Friday, January 25, 2013

New Silk Collections


I have just added 8 new Silk Collections to the Dyed & Gone to Heaven Website.
Each set is of 6 Fat Quarters of highest quality Dupioni Silks and colour coordinated to one of the wonderful Design Seeds photos. These have been used with the kind permission of Design Seeds

Here are some of them
Horses

  
Waterfall


Blue Feathers


Warm Break


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Can't Stop Clamping!

I am really enjoying this weather as it is perfect for working in the garden which is where we do all our dyeing.
So I have done some more Shibori - just because I can.
Here are some of them.










They are all on the website now. Each one is unique and when gone - it's gone!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Sun Printing Kindergarden Style


I have loved doing all my Botanical Sunprints but wanted to try something else. Thanks to a suggestion of a friend we went off to the cheap $2 store and bought all sorts of foam objects.

So as usual - I painted the fabric with my Sun Dye Fabric paints (although any fabric paint will do sun prints.

Then I just laid out the shapes all over the fabric

Then I just left them to dry. It wasn't a particularly sunny day but these paints work so well that within half an hour the fabric was dry and the images imprinted.

It was fun gathering up all the shapes





These are some of the resulting fabrics and they are now all available on my website in case you like them but don't feel like making your own.


 
  
 





Saturday, January 12, 2013

New Overlay Work

I having a lot of fun playing with overlay designs for my new workshop Opulent Overlays and thought I would show you my latest.

First I quilted the design on the silk  quilt sandwich. I have various ways of transferring the design onto the fabric which I talk about in my workshop.

Using a combination of Opulence Paints and a little Sun Pearl I painted the design onto the fabric within the quilting lines

It sorts of creates a trapunto effect without the effort.
Using the central motif in the design I carved a stamp and then stamped all around the central motif mixig the paints with different strengths to get variation.
 I  quilted around these motifs with a gold metallic thread to increase the opulence. I was very pleased at how my Handiquilter Sweet 16 handled the metallic thread
Here is the finished piece.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Hand Dyed Silk Collections

For a long time I have been wanting to put together coordinated collections based on images rather than just a simple colour run or gradation in our hand dyed fabrics. Sometimes we just need a little help in putting colours together.

I was planning to use my own photos and was just working out how to do the display when I chanced upon Design Seeds daily post of the most beautiful colour selections. They have graciously given me permission to use a selection of images as a starting point.

Then I was fortunate to find an excellent supplier of dupioni silk so decided to make these collections in silks. Not only for the quilter but perfect quality for embroiders, home decorators and anyone else who appreciates fine quality fabric in beautiful combinations

So I have created the first 8 collections and am so pleased with them. They are initially in 50cm x 50cm pieces in sets of 6 but of course larger quantities are possible too.

Then next 8 are underway and they will be just as beautiful I promise.

They are now available on the website and I can't wait to see what people do with the. My mind is full of ideas too and I will show you some as they are created (or even while they are being created.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Buttons for Embellishment

When I was in Scotland I went to the annual Craft Market in Edinburgh and was thrilled to meet Fran whose Buttons by McAnaraks had always appealed to me. 
I was so pleased when she agreed to let me stock her buttons on my WEBSITE and they have finally arrived and I have loaded them.
These are some of the larger buttons which are 35mm in diameter and can be bought singularly or in sets of 6
 


 I also have some of her Pinstripe and Galaxy Ranges which are on cards of 6 in three different shapes.



Fran is a wonderful seamstress and designer and has embellished these jackets to give them a new and exciting look.


 Fran has also made these cute brooches with the large buttons to give you more inspiration.

I look forward to seeing what you do with yours.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

More Shibori


I really enjoyed doing the last few batches of Shibori fabrics so while the weather has been perfect I have done some more.



 
I am going to get some more clamps so I can do more at the same time.

This one is my favourite and I am keeping it to quilt it as a whole cloth when I have a spare moment. But the others are all available on the Website if you feel like adding them to your stash.