In my previous post I showed how I selected all the fabrics for Moonstruck. Here they are all pinned to the pattern template on my design wall.
The next step is to sew it all together. Continue reading
Category Archives: Rust Dyeing
Creating Moonstruck — Picking the Right Colors
In my previous post I showed how I developed the final quilt pattern (below), including the order of piecing, for Moonstruck. On the quilt pattern, I numbered each piece and added registration marks along the seams so that I’ll be able to line up the pieces when I sew them.
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Creating Moonstruck — Making the Design into Something I Could Sew
In my previous post I showed how I developed the design (below) for Moonstruck.
With the overall design done, I next had to figure out how I could make this into a quilt top. My plan was to use the rust-dyed fabric in the smaller circles (the Moons). For the larger arcs, I planned to use an alternating green and blue gradation of over-dyed rust fabric–from light in the upper left to dark in the lower right. The Moons were the focus and the arcs the background. Continue reading
Creating Moonstruck — Initial Design
My quilt Moonstruck recently returned home after a long trip with the Rust-Tex Collection, including its debut at the Spring International Quilt Festival in Chicago (2010) and a visit to England for the Festival of Quilts (photo from the show below, Moonstruck is the blue and green one).
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Putting Color on Cloth
I love making art quilts and, for me, one of the most satisfying parts of the process is getting the right fabric for the quilt. This usually mean
s that I play a big role in the design of the fabric–putting the color on the cloth.
I’ve tried lots of techniques to get the right color on the cloth. I’ve done a lot of low water immersion dyeing using Procion MX dyes, and as I’ve become 
more proficient at it, I can dye specific color gradations when I need them. For a comprehensive site about hand dyeing, check out Paula Burch’s site.
I’ve also experimented with a number of other dyeing techniques. Shibori dyeing is a fun way to add different patterns to dyed cloth (click here for some amazing examples). Ironing a freezer paper stencil on fabric and then adding thickened dye allows you a fairly high degree 
of control over the end result, while deconstructed screen printing is anything but predictable. 
Gelatin monoprinting can also give some unexpected results, and despite its name, you can sometimes get multiple prints from one go. Shaving cream marbling on fabric can be done using dyes, inks or paints. 
In addition to dyeing the fabric, there are other ways I like to add color to the cloth. Paint is a good alternative to dye, though it can change the hand of the fabric, making it stiffer. The simplest way is to just paint on the fabric using a textile pai
nt. Paintstiks (basically oil paint in crayon form) are another option. Both methods usually 
require heat setting the fabric for the paint to be permanent.
A technique that I’ve used in a few of my quilts is rust dyeing. This process can yiel
d the typical rust color on fabric, but can also give a wonderful gray color when the rust is combined with tannic acid duri
ng the dyeing. And of course, after the fabric is rusted there’s always the option of overdyeing it to put more color on the 
cloth.
I’ve even tried a bit of cyanotype printing (blueprints), though I have yet to use any of this fabric in a quilt.
Using a digital camera, computer and inkjet printer opens up tremendous possibilities for adding more color to the cloth. I’ve
made 
quilts by printing photographs on fabric and I’ve also designed fabrics on the computer which I printed through a commercial service called Spoonflower.
Once a quilt top is complete, there are still more options for adding color. 
The quilting can be a major color component, and lately I’ve been using a lot of heavy weight polyester thread f
or quilting, sometimes will two threads at a time. Beading is another good way to get in a bit more color.
My search for the best ways of putting color on cloth continues. At this point, my favorites are the low water immersion dyeing, the fabrics designed on my computer, and the quilting.
Color On Cloth 