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Sponsor: Quilt Basket n’ Creations

Get to know the Deep Into Indigo Retreat Sponsors!

We have a few and really want to thank them and ask for you to check them out.  They are all super awesome and have so much to offer!

We are huge fans of Quilt Basket n’ Creations.  It’s local to Viroqua and we hope everyone joining is stops by to shop. We just walked in off the street last year and asked Carol, the owner, to sponsor the retreat and she was super open and welcoming.

QBNC has loads of fabric and notions..I’m a sucker for notions and pick something up every time we stop by.

They have sponsored the Deep Into Indigo Retreat with a bolt of sexy linen-cotton blend.  It was the belle of the ball at last year’s retreat.

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Sponsor: Botanical Colors

Get to know the Deep Into Indigo Retreat Sponsors!

We have a few and really want to thank them and ask for you to check them out.  They are all super awesome and have so much to offer!

I was lucky enough to go out to Seattle to learn from Kathy Hattori of Botanical Colors last spring. My luggage never arrived and she was especially nice to me considering  I stunk and wore the same clothes for three days straight.

I’ve been aware of her and have shopped from her for years.  They carry many different kinds of natural dyes in addition to indigo. Check them out and tell them Jennifer sent you.  🙂

Kathy publishes Feedback Friday on their blog when they answer customer’s questions and also share many tutorials for free on how to use their various dyes.

She’s incredibly generous (both in person and online) with her knowledge and resources.  Also with the Deep Into Indigo Retreat, she is sharing chemicals for us to experiment with three different kinds of organic vats!  Thank you, Kathy and Botanical Colors.  They are awesome!

 

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Sponsor: Lynn’s of Madison

Get to know the Deep Into Indigo Retreat Sponsors!

We have a few and really want to thank them and ask for you to check them out.  They are all super awesome and have so much to offer!

The first time I walked in to Lynn’s in Madison WI, I fell in love.  It’s like a store made for textile loving, multi media, stitching artists.  There’s a fabulous supply of perle cotton, wool, linen and every kind of fancy pants thread you would want, painting supplies, gelli plates, print making stuff, books and many, many things that I’m not thinking of tight now to fuel your creativity.  Also, they frame art for you.  I just really dig it there.

The people who work there are lovely too.  They are sponsoring the Deep Into Indigo Retreat with a tasty bag of threads and beads for us to play with.

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BAM!

Handmade Bunting

I sewed a nine foot long bunting!

Hand sewn bunting

It was quick and fun to sew!

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Plus I got to use all these cool and colorful fabrics that I bought in very small amounts when I first started sewing.

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Buntings are so versatile and surprisingly quick to make.  I see lots more in my future.  Can’t you just see a fabulous indigo cotton bunting?

Hand sewn Bunting

It’s for Miranda Beyer!  Go to her blog to check out her photos and hopefully one day, you’ll see this bunting in the background.

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It’s awesome. Oops.

First, the results of the avocado dyed pieces.

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On the right, a dish towel that was in the dye bath for 24 hours.  On the left. a cotton napkin that was in for 48 hours.  The color  on the napkin is darker but also very uneven and I am not thrilled with it.  You can kind of see the darker part along the top.  And the silk scarf, up above them both, was in until the water got nasty – maybe three days-ish.  It’s “meh”.  But it was when I bought it, too.  I just wanted to play with silk.  I have a pile of avocado skins and pits growing in my freezer because, although it’s very light, the pink is really lovely on the 24 hour piece.  I want to do more!

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In the meantime, this quilt needs a backing.  I decided to go all linen for this quilt.  I’ve never done that before but I can just imagine how delightful it would feel to be wrapped up in it.  I  thought it would be fun to piece the back, too.  Another first.  Big beige pieces, though, because I want the blue side to be the star.

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I really screwed up on this one.  Because crazy piecing fabric together is one of my favorite things to do, it’s neither made of large pieces nor less interesting than the blue side.

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It’s awesome.  Oops.

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I had to force myself to keep these big and plain.

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It goes way faster but is it worth it?  The next challenge will be to find a way to enjoy sewing them all up and not going overboard.