Experiments with natural dyes and quilting cottons

Donna Brown's "Can you Dig It" natural dye class was an eye-opener to putting nature's color palette on cloth.

Dobby weave cotton cloth hand dyed with logwood and osage orange.

I have some experience fabric dyeing with synthetic dyes, but the time had come to learn about pre-1856 colorants—natural dyes, extracts and pigments—for coloring textiles. So, for the class supplies, I gathered cuts of several quilting cottons that I generally use for sewing, garment making and quilting, along with a few rubber stamps, stencils and brushes, to learn about natural dyes and techniques for applying these colorants to cloth. Here are the results.

Immersion Dyeing
The class spent time weighing and mordanting the fabrics prior to the dye process. Dye pots were prepared and the coloring began.

Osage orange (yellow) overdyed with Logwood (purple) on
a white textured yarn-dyed cotton from Diamond Textiles.

Logwood (blue violet) took nicely to a printed batik from Majestic Batiks.
Notice the flower motifs of the batik design.

Pomegranate (yellow) overdyed with Logwood (purple) on a
pintuck cotton from Diamond Textiles.

Direct application of natural pigments
We learned about mixing natural dye extracts and pigments with tragacanth so the colors could be directly applied to textiles. Various tools can be used to create patterns and imagery to make complex art cloth.

Stencilling on Tweed Thicket, a yarn-dyed cotton from Diamond Textiles.

Rubber stamps and stencils on silk broadcloth.

Initially, the colors were from the pure pigments. However, with a room full of artists, painters and a few experienced dyers, the workshop participants quickly began creating and sharing elaborate and beautiful "custom color" dye mixtures.

Pigments mixed with tragacanth for direct application techniques.

Direct application of pigments with a foam brush
on embossed cotton (Diamond Textiles).

Stamping with a wood block on cotton knit from Art Gallery Fabrics.
The highlight colors applied to select leaves with pigment pastels.

First layer: monoprinting with a Gelli plate
on white cotton [ColorWorks from Northcott].

Silk screen (central motif) and stenciling on a batik from Majestic Batiks.

Silk screen, stamping and direct application on various quilting cottons.

Once cured (about a week for the direct applications), I'll be excited to begin working with these samples!

Natural dyes on quilting cottons. Photo credit: Yvonne Martin-Kitt

Not one "mean girl" in the bunch
Natural dyeing is a combination of history, chemistry, and art. I enjoyed all the ingredients and aspects of the recipe. Thank you to Donna Brown, a knowledgeable and generous instructor, for taking me on my maiden voyage with natural dyes, extracts and pigments! You made me and everyone successful in our creative textile endeavors.

Donna Brown (left) and I at Shakerag Workshops 2019.

And to the fellow artists who graciously shared in this learning experience with me, your talents, friendship and thoughtfulness are without limits. Thanks for a wonderful experience.

"Can You Dig It?" natural dye workshop. 2019 Shakerag Workshops.
Photo credit: Yvonne Martin-Kitt.

A glorious find

Look at these lovelies! Are they not gor-ge-ous?

Hand-dyed fat quarters by Karen Young
at Hyderhangout Quilt Fabric and More, Cleveland, TN

I snatched up these hand-dyed fat quarters at a quilt shop in Cleveland, TN, Hyderhangout Quilt Fabric and More for just $3 per fat quarter. There were also a couple of half-yard pieces. Get 'em while they're still there, 'cause something this unique and beautiful will not stay on the shelf for long.

Inspiration from the Sewing Expo

My good friend, Pat, and new friend, Sonya, and I did a one-day rendez-vous at the Atlanta Sewing and Quilt Expo this weekend. The temptation at Laura Murray's booth of hand-dyed kimono and paint stick creations was too tempting for Pat and I to pass up. Here's my souvenir from the show.
The fabrics are over-dyed kimono silk panels and the two buttons were in the sale basket. A lovely combo: hand-dyed silk, buttons and sale.

Wearable Art Vest workshop
Saturday, March 19

I'm teaching my Yarn Fabrication Wearable Art Vest workshop this coming Saturday, March 19 at Chattanooga Sewing. With my recent purchase, I'm inspired to combine the yarn technique with the silk panels—somehow.

I'll have to let this concept germinate... Ideas??

There are still a few open spaces in the class, so come and join in the creativity! Call (423) 899-3664 to register.

10-10-10

October 10, 2010 or 10-10-10
I couldn't resist posting on this unique date. How often does this happen where the month, date and year are all the same number? (I'm sure someone has calculated and documented this somewhere.)

The weather for the Red Bank Market was just beautiful. Sales were good—until the Tennessee football game got undeway—and I got a commission request (nice!). Friends from my guilds and other business acquaintances stopped by my tent. It was great to see everyone and catch up with people I don't get to see on a regular basis.

My booth was next to the "Accessories with Attitude" tent which had an exquisite assortment of hand-knit scarves and hats and colorful felted bags, pins and pouches made by two of my knitting friends. Local farmers had fresh, home grown produce at the market and the cupcake ladies from Scenic City Cakes offered bite-size samples of their delectable confectioneries. Don't these look yummy???

Best of all, I spent a beautiful October day outside, under a red tent with my husband, who helped with set up and sales. We're coming up on a 10-year anniversary this week. He's my favorite sweetie!

Lark Books "Quilt It" contest winner

My quilt, Break Free, Take Flight, recently won the "Best Use of Hand-dyed/Altered Fabric" award in a contest sponsored by Lark Books. (view all winners here)
Original entries submitted to the "Quilt It!" contest were required to incorporate three of the following five elements: 1) bird/s; 2) mountains; 3) sliver fabric, thread or item; 4) recyled/repurposed material; 5) beads. My entry included a bird, silver thread used in the free-motion machine quilting, and over 95% of the fabrics were hand-dyed or over-dyed using shibori techniques.

Here is a detail view of the metallic thread used in the machine quilting. I'm awaiting delivery of the prize: a library of Lark's quilting books. You can't have too may books—especially when the subject is art quilts, quiltmaking, and textiles. Yipee!

Arashi Shibori

At my quilt guild tonight, we had a show and tell of the hand dyed pieces from a recent dye workshop. There were piles of beautiful cottons, Kona cotton and silk charmeuse awaiting an opportunity to be incorporated into a quilt or wearable. Here is a piece of arashi shibori (folded and pole wrapped) that I did. "Arashi" translates to "storm." The fabric is a bamboo/cotton blend and it has a soft finish and a fabulous hand. I would love to turn this piece into a long vest--it would move and flow as one walked. Here is a picture of the full piece.

Dye workshop with Melody Johnson

I'm very fortunate to have fellow art quilter, Melody Johnson, as a neighbor in our fiber arts community. (Not a next-door-neighbor, but close enough.) During one of our conversations, we discovered we both used the same sewing machine brand--and model--for our free-motion quilting, and we bonded immediately. We are "Janome sisters" and we both love our MC 6500 Pros!

A sampling of Melody's free-motion quilting on her hand-dyed fabrics.

Last weekend, she conducted a dye workshop at my quilting and fiber arts business, and what a colorful time we all had! Her Lazy Dyer fabric dying method is fun and stress-free and Melody's teaching style is just as easy-going. We overcame the rain and gray skies and the group was very productive and left the workshop with a rainbow of beautifully hand-dyed cotton and silk fabrics.

Blending the dyes for the full color spectrum. Can you say R-O-Y-G-B-I-V ?

Special effects and dye submersion. Hope you are inspired!