Category Archives: threads

Order from Sulky and Another Linocut

Posted on by under printing, threads

I got my order from Sulky today. I needed to replace some of my 30 weight cotton threads as I had run out of several colors. And while I was there, I added some thread colors that I didn’t have. How could I resist?

Here’s the colors I got. I know there are a bunch of dark colors but those are the ones I seem to run out of easily. I always need those darker values and don’t seem to have enough. I also ordered some of their Sticky Fabri Solvy. I have used the plain Fabri Solvy quite a bit but I thought this one would be useful for it’s sticky quality. I am planning on trying out some new ideas with this soon.

I worked on this linocut today but didn’t get it finished. These detailed ones take a bit more time to carve. I also worked on some felting today but you will have to take a look at my next post on The Felting and Fiber Studio to see that.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Friday’s Dyeing Session

Posted on by under Dyeing, threads

 For my stitch class, I needed to do a dyeing session at home. I usually only use acid dyes since I mainly dye wool and silk. For the assignment I needed to use Procion MX Dyes. So I mixed up a set of dyes and here I am about to start. You can see my color notebook on the left where I was working out different color combinations.

 I dyed a bunch more cotton threads and here they are all rolled up in plastic batching. I did try dyeing some wool thread and using vinegar to soak instead of the soda ash. Ann (Shepherdess) had suggested it. I’ve tried the wool thread with Procion MX before but soaked in soda ash and they don’t turn out very well. But this worked, they aren’t quite as bright as they would be with acid dyes but they still have a lot of color left. Before, I always ended up with very pale colors.

 Here are some of the fabrics that I painted. These will be used for our stitch samples. I dyed linen, muslin, cheesecloth, commercial felt, silk organza, burlap and cotton organdy.

 Here are the threads after rinsing and drying.  I wanted more purples and greens to round out my colors of thread that I now have.

Don’t you just love the colors? The turquoise one at the bottom left is the wool thread. Now I just need to iron all the fabric and wind all the thread into balls.

Level II Hand and Machine Stitch Class and a Surprise

Posted on by under Dyeing, fabrics, plastic fiber, threads

 I started the Level II Hand and Machine Stitch class at Gail Harker’s last week. The first two and a half days was spent in the dyeing studio. Gail has just moved recently from Oak Harbor to LaConner, Washington. Her new studio is wonderful and we had a great time. I won’t discuss the10 hour drive from Montana to Washington with two Yorkies who both had Giardia. The less said about that the better!

 Here are some other class members hanging up their dyed fabric and threads to dry. It looked like colorful prayer flags all around the room.

 Here are some of the threads I dyed after they were dried. They were waiting to be wound up with a thread winder. Normally, we wind the thread on half of a toilet paper tube but they didn’t have many so I only got two in class.

 Here we are at the table discussing something. We worked on hand stitch this session and I have lots of homework to do. We’ll be working on Kantha stitch on our next session in February.

 Here are some photos of my dyed fabrics. We will be using these over the entire course of the class. This is silk organza. We used Procion MX dyes. I usually use acid dyes at home but I’ll be ordering some Procion MX as it is part of the homework to have another dye session.

 This is cheesecloth – #50 and #90 weights. A lot heavier cheesecloth than the kind you buy in the grocery store around here which is #10.

 This is linen.

 And muslin.

 And then white burlap.

 Here are all the threads I dyed on their cardboard tubes. I finished winding them at home. We used all cotton threads in a variety of weights.

 Don’t they look yummy?

 I need to dye some deep purples and perhaps some more greens. So more thread to come!

 When I got home I found a package from the UK. Zed had sent me samples of nylon and plastic fiber to experiment and add to felt. Thanks Zed – it was a wonderful surprise to find this package waiting for me when I got home.

And look at these wonderful buttons she makes out of polymer clay. I can’t wait to add them to something.