Dyeing - the lazy way

OK. I did mention that I don't deal well with deadlines. Instead of looking forward to studio play time I dread it. For no good reason. No good reason at all. What is wrong with me!?!? 

A beautifully hung show at the Craft Center on campus at NC State University.

Then again - I never seem to get anything actually finished without a deadline to push me to completion. I have numerous works that are very close to completion but I seem to lose interest. I need to find me some discipline!

So I need to dye this fabric for a couple of wearable art pieces I've agreed to make for an exhibition. I've known I needed to get them done. I know it won't take more than a couple of hours of dye time. While I love the results of dyeing cloth, the process, to me, is simply work. Ah - there is one reason for my reluctance. I'm lazy.

So - because I know that I can be entirely flexible with my results I decided to dye this cloth the lazy way. Maybe the lazy way will be fun.

Dyeing cloth the lazy way:

1-Throw the cloth onto hangars. I'm going to experiment with drip/dip dyeing. Dump everything in the sink to soak in hot water. Decide I'd really better change out of my nice clothes. I like this shirt. Except for the really boring color that I usually only wear in winter. Hmmm. Take it off and dump the shirt in the water too.

2 - Get out the buckets. My hubby asked last night if I still use my stack of buckets in the garage. OF COURSE I DO! Just once every year or so. (Note to dear, darling, almost nearly perfect hubby: Please stop trying to throw away everything in my one corner of the garage. Pretty please?)

3 - Don the gloves and mask and dump some urea in one bucket, some soda ash in another and fill them with hot water. Nope. No measuring for me today.

4 - Mix two containers of dye. I got out all the blues I have and one named raspberry that might make a nice purple. Dump dye powders into containers and mix with urea water. Again, no measuring. My dyes are really old. Who knows if they have any ooomph left? I think about that and just dump in a little more dye powder. (NOT lazy on wearing gloves and respirator! No taking chances with health my friends!)

5 - Hang the cloth up on the garage door brackets, buckets underneath. Toss the shirt into one of the buckets. Mix a little tiny bit of dye water with a container of soda ash water and pour it from the top of the cloth. Hmmmm. Interesting.

5.5 - Swat mosquitoes. Go get my "Afterbite." Love that stuff. If you are a yummy, sweet blooded, mosquito magnet like me - go get some!

6 - Every once in a while mix up a little more dye concentrate into some more soda-ash water and pour it on the fabric. Hmm. Not as pretty - kind of splotchy. I should have mixed it into the bucket and dipped it.

7 - Mix more dye into the bucket and dip the fabric. It's heavy. It's hot. The blue is looking OK and the purple - not so much. Grayish dusty sort of purple instead of a clear pastel.  

7.5 -Give up on trying to dip dye (weight a hundred pounds and gets dye all over me when I try to lift if back up) and dump the cloth into the bucket. It's hot and sticky humid. Of course it is. I live in the South.

8 - Sigh. Rinsing is going to have to happen at some point. I don't look forward to the rinsing. Our washing machine is upstairs. Good for laundry - bad for dyeing. Especially because you can only get to it by traversing stairs and rooms covered with white carpet. Put off rinsing until tomorrow. (Note to self. Stop Whining.)

9 - Dump out dye water into outdoor drain. Be careful not to get it on the grass this time. Keep the hose running to dilute it. Wash out big deep buckets and put wet dyed cloth in the bottom. Carefully wash off entire bucket, dry it too. Very, very carefully carry it upstairs to the wash. Soak in cold water - run the washer. Soak in hot water - run the washer. soak in hot water with synthropol - run the washer. Again. Go to bed.

10 - Dry cloth. It looks better than it did. I still the the purple is  - dusty. I can work with it. Now I have to clean off the drafting table so I can do some printing. Maybe I'll use the dining room table instead.

Getting Ready to DYE

Kids on the bus. √

Get preschooler into car. √

Go back inside to find preschooler's shoes. √

Medical form dropped off to doctors office. √

Put preschooler's shoes back on. √

Find classroom and meet new preschool teacher. √

Gather up purple glitter play dough preschooler has scattered all over floor. √

Put shoes back on preschooler. √

Bring home a couple extra kids to keep preschooler busy for the next two hours. √

Open the 100 yd bolt of sand-washed Tencel twill. √

Drool a bit. √

Listen to preschoolers tattle on each other. √

Ignore preschoolers tattling on each other. √

Rip about ten yards of yummy fabric. √

Lunch - getting there.

Naps - can't come too soon!

Almost time to DYE!

Studio Class - Inspiration

Now THAT was fun. Last week a fantastic group of ladies drove up from the Charleston South Carolina area and spent two days playing here with me in the Studio... and dining room and sun room. We basically took over the downstairs living area. We ate chocolate, played with paint, ate more chocolate, screen printed.... you get the idea. I had so much fun that I totally forgot to take out my camera. Arggg! 

I did get inspired though - teaching a technique that I haven't taught for a very long time. Hey - as long as all of the supplies are out I might as well play. Here is a length of cloth that I dyed with heat transfer dyes. You mix up the disperse dyes which look kind of yucky and boring, play with them like paint on paper. When you turn them over and heat press them onto a synthetic fabric magic happens!

I've got the house put back together (and the kids immediately took it back apart of course!) Most of the studio stuff is put back away. I love having it all cleaned up. It stays that way for a bit since the kids don't play in here. For some reason it makes me really want to get busy with the art. As soon as my "to do" list is taken care of tomorrow I'm going to reward myself with some art time.

And now might I ask a little favor of you? If you've had a class from me would you mind posting a one or two sentence review here? I need to put together some new teaching brochures and would love to include some testimonials. I'd really, really appreciate it! Really.

Studio Classes

I have it good. I have a loving family who is supportive and patient and I get to work time with some of the most wonderful people in the world. I have a passion for creating artwork and a place in which to pursue that passion. 

The family - never complains about take-out dinners and is used to a pretty messy house. We're slowly working on getting the kids to pick up their own stuff. I have an id that particular quest will not end until their stuff moves out along with them. And I just won't talk about complaints about dinners I actually cook.

Those people I get to work with? Students! And the ideal students at that. They are there because they really want to be there. They are inquisitive, talented, and open to what they are taught.  Even if they don't admit to being any of those three things - they are. I always learn so much from them as well.

The space I have to create art in is a blessing. I'm next to the main living area so that I can hear and see what is going on with the kids. I can look out the window and see them when they are playing outside. The space perfect for me to freely create whatever my brain can put together.

In a few weeks I get to combine the last two - students - studio! (The family will be gently kept elsewhere.) Students will have the opportunity to come to my home and my studio  in Cary, North Carolina, and lean, play, and create for two days. 

Thursday April 8th: Surface Design Sampler Platter

It's truly a little taste of everything and one of the funnest classes I teach. We dip into techniques such as printing, stamp carving, stenciling, photo transfer, thermofax screen printing, and foiling! Oops! I almost forgot beadwork. Elizabeth and Ellen both took this class at the Virginia Quilt Celebration in 2008 - the fabric says it all!

Friday April 9th: The Forgotten Fabrics and Screen Printing

There are some wonderfully fun things you can do with synthetic fabrics (gasp!) Disperse dyes are completely different than Procion dyes, and totally fun to work with.

The screen printing we'll do this day is very free, fast, and fun. We'll use regular full sized screens in some very interesting and  improvisational ways.

There are still a few spots available. If you are interested in joining us please contact me at Lyric (at) pobox.com.