Dye Candy

Fresh Fabrics

2012-01-19T17:21:00.000-06:00

At long last - Snow Dyes!!! This is the driest winter we have experienced in Wisconsin for many years. Finally last week we received a snow worthy of snow dyeing. If you are addicted to this technique like me..this snow was a long time coming. You can see 4 of the new snow dyes in the center to upper left hand corner of this photo collage.

When I was at retreat a few weeks ago I spent an entire day editing photos of new hand dyes for my Dye Candy Shop. Sometimes it seems like the photographing, cropping, color touch ups and listing the of fabric take almost as long as the actual dyeing process. I am so pleased to have the job done.

This weekend I am getting together with the ladies from the Richland Center quilt guild. We will be making purses to sell as a fundraiser for "GRACE" a local charity that assists patients with cancer. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone and sharing different purse making ideas.

Sending you warm wishes from southwestern Wisconsin where the temperature is 1 degree F at 5:30 pm. BRRR - Chris

Project Quilting Week 1 Challenge - Architectural Elements

2012-01-14T10:09:00.000-06:00

photo by Jack – Lloyd (found on Flickr)

This week the theme at Project Quilting is "Architectural Elements". This is the first of 12 weeks of challenges. Join in anytime. Prizes are awarded weekly to participants. Kim, The host of project quilting says " These challenges are intended to help you “Think Outside the Square”. Be creative. Take a risk. DO SOMETHING NO ONE ELSE WILL THINK OF DOING."

The challenge for week 1 is due tomorrow at noon. Follow this link to read more.

Looking for another challenge that lets you set the criteria and develop your own ideas? Join the Art Quilt Blog 2012 Challenge "A Series of Quilts"

Project Quilting Anyone?

2012-01-05T06:00:00.004-06:00

Pattern: "Treasure Box Quilt" by Edita Sitar

Fabric Line: "Color Defined" by Faye Burgos for Marcus Bros 2010

Season 3 of Project Quilting is starting on Sunday Jan 8th. Modeled after Project Runway, there will be 12 weekly quilt challenges. If you want to play along, click on the Project Quilting badge located near the upper right hand side of my blog. Anyone can join in at anytime during the season. Lots of fabulous prizes will be given away each week. Dye Candy Fabrics sponsoring one of these prizes. I will be giving away one yard of fabric each week or an $18.00 discount towards items purchased from my Dye Candy shop. Hope to see you there!

I'm off to join my mom and girlfriends for the weekend at the Homestead Cabin Retreat. The first item on my list for the weekend is to pin baste this quilt top. Wishing you happy stitching!

Chris

Dragon Reflections in Another Place

2012-01-01T21:23:00.001-06:00

Dragon Reflections

Chris Daly 2011 created for

Art Quilts Around the World "Another Place" Challenge

I am an avid reader of fantasy fiction. As a child I was immersed in the Land of OZ series by LF Baum. Not only did I love the stories but I marveled at the fantastic illustrations of John R. Neill. Later I traveled with Ursula Le Guin to Earthsea and Anne McCaffrey to meet the Dragon Riders of Pern.

This quilt was created for the Art Quilts Around the World "Another Place" challenge. We were to create a quilt using a technique we had not used before. We also had to use plastic and paper in our quilts.

The idea of a dragon theme quilt came to me immediately. Trying to figure out how to incorporate plastic and paper into this project kept me from starting my quilt top for quite a while. I tried thinking in an abstract mixed media sense but kept coming back to my original theme. Once I had the idea of a reflecting pool it all came together.

The dragon reflection in the pool is drawn on card stock using colored pencils. I quilted the batik fabric then covered the dragon image with the plastic from a Ziploc Freezer Bag. I tried a cellophane type of bag first but the stitching perforated the plastic. The plastic in the freezer bag is very pliable and stands up well to the machine quilting.

I worked on the quilted dragon head separately. I drew the quilting details on the top fabric first using a pencil. Next I layered the top with batting and a muslin backing. I machine quilted the scales on the dragon head and neck. Once that was complete I applied Daler Rowney acrylic inks over the top of the quilting, a technique I have wanted to try for a long time. The inks covered the pencil lines, toned down the turquoise blue quilting thread and added a vibrant shimmer to the dragon. I added 2 more layers of batting under the dragon's head to give it more dimension. The head is appliqued it in place using a straight stitch.

The Daler Rowney acrylic inks were a gift from my mom this Christmas. I had read about the inks on Leslie McNeil's blog MarveLes Art Studios. I love these inks. Thanks Mom, thanks Les! The inks have more substance to them than some of the other fabric paints on the market. They were easy to mix and apply. I love the subtle shimmer they add to my fabrics.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Chris

Easy to Sew Pattern Finished

2011-12-19T16:30:00.001-06:00

I started this quilt top almost two years ago using Marcia's "Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern". It is hard to believe it took so long to finish because the blocks go together really fast.

I've been on a mission to finish my UFO's before diving in and starting other work. When I work on a project I don't always start the pattern with a finished size in mind. That becomes a problem because I end up setting aside too many of my favorite fabrics until the project is complete. I used some of my Dye Candy Hand Dyes and Kaffe Fassett fabrics purchased from Canton Village Quilt Works. I'm happy to say I still have plenty of Kaffe fabrics left to play with. Whoohoo, free at last!!!

Christmas sales of my stained glass ornaments were so strong this year that I ran out of product. I had to stop taking orders a few days ago. I even shipped an order to North Pole Alaska.

In a few more days my son will be home from college. We can't wait to have him here at Christmastime.

I hope you are surrounded by all of your loved ones this holiday season. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from Wisconsin!

Chris

Holiday Giveaway - Three Winners to be Chosen

2011-12-04T18:32:00.001-06:00

I'm a big fan of Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilt books. I've read almost every book in the series. I was thrilled when her publisher offered a copy of her latest book "The Wedding Quilt" for a giveaway.

Please leave a comment on this post if you would like a chance to win Jennifer's latest book.

I will also be giving away one of my stained glass snowflake ornaments and a $25.00 credit toward the purchase of my quilt jewelry pieces or hand dyed fabrics from my Dye Candy shop.

I will choose three winners on Saturday December 10th at 7:00 pm.

Enter at least once by leaving a comment on this post. Leave another comment each time you share the giveaway information on social media or you blog.

Wishing lots of luck! Chris

P.S. The weekend retreat at the Homestead Cabin was so fun and very productive. I completed two quilt tops and have a third one well under way.

Update:
Thanks to everyone that entered! Congratulation,s the winners are...

4 - sosarasews

19 - Debbie - Pieceful Living

44 – Joy V.

I will be contacting you all shortly.

Dye Candy Discount for Cyber Monday and Fresh Fabrics

2011-11-27T19:34:00.001-06:00

I just added a bunch of new hand dyed fabrics to my Dye Candy shop today. All of my hand dyed fabrics are made using premium cotton fabrics that were manufactured in the USA. Dye Candy Fabrics are sizing free and fragrance free.

All hand dyed fabrics and jewelry in my shop are 20% off starting Sunday November 27th through Saturday December 3rd. Just enter coupon code Dyecandy20 when you check out.

I've added gift certificates to my shop this year. Purchase a $25.00 gift certificate during the sale and it will only cost you $20.00. Other amounts are available upon request.

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving! I had my first Skype conversation with my son on Thursday. It was so nice to be able to speak to him face to face. He has been away at college for just over 4 years and we miss him like crazy.

P.S. Check back on Sunday. I will be hosting a giveaway featuring Jennifer Chiaverini's new book "The Wedding Quilt" and a few other items from my Etsy Shops. (You can find a link to each shop in the side bar of my blog). I will be choosing 3 winners.

Just when I thought it was safe to relax..

2011-11-19T11:09:00.001-06:00

The last two weekends have been spent getting my stained glass snowflake ornaments ready to ship to the galleries for Christmas.

I have been making these snowflakes since 2006. They provided the seed money to allow me to grow my business and paid for the start up costs of my fabric dyeing business. This year I made close to 100 of these beauties.

I can hardly wait to finish soldering so I can see them hanging in the sunlight.

So it is out of the frying pan and into the fire...Last night my husband and I started tearing into the walls of our entryway so we can add insulation. We live in an old farmhouse of an undetermined age. Our entryway is an old porch that was enclosed. In the winter the wind blows through the walls and into our living room.

As it is with every job we have taken on in this house we are finding questionable construction techniques that leave us scratching our heads. I am afraid we have opened a 5 gallon can of worms with this project. See that electrical outlet hanging from the ceiling? It was not screwed to a stud like it should have been, no...It was held to the face of the old paneling with electrical tape. Heaven help us! I sure hope we find a properly framed structure underneath. Wish us luck!

Hope you have a great weekend.

Chris

Quilts of Valor Update

2011-11-06T18:29:00.000-06:00

These photos show some of the quilts our Richland Center guild made for Quilts of Valor and the soldiers at the VA hospital in Madison Wisconsin. These and at least 6 others were quilted by Marcia Wachuta of Marcia's Crafty Sewing who generously donated her time to complete these quilts.

We weren't sure of the total tally at the last meeting but we have at least 12 quilts completed. One of the members of our guild pieced 6 tops. Way to go Betty!

Pictured are Marcia, Anita, Linda and myself.

I used Tonya Ricucci's Free Pieced Letter technique to add the USA letters. I also made some free pieced stars shown in this older post.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Chris

The Farm in Autumn and the Waunakee Quilt Show

2011-10-27T10:42:00.001-05:00

October 2nd, 2011

This time of year we spend as much time outside as possible, taking many evening walks around the farm to see the colors.

Here is a view of our farm looking from west to east. Our property stretches from the top of the surrounding ridges down into the valley. Our house sits in the middle almost 150 feet below the ridges.

October 5th, 2011

The field have been fallow for many years. Occasionally cattle, sheep and horses have grazed here. A small portion of our land is still mowed as organic hay for the dairy farm next door.

The meadows have gone back to their natural state creating a habitat for many species of birds and butterflies. Summer here is a sight to see with hundreds of dragonflies each August and thousands of fireflies each June.

The golden rod and asters are all that are left of our summer flowers.

October 12th, 2011

A couple hard frosts and a good strong wind reveals the bones of the land. I love every season on this land but Autumn has to be my favorite.

Yesterday I drove to Madison with my husband and was amazed at all the color just 30 miles to our south along the Wisconsin River. The oaks and quaking aspen are at peak. If time allows I hope to capture some photos in route to the quilt show in Waunakee Wisconsin.

I will be vending at this show on Friday and Saturday October 28th and 29th. This show features 150 quilts and is only 2 blocks southwest of Millhouse Quilts .

Hope to see you there!

