2012 Hand Dyeing Workshop

When: Monday, June 18, 2012,   9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Where: Lapacek’s Orchard, N1959 Kroncke Rd, Poynette, WI

PLEASE NOTE:  This is a NEW location. 

If you’re a beginner or an advanced dyer, this workshop is for you.  The format is very relaxed.  Each participant chooses her (or his) own colors, materials and methods.  We provide help as needed.  Advanced dyers will be able to jump right in and start dyeing while beginners learn the basic procedures to get started.  We will be working outside (or in a LARGE shed in case of rain) and there will be LOTS of room.  You can dye as much or as little as you’d like.

A few of the topics that will be covered:

The basic procedures involved in dyeing cotton fabrics using fiber reactive dyes

• Color gradations within a color family
• Color gradations from color family to color family
• Color wheels
• Techniques to create visual texture and one of a kind fabrics
• Learn how to make "convergence fabrics" just like Barb and Diane

Interested in dyeing things other than cotton fabric?

• We will have blank white T shirts in many different styles and sizes for sale the day of the workshop.
• We will have a selection of onesies, dresses and rompers for your little ones.
• We will also have PFD fabric for sale by the yard or by the bolt.
• Interested in trying to dye silk? We will have some!
• Want to dye fibers for embellishment?  We’ll have some of them, too.
  
  Bring other items from home and we will help you dye them. Think old table linens, crocheted doilies, kid's socks. The fun is just starting! The methods we use work with cellulose (plant based) materials or silk. No wool.  (That’s an entirely different process.)  Think cotton, linen, rayon.  Blends will also work as long as they include some cellulose fibers.  If you’re in doubt, bring it along.  We’ll advise you.

Workshop cost: $55

The workshop fee includes all instruction for the day and lunch.  Supply cost will be $9.00 for each yard of cotton PFD.  This includes the fabric, dyes and other supplies needed.  If you purchase other items or bring them from home, we will weigh them and charge for dye supplies according to the weight of the items.

Supplies will also be available for purchase if you’re interested in dyeing at home.

A $25 nonrefundable deposit will be paid at time of registration to reserve your spot. The balance is due the day of the workshop.

For more details and registration:

Quilts by Barb 2012 Hand Dyeing Workshop

We would love to have your join us!

Barb

T Shirt Quilts

I have to share the story of Kassandra and her T Shirt quilt.

Step 1:  the box arrived in the mail.

The T shirts arrived and they were so beautifully folded.  She had every shirt marked exactly what she wanted in her quilt.  This girl is organized!

 

Step 2:  Kassandra didn't want anything to detract from the shirts and they were a lot of different colors.  Her choice of coordinating colors:  Black and White.  This was a first for me and it worked great.

Step 3:  I interfaced all the T shirts and did a trial layout to get a feel of what would fit where.  Kassandra had a lot of shirts and I wanted to use them all if possible.

 

 

Step 4:  I combined the sashing fabrics with the T shirts, moved things around a little and I had

A FINISHED T SHIRT MEMORY QUILT!

Step 5:  I received the most thoughtful letter from Kassandra and I just had to share it with you.  This really made my day!

Barb,

"This quilt is beyond perfect; it is everything I had hoped for and so much more.  I don't think you have any idea how very much this means to me.  You did an awesome job and certainly have a vision for this sort of thing.

Although it sounds sort of cheesy, all of these T-shirts were associated with memories for me.  Although I know that high school will by no means be the best part of my life, there were a lot of things that I enjoyed, and I know I really built a strong base for myself there, from which I'm sure I will be more comfortable off at school.  I'm sure one day when I'm missing some home-cooked meals I'll stare at it longingly and it will be a great comfort.

When my sister had the idea I was beyond excited.   My T-shirts were getting worn out but I was too sentimental to get rid of them.  At first we considered, being the crafty people that we are, attempting to make it ourselves, but I quickly nixed the idea, not wanting our first half-cocked attempt to ruin my T-shirts forever.  This was definitely a job for the professionals, and I could not have picked anyone better, nor would I ever go to anyone else in the future for something so important to me.

So thnk you Barb, from the bottom of my heart, I love this quilt more than I can put into words, and it means so very much to me.  You are truly a miracle worker.

With the upmost appreciation, always,"

Kassandra

How's that for appreciation from a HIGH SCHOOL girl who will be graduating this year!!!  Congratulations, Kassandra in whatever your future plans are.  I am sure you will go far. 

I will be teaching a T-shirt making class at the Quilt and Sewing Expo at UW Platteville this summer.

