Gradation Dyeing

This week I experimented with gradation dyeing. I had never done it before this way. I had always just piled the fabric up in the dye bath. This method consisted of mixing a very strong dye bath up and adding different quantities of it with different measurements of water into several different baths.

I loved the results.

Dyeing Fabric

I finished one course at Quilt University and loved it so much signed up for another one. This one is on fabric dyeing. I have been doing this for a few years now, but thought it would be beneficial to actually take some lessons on it.

Here are pictures from my first lesson. We made the 3 primary colours and then got to experiment with the rest of the dyes. I like the colours that I got to experiment with better.

Painting

This week for my course we had to paint something. I used a transfer method that Lyric Kinard had posted on her blog with Citra Solv and put this design onto fabric.

Then I painted it. I am loving the outcome. The red ran a bit, but that won't be a problem as I will probably fuse it to something and cut right at the edge so the red won't show.

The course ends in 2 weeks and there is a fabric dyeing course starting up next week. I am contemplating taking it. I do already dye my own fabric, but it would probably be helpful to take a course from an expert.

Another Sample

I am loving this painting on fabric! Here is a picture of what you can do with a bit of freezer paper and dye paints.

And I just had to show you the fabulous fabric my friend from BC sent me! I can't wait to figure out how to use it.

Lesson 3

This was the beginning of the fun with my painting fabric course. I did stamping, and stencilling yesterday. I have posted two of my pieces here. The yellow one is done with freezer paper. I have actually painted over it again, but don't have a picture of that yet. My day fell apart as I had to rush over to to the big city hospital with my youngest child to see a specialist at midnight. Thankfully, all turned out okay and we just move on...sure keeps things in perspective though.

I will post more from this lesson later.

Lesson 2

As I have mentioned before I am taking a quilting course online at Quilt University. I did my second lesson over the weekend. It was very indepth regarding mixing the dye paints to make all the colours such as yellow- orange, orange, red-orange etc. Needless to say, there really is a difference to all these colours and it was quite an experience being able to create them myself.

The first two lessons were the hardest. Now we get to use these techniques to play, which is the reason I signed up for the course. Lesson 3 consists of stamping, monoprinting, and stencilling. I look forward to doing those over the next week.

I have included a picture of my marbling sample, and we put it in a gallery so the instructor can make comments on our work. This is what the instructor said about my piece:

Your marbled piece is superb, Jackie! May I keep a copy for the class gallery? It will always have your name on it so you get the credit for a job well done.

The class gallery she is referring to, is the gallery that goes with the course outline when people are searching the Quilt University website.

That made my day!

Quilt University

I am taking a course at Quilt University.

It is called 'Thick and Thin', and teaches me all about using dye and a thickener and turning dye into fabric paint. I have been dyeing fabric for a few years now, and wanted to try painting on fabric. I just couldn't see myself buying a whole other set of paints and accessories. Then I came upon this gem of a class, where I can use my own dyes, which I am already very comfortable with, know the chemicals needed, how they work and so on. And adding this magical thickener, turns them into paint.

The best part, is unlike fabric paint that sits on the surface of the fabric, this method, soaks into the fabric as the base is a dye. The colours are as vibrant and beautiful as my dyed fabric and I am loving this course.