St. John's 11th Annual Quilt Show [ October 28 - 29 ]

St. John’s School Gymnasium
114 East Third Street
Waunakee, WI
Friday and Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Admission $3

The Devil's Puzzle Book Giveaway

2011-10-16T12:00:00.001-05:00

"The Devil's Puzzle"

By Clare O'Donohue

Book# 4 in the Someday Quilts Series

I've spent the weekend curled up with this book. I received a couple copies of "The Devil's Puzzle" from Clare O'Donohue's publisher Plume Books. Some of the members in my quilt guild have read and enjoyed her earlier books so I looked forward to a little down time and a good book. This book does not disappoint. I'm half way through and look forward to finishing in the next few days. The book is rated between four and five stars on many of the book store websites. If you would like to find out a little more about this series visit Clare O'Donohue's webite.

Please leave a comment on this post if you would like a chance to win a copy of "The Devil's Puzzle". I will draw for a winner on Thursday October 20th at 6:00 pm. Be sure to leave a second comment if you blog, Twitter or Facebook with a link to this giveaway.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Chris

Update: The Winner is Sandie who is Crazy'boutquilts. Congratulations Sandie! Thanks to everyone that entered!

Fashion Friday

2011-10-14T21:30:00.001-05:00

You've come a long way baby!

Simplicity 1973

When I was taking this photo I was reminded that not more than 10 years earlier most public schools did not permit women to wear pants to class. Thanks goodness times change. You wouldn't catch me in a pair of pantyhose these days!!

Check back Saturday Night. I will be hosting a book giveaway.

Fashion Friday and a Quilt Show

2011-10-07T11:51:00.000-05:00

Holy Cats Batman!

I still have this pattern if anyone is interested in making this vest.

I am vending at the Lighthouse Legacies quilt show in Racine, WI IL this weekend. This is a

great show. If you are in the area stop by and say hello.

Show hours are 10:00 to 5:00 Saturday and 10:00 to 3:00 Sunday

http://www.lighthousequiltersguild.org/showinfo.php

Wendy Butler Berns Classes on Craftsy

2011-10-05T21:04:00.000-05:00

Recently I had a chance to listen to a lecture given by Wendy Butler Berns on decorative threads. I always enjoy her lectures and have long wanted to take a class from her. I asked her if she was teaching in the area any time soon but she was not.

This weekend I had a very pleasant surprise. Wendy contacted me with a link to two classes she is teaching on the Craftsy website, "Pictorial Art Quilts" and "Machine Quilting". I spent the last couple of evenings watching and participating in her Pictorial Art Quilting Techniques class. In this class you will learn how to select fabrics for your project based on value and style of fabric. Wendy discusses how she creates her patterns, what construction techniques she uses to create her art quilts, threads, needles and machine quilting options. By the end of the class you will have a completed art quilt.

I have taken a few classes on the internet but have never had an experience like this before. The class is given in a video format which makes it feel like you are sitting in a class with Wendy. The class is broken into segment, making it easy to view the class at your leisure. Once you have purchased a class on Craftsy you have access to the class indefinitely. You can add notes to your computer that are saved along with the class for future reference. This website is extremely user friendly.

The Craftsy website is perfect for someone like me who lives in the middle of nowhere. The class cost about what I would have spent on gas if I had to attend the course and I was able to take the class in the same amount of time it would take me to drive to a class and back. I look forward to seeing the Craftsy course selections grow.

Follow this link and you can enroll in this class for half price.

Click here to view a vidcast interview where Wendy talks about her "Out On a Limb" Exhibition with Bonnie McCaffrey

P.S. Wendy mentioned she has a third class called "Art Quilting 101" that will be added to the Crafty site in November.

Giveaway Winners

2011-10-04T20:15:00.000-05:00

My laundry basket is full of fabrics ready to go to Racine this weekend. The Lighthouse Quilt Guild is hosting a quilt show on Saturday and Sunday. I have heard wonderful things about this show. If you are in the area be sure to stop by and say hello.

Winners of the last giveaway were Stacey from Vermont and Tricia from Illinois. Congratulations ladies. Your packages are on the way. I hope you love the fabrics.

Thank you to everyone that entered! Stop back soon. Next week I will be giving away a book called "Devil's Puzzle" written by Clare O'Donohue

Fashion Friday and a Giveaway

2011-09-30T17:16:00.000-05:00

Does anyone remember the Infinite Dress? McCall's circa 1976

Who does the model remind you of?

About Fashion Friday: I use old sewing patterns as packaging for my mail order shipments. I purchased 500 patterns from a quilter friend's estate sales a few years ago. My friends and I had so much fun looking through the boxes I decided to add Fashion Friday as a regular blog feature. I hope you enjoy these posts.

There are many new visitors this week. Hello, and thanks for stopping by! If you haven't entered my Dye Candy Fabric giveaway please take time to visit my last post and leave a comment. For every 100 comments received I will add another winner to the drawing. I wish you all luck in the giveaway. Warm Regards from Sunny Wisconsin where Autumn is in the air! Chris

Dye Candy Fabric Giveaway And a Finish

2011-09-25T17:09:00.001-05:00

I finished my Night and Day quilt in time to hang it on display at the Faithful Circle Quilt Show. I made this quilt for the Lazy Gal's Liberated Amish Get Together blog challenge. You can read more about this quilt on that blog...click here

Having the quilt in my booth gave me a chance to talk up Tonya Ricucci's "Word Play Quilts" book and her interview on The Quilt Show website that starts to run tomorrow. I was thrilled to meet Debbi DW who had also participated in this challenge.

To celebrate Tonya's appearance I am hosting another Dye Candy Fabric Giveaway.

Please leave a comment here to for a chance to win fabric or jewelry from my Dye Candy store. If you are a winner you may choose from an item valued at $18.00 or receive $25.00 off an order of greater value.

The giveaway will close on Sunday October 2nd at 6:00 pm CST.

If you share this post on your blog, Twitter, Facebook or any other social media platform please leave an additional comment for each tweet or post you write. Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you if you are a winner.

Check back monthly for additional Dye Candy giveaways in 2011

Good Luck! Chris

Fashion Friday

2011-09-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

The model in gray looks suspiciously like Pam Dawber. I couldn't find a date on this pattern. I suspect it is from around1982.

I'm so excited! I just received an e-mail from the Quilt Show. Tonya Ricucci the Unruly Quilter is going is
going to be featured on their September 26th show!!! I've been waiting impatiently since last summer to see this episode! Yay Tonya!

A Winner and A Quilt Show

2011-09-13T16:15:00.016-05:00

"Celebration"

Made by Members of the Faithful Circle Quilt Guild.

I am pleased to announce the giveaway winner is Linda D! Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone that entered. Remember I will be hosting another giveaway later this month with more chances to win.

In two more days I load my van with fabrics and head to Woodridge Illinois. I will be vending at the Faithful Circle Quilt Guild Show "Color Works". Show hours are 9am-5pm on Saturday September 17th & 11am to 4pm on Sunday the 18th. There will be 400 quilts on display, each made by the extremely talented members of the guild. The show features a traveling exhibit from AQSG 2010 "Study of 19th Century Star Quilts".

"Celebration," is the title of the quilt pictured above. It is the raffle quilt at this show. The guild's quilt placed first in Paducah in the group category!!!

If you are able to attend please stop by the Dye Candy booth and say hello. Hope to see you there.

P.S. Fashion Friday will return next week once my feet hit the ground.

Dye Candy Fabric Giveaway & Fresh Fabrics

2011-09-08T18:47:00.000-05:00

I just added bunch of fabrics to my Etsy Shop. Lots of Autumn and Winter inspired colors. More will be added as time permits.

And now for the first giveaway this month...(I will host another later this month to make up for the one I skipped in August.)

The giveaway will close Tuesday at 6:00 am CST on September 13th.

Check back monthly for additional Dye Candy giveaways in 2011

Good Luck! Chris

Fashion Friday

2011-09-02T16:21:00.000-05:00

Oscar de la Renta for Vogue 2006

We had a great time at the quilt retreat last weekend. I made lots of progress there and continue to push forward this week in hopes of finishing a few projects. I finished tacking the binding on my Day and Night Quilt last night. The Disappearing Nine Patch is quilted. I just need to finish the binding. Yay!

This weekend I start dyeing again as I get ready for the fall quilt shows. I will be listing new fabric in my Etsy shop.

And check back next week I will be hosting another giveaway.

Have a great holiday weekend! Chris

Fashion Thursday

2011-08-25T02:00:00.001-05:00

1973

I seem to remember having a bathing suit cover up like this when I was younger.

I'm posting a day early because I leave today to spend the weekend with my mom some of my favorite girlfriends at the Homestead Cabin Retreat.

I finished the top of my Disappearing 9 patch quilt last weekend. I hope to return home with the quilting finished and the binding in place.

Have a wonderful weekend! Chris

Dyeing of a Very Personal Nature

2011-08-21T06:00:00.009-05:00

Even when I decide to take a break I can't seem to stop dyeing fabrics. What can I say. It's an addiction that I'm proud to admit I have.

My sister's son is at the stage where he has discover how much fun it is to play with food. She broke him of the habit very quickly by rewarding his good table manners with a shiny gold star or two after each meal...But not before he soiled a bunch of his onsies. I gladly volunteered to over dye his shirts.

My mom and sister had a paint play day a few months ago. The moon and the stars stencil was done by my mom. Isn't it adorable?

I also did a little dyeing of my own. I've been debating whether I should show you something so personal and finally decided I would.

Frustrated by the lack of color choices available in my size from from Fruit of the Loom, I decided to take matters into my own hands. It seems the larger the size the whiter your choices become. Boring!!! Not a white pair left in my underwear drawer. I even dyed some of the pastel colors.

Hope you are enjoying the same cool weather we have been having these past weeks. It is so nice to spend the days with the windows open.

Fashion Friday

2011-08-19T20:28:00.000-05:00

Holly Hobbie Pattern - Circa 1973 or 1974

Here's a blast from the past!

Hollie Hobbie brings back such memories for me... from the pink bedspreads my mother sewed for my sister and I, to the paper tole pictures we made for our grandmothers for Christmas.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chris

Disappearing Quilter

2011-08-13T12:05:00.000-05:00

July and August are the two months in the summer I usually take a break from production dyeing. My quilt show schedule starts back up in September so I play while I can. I like to have a sewing project on hand to keep me busy with when the weather gets too hot to be outside.

Our local quilt guild, the Piecemakers, is working together to provide quilts to Safe Harbor a local women's homeless shelter. I am so pleased to find a local organization like this. They are doing wonderful things there. The goal of this organization is to change lives. They strive to give women the skills they need to survive so they do not become homeless again. It is the hope that each woman (and child) that comes through the door will leave with the supplies they need to help furnish their new home. Our quilts will help in a small way.

We chose the disappearing nine patch block for our quilts. One of our guild members has a studio cutter and we were able to cut our 6" squares in a short amount of time.

I've been on a mission to use my old fabrics. This quilt will include some of the first fabrics in my stash. I'm glad these fabrics will go to a good home (I will miss that purple fabric and the Fossil Ferns). I see many more donation quilts in my future...I have a lot of fabric to use up.

We've been up north to the birthplace of Paul Bunyan. I was hoping to find Babe the Blue Ox but had to settle for musical theater instead.

What a great name for a theater! It made me stop and take a look.

My son and I spent a relaxing week by the lake with family from far and near.

