Playing with Spray-On Fabric Dyes

by guest blogger Christine Predd (originally published 15 June 2009)

Several days ago I purchased some spray on fabric dyes at Hobby Lobby . . . I think they were sold for tie-dye projects, althogh I was planning to use them to dye some fabric for my art quilts. I live in a ranch style condo and only have a small patio, not a lot of room for serious fabric dyeing. This sounded perfect for my situation. I only bought the primary colors, hoping to create new colors as I used them.

The sun was shining today so I decided to get started. I cut two pieces of PDF fabric, 22 inches square or so. After laying one piece on a drop cloth on the patio, I proceeded to use some photo matting as my stencil and begin spraying on dyes in different places with the matting in different position. See the photos below.

I started with the yellow dye, then went to trying the blue dye. I kept changing the matt directions and colors as I went along.

After doing this for several times I ended up with the final piece you see here.

I like the distinct edges and the overlapping shapes. I did this piece without using water at all, only the dyes.

Next, I decided to take another piece of PFD cotton and first spray it with water then randoming spray on the dyes. I also added extra water then held up the fabric to allow it to drip down through the colors and create different effects. I call this piece the watercolor effect. Such a different image now……..no distinct edges, and a lot of color blending occurred.

I plan to use each of these pieces in an art quilt at some point, but I’m not sure just how yet. I may do more surface design, such as stamping or photo transfer on them before I decide. The dyes were set with a hot iron, they can also be set by putting the fabric in the dryer. I have dyes left over……….so I think there may be more experiments in store for me! Try it!

About Christine

Christine Predd has been quilting since 1986, and began art quilting in 2001. She lives in Indiana half the year, and on Anna Maria Island in Florida the other half. Her blog “Quilting on the Edge” can be viewed at http://www.christinepredd.com, where she writes regular commentary on her creative experiences, and sometimes makes small quilts to accompany her writings.

If you enjoyed Christine’s article, please leave a comment and let her know!

Adding Arty Fun to that Traditional Quilt

Escape by Christine Predd

Maybe some readers make quilts from patterns and have a little bit of an itch to reach into the art quilt world at the same time.  This can be done by thinking a little creatively as you work……..maybe adding a different technique, or just something out of the ordinary to that pattern and making it more your own creation. 

Here’s some ways that may work for you to do just that!   These are not original ideas by any means, just ideas I’ve gathered along the way.

• Sew some of your blocks with the seams facing outward…….
• Using rubber stamps and fabric paint, stamp something on some of your blocks……perhaps a flower on a floral quilt, a bird on a blue/green quilt……..ideas are limitless!   If you’re making a quilt for your child who always loses thing, how about stencilling on a key?
• Phototransfers are always fun…….maybe a transfer of flowers from your own garden in one of the blocks.
• Take a photo of another one of your quilts, transfer it to fabric, and cut that fabric into squares or triangles or whatever shape you need and sew it into your work.  I’m still thinking about making a quilt for myself containing only images of  other quilts I’ve made………..
• Insert text as some of the blocks in your quilt……if you’re making a quilt for a friend, and you have a letter from her, scan that letter into the computer, and transfer it to fabric, and you have made your work even more personal.
• Use a quilting stencil to make a stenciled design with fabric paints on your quilt. 
• Want to make your quilt more blendable?  When the top is finished, apply a lite dye wash or lite layer of fabric paint to unify it.
• Fussy cut motifs from one of the fabrics you’ve used and applique them to the border…….or onto some of the plainer blocks in your quilt.
• Use an unusual fabric in your quilt in a few places………..a metallic, or organza…..or anything!
• Overlay some areas on your quilt with tulle to create windows that alter the look of the fabric beneath it.

In my quilt called Escape that is posted,  I stenciled on the palm tree.  I used a shiny blue metallic fabric in some places that I hit with an hot iron………..I admit, by mistake at first……..but then I liked the look that revealed the batting underneath and I applied the hot iron some more.  I also used a see through fabric that reveals the batting underneath.  Don’t know how successful it all is, I’ll leave that up to you, but it definitely changed the appearance of my quilt. 

