First summer garden workshop

Well, I say summer, definitely not as warm as you might expect for May 30th, but we had a very enjoyable day playing with Procion MX dyes. We used a warm set of primary colours (scarlet, ultramarine and golden yellow) and a cool set of primary colours (magenta, turquoise and lemon yellow), poured them on neat and let them mix in the containers.

The first thing we did was a shibori technique of wrapping fabric diagonally round a tube, wrapping it with thread and then scrunching the fabric down. Then we immersed the fabric in a salt and washing soda solution and then dribbled dye down the sides of the tube.

We left the tubes for a good hour standing on the lawn before we rinsed out the loose dye, and then we hung them on the washing line to dry.

And here are some details:

Then we moved on to dyeing in an icecream tub. Six fat quarters (ish) get scrunched up and squashed into a 2 litre icecream tub, saturated in salt and soda solution and then the dye is added. 

You never really know what you are going to get, and as these need to be left overnight for the colours to develop, I can't show any results yet.

Then we repeated the process using larger pieces of fabric in a cat litter tray. Forgot to take any photos of this, and I can't show any results yet.

I've always understood that you can put a second layer of fabric pieces on top of the first layer in an icecream tub, and repeat the salt and soda solution and add more dyes, but I have never tried it, so I thought I would. When I rinsed it all this morning, I was surprised how much white there still was on the lower layer, despite the fact that I thought I had checked it. As I still had some dye left I have scrunched some of them up again, and overdyed them.

I'll show some results in a few days.

So the next garden workshop is on Saturday 13th June, weather permitting, and we are doing indigo and shibori. Details are in the previous post.

Summer Garden Workshops

At 7 St Peter’s Road, Ditton. ME20 6PJ

Weather permitting!

10am – 4pm

£5 per session

Come when you like – stay as long as you like!

Saturday 30^th May – Space dyeing with procion dyes

Dyeing with 2 or 3 different coloured dyes in a cat litter tray or an ice cream tub to create bold patterned fabrics.

Saturday 13^th June – Indigo and shibori

Shibori is a Japanese method of creating pattern on fabric either by stitching patterns into the fabric before dyeing (to be done in advance from a worksheet), or by folding, wrapping and tieing (to be done at the workshop).

Saturday 11^th July – Discharge patterns and Rusting

Discharge paste can be painted or printed onto dyed fabric, allowed to dry and then ironed to partially remove (discharge) the colour to create pattern. Anything that will rust can be wrapped in damp fabric and rust will transfer to the fabric creating marks.

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Everything provided – just bring fabric and your lunch.

For details and to book a place, contact Sheila Farmer  at sheilaf1947@gmail.com

An embroidery workshop in March

I have places available at a workshop on Saturday 28th March at Ditton Community Centre  (ME20 6AH) from 10am - 4pm to start to make this book cover based loosely on the embroidery of the Banjara people of India. The cost of the workshop is £20.

We'll work out how to lay out the fabric for the cover; how to work all three different types of embroidery; and how to make the book cover.

There will be a fully detailed handout to help you finish the cover.

My book cover is made using my own hand dyed indigo cotton, stitched with perle 8 threads. I'll have indigo fabric and perle 8 threads available for sale at the workshop.

To book a place and see the complete bring list, please email me at sheilaf1947@gmail.com

Catching up

Being without a computer for a spell last Autumn (my son tells me the motherboard failed, luckily he was able to rescue everything on the hard-drive), means I am way behind with showing some of the class work.

So in this post, a piece of embroidery and two quilts.

This is Sandra's first quilt. The design is a disappearing nine-patch, and because she doesn't have a sewing machine, she stitched the whole thing by hand.

This lovely quilt was made by Janet. It is hand pieced and hand quilted. I particularly like how she has quilted the border.

And finally, the piece of embroidery:

It's a piece of free form canvas work with shells, stitched by Cath. I particularly like the way she has treated the water, and her stitch choice for the beach is really lovely!

More in a few days!