Dad was very sick and had to stay home.

I wish days like this could last forever.

Hope you are having a wonderful summer!

Chris

And the Winner Is...

2011-07-18T22:55:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone that entered this month's giveaway! It was fun to see such a great response in such a short time.

I like to use the random number generator at random.org. It makes choosing a winner so quick and easy. This month's winner is #3 Congratulations Jackie!

I bet most of you know Jackie from Canton Village Quilt Works. Her blog is full of inspiring projects. Her fabric shop is one of my favorite stops. Jackie publishes monthly podcasts packed full of information. Find them listed as Jackie's Quilting Chronicles.

Check back soon for more chances to win. There will be two winners in August.

Dye Candy Fabric Giveaway

2011-07-16T18:04:00.000-05:00

There are fresh Fabrics in my Dye Candy Shop today.

Recently I started dying some of my fabrics in larger lots.

Many of these fabrics are now available from one yard up to 3 continuous yards.

These are some of my favorites from my June.

Hope you like them too!

This month the giveaway will be a quick one....

The giveaway will close Monday at 10:00 pm CST on July 18th.

Check back monthly for additional Dye Candy giveaways in 2011

Good Luck! Chris

Fashion Friday

2011-07-15T18:41:00.000-05:00

Babushka!

This photo is from a book I received as a teenager. "Supersewing Without a Pattern" encouraged me to create simple projects using my own designs.

I think every sewer should have a book like this when they are new to sewing.

One of my favorite books for new sewers is "One Yard Wonders". This book has very specific and well written instructions for a variety of projects including clothing construction, stuffed animals and home decor. I would recommend this book to both experienced and novice sewers.

Have a great weekend!

Chris

P.S. Check back tomorrow. I will be hosting my July Dye Candy Giveaway.

Omaha!

2011-07-14T06:36:00.000-05:00

To say my trip to Omaha was a blast is an understatement. It was so much fun to travel with someone that shares a passion for fabric dyeing and art quilts. The eight hour trip to Omaha flew by. You can see Karen standing to the left of her fabulous snowdyed fabrics in the above photo. Right before the trip Karen found out that her quilt "Pieceful Tigers" had won an honorable mention at the NQA Show in Columbus. How cool is that?! Here is a link to Karen's post about this quilt.

The theme of the show was Quilt Safari and explored journeys into quilting. We brought some of our art quilts to show in the booth, It was fun to be able to share our own journeys.

The ladies from the Omaha guild were so gracious and helpful. It was a very nicely run show and the quilts were amazing!

Karen and I are big fans of the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Imagine our surprise to see one of Guy Fieri's favorite Triple D haunts across the street from our hotel! MMMMM Brewburgers! I'm just telling you that french fries were born to be covered in garlic, butter and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Would you believe I lost weight on the trip?

Karen gave me so much more help than I expected. I couldn't have done it without her. Thanks Karen!

Animal Kingdom Challenge

2011-07-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

Phylum: Arthropoda, Order: Lepidoptera

My quilt created for the Art Quilts Around the World "Animal Kingdom" challenge.

When I was a child my father gave me a butterfly net. I caught butterflies, euthanized them and mounted the butterfly specimens. I learned a lot about butterflies from those experiences. Looking back on those days I have very mixed feelings.

As an adult I prefer to observe live specimens. Our farm is the perfect habitat for many species of butterflies especially Eastern Swallowtails, Giant Swallowtails and Monarchs. Each summer I look forward to the time when butterflies return to feed on the nectar of our lilacs and hydrangea bushes.

This quilt was made using a combination of hand dyed silks, silk ribbons and cottons. I made the 3D butterfly using a free motion embroidery technique learned in a class taught by Nancy Prince. I sandwiched a poly stabilizer between 2 layers of hand dyed silk and added another layer of wash away stabilizer with my design traced on it. Once the embroidery was finished I stitched floral wire around the edges to give the wings shape.

No butterflies were harmed in the making of this quilt.

See more quilts from the Animal Kingdom challenge here

Pardon my lack of blogging. This is the first night in weeks that I have spent sitting on the couch. Boy does it feel good! This weekend I will be teaching an Intro to Paintsticks class at Cozy Quilts in Richland Center. After that I have two months off until my next quilt show. I dyed so much fabric before the last show that I may be able to take most of the summer off. I will be adding many of these fabrics to my Dye Candy shop in the coming weeks.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Chris

Project Quilting - Flora Challenge

2011-06-19T21:55:00.000-05:00

Project Quilting continues off season with new challenges every few weeks. When Kim asked for ideas I suggested one of my favorite art quilt themes "Flora" and it is now the current challenge. Consider joining in on the fun. Anyone can participate. Quilts need to be completed by July 10th. Follow this link for more information.

I'm a few days away from leaving for the Omaha Quilt Show. Our house is a frenzy with last minute dyeing. I dyed almost 100 yards of fabric this week. I have been experimenting with new color combinations and I'm loving the results. Karen will be joining me at this show with her beautiful snow dyes and hand dyed trees. If you are traveling to the show be sure to stop by the Dye Candy booth and say hello.

When I return I will be hosting the next Dye Candy Giveaway.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead! Chris

Fashion Friday

2011-06-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

This pattern isn't dated. I'm guessing it is from 1970 or 1971. Don't you just love these styles?

I'm back! My new laptop arrived yesterday. I have missed being on line the last few weeks. In my spare time I have been dyeing up a storm in preparation for the Omaha Quilt Show in LaVista Nebraska at the end of the month. I'm looking forward to the trip. My friend Karen will be joining me and she will be bringing some of her hand dyed fabrics to sell.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! Chris

Opinions Wanted & Fashion Saturday

2011-05-28T08:46:00.000-05:00

The height of fashion in New York in 1999?

And why Fashion Friday is late....My laptop would not boot up yesterday.

It's been coming for a long time. My laptop is finally at the end of its days. I've had problems booting it up for a while and this week I finally got serious about shopping for a replacement. I'm hoping for some advice...

These are the items that are a must have for the new laptop in order of importance:

1. A monitor that displays true colors. I need this for my hand dyed fabric photos. - I'm leaning toward LED

2. A monitor that displays well in a bright sunlit room and while running on battery power. (I'd love to use it outside in the shade. Is this a pipe dream?)

3. Windows Operating System (Windows 7 pro)

4. Numeric Key Pad

5. Bluetooth

6. Camera and speakers that work well with Skype etc...

7. 4.5-5 hours battery life

8. SD Card reader

I'd love to hear from you. Do you have a favorite? Are there features you do not like on your laptop?

Wishing you an amazing weekend! Chris

Fashion Friday and Fabric Dyeing Classes

2011-05-20T05:00:00.003-05:00

1989

Happy Fashion Friday!

Barb Raisbeck and Diane Lapacek will be hosting a fabric dyeing class in Poynette Wisconsin on June 13th.

They are fantastic teachers. The class is designed for beginners and experienced dyers. Follow this link for more information.

WQI Retreat

2011-05-17T17:00:00.067-05:00

I'm spending the weekend with the ladies of WQI at a retreat in Lake Geneva.

WQI or Wisconsin Quilters Inc. was our statewide quilt guild. Last October the group disbanded after 30 years of providing fellowship, expert classes and such enthusiastic support. This group of amazing women provided me with the wings to fly and become the artist I am today. I was heartbroken when they decided that they would not continue. It was agreed that the group accomplished what they had set out to do. Meetings used to draw between 200- 300 people each time. With so many opportunities now available to quilters and changes in the economy attendance continued to drop each year.

I am so glad we still have chances to spend time together. For more information about activities with this group and around Wisconsin visit the Quilt Happenings in Wisconsin blog.

Here is a list of teachers I had the privilege of meeting thanks to the efforts of this group:

Bonnie P. Turner - Crazy Quilter and Ribbon Embroidery

Betty Ekern Suiter - Hand Applique

Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle of Fun Quilts - Color Theory and Design

Susan Cleveland - Piping Hot Curves and Binding

Jean Lohmar - Machine Quilting

Millie Sorrells - Hand Applique

Barb Vlack - Freezer Paper Foundation Piecing
Jane Townswick - Hand Applique
Beth Wheeler and Lori Marquette - Altered Photo Artistry
Virginia Walton - Creative Curves
Jane Sassaman - Abstracting Nature
Rita Hutchens - Totally Tubular
Cara Gulati - Radiant Suns
Nancy Prince - Thread Painting
Maxine Rosenthal - Hollow Cube
Linda Halpin - Color Theory, Color Selection
Cindy Fenster - Machine Quilting

May for Me Giveaway Winners

2011-05-15T18:31:00.000-05:00

Hooray, We have winners!!!

Thanks so much to everyone for entering. It is so nice to have such a great response and meet new quilters. Blogger did not record some of the comments that were left on Thursday and Friday, but we did receive e-mail notification of those comments and everyone that entered was accounted for in the drawings.

Winners from the Dye Candy Blog:
#1 Artfully Caroline --- Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern
#2 Robin Who is Quilty as Charged --- Marcia's Note Cards
#3 Joyce of J's Quilting Blog --- Hand Dyed Fabric

Winners from Marcia's Blog
#1 Megan (mmmegan38) --- the Note Cards
#2 Lisa T. of Lisa T's Blog --- Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern
#3 Linda Gilli of Stray Stitches --- Hand Dyed Fabric

Congratulations to all the winners! Thanks for making time for May for Me!

P.S. I had a very good May for Me weekend. I pieced 30 of the blocks you see above and started quilting on my Night and Day quilt. I also made time for some yard work today. The weather was beautiful and the early spring colors are a joyous sight to behold.

Fashion Friday and May for Me Giveaway

2011-05-13T16:25:00.000-05:00

This Fashion Friday I wanted to share a purse that I finished last month while on retreat at Lou Ann's Quilt Garden in Oelwein, IA. I created the design for this purse with a beautiful piece of Jackie Cardy's work as my inspiration. I met Jackie when we were both new to blogging. I fell in love with Jackie's work and her use of silk, velvet and handmade felt. The silk and velvet inset was made by Jackie as a wrist cuff. As soon as it arrived in the mail the idea for this purse came to mind. I love this my new purse and am so pleased that I get to carry a piece of Jackie's artwork with me where ever I go. And yes, it is Jackie that inspired me to create my own hand dyed velvets.

The May for Me Giveaway has been extended an extra day due to Blogger taking the commenting system offline for 24 hours. The drawing now ends at 5:00 pm Sunday May 15th CST,

Click here for a chance to win. 6 winners will be chosen!

May For Me Giveaways - 6 chances to win!

2011-05-09T05:58:00.024-05:00

I've spent the last few months dyeing and making jewelry for Spring and Summer quilt shows with very little time to quilt. When Marcia mentioned the idea of May for Me I knew it was just what I needed. I have set aside a good portion of May to finish some of my works in progress. First on the list is the quilting on my Night and Day Quilt. I also plan to put some of the designs ideas that have been on my mind down on paper. I would like to have a good portion of my "Animal Kingdom" challenge quilt underway by month end too.