These are just some ideas I’ve seen and heard about…………try something new!

About Christine

Christine Predd has been quilting since 1986, and began art quilting in 2001. She lives in Indiana half the year, and on Anna Maria Island in Florida the other half. Her blog “Quilting on the Edge” can be viewed at http://www.christinepredd.com, where she writes regular commentary on her creative experiences, and sometimes makes small quilts to accompany her writings.

If you enjoyed Christine’s article, please leave a comment and let her know!

When Inspiration Sources Unite

I recently made an art quilt that I realized came together due to three different sources of inspiration. 

First,  I had a piece of hand dyed/painted fabric that reminded me of barbed wire.  I had made these brown crosses randomly on this piece, and that’s all I could think about:  barbed wire.

Second,  in my daily walks here in Florida I began to encounter what seemed to be a homeless man walking along the same streets I was walking.   I saw him over a period of  several days at least three times.  He was obviously out of place as I could tell by his clothing and physical hygiene.  It made me sad.  I wanted to do something but didn’t know what. 

Third, one day  while walking I was listening to music from Simon and Garfunkel,  a 60′s group that you may recall.  The song entitled “Boxer”  has a line that just stood out to me………”where the ragged people go”.   

One day, it seemed all of these forces met, although I didn’t know it at the time.  Here’s the quilt I made entitled ”Where the Ragged People Go” (18″ x 13″).    

I had the background completed for about a week or so, and put it away as unfinished.  Then one day I realized I needed to add the ragged people, and the figures were added to complete this quilt. 

All of the fabrics in this piece are made by me.   I guess it was a good way for me to get these experiences out of my system and onto cloth.  Instead of thinking of this as a dark piece, I hope we can all think of this as a piece of awareness of the world around us.   It wasn’t until I finished the piece that I realized the three inspiration sources that collided to cause me to put my hands to work to express the thoughts in my mind.  May it happen for you!

About Christine

Christine Predd has been quilting since 1986, and began art quilting in 2001. She lives in Indiana half the year, and on Anna Maria Island in Florida the other half. Her blog “Quilting on the Edge” can be viewed at http://www.christinepredd.com, where she writes regular commentary on her creative experiences, and sometimes makes small quilts to accompany her writings.

If you enjoyed Christine’s article, please leave a comment and let her know!

Thinking of New Inspirations

Maybe you keep an idea file………maybe you keep a photo file…….here’s a way to jog your inspiration by just planning some regular “think” time. 

I recently started a feature on my blog I call Tuesday’s Ten.  I select a topic, and my challenge is to list ten items that address that topic.  This is not meant to be a long exercise, instead, a short one.  I create a list in probably less than ten minutes .  Once I listed ten sounds that I find inspiring;  another Tuesday was ten playthings I remember from my younger days. My recent Tuesday’s Ten included ten textures I can see that interest me, or that I find visually stimulating.   That list includes a pile of seashells, anything braided, like rugs, hair, and  bread dough, or pottery with intricate detail.

How does this help with inspiration?  Well, you’ve got your mind working on something specific.  You remember things that attract you.  You visualize what you’ve written.  Basically, you’re getting in touch with your inner voice, since all the items on the list are unique to you.  

This exercise may lead to a new idea for a creative endeavor…….be it a  quilt, painting, or even a story.   It’s like an inspirational time-out for the purpose of getting back in touch with yourself.  Try it, and see where it takes you. 

You can see my Tuesday’s Ten lists on my blog at http://www.christinepredd.com/.  Let me know if you try it, I’d like to read your  lists of tens too!

