April 16, 2019
My first ever blog post is not supposed to be about dyeing. However, that’s what I am currently working on for personal quilting projects. All of the classes I took at my 13th MQX (Machine Quilter’s Exposition in Manchester, NH) involved hand dyed fabric. The first time I attended MQX was in 2007 as a brand new machine quilter. There I made the discovery that there is so much more to do in the quilting world than traditional patchwork and hand quilting. It has been an annual trip to continue to educate myself in the art and business of longarm quilting, but this year I decided to focus on a different aspect of quilting.
The idea of blogging about my quilting has been on my mind for a long time. When I started to quilt seriously, I remembered every detail about each quilt- who it was for, why I made it, what I learned. Details are still important to me and the quilts all have a story, I just can’t remember them all if I don’t write it down. So, this is the starting point.
I took my first class in hand dyeing fabrics at MQX about 10 years ago. The color gradations I created were used to make some quilts and I custom dyed fabrics for a few projects.
A couple years later I read an article about “Snow” dyeing. I tried it- I was hooked, the only problem was waiting for snow storms and getting it done while the snow was available. Last year at MQX I took a class in Ice Dyeing techniques. I learned ways of folding and manipulating the fabric to get interesting designs. The only problem is that I now have all this really interesting fabric and don’t know what to do with it other than turn it into a whole cloth quilt. I just can’t cut it! So this year I decided to focus on fabric dyeing and using the fabric. These days I primarily quilt for others, but I love the entire process and learning new techniques, so being able to take a few days and focus on a specific project for me was a treat.
Day One
Day one: Dye three backings (Ombre, Swirl, Speckled), 6 coordinating fabrics, 6 Mandalas, and a binding- I have no idea how the project will end up, so the binding was a guess.
For my version of the class project I chose to use Kingfisher Blue, Sapphire, and Gun Metal gray. We folded and scrunched fabric, mixed dye, applied ice, then the dye. Class was over and I bagged the bin up and very carefully brought it back to my room to watch the ice melt. I broke out of my comfort zone and went to the ice cream social for the first time and actually talked to one of my classmates.
Day Two
Day 2: Backing class, rinse fabric
The next day I took the backing class, had lunch (with a classmate from that class) then went to the classroom to rinse. I was very worried that all my fabrics looked black. This was not going to be a very interesting quilt. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone so monochromatic. So, I rinsed, and rinsed, and rinsed. When it was almost clear I brought everything back to my room and rinsed some more. My arms were killing me the next day from wringing the fabric. I couldn’t use the tub in my room because there wasn’t one, and I’m not a risk taker- my aversion to conflict did not make dealing with the hotel’s wrath if the grout in the tile shower turned turquoise too appealing.
One of the best tips in this class was to rinse in the tub and let the shower do the work. When I got home I did that with my wide back and it made it so much easier. I still had to spend a long time at the laundry sink. A 102” x 102” piece of fabric is very difficult to manipulate and gets really heavy. Reducing the amount of wringing I had to do was priceless.
When I was fairly confident that all the dye was out, I hung the fabric in the closet with bins under to catch any drips (they were clear!) and went to see the awards ceremony and check out the show. I had an all-day class the next day, so it was my only opportunity. After scrounging up a very late supper, I checked and the fabric was dry, so I spent a lot of time ironing it in preparation for part two of the class- using the fabric.
Day Three
Day three- part 2 of Dyeing to Cut it. The cutting part.
The teacher, Karen Marchetti, made a pattern for a wall-hanging based on her award winning “Andromeda’s Crossing” quilt. In class we learned how to make frames, use glue to prepare the edges for applique, and started selecting the parts of our mandalas that would make it into the quilt. Picking the frames was a little challenging since I went so monochromatic and there isn’t a whole lot of difference in the fabrics. The good news is that once they were dry, the gradation was a little more apparent.
During class I prepared the quilt center and got some side frames cut. I am going to have to get creative in using the rest of my mandalas, because they don’t have strong centers, and that is important. This class was to learn something new, and part of the learning is figuring out what not to do, or what I can do better. One of the challenges with these classes is that there are no written directions. I like directions, but my notes will have to suffice as I continue to work on my project.
My plan is to use my spiral fabric as the backing, and the ombre as the background for the top, but I will also audition the speckled fabric. I am not very good at being decisive. In class someone compared themselves to a squirrel crossing the street that makes quick decisions. I realized I am like the squirrel who didn’t make it because it couldn’t decide which way to go. If I don’t explore every possibility, I will worry that I missed out on a better choice. Or I can confirm that I am making the right one.
I am looking forward to continuing to work on this project, do more dyeing (I came home and ordered more of the colors I used in case I decide I need some more fabrics), and possibly using some of my previously dyed fabrics.