To Celebrate May for Me, Marcia and I are both hosting giveaways on our blogs this week.

Six winners will be chosen. You will have 3 chances to win here and 3 chances to win on Marcia's blog.

Double and triple your chances to win by posting about the giveaway on your blog, twittering or sharing on Facebook. Leave a separate comment each time you share information about these giveaways.

The Prizes:

#1 - A set of 3 May for Me note cards:

If you have ordered from my Dye Candy shop you may have received one of these note cards to thank you for your order. Marcia sells this design (featuring Dye Candy fabrics) along with a few others in her ETSY shop.

#2 -A copy of Marcia's Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern:

Two of these quilt tops are in my works in progress stash. This pattern is so much fun, fast and a great way to start on the road to piecing quilts in a free form manner. (You can purchase this pattern here.)

#3 - An item valued at $18.00 from my Dye Candy Shop or a $25.00 discount good towards the purchase in my Dye Candy Shop:

Update: Due to the 24 hour outage on Blogger's site I am extending the closing date for the giveaway to 5:00 pm Sunday Evening May 15th.

Wishing you good luck!

Chris and Marcia

Fashion Friday

2011-05-05T21:55:00.000-05:00

Cowgirl Clothes 1993

Happy Friday! I'm traveling to Chicago to see my mom today. Gone for another weekend....I hope my husband recognizes me when I return.

Check back on Monday. Marcia and I will be hosting two May for Me giveaways on our blogs.

I hope you have a wonderful Mothers Day.

Fashion Friday and Quilt Show Information

2011-04-28T16:52:00.000-05:00

I found this pattern recently when I was sorting through some old sewing supplies. This pattern dates back to 1975, the year I added embroidery to a favorite pair of blue jeans. I still miss those jeans.

Here is another that turned up in my collection. The patterns are making my fingers are itching to stitch!

If you are in the Milwaukee area this weekend please stop in and say hello to me at the

Crazy Quilters Quilt Show in Mukwonago.

Show hours are:

9:00 am-5:00 pm Saturday and

11:00 am to 4:00 pm Sunday.

Lorna will be there with her overdyed wool too!

Please note highway 83 north of Mukwonago is under construction. You may want to find an alternate route when traveling from the north.

Giveaway Results

2011-04-24T17:22:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much to everyone that entered the April giveaway. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine involved running around like a headless chicken as I get ready for the quilt show in Mukwonago. I'm happy to say I have almost everything packaged with just a few last minute items left to dye before the show.

I'm pleased to announce the winner is Diane Evans!!! I am such a big fan of Diane's work. She is an award winning quilter with an amazing sense of color and design. Stop by her website and see her beautiful quilts or shop her Etsy store for original artwork and cards.

Dye Candy April Giveaway

2011-04-23T08:34:00.000-05:00

In a few days I will be packing up my fabrics to sell at the Crazy Quilters Show in Mukwonago, WI next weekend. Lorna of Plumberry House Creations will have a booth there too. She sells upcycled overdyed wools, original patterns and kits.

This month the giveaway will be a quick one....

The giveaway will close tomorrow at 4:00 pm CST on April 24th.

Check back monthly for additional Dye Candy giveaways in 2011.

Fashion Friday

2011-04-22T06:00:00.022-05:00

Circa 1989

This style was popular when I was pregnant with my son. I had a pair of overall shorts that made me look much heavier than I really was. Maternity clothes have come a long way since then.

This is my last free weekend before I travel to Mukwonago for the Crazy Quilters Quilt Show. If you are in the area next weekend please stop in and say hello. This group of quilters is so talented. They should have between 250-300 quilts on display. You are sure to find inspiration at this show.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chris

P.S. Check back tomorrow for the start of my April Giveaway.

What is May for Me?

2011-04-20T21:10:00.000-05:00

I've been soooo busy this month getting ready for upcoming shows. When I saw that my friend Marcia and her blogging friend Tonya were sharing ideas about how to make more time for personal creativity I decided I just had to join in. I'm making May for Me....

Below is a post written by Marcia, a super creative lady and very talented long arm quilter. You can find her "Easy to Sew" quilt pattern in my Etsy shop.

May for Me is a promotion to get YOU to take time for yourself. Tonya and I are asking you to set aside the month of May for you. We along with other blogger participants will share our ideas about how to do things more efficiently so you have time to sew. I have also coined the term Minutes for Me as part of the promotion. This promotion started with some email conversations between Tonya and I and we said let's do it - let's make May for Me! For you!

Finish things you have put aside, but never take the time to finish.
Do other tasks faster, so you have time to sew and quilt.
Learn how to relax when you are "crazy busy" - Minutes for Me!

Promotions for April and May:
I will be doing some quilting prize giveaways!

$20.00 Gift Certificates off machine quilting services
$10.00 Gift Certificates off Extra Wide Fabrics
And more prize giveaways... to be announced in April and May
Free Entry in the Online Quilting Show starting July 8, 2011, featuring quilt projects you completed in May! The online quilt show will run from July 8th til the end of 2011. More details to follow..

If you would like to do May for Me, here is how to do it:
Follow My Blog - Crafty Sewing and Quilting and Tonya's Blog - Hillbilly Handiworks.

If you would like to be listed with your link as a participant... You will need to visit Marcia original blog post here and follow the outlined steps

Let's make May for Me! For you!

P.S. Be sure to check out Marcia's Tote bag Tutorials Here and Here

Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing

2011-04-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing (1999) by Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada, Mary Kellogg Rice and Jane J. Barton. I'm almost tempted to send you the Amazon.com website to read the reviews written for this book. I'll just quote one written by someone calling themselves Vizzz "The most complete book in print on Shibori art and technique". That pretty much sums this book up.

If you want to expand your Shibori skills this book is a must have for your dyer's library.

Fashion Friday

2011-04-15T16:05:00.000-05:00

In 1984 we may not have dressed in figure flattering clothes but we sure were comfortable.

Have a great weekend! Chris

Velvet Applique by Machine

2011-04-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am fascinated by texture on cloth. When I create a piece I hope all who see my quilts will want to reach out and touch them (and I don't mind if you do). My favorite embellishment to use is hand dyed silk velvets. They are rich, add a shimmer and change in value when viewed from different angles. Here's a quick tutorial on the technique I developed for raw edge velvet appliqué..

Start by tracing your design backwards on a lightweight fusible interfacing, freezer paper or paper backed fusible product like Pellon # 805 Wonder Under or Steam A Seam 2. In this case I am using a lightweight fusible so the fabric continues to behave like fabric. Sometimes having multiple layers of fabric fused together can add a look of stiffness to a finished quilt. Iron the fusible to the wrong side of the bottom layer of fabric. You can trim your backing fabric at this time (like the photo above) or leave the excess fabric around the edges to hold onto while you machine appliqué.

Pin the wrong side of the velvet on the bias to the right side of the bottom fabric. I like to use fine silk pins. Placing the velvet on the bias will reduce fraying when your quilt top is handled.

Stitch the velvet in place from the back side following the stitching lines you drew earlier. Be sure to lock your stitches in place when you start and stop.

Remove the pins once the stitching has been completed. Using sharp scissors carefully trim the excess velvet away leaving at least a 16th of an inch of velvet outside the stitching line. You may remove the freezer paper or fusible paper backing at this time or leave it on the back of your piece to keep the raw edges of your base fabric stable until you are ready to stitch or fuse this piece in place.

Because the velvet is sewn on the bias you can leave the raw edges of the velvet exposed in some circumstances. The first photo in this tutorial is of my Mandala art quilt. I have it framed and hanging on a wall in my studio.

The quilt I am currently working on will travel with me when I am vending at quilt shows. For this project I am using a satin stitch to overcast the edges of the velvet. Using a thread that is similar to the velvet color to overcast the edges will help to mask stray fibers of velvet.

I hope I have encouraged you to expand your fiber horizons. I'd love to hear any comments you have on this tutorial.

For those of you waiting for fresh hand dyed velvets I should have them ready for sale tomorrow. I am in the last stages of rinsing and just need to test the velvets to make sure the residual dyes have been removed. I will send you a message when they are listed in my Dye Candy shop.

Have a great weekend! Chris

Fashion Friday

2011-04-08T05:00:00.003-05:00

I love the night life, I like to boogie....

1979

Different Challenge Quilt

2011-04-06T20:21:00.002-05:00

Tropical - Seeing Red

This quilt was created for the Art Quilts Around the World "Different" Challenge. The one stipulation for this challenge was to use a color or colors that you would not typically choose for your work.

I just don't see red when I think of my personal color wheel. Instead I use red's near neighbors, fuchsia or a magenta color. I love to use complementary colors to add visual interest. I often add chartreuse and acid green to give my quilts an extra pop.

So for this challenge I shifted my focus just one step counter-clockwise on the CMYK color wheel (the dyers color wheel) to red and aquamarine. I have to say I really like the results and I see more red in my future. However I did frame the quilt with a nod to my favorite colors.

To add texture to the piece I used a trupunto technique by adding a second layer of batting under the petals of the flower. The green embroidery stitches that surround the center of the flower were worked off the piece in a hoop using a painted dryer sheet between 2 pieces of water soluble stabilizer. Once complete the free motion embroidery was stitched in place and trimmed in a ragged manner. I am making this sound so simple but it wasn't quite that easy...

What I learned: This was the first time I used a water soluble stabilizer. I used Superior's 4x product. It was really easy to stitch through. I soaked my piece in water for about a half hour to dissolve the stabilizer. I had been warned not to drain the residual water into my plumbing because these types of stabilizers have been known to clog pipes.

The original embroidery was oval shaped. I completely attached the embroidery to the piece before removing the stabilizer. After soaking for a half hour and drying I decided I did not like the shape of the stitching. I planned to rip out some of my stitches so I could trim the embroidery into a more free form shape. WELL... Apparently I needed to soak the stabilizer for quite a bit longer because my stitches were now firmly glued in place and rock hard. I let the quilt top soak overnight in warm water and that did the trick. I ripped out the stitches, trimmed and the loosely re-applied the embroidery.

I hope you like it! Chris

Shibori Design and Techniques - Mandy Southan

2011-04-04T05:00:00.002-05:00

Shibori Designs and Techniques(2009) by Mandy Southan. Are you new to Shibori Dyeing? This book has easy to follow directions. The color photographs in this book are truly inspirational. I drooled over this book for a couple months after I purchased it. If you have some prior dyeing experience then I recommend this book to you.

Fashion Friday

2011-04-01T05:00:00.006-05:00

Circa 1985?

I used the pattern for packaging just this week and forgot to look at the date before I shipped it.

I'm off to a retreat this weekend and will post about my challenge quilt when I return. If you can't wait I have a post about it here.

March Giveaway Winner

2011-03-31T06:30:00.005-05:00

Yay it's Judi!!

Judi is a fellow fabric dyer. I met Judi on the Internet through her blog and then later at a quilt show. She is the person that got me interested in snow dyeing and after reading her article in Quilting Arts I was ~~addicted~~ hooked. This winter she has been snow dyeing mandalas by the hundreds. I purchased the fabric in this photo from Judi in February. Don't you just love it?