About Christine

Christine Predd has been quilting since 1986, and began art quilting in 2001. She lives in Indiana half the year, and on Anna Maria Island in Florida the other half. Her blog “Quilting on the Edge” can be viewed at http://www.christinepredd.com, where she writes regular commentary on her creative experiences, and sometimes makes small quilts to accompany her writings.

If you enjoyed Chrstine’s article, please leave a comment and let her know!

Repurpose and Recycle

One day I realized I was accumulating a lot of small art quilts……..and I needed something to do with some of them besides letting them just sit in a storage bin!  So I decided to convert some into small bags for multiple uses.  Here’s the art quilt, 10 by 14 inches. 

Original Art Quilt

I decided to repurpose it into a small clutch bag, so I positioned it as I wanted it and stitched on velcro pieces for the closure for the bag.  Then I simply stitched up the sides to create the storage pocket, I did the stitching twice to improve its’ strength.   That’s it………it was done! 

Velcro and pinning

These can be used for many things…….small purse, first aid kit in your car, store special papers or notes, keep jewelry in your drawer………many other uses too that you could imagine.  AND they are great gifts, and easy to pop in the mail for a special surprise for someone who’s ill or celebrating something……..you could put a note inside.  Maybe a sewing kit for a graduate……or fill with some stationery and a lovely pen.   And now there will be less of your small art quilts waiting patiently in a storage place………Try it!  Larger quilt pieces could easily be made into larger tote bags, add a handle and zipper if  you want,  even pockets inside before you stitch up the sides.  This is certainly not an original idea, but my way of repurposing and recycling that maybe will work for you.

Front View, completed

Back view, completed

About Christine

Christine Predd has been quilting since 1986, and began art quilting in 2001. She lives in Indiana half the year, and on Anna Maria Island in Florida the other half. Her blog “Quilting on the Edge” can be viewed at http://www.christinepredd.com, where she writes regular commentary on her creative experiences, and sometimes makes small quilts to accompany her writings.

If you enjoyed Chrstine’s article, please leave a comment and let her know!

Photo copyright Christine Predd

I’m one who likes to take photos…………it’s good that our cell phones have cameras, so I’m ready when I take a walk or go anywhere to snap a photo if something strikes me as inspirational or unusual. I’ve been known to snap a photo of tire treads on a sandy parking lot, and of course countless sunsets. I download my photos to a file I call “art quilt inspirations”.

Recently, I visited a small town called Mount Dora in Florida north of Orlando. It’s a historic community with an interesting shopping district that attracts many tourists. One of the shops sold yarns and knitting supplies, and it was truly a breathtaking experience! Even from the outside windows, the view of all the colors was inviting. All of the wonderful yarns were displayed along the wall in shelves……some square, some rectangle, and even some diamond shaped shelves. It was a feast for the eyes just to scan about the shop and see all the different colors and textures of yarns. Guess what? I didn’t take a photo, which surprised me later when I returned home.

Fortunately, it left such an impression on me that I didn’t need a photo; I could still see it clearly in my mind. I just had to make a small quilt to remember this event.

My quilt is 16 by 19 inches. I chose a black background and then divided the space into shelf sections with a black/gold print fused in narrow widths. Selecting fabrics for the yarns was great fun………some are my own handdyed or painted fabrics, others are from my stash of commercial fabrics. I wanted to show a variety of different yarns, some mottled, some variegated, some solid. I cut circles in various sizes and temporarily attached them with a spray adhesive. Then I free motion quilted in a circular pattern on each “ball” of yarn, using a variety of threads.

When I look at this quilt now, I clearly see that wonderful yarn shop. This experience reminded me of a lesson I have long known but it deserves remembering: Inspiration can some from anywhere! Just have a receptive mind.

About Christine

Christine Predd has been quilting since 1986, and began art quilting in 2001. She lives in Indiana half the year, and on Anna Maria Island in Florida the other half. Her blog “Quilting on the Edge” can be viewed at http://www.christinepredd.com, where she writes regular commentary on her creative experiences, and sometimes makes small quilts to accompany her writings.