Confetti + Ice = New Technique Combo!

I had a piece of confetti dyed fabric I wanted to rework. I decided to over dye with ice and the results were a nice surprise! I like the way the lines and scattered color particles look under the more fluid feel of the ice dyeing. I had screened the leaves on before the ice and now I wish I hadn't done so... but... I have some new thermofax leaf screens to try so perhaps this is the opportunity! Time to implement my motto of if you don't like something keep working it until you're satisfied! 

The base is the confetti technique which creates the vertical lines
and scattered appearance

The ice dyeing gives the fluid washed look blending the colors more.
The leaves are created using freezer paper and screened onto the fabric. 

Dying More Fabric for Kate Themel's Magnolia Workshops!

Fiber artist Kate Themel had fabulous results in her recent Magnolia workshop! The students embraced her technique and created beautiful wall art. For a complete list of Kate's workshops click here. 

For my part I'm busy dyeing fabric to put the magnolia fabric kits together. The kits contain gradated colors for the flowers, browns and greens along with a one of a  kind ice dyed background.

I'd better get busy...

Here is a detail of Kate's Magnolia piece

It's hard to believe this pile of colored ice turns into such a lovely piece of fabric!  

Here are some fabric kits from Kate's previous workshop

More Mixed Techniques!

I started with a confetti dyed piece of cotton. While the fabric was wet with soda ash and water I lightly folded the fabric to create a textured look. The piece was pretty quiet so I began to stamp fabric paint with a sea sponge. I was going for an organic woodland feel. The overall design is still mellow but it feels calm so I'm happy. 

Please click on the Mixed Techniques tab at the top of the page for purchasing information. 

Mixed Techniques!

I'm still pulling fabrics from my "to be continued" basket and reworking the surfaces. This piece repeats the circle shape as more layers are added using a number of techniques. 

I started with 100% cotton and painted the surface using Setacolor fabric paint.
I stamped some found objects and stenciled ferns across the surface. 

Next I melted soy wax and using a circular shaped sponged
stamped the hot wax across the surface. 

The piece was over dyed with ice creating a terracotta background.

I mixed green fabric paint with a clear decolorant and sponged circle shapes on the fabric. Once the product is dry I heat set with an iron. As the fabric absorbs the heat the circle shapes begin to appear - It's like magic!

This is one of my favorite stencils and I thought the piece needed some
dragonflies flitting about.  

Here is the finished piece

If you'd like information on purchasing this one yard piece please click on the "Mixed Techniques" tab at the top of the blog. 

We Have a Mosaic Fabric Pack Winner!

Lesley Riley chose a winner at random for The Printed Fabric Bee's custom fabric pack giveaway! Please click over to Lesley's blog to see if it's YOU! 

Next month will be my turn to give away a fabric pack so please, please, please check back and be ready to post a comment when prompted. My theme explores the colors and textures of woodlands... I can hardly wait to see what the artists create! 

For now pop over to Lesley's blog to see who the winner is! If you don't already know Lesley take a few minutes to peruse her blog and see what's happening in her creative arts business!

Ice Dye + Batik = Happy Fabric!

I've mentioned in previous posts that I have a basket where all my "unhappy" fabrics go. When I create a fabric that I'm not thrilled with I toss it into the basket to be reworked at another time. To me fabric is never unusable... just "unhappy" in it's current state! I recently pulled out some unhappy fabrics and using the batik technique I got some of them to a happy place... others went back into the basket... again! 

Hand dyed fabric with circles added using the batik technique

The original ice dyed fabric before adding soy wax

Once the soy wax was applied I dyed the fabric Indigo

#batik #icedyedfabric #handdyedfabric

Snow Dyed Fabrics for Sale!

I recently completed some 3-yard lengths of snow dyed fabric. Please click on the "Snow Dyed Fabric" tab above to view each piece. All fabrics are for sale and next week I'll add some smaller lengths to the list! 

Baby it's cold outside! 

Have You Participated?

Did you get a chance to leave a comment on Lesley Reily's blog or The Printed Fabric Bee's Facebook page? The wining name will be drawn on March 15th!

Guess who the March "Queen" is.... ME! The artists are busy developing fabric with colors and textures of woodlands in mind. I can't wait to see what this talented group comes up with! 

For now... get on over and leave a comment for a chance to win Lesley's mosaic themed fabric pack!

Accidental Tornado!

In the spirit of not wasting any potential surface design - accidental or planned - I placed some fabric under a larger piece I had hanging on my clothesline. The fabric on the line was hung to allow the excess dye to drip down causing a cool striated affect. The fabric under the line caught the drippings and when I washed and dried the piece I thought it looked like a tornado funnel had just touched down... yikes! 

Do you see a tornado or something different?

Detail showing the depth of the colors

What image do you see!

#surfacedeisgn #handdyedfabric

Over Dyeing with Snow!

Towards the end of February I created a post about dyeing larger pieces of fabric using the snow dyed technique. The snow is easy to manipulate and it allows me to dye a bulkier piece of fabric successfully. I was happy with the final results but wondered what would happen if I over dyed the fabric. 

Here are the results - I ended up with deeper more complex color patterns on the cloth and I'm now on the hunt for other fabrics that could use a second or third dip in the dye! 

The piece in the upper left was done first and
the above piece was over dyed

The above piece was dyed first
and the second dye bath is below

Again - the first dyed piece is above
and the second below

This has been a fun exercise and I like being able to manipulate fabric I've already worked with to create a piece of art cloth that has a different and fuller feel! 

What have you repurposed today? 

Long Winter = Cold Fabric!

Oh this darn winter... more cold temperatures! 

Even my fabric feels cold! 

I combined so many techniques I've forgotten exactly how I created this fabric... does that mean cabin fever is setting in?! 

How many days until spring! 

Time to Post a Comment for a Chance to Win the Fabric Pack!

Please go to The Printed Fabric Bee's facebook page OR visit Lesley Riley's blog and leave a comment!

Lesley will draw a winning comment on March 15th!

Good luck!

Mosaic Challenge ~ You Could Win a 6" X 6" Fabric Pack!

Lesley Riley of The Printed Fabric Bee was February's "Queen" and asked her fellow artists to create fabrics with a mosaic theme in mind. Leslie provided a photo that inspired her and the "hive" was off to the studios creating pieces for her! 

I experimented with a number of techniques finally settling on freezer paper. If you only thought of freezer paper as something you wrap food in you'll be delighted to add a roll to your surface design toolbox! The paper is a nice heavy weight for creating patterns and the shiny side can be temporarily adhered to the fabric using a dry iron.

In contemplating a mosaic design I focused on creating small tiles in Lesley's color scheme of yellow, orange, purple and fuchsia.

The first step was to cut out a design using an exacto knife.

To create the little tiles I used just a small section of a stencil and
applied the fabric paint with a stencil brush.

This tile was made using a piece of plastic netting.

After the piece was painted I waited 24 hours to let the paint cure.
TIP: Let the paint dry in-between each color application to
avoid smudging the paint. Trust me it can happen!

Once the paint is dry peel off the freezer paper and heat set the paints using a dry iron.

I felt the fabric needed a little more purple so I put the cloth into an ice dye bath and waited another 24 hours for the ice to work it's magic! 

Here is Lesley's final piece... a very busy looking mosaic! 

Would YOU like a chance to win a 6" X 6" fabric pack of the same custom fabrics The Printed Fabric Bee created for Lesley? Check our facebook page or Lesley's blog for details on when the contest starts - within a day or two - GOOD LUCK!