You can find Judi's hand dyed fabrics and mandalas in Paducah April 26th through the 30th . Look for Mamaw's Handdyes in the Finkel Building.

Congratulations Judi!

March Dye Candy Giveaway

2011-03-26T09:26:00.001-05:00

The giveaway will close at 12:00pm CST on March 30th.

Check back monthly for additional Dye Candy giveaways in 2011.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.... Procrastination 101.

No, I have not start my taxes, but I have a really good list of other things that I have accomplished in order to avoid doing my taxes. Last night I put the the final stitches on my challenge quilt for Art Quilts Around the World. I finished at 11:00 pm and was so full of creative energy that I had a hard time going to sleep. I'm really happy with this project and cant wait to share it at month end. Today I will finish dyeing velvets to be shipped early next week for the Adventures in Crazy Quilting classes in Glastonbury Connecticut.

And just this morning when I should have been writing this post I created the postcard you see above. I bring these with me when I vend at quilt shows. I'd love to hear your comments and suggestions about my new postcard before I send it off to the printers.

Have a great weekend and good luck! Chris

P.S. I just posted a sneak peek of my challenge quilt here.

Fashion Friday

2011-03-24T22:11:00.000-05:00

"Come and knock on our door..."

1981

Procrastinator plan for filing taxes: There is always tomorrow. Yes, I have yet to start my taxes but I thought up some really good excuses to wait a few more days....Check back this weekend. My March Dye Candy giveaway will start on Saturday.

Tray Dyeing - Exploring Colour, Texture & Special Effects

2011-03-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Tray Dyeing - Exploring Colour, Texture & Special Effects (2006) Leslie Morgan & Claire Benn, Committed to Cloth. If you want to take your fabric dyeing to the next level this is the book for you. These ladies introduce ideas only briefly touched upon in other books. There is a bonus DVD included in this book that I found very informative. I did find the content in this book to be a bit light. In my opinion this book was written with the premise of sparking an idea in the reader and then letting the reader reach their own results. If you like to experiment and draw your own conclusions then I recommend this book wholeheartedly (I do really love this book). On the other hand if you are a reader that needs evidence of concrete results you may not be happy with this book.

Fashion Friday

2011-03-17T16:55:00.000-05:00

I couldn't think of a thing to say about this pattern but I sure got a laugh when I pulled it our of my pattern stash.

Check back in a couple of days. The March Dye Candy Giveaway starts as soon as I finish my taxes.

Looking for another way to win today? Visit "Project Quilting" on Kim's Crafty Apple blog before 7 PM CST Friday March 18th. Vote for your favorite flying geese challenge quilt and enter for a chance to win in the "Public Winners" drawing.

Fabric To Dye For - Frieda Anderson

2011-03-14T05:00:00.001-05:00

Fabric To Dye For (2010) by Frieda Anderson. I would have loved to have owned this book when I was first learning how to dye. It is packed full of tips about proper tools and ways to set up your dyeing area. The recipes are made using 4 dye colors, 3 primary colors and a black. Various dyeing techniques are discussed. This book also has a bonus section with fusible projects you can make with your newly dyed fabrics. I would recommend this book to both novice and expert fabric dyers.

Fashion Friday

2011-03-11T19:32:00.001-06:00

Hello Angels!

1977

Have a wonderful weekend! Chris

Fabric Dyer's Dictionary - Linda Johansen

2011-03-07T05:00:00.003-06:00

Fabric Dyer's Dictionary (2010) by Linda Johansen. This book takes the guesswork out of combining dye colors. The Fabric Dyer's Dictionary contains extensive dye recipes and color photographs of each resulting fabric color. The main focus of the book is dyeing solid color gradients of various types. The book includes dyes made using complementary colors, mixing primary colors to make secondary and tertiary colors, using dyes at weaker strengths to create pastels or adding black to make darker shades of color. The book also briefly touches on a few specialty dyeing techniques. This is a book you will find yourself referring back to over and over again.

Fashion Friday

2011-03-04T18:49:00.000-06:00

When I was younger many of my clothes were made using this Stretch and Sew Book. My mother had a Kenmore sewing machine with pattern cams that could create fancy stitches along hems and necklines.

When my son was an infant my mom passed the Stretch and Sew Book on to me. I made all of my sons sleepwear using it.

Lately I have been thinking of making my own t-shirts to tie-dye. It is so hard to find flattering white t-shirt for plus size women. Well, maybe later....I have my office and studio torn apart in anticipation of the arrival of a much needed desk and filing cabinet on Monday. WhooHoo! I love organizing my life :)

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Chris

Creating Color - A Dyers Handbook

2011-03-01T05:00:00.001-06:00

Creating Color - A Dyer's Handbook (1989) by Judy Anne Walter - When I first started dyeing there was a limited amount of information about dyeing fabrics in print. This book thoroughly covers all aspects of what you need to know about dyeing gradients of solid colors. My favorite part of this book was the chapter on the characteristics of different dye colors. Judy also has tables that deal with converting weights and measures. This book has an number of detailed illustrations. There are a couple of the draw backs to this book. One is the lack of color photography. This book was published before color photographs were common in books. Another is the dye color chart in the back of the book is out of date. This book is out of print but easy to find inexpensively. I recommend this book if you really want to understand the chemistry behind the dyes.

I've added a new stand alone page to my blog that contains reviews of my favorite dyeing reference books.

Do you have any fabric dyeing books? I'd love to hear from you.

Fashion Friday

2011-02-25T07:08:00.006-06:00

GET OUT!!! It's the Elaine Benes look.

1999

Giveaway Winners

2011-02-23T16:15:00.049-06:00

This is my favorite fabric of the week. I only dyed 3 yards of this colorway and I'm tempted to keep them all. I have 20 more colorways that are fresh from dryer. I keep waiting for a sunny day so I can capture the true colors of the fabric with my camera.

My thanks to everyone that entered the Dye Candy Giveaway. It was fun to see that the majority of the entries came from people who's blogs I follow. I was routing for all of you!

I used Random.org to select the winners and I'm thrilled to announce:

#17 - Wanda of the Exuberant Color blog - who says "I know your fabrics are beautiful, I own some! Count me in!"

I counted 3 times to make sure it was really Wanda. I've been reading her blog almost as long as I've been writing my own blogs.

and

#63 Geni of the Loose Ends Blog and also The Art Quilt Blog- "Thank you for the chance to win such awesome goodies! Count me in, please."

You should stop by Geni's blog to see her silk dyeing results from Marjie's class at Quilt U. Love your homework Geni!

Congratulations to you both!

Remember to check back. There will be more chances to win. I will be hosting one giveaway per month during 2011.

Dye Candy Giveaway and a Book Review - Color By Accident

2011-02-21T05:00:00.000-06:00

Color By Accident by Ann Johnston - This has to be my favorite book. Directions are easy to follow. There are many color photos and the book is spiral bound.

Dye recipes are mixed from concentrated Procion Mx dye stocks to create unique, one of a kind fabrics. If you have a little bit of dyeing experience this book will help you stretch your wings. You will soon find yourself mixing colors you never thought would work together in the same bucket. A good book for both novice and experienced dyers.

I've added a new stand alone page to my blog that contains reviews of my favorite dyeing reference books.

Do you have any fabric dyeing books? I'd love to hear from you.

P.S. Only 2 more days to enter the Dye Candy Giveaway. Click here to enter on this earlier post.

Snow Dyed Experiment and Dye Candy Giveaway

2011-02-19T20:45:00.001-06:00

While working on my last batch of snow dyes I tried experimenting by layering fabrics on top of a screen. (You can see my favorite snow dyeing technique here) I had a silk rayon burnout velvet scarf as the bottom layer. I topped the scarf off with two yards of cotton fabric (side by side) and then added 3" to 4" snow without dye. The dye was added last using dark brown, hot pink, sky blue and green. The picture on top was the resulting cotton fabric. The color on the cotton fabric is stunning but very pale compared to my usual results.

The other cotton fabric was even lighter so I decided to over dye the fabric using a little bit of brown with a hint of hot pink and lemon yellow.

Here is the scarf from the bottom layer. It ended up absorbing and holding most of the dye. I love the accidental coloring that occurred on this piece.

This scarf is available in my Etsy Shop.

Tomorrow we are expecting freezing rain, sleet and snow with an accumulation of 6-10 inches. Yikes!

P.S. Don't miss out on a chance to win in my Dye Candy Giveaway. Follow this link for a chance to enter. Good Luck! Chris

Fashion Friday

2011-02-18T06:00:00.004-06:00

In 1990 these pants were the height of fashion.

My sister had a favorite pair of lounge pants just like these when she was in college.

I tried wearing gauchos but could never pull it off. They made me look 10 pounds heavier. Note to the fashion industry: Please do not revive this look!

P.S. Did you see who designed this pattern?

Don't miss a chance to enter my Dye Candy Giveaway. Follow this link to enter.

Dye Candy Giveaway

2011-02-16T18:02:00.000-06:00

Here is a preview of some of the fabrics I recently added to my Dye Candy shop. We have had a very warm spell for February. This last week has been spent hurrying to finish my snow dyes before the snow is gone for the season. Notice the green and gold fabric above? I dyed that on Super Bowl Sunday.

Other recent additions include matching hand dyed velvets and cotton jacquards. My hand dyed quilt block jewelry is now available for sale in my Dye Candy shop too! Moving my jewelry from my other Etsy shop has been on my to do list for a long time. I have a few more yards of fabric to iron then I can put my feet up for a while. I am thrilled to have so much accomplished!

To celebrate I am hosting a giveaway. Leave a comment on this post anytime between now and next Wednesday. (Be sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you are a winner.)

Winners may chose from 1 yard one of a kind hand dyed fabric or a $25.00 gift certificate redeemable at my Dye Candy store.

This year I plan to host one giveaway per month. To make up for missing January, I will choose 2 winners from the entries at 4:00 on February 23rd.

Feel free to copy the above pictures if you plan to post, Tweet or Facebook about this giveaway.

Good Luck! Chris

Fashion Friday

2011-02-11T01:00:00.002-06:00

Um, Like, OH MY GAWD! This dress is totally tubular.

Fresh Velvets and Cotton Jacquards

2011-02-08T20:55:00.001-06:00

I found some white cotton jacquard fabric last year during an outing with the Milwaukee Modern Quilt Guild. The fabric just screamed at me "DYE ME, PLEASE, PLEASE, DYE ME!

When I finally got around to dyeing the jacquard I added some rayon silk velvet to the same dye bath to create coordinating fabrics. The fabrics are so scrumptious!

These fabric sets are now available in my Dye Candy Store.

Be sure to stop by later this week. I will be hosting a fabric giveaway.

More Word Play Fun and Some Free Pieced Stars

2011-02-07T16:43:00.000-06:00

Tonya has created a monster. I have been having so much fun with my Word Play Quilts book. There was no question in my mind that I would add some free pieced letters and stars to the border of my Quilts of Valor project.

