fabric into an indigo vat, the darker the fabric gets.

IMG_2748

These guys took two Lord Of the Rings movies to stitch.  Totally worth it.  I’ll bring them to Indigo 101 at Paradigm Gardens on Sunday.  There’s still room for you to join the fellowship of the blue.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Indigo 101

Meet the stars of Indigo 101!

image8(5)

I’m getting my Indigo Classes ready to teach and I am having so much fun!

There are a few more techniques I want to prepare samples for but I wanted to share the basic idea.

image10(2)

I’m bring six Quilters Cotton Fat Quarters with finished edges for everyone to dye with.  A fat quarter is a rectangle of fabric that’s about 18″ X 22″, basically a quarter of a yard of fabric.

I don’t know why they’re called fat quarters but they are.  I hope they don’t mind being called fat, poor dears.  Anyhoo, I finished the edges in case you don’t want to sew with them.

They make lovely, generously sized (better than calling them fat, I’d say) napkins!

image6(9)

I’ll teach several kinds of Shibori.

image7(5)

Folding techniques

image5(11)

Tying techniques

image4(10)

Shape resists

image3(10)

I’ll have lots of marbles and strings

image2(10)

Pole wrapping

image1(12)

I am going to put together some stitched samples too.  They take time but they’re just so cool, I can’t skip them.

Then we’ll dunk everything into the indigo, which is a magical experience in itself. The class is going to be a blast.  I highly recommend signing up with a friend or two.  Dates and details here.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Indigo Classes!

ParadigmIndigo

Howdy all. I just wanted to let you know that I have found an awesome place to run bunches of Indigo Dyeing and Shibori classes in a big ass vat INDOORS!  Woohoo!!!!!!!!!

Big Ass Vat

There’s a longer version of the story.  I’ll share it later.  All the deets are on my events page.

I hope you can come along!!!!

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

FINALLY!

The weather finally behaved well enough for me to start in indigo vat just yesterday!  Well, with the help of my new good friend: the aquarium heater; it’s still a little cool in the evenings.

IMG_2390My good friend the tea towel and my new acrylic blocks got along swimmingly

IMG_2394

Experiment with non-tradition batik…just ok.  It photographs well.

I have to go to work in  a few minutes but I got almost an hour of dyeing in today.  It actually felt like a relief.  I’ve missed it so much.

IMG_2388

Not bad for such a short amount of time.

I plan on having a drop in and dye at Paradigm Gardens on Saturday, May 30th from 10-I’m-too-tired-to-dye-o’clock.  I was planning on 5 but I sprained my foot and am hobbling around in a boot.

I will be teaching Shibori and Indigo dyeing classes there throughout the summer too (!!!) but I’m still waiting on date confirmations.  Watch this space!!!!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

INDIGO!!

INDIGO!!

I can’t get enough of it!  We’re getting ready to have an Indigo Immersion Day this Saturday yet I still set up a vat to play with in my back yard.

photo 4

 Pretty freaking awesome!

photo 3

 

Because everybody needs blue socks!

 

photo 2

 

This was excessive, wasn’t it.

photo 1

 

Getting all my toys ready to bring out to Still Point farm.

photo 5

 

Here’s the indigo vat with the flower still on it.  Check my events page if you’re local and want to sign up, it’s not too late!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

..hint hint..

I took this picture last night, when the jars weren’t back lit by the window.

I think it’s kind of funny that they are covered with an indigo dyed dish towel.  It’s indigo’s fault they there, because I can’t dye with indigo in this weather.  

Anyway, I sucked it up and put my dirty dishes in the dishwasher before getting started this time…You’re welcome.

They all looked pretty much the same in the jars but there is a fair amount of variation between them.

That pink piece is a silk scarf that I dyed with avocado skins and pits but didn’t like, so I threw it in with the cotton.  I still don’t like it.  But I like everything else.  Cotton napkins, dish towels and doilies.  I didn’t rinse them, I just hung them up.  

This doily was up near the top of a jar.  Where it was exposed the the air, it is greener, the submerged part has much more blue.  So, I took it and a couple of dishtowels and stuck ’em back in for another day.

I think they’ll stay submerged this time, that jar in there is full of water.  I’ll post again tomorrow when the pieces that are hanging are dry and the 48 hours pieces are done.  I’m curious to see of the extra time will matter.  

I really want to try again using a different mordant.  I’m only interested in non-toxic mordants and am open to suggestions..hint hint.