I had a dilemma when joining two of the border pieces together. I wanted the stars to wrap around the corner but did not want a big space between each star. I decided to join the two sides together on an angle. I sewed each navy border to the white inner border until I reached 1/4" from each edge. I left enough fabric on each end so the fabric would extend out beyond the edge of the quilt. Then I ironed the sides until each laid flat. At the intersection of the borders I folded one the navy blue fabric under on an angle making sure to keep the fold straight. I pressed a strong crease in the top fabric (you can see this in the over exposed photo above). Then I applied painters tape across this crease to hold the two borders together. I opened the fold up from the wrong side of the quilt and used the crease as my stitching line. Once this seam was completed I checked to make sure all the fabrics laid flat and then squared up this corner.

Fresh Fabrics in my Dye Candy Shop

2011-02-05T11:02:00.000-06:00

I added a bunch of fresh snow dyed fabrics to my Dye Candy shop this week. This technique is so addictive but very labor intensive. I've gotten in the habit of dyeing companion fabrics using other dyeing techniques at the same time I work on snow dyes. This way I can split my labor time up and keep the snow dyes profitable.

This weekend I am working with browns and blacks. I can't wait to finish rinsing out the fabrics I created last night.

Fashion Friday

2011-02-04T05:00:00.005-06:00

One of my goals for this year is to devote more of my time to blogging. I thought if I had a theme to post about once a week it would keep my ADHD brain a little more focused. So I'd like to introduce to you... Fashion Fridays.

When I package fabric and jewelry shipments I use old patterns as packing material. I'm always trying to guess which movie star they had in mind when designing the pattern artwork. This pattern is from 1971. I keep getting flashes of Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe in the first season of Emergency.

Who do you see?

On My Design Wall and Project Quilting

2011-02-03T16:30:00.004-06:00

Our local quilt guild recently hosted a worked day for Quilts of Valor. We each donated a 10.5" squares of red white and blue fabric. We decided on the "Twister" design, a pattern that I have always wanted to try. Piecing went quickly. The trick is to keep track of the blocks when sewing them together. A design wall or a large surface to stage the blocks in a must.

Have you heard about Project Quilting? Season Two is in full swing over at Kim's Crafty Apple Blog. Challenge 2 is "What's in a name?" Click here to see the challenge quilts. Vote for your favorite on the upper left hand side of the blog. Voting for Challenge 2 ends at 7:00 pm CST Friday February 4th. There is also bi-weekly prize drawing for those who leave comments.

Hope you are all warm and dry. The wind is really blowing here. It is good evening to be stitching in Wisconsin!

Cozy Quilts is Stocking Dye Candy Fabrics

2011-02-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

I spent the weekend photographing my recent snowdyes and one of a kind fabrics. I've been snow dyeing since the first snow fall and have a huge pile of fabrics ready to sell at 2011 quilt shows.

The fabrics in these pictures is available for purchase at Cozy Quilts quilt shop in Richland Center Wisconsin. If you can't make it to Cozy Quilts, don't worry. I just listed some fabrics similar to these in my Dye Candy shop and will be adding more later this week.

A Few More Words and Basting a Double Sided Quilt

2011-01-31T19:08:00.001-06:00

I'm loving my new Word Play Quilts book! It is packed full of inspiring photos and easy to follow instructions. This technique of free piecing letters has added a whole new level of fun and whimsy to my quilting.

I finally finished piecing my Night and Day Quilt a few weeks ago when I was retreating with my mom.

It is a double sided quilt made to fit a twin bed.

I usually pin baste my quilt layers together before machine quilting. When basting a double sided quilt together it is so important to align side A and side B. I place two 36"X60" cardboard cutting boards on top of my king size bed (If you have tables to use it will be much easier on your back when pinning the layers together). I use the reference lines on the cutting boards to align the bottom layer with the markings and use painters masking tape to secure the bottom. I use extra long pieces of tape to mark alignment reference points to be used later when positioning the top layer.

I carefully spread the batting out so the bottom of the quilt does not shift. It helps to have an extra set of hands to lay out the batting and top. When I put this quilt together I was home alone. I folded my batting in half and then into quarters. I aligned the batting with one of the corners making sure that at least two inches of batting extended beyond the quilt back. I unfolded it one section at a time and gently smoothed the batting out. Before positioning the top I lifted the edges of the batting to make sure my bottom layer had not shifted.

I repeated the folding process with the quilt top, folding it in into quarters with the wrong side facing out. Next I found my taped reference marks and lined up the pieced portion of the top with the pieced portion of the bottom (see photo above). Once the top was aligned and smooth I pinned the quilt with safety pins about 4" apart. This over sized twin quilt took almost 300 safety pins to secure.

Wishing you all well from a very snowy Wisconsin! Chris

Puzzle Ball

2011-01-05T16:35:00.000-06:00

I keep a box full of hand dyed fabrics I like to call my Dye Candy Duds. These are hand dyed fabrics that may have a flaw in the weave of the fabric or marks that came from the manufacturer. Sometimes these fabrics have "freckles" of undissolved dye. Many of these flaws aren't visible until I iron the fabric. I'm never disappointed when I get to keep a little bit for myself.

I made this puzzle ball as a Christmas gift with a 1/4 yard of freckled fabric and some scraps of burgundy cotton velvet. The pattern came from the book "With These Hands: 19th Century Primitive Projects for Your Home" by Maggie Bonanomi.

I stitched the feather stitch with one of my new favorite threads called "Spagetti Thread" from Wonderfil. Spagetti Thread is a #12 weight cotton thread. I heard about this thread when I took a class from Susan Cleveland last fall. Susan was asked to design 40 colors for Wonderfil. 20 colors are available now with an additional 20 colors available later in 2011. I came home from the class with 10 different colors and have been playing with them ever since. You can see this thread used for the hand quilted area around my self portrait this recent post.

Tomorrow I'm meeting my mom for a few days of stitching with friends.

I can't wait! Wishing you a wonderful weekend. Chris

The Waters of Superior

2011-01-02T09:25:00.002-06:00

This quilt is called The Waters of Superior. I made it as a gift for my son, a senior in college in Duluth Minnesota. Lake Superior has always been in view no matter where he has lived in Duluth. He asked for a lap quilt like his fathers, a two layer quilt with a flannel top and a minkee backing. I purchased the hand dyed flannels for $5.00 at a stash reduction sale.

The fabric colors inspired the theme of the quilt. Some of the fabrics were dull or pastel. I overdyed those with an aqua dye with just a hint of black to darken the color. I also dyed a yard of cotton print cloth using one part black to two parts aqua to make the dark strips.

The minkee was pinned to the finished top with right sides together. I stitched around the edges using a 1/2" seam allowance. I left a 6" opening so I could turn the quilt inside out with wrong side together. All that was left to do was re-pin, hand stitch the opening and machine quilt. This quilt pattern is called City Tracks and came from the book City Quilts.

If you try this technique I suggest using LOTS of safety pins to baste and a walking foot when quilting. The minkee and flannel fabrics are hard to stabilize.

Self Portrait - Pixilated

2011-01-01T15:47:00.004-06:00

Pixelated - Definition: adj. Pertaining to a printed image which has been digitized; visible as a pattern of pixels.

Pixilated - Definition: adj. eccentric, daft, whimsical, slightly insane; led astray by pixies.

Since I was a child I have marveled at Seurat's use of pointillism to create his paintings. I also thought he might be a little bit crazy to work in such detail.

Being slightly pixilated myself I thought I'd give it a try. I used Tsukineko inks on cotton print cloth to create this portrait. This piece is heavily quilted everywhere except for my face which causes that part of the quilt to pop out of the background.

I created this quilt for the Self Portrait Challenge for the Art Quilts Around the World group.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! Chris

And Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

2010-12-18T07:30:00.005-06:00

Here is a peek at the quilt I made at the Homestead Cabin Retreat in early December. It is rare that I finish a quilt project in one weekend. This time I was determined to do so. I pre-cut all the fabrics the weekend before the retreat. Let me tell you it was hard to keep from diving in and working on this project before the retreat. I had been planning the project for 3 weeks. I just couldn't wait to see how these color pallets would work together.

I've been joining my girlfriends at the retreat each December for the last five years. I love having one last relaxing weekend before the Christmas festivities swing into full gear. We work on Christmas gifts in the daytime and then spend our evenings in the gathering room in front of the fire. The sisterhood and laughter shared with new and old friends renews my creative energy.

This is Patsy's 6th year in business and she is booked full most of the year. I did notice that she has 4 openings for the weekend of January 14th if you are looking to get away to "The Middle of Nowhere".

If you have a larger group you may want to check out The Gathering in Menasha, Wisconsin. This retreat is set to open in January of 2011. The retreat sleeps 18. Lisa Bongean, the owner of Primitive Gatherings Quilt Shop has been planning this retreat for a while and I know she has thought of everthing. Lisa's mom will be doing the cooking at the retreat. I met Lisa and Carol at Homestead Cabin last December (and Nancy joined them this year). I had a chance to sample Lisa and Carol's food and it was amazing!! I understand Lisa's mom is a legendary cook. Here is a link to Lisa's blog and a slide show of the Gathering Retreat open house. If you are ever in the Menasha area do stop in at Primitive Gatherings. The over dyed wools and homespuns in this shop will leave you drooling!

36 Hour Sale for the Last Minute Shopper

2010-12-16T14:40:00.012-06:00

I'm hosting a 36 hour sale for the last minute shopper. Choose from Hand dyed scarves and fabrics...

or snowflake sun catchers, ornaments and miniature quilt block jewelry.

Sometimes it pays to be a last minute shopper. I am offering 25% off all purchases in both of my Etsy shops until 6:00 am Central Time on Saturday Dec 18th. Enter the coupon code Dyecandy25 during checkout to receive this discount on any of my in stock wares. All packages will ship via US Priority Mail on Friday or Saturday Morning.

Dye Candy Fabrics: Hand Dyed Fabrics and Scarves

Shady Grove Studios: Snowflake Sun Catchers and Miniature Quilt Block Jewelry

Tonya's New Book Has Been Released!

2010-12-09T12:19:00.005-06:00

This book "Word Play Quilts" was the very first item on my Christmas list this year. I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this book for months!

The author, Tonya Ricucci aka The Unruly Quilter aka Lazy Gal, has had a great influence on my quilting style these last few years. I love Tonya's no rules approach to piecing. She has a fresh vision blending new techniques with traditional and unique design ideas.

These are a few pieces I have worked on this year for the challenges at the Lazy Gal's Liberated Amish Get Together blog. My "Every Night I Dream in Color" quilt was made as a modern twist on an Amish quilt design called "bricks and bars".

This piece was little bit of play using odd shapes scraps of fabric in a Gee's Bend sort of fashion.

This block was my first attempt at word play using Tonya's "Liberated Letters". I had so much fun that I wanted to fill my quilts with paragraphs.....

Stop by and visit Tonya's blog here

You can purchase the book direct from Martingale here.

New in My Etsy Shop

2010-12-06T11:03:00.007-06:00

I added a few hand dyed silk scarves to my Dye Candy shop last weekend. It is rare for me to get these listed. I sell my scarves at shows and they usually sell out quickly. Here is a peek at what is for sale. I will be adding a few more velvet scarves tomorrow.

You can also find my quilt block jewelry and Stained Glass snow flakes here.

Please note everything in my shops is on sale at 15% off the list price. Just enter coupon code Dyecandy15 when checking out. Items are shipped by priority mail world wide. This time of year packages deliver in 1-4 days in the US and 7-10 days oversees.

Holiday Sale

2010-11-29T16:48:00.006-06:00

I'm taking a long deep breath. All of my gallery orders have shipped for the holiday season.

I have no more travel planned for the next few months.

I even found time to cut up some hand dyed fabrics to make a new quilt for someone special.

I'm itching to stitch again and will make time to sew this coming weekend.

Etsy recently added coupon codes to their site. Whoo Hoo!

I am hosting a sale at both of my Etsy Shops today through December 15th.

Use the code Dyecandy15 to receive 15% off of your purchases.

Shadygrovestudios.Etsy.com - Home of my hand dyed quilt block jewelry and stained snowflakes. Shipping is prepaid for all orders shipping from this shop to any location in the United States.

Dyecandy.Etsy.com - This is where you can find my vibrant one of a kind hand dyed fabrics. As always, any order over $100.00 will qualify for free shipping (refunded through Paypal).

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season! Chris

A Quilt Show or Two

2010-10-26T06:14:00.001-05:00

I have been a very busy fabric dyer while getting ready for October shows. 200 yards of dyed fabric later, one show down, one to go...

I will be vending near Madison, WI in Waunakee this Friday and Saturday October 29th & 30th. The show is hosted by the St. John's Piecemakers. This show will have over 150 original quilts on display.

My booth features one of a kind cotton fabrics, silk and velvet scarves, quilt block jewelry, "solid" color cottons and overdyed velvets. If time permits I may be adding some of my stained glass snowflakes and a few of my stained glass lamps.

My friend Lorna of Plumberry House creations will be joining me at the show. Lorna sells gorgeous overdyed wools, patterns and kits. She also has some great gift ideas for your favorite stitchers.

Show hours are from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm each day.

St. John’s School Gymnasium

114 East Third Street

Waunakee, WI 53597

Click here for more information.

P.S. While you are in town be sure to check out Mill House Quilts. It is one of my favorite shops with wares to interest every quilter. This shop is located in an old mill dating back to 1875.

Doors and Re-Constituted Soup

2010-10-06T16:36:00.006-05:00

Here is my finished art quilt for the "Doors" Challenge on the Art Quilts Around the World blog.

I chose the entry door from Greene and Greene's Gamble House in Pasadena California because it is the door that started me on my creative journey many years ago. Read more here.

At the end of June I showed this photo of my completed "Stone Soup" quilt top. It was sent off to Australia and cut into 15 equal pieces. I received two pieces of my top back and 13 pieces from the other members in the challenge. Each of us was instructed to assemble and finish as we liked.

(This side view shows the textures a little bit better.)

I had planned to do a lot of quilting on this piece but when I saw how much work each piece had on it already, I decided to use a mono-filament thread and add quilting that mirrored the work on each block.

This was a great challenge. It pushed me to use techniques I have not tried before. I also love having a little piece of artwork from all of the participants.

(Click on each picture to enlarge)

I have been traveling so much recently that I have had little time to dye. We took a trip to Colorado in August to visit family and see the band Rush play at Red Rocks. I spent one of those days teaching my nephew's wife how to tie dye. We had a blast! I wish had remembered to take pictures. One of her co-workers dyes clothing and she uses Elmer's water soluble glue as a resist. We tried it out and it really works well. Apply glue to dry fabric and allow to dry completely before adding dye.

I am home at long last and dyeing up a storm. I will be vending at two quilt shows in October. One show in another 10 days and the other is at the end of October. Links to the shows are in my blog side bar.

Wishing you all well from Sunny Wisconsin where autumn is in full color!

Chris

The Art Quilt Blog

2010-09-19T09:04:00.007-05:00

I have maintained Internet stores on Etsy for almost three years. I often get asked advice about starting a shop and how I promote my wares. Etsy is an easy to use resource but you are responsible for self promotion. It takes a lot of time and energy to get that information out to world when you are only one voice.

I recently started a new blog designed to be a resource for Contemporary Art Quilters. This is a forum open to any Art Quilter that would like to join. Members may show past works, works in progress, link to art quilts for sale, personal websites and blogs.

Stop by and take a look. I'd love to hear your ideas. Once you are on the blog you will see links to some general information about the blog in the upper right hand corner. http://www.theartquiltblog.blogspot.com/

Color on Cloth at Long Last

2010-09-19T08:07:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday I had a chance to attend Quilt Expo in Madison. I was really looking forward to seeing Judy and her beautiful snow dyed fabrics. I had the added surprise of meeting Karen in her booth, another fabric dyeing friend I met through blogging.

I signed up for a silk scarf painting class taught by Wendy Rieves. I really enjoyed the class. Wendy had lots of great tips and ideas for adding color on silk and rayon scarves. She had a variety of scarves to choose from. I chose the Silk Crepe De Chine for my projects.

This first photo is what my scarf looked like after applying 3 colors of paint: Teal, Sulfur Green & Brass.

Here is another scarf I worked on using Chartreuse, Violet, Teal, Cerulean Blue and Midnight Blue.

We used Jacquard's Dye-na-Flow silk paints. I have used Setacolor paints which are translucent. Setacolor paints, once heat set and washed, lose much of their vibrancy and the fabrics end up almost pastel.

The photo above shows my first scarf while it was drying. You can see how the three paint colors combined to create more depth. I added sea salt to make the paint create added texture (I think next time I would not use so much salt). Then I scrunched up the scarf in pleats so I could transport the wet scarf home.

These are the finished scarfs. First I removed the salt pieces, then heat set the paint with my iron. Each was hand washed to remove excess paints and salt. I love how bright the paint colors remained.

Night Dreams

2010-08-01T13:31:00.004-05:00

Side one of my Day and Night Dreams Quilt is finished for the Lazy Gal Liberated Amish 2010 Get Together. I tried to use darker colors like blue black, navy and deep violet in this quilt top but my brain just couldn't work those colors in. I love bright, clear colors and gave in to a selection of my favorite color pallets. My idea for this quilt came from my passion for color. As I've mentioned before I find it very hard to sleep on nights when my dye lots are batching. I just can't wait to see the results. I often use more dye solution than is needed so I can get faster results.

This pattern was inspired by the Bricks in Bars quilt made by Ada Gingerich of Arthur, Illinois. The inspiration quilt is featured on page 114, plate 62 in the Amish Abstractions book published by Pomegranate for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Wishing you sweet dreams from Wisconsin!

Chris

Modern Quilt Guild

2010-07-17T07:42:00.004-05:00

Today the Milwaukee Madison Modern Quilt Guild is meeting at Mill House Quilts in Waunakee, WI for a sewing day! I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone again. This group is full warm and very talented women... And what a great place to meet. The quilt shop is in a renovated mill warehouse that was built in 1875. The shop is filled with wonderful selections of fabrics and some of my favorite local teachers give classes there.

I'm just about finished with side one of my Liberated Amish Quilt. I've really had a blast playing with the Liberated Letters and messing around with different color pallets. I can't wait to show you the finished quilt. I made this one just for me. :)

Cozy Quilts in Richland Center Wisconsin is having their grand opening celebration today (Saturday). I wrote about the shop in my last post. If you are coming to town, it is one of two quilt shops in Richland Center. Each shop has its own unique fabric lines. These two shops are great compliments to each other. I hope having a quilt shopping destination in town will bring more quilters to our area.

If you are coming to town, there is a great Mexican restaurant just down the street. You can also grab a bowl of soup and a sandwich wrap at the Pine River Organic Food Market. Accents has a sandwich shop and ice cream fountain (but they do close early on Saturday).

There are lots of great shops all with in a blocks walking distance. The Creative Outlet is across the street with local crafts and scrap booking supplies. On Court Street you will find a wonderful yarn shop called Gone Knitting. The Red Door Art Gallery is another great place to stop. This gallery is a not for profit venture staffed by volunteers. The local artists in this area are so talented! Ocooch Books and Libations sells books, micro brewed beers and local wines. You will also find an antique mall around the corner in the old Auditorium building. So many great places to visit!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! Chris

A New Quilt Shop in Town!

2010-07-08T17:09:00.006-05:00

Cozy Quilts in Richland Center Wisconsin is a brand new quilt shop. I'm so pleased to see a shop like this in our town.

Cozy Quilts stocks a wide variety of fabric styles and a full array of color pallets.

New bolts of fabric are arriving each day.

The staff is friendly and enthusiastic. They have big plans for the classroom area downstairs.

An overview of fabrics: Batiks, fresh modern color pallets and designs, youth prints, 30's fabrics, tone on tone, traditional fabrics and earth tones from Windham and RJR and a nice selection of wide width backings.

The Aurifil Thread selection is the largest I've seen in a quilt shop. Cozy Quilts also stocks Superior's King Tut threads. Oh and did I mention the big rolls of rickrack?

Cozy Quilts is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Don't miss their grand opening on Saturday July 17th

Cozy Quilts

157 N Main St

Richland Center, WI 53581

Phone 608.649.2699

P.S. My one of a kind fabric hand dyed fabrics are on sale for 4 more days in my Dye Candy Shop.

Stone Soup Challenge

2010-07-05T12:09:00.003-05:00

Hooray!! I have finish my Stone Soup Challenge quilt top for the Art Quilts Around the World group. This was a fun and difficult challenge. We were to copy a photo to scale using our own interpretation. There were many textures to replicate and these textures allowed me to use lots of different techniques to complete the top. Each of our tops will be cut up into 15 pieces. I will get a piece of each of the participant's tops back to reassemble and finish. Read more about this challenge here.

Please note: The one of a kind hand dyed fabrics listed in my Dye Candy Store will be on sale for six more days.

Independence Day Fabric Sale

2010-07-01T17:34:00.008-05:00

All of the One of a Kind Hand Dyed Fabrics listed in my Dye Candy Fabric Shop is on sale through next week.

Stop by and take a look.

I alway offer free shipping on orders over $100.00 shipping in the US (shipping charges are refunded through Paypal).

I use a premium mercerized cotton fabric with a thread count of 78X76. This fabric needles well for hand quilting and hand applique.

Fabrics are dyed with Procion Mx Type dyes that make a permanent chemical bond with the cotton fibers.

During the dyeing process these fabrics are washed and rinsed multiple times as in hot water to remove all of the dye residue.

All items are in stock and shipped the next business day.

Wishing you a wonderful Independence Day!

Show and Tell

2010-06-23T16:27:00.005-05:00

I love receiving show and tell photos from my fabric customers. When Megan told me what she planned to do with her new fabric I couldn't wait to see the results!

Isn't this pillow gorgeous? Thanks so much for sharing Megan!

Sorry to have dropped out of blogland for so long. Life is good, full of wonderful friends and family. My last 7 weeks have been so busy. We had company over 4 weekends and for a total of 16 days. I love to cook when we have visitors so much of my time was spent in the kitchen. I even managed to keep the house clean and mow the lawn in between visitors.

The other two weekends involved travel out of town for family events and time spent with the Wisconsin Quilters Inc for a retreat weekend in Lake Geneva. I took a class with Jane Sassaman and loved it! I took away many new ideas and some of Jane's fun fabric. Thanks for everything Jane! Rita Hutchens, the author of "Totally Tubular Quilts",was the other other presenter. As an unexpected bonus we had a chance to sit in on a lecture given by Rita one evening. Her quilts are mind boggling!

I am glad to be at home and catching up on sleep. I plan to let the housework go while I try to finish my quilt projects that are due at month end.

Wishing you all creative days ahead!

Chris

Guest Blogger - Tie Dye Judy

2010-05-09T16:01:00.010-05:00

Hello. My name is Judy Sall, and I am a life-long crafter/artist. I spent my childhood learning to draw, make family Christmas gifts from scraps and odds and ends, and really loved all the crafty things we got to do in school. I started painting in the late 60’s, then got interested in fiber arts towards the 80’s. Finally, in 1998, I decided to try my hand at tie-dye. I had never dyed anything before, and was a little unnerved by the idea, but I got a starter kit and instruction book, and that got me hooked!
Color has always been a very important part of my life, and the brighter the better! So tie-dye was a natural for me. I started selling my work in a small local craft show in 1998, then added my website shop in 2002. We moved to Arizona in 2003, and I found a number of small craft shows in the area to sell my work at, and gradually built my little tie-dye business up. Today, I have an on-line presence at http://www.artfire.com/users/tiedyejudy. I have sold wholesale to a couple of retailers, and just created my first instructional video, demonstrating how to tie a ‘Bamboo pattern’, which is posted on my blog ‘www.hippiewear.blogspot.com’. This is a picture of the pattern I am demonstrating:

One of the reasons I love to tie-dye is that no two items are ever alike. I have always been attracted to unique, original art and clothing, and find there are still people out there who feel the same. I do a lot of custom orders, which I find to be very rewarding. I feel like I truly can provide ‘Wearable Art’ for people with my tie-dye.

Of course, there are favorite patterns that are always popular, such as the Rainbow Swirl, shown here:

This pattern looks complex, but it is really very simple to do! I hope to have a demo on my blog soon showing how I tie and dye the swirl pattern, one that is worth learning if you are interested in selling your own tie-dye.
I encourage anyone out there who has given thought to trying tie-dye to give it a shot. There are many more books and videos out there today than when I started dyeing, and the supplies are readily available. I will be glad to share my resources if anyone wants to contact me at tiedyejudy@hotmail.com.
I want to thank Chris for the wonderful opportunity to share a little about my favorite art form, tie-dye!

The Green Eyed Monster Ate My Washing Machine

2010-05-06T16:58:00.001-05:00

Sorry to have been missing for so long. I had a good excuse. You see the Green Eyed Monster ate my washing machine.

A few weeks ago I was experimenting with some Shibori dyed fabrics and one of a kind fabrics. One of the fabrics I was affectionately calling the Green Eyed Monster. Before work on Friday morning I added the Green Eyed Monster to the washing machine. Two hours later I heard an alarm going off on the washing machine. The pump that removes the water from the tub had stopped working. So here I am with sopping wet fabric that needs a lot more rinsing before it is finished. I am so very glad we have a clothes line in the back yard.

I called for service and was told it would be a week and a half before they could have a repairman look at it. Luckily my husband is very handy. He had the machine working a few days earlier and for $100.00 less than we would have paid for repairs.

Lesson learned, no more monsters in the appliances. I guess in the future I'll need to choose safer names like Daffodil or Daylily.

Fresh Fabrics

2010-04-24T15:00:00.005-05:00

I spent last week photographing and listing new fabrics on my Etsy shop. I also refreshed a few of the old listings with new photos. The updated photos have long been on my list of things to do and I'm happy to have that accomplished. I'm off the meet with the Modern Quilt Guild tomorrow. Six blissful hours of sewing with no interruptions. Whoohoo!

I couldn't resist creating a slideshow using the kaleidoscopic effect with the new fabrics. I hope you like it! Have a wonderful weekend! Chris

Mukwonago Quilt Show

2010-04-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a view of my booth at the Crazy Quilters show last weekend. I had such a great time. The women of this guild made me feel so welcome. Hello to all the blog readers who stopped by and introduced yourselves. So good to finally meet you in person! I also had a chance to meet 6 members of the newly formed Milwaukee/Madison Modern Quilt Guild. I'm looking forward to seeing you at the end of the month when we get together to sew.

Most of all thanks to my gracious hosts, Linda her husband Arno. They took me into to their home over the weekend and made me feel like one of their family. Dinner on Saturday night was to die for!!! I can still taste it. Linda is such a talented quilter. You can see her award winning quilt in the photo to the right, Amazing!

My projects have been on the back burner while getting ready for this show. I can't wait to get started. Tomorrow will be my first sewing day in a month and a half. I have to start my Liberated Amish Quilt to meet the June deadline. I also need to finish my version of Marcia's "Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern". I'm using hand dyed fabrics and some favorite Kaffe Fassett fabrics purchased from Jackie at Canton Village Quilt Works. More on that quilt top soon!!!

Crazy Quilters Show

2010-04-08T17:54:00.004-05:00

2011 Update:
I will be selling my hand dyed fabrics and quilt block jewelry at the Crazy Quilters Quilt Show on April 30th and May 1st, 2011

If you are in Mukwonago (Milwaukee Area) please stop by say hello. This show boasts up to 300 quilts on display. The talent in this group is phenomenal. Read more about the show here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

P.S. This is a partial image of my Flora quilt made for the Art Quilts Around the World challenge

Faux Snow Dyeing by Candy from Candied Fabrics

2010-04-01T06:00:00.035-05:00

April fools! Today, the dye candy you're gonna see is actually Candied Fabric - some "faux" snow dyeing done by guest poster Candy Glendening from Candied Fabrics.

Hi there! Chris & I have decided to feature each other today on our blogs. I've been quilting for 27 years now (yikes!) dyeing for over 12 years now, and for the past couple of years I've been supporting my habits with my little business. I've learned an incredible amount about dyeing from the internet, both the dyer's listserve and blogs galore. One technique that has gotten a lot of dyers talking the past couple of winters is snow dyeing. I ooh and ahh over other folks' results and pout, because living in SoCal, although great for dyeing in general, (because I can dye outside on my patio 12 months of the year), I never have snow to dye with.

Well, Chris posted some awesome snow dyeing results the other week, and something she wrote clicked with me. When she said "I may just have to buy my own snow cone machine" a huge LIGHTBULB went on in my head! My dayjob is teaching biology at the University of Redlands, and we have a huge ice machine that makes crushed ice, it's great for holding test tubes, etc. So a couple Saturday's ago, I went to work with an ice chest and brought home my "faux snow"! I took a lot of pix along the way and thought I'd walk you through my interpretation of Chris's snow dyeing technique.

Please feel free to click on any picture to enlarge it for more detail!

Fabric: P & B Textiles dyer's cloth MPAK (a bit heavier than true "quilter's weight", think Kona cotton weight)
Dyes: Procion MX Fiber reactives, 2 set of primary colors and black, stock mixed 5 g/cup water (I don't use urea, just a blender)
Soda Ash soak: 1/2 cup/gallon water.

On Saturday, I just did two sets of comparing my usual method of LWI (low water immersion dyeing) with Chris's snow dye techniques:

My method: Dry fabric was "scrumbled" and pushed into a container to hold those nooks and crannies in place.
Chris's method: After a soak in soda ash, fabric was "scrumbled", placed on top of window screen taped to a plastic bin, and covered with my "faux snow"

Then I poured dye over both sets of fabric. This set I used (ProChem names, I can never keep the MX codes straight) Tangerine, Fuchsia, Intense blue, and a brown I make that is 50/50 Sun Yellow/Grape.

My Method: I poured the dyes on in no real set pattern until I couldn't see white anymore. After about 10 minutes I poured a cup of Soda Ash over the top.
Chris's method: I poured the dyes on in no real set pattern until the ice looked covered with dye.

They then sat in the sun for several hours, here's some time lapse photography:

Here are the results of the natural primaries:
And another set I did with Bright primaries (Turquoise, Mixing Red, Sun Yellow)
I LOVE the texture I'm getting with the "snow", but realized the colors are much lighter than the my normal LWI. I realized that I hadn't really put the same amount of dye on each piece of fabric, so it wasn't a true comparison, so I designed my second experiment.

I love the serendipity one gets when dyeing the way I did on Saturday, but I was reminded why I've evolved my particular way of working with dye. It's been my experience that when working with primaries alone it can be really easy to get purple, orange or green...which may be what you're after, but I'd like more control. AND, I really love tertiary colors, which are colors that have amounts of all 3 primary colors in them - but this takes careful planning, or you get stuck with lots of "baby-poo brown". So I've come up with color palettes that I like to work with, where I can mix up shades, tints and tones of a few colors (be they primary, secondary or tertiary) and combine them for neat hues that are always surprising, but in the range that I am looking for (which is not always purple or green!)

So, I mixed up dyes for a bunch of my palettes at the volume of 300 ml (1.25 cups)/yard of fabric and dyed in parallel again. This time, I did not only dry scrumbling vs. the "faux snow" but I also took some soda soaked fabric and pleated it before dyeing. Sometimes I still poured the dyes on willy-nilly, but sometimes I poured them in deliberate patches, examples of both are here:
The biggest difference is that I measured the dye and put the same amount on each piece of fabric. This way, if the "snow" dye pieces are lighter, I know it's not because they didn't get as much dye! I also found some old closet maid shelves in the garage and used these for some of the "snow dyes", as it was easier to set up than carefully taping the screens on.
Here are the results:

Some of the "faux snow" dyes it was really hard to figure out which palette they belonged to...thank goodness that I did a combination of 1/2 yard and 1 yard pieces (but always the same size for a particular palette), this helped me figure a couple of them out.

In general, the pieces that had more blue or black were much more faded out than those with lots of red (I think my favorite piece of the day is the Sunset "faux snow" dyed piece). Which backs up what other dyers say, that blue and black need higher temps and longer times to react.

Overall, I'm pretty happy that I was able to replicate the texture I was seeing on other folks sites - which is that there are lots of little faded patches that were at the top of the scrumbled fabric - where the "faux snow" is touching. I'd like to know if I can get them to look more intense like Chris does...I know she uses dye concentrates with similar concentrations, I wonder if she measures how much dye she uses, or just eyeballs it?

Anyway, there you have it - "faux snow" dyeing! I now can get a great watercolor look whenever I want - and it's all because Chris said something about a snow cone machine! Thanks Chris...and thanks for having me as your guest!