Check it out here:  http://www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/sewing_expo/index.html

Barb

Every Quilt Tells a Story - Belmont High 1932

I have been working on a most unusual quilt.  Monica Bartels and I are both in a quilting group with a number of other wonderful ladies.

 Monica's Mother, Marguerite Keyes passed away this year at the age of 98 years old.  When Monica was cleaning out her Mother's home she came across a brown paper bag with chrome yellow squares with embroidery names in bubble gum pink stitching.  On closer inspection Monica realized these squares were traced autographs from the Belmont High School class of 1932.  This would be the 80 year class reunion!

Apparently Marquerite  gathered the signatures and embroidered over them.  Monica thinks a couple of the signatures may have been teachers.  One of the signatures, Vincent Donahoe, was my father.  Another, Cecilia Donahoe, was my aunt, Dad's sister. 

All the fabric is original from 1932.  The blocks were in the bag and I cut the sashing blocks.  The fabric was 36" wide.  The blocks were cut at 7" squares (remember rotary cutters weren't used in the 30's) and when our quilting group assembled the quilt top, I didn't do any squaring up on the blocks.  I kept reminding them they were working in the 30's!  I did starch and press the blocks before sewing.

What are we going to do with the quilt?  Only one student from the class is still alive.  Helen Buss was a school teacher in Belmont, still lives in Belmont and is in good health.  Monica is going to present the quilt to Helen Buss to use as a lap robe.

Can you tell this was an exciting meaningful project for me????

Here are pictures of a few of the blocks:


Monica's Mother's block:  Marguerite Nodolf - Marguerite Keyes.  Marguerite did the embroidery and carried the blocks all over the country to a number of different stated that her and her husband, Don, lived in over the years.

Helen Mary Buss's block:  Helen will be the recipient of the quilt.  Helen never married so she is still Helen Buss.

Vincent Donahoe's block:  This was my Dad.  Notice the writing in the selvedge.  It stated the fabric was colorfast and it is.  The pink is that wonderful bubblegum pink and the green is that great green from the 30's.  The chrome yellow is as bright as the day it was purchased.

Dad's signature looked the same in 1932 as it did when he passed away at the age of 88!

My aunt's block, Cecilia Donahoe.  Cecilia and Dad were brother and sister but they were not twins.  Cecilia never married and lived in Darlington most of her life.

Dwight Mille'sr block.  Our family and Dwight's family grew up a few miles from each other and we all attended Pleasant View School together before we attended school in Belmont.

Charles Rowe's block.  Charlie owned Rowe's Tavern in Belmont for a number of years.  I worked with him one summer when I was in college at Belmont's First Capital State Park.









I hope you enjoyed my little journey with this quilt.  Every quilt tells a story!

Happy Quilting.

Barb

Finishing the ends on quilt bindings

Greetings all,

I just returned from a fabulous few days of quilting.  As a quilt teacher, I can never just sit quietly when I have an opportunity to help a fellow quilter.  I saw someone struggling with joining the end of their binding strips and offered to share with the group an easier way to join the end of their binding strips.

I would like to share with you the steps to do this:

Step 1:    Sorry this picture is sideways.  I am a quilter; not a computer techie! 

When starting your binding, leave an approximately 6 inch tail unsewn.  Sew all the way around the quilt until you are approximately 6 inches from the starting end of the binding.  Stop sewing at this point.

Step 2:  Measure from the END of your starting strip.  This is where the pin is in this picture.  The formula for your measurement:

the width of your binding plus 1/2 inch = where you will cut the end of your binding strip.  In the picture, Flo's binding was three inches wide when she cut it.  She added 1/2 inch so she is cutting off the end of her binding strip at 3 1/2 inches.

Step 3:  Lay the end of the binding strip flat. Overlap the starting tail of your binding at right angles on the top of your ending strip.  Leave 1/4" overlap on both binding strips end.  This is exactly the same as when you are sewing your binding strips together end to end.

Step 4:  Sew from the outside edge of the binding corner where the two strips overlap to the inside corner where the binding strips overlap.  You may eyeball this or you may draw a line to sew on.

Step 5:  Cut your thread and TEST to be sure your binding is the proper size and that you sewed the right corners.  Your binding should now fit perfectly with the edge of your quilt.  After you have tested this, trim off the corners of your binding strips and press the seam open just like you would when you join your binding strips end to end.

Pin the approximately 12" space where your binding in not sewn to your quilt.  Sew this with the same seam allowance you have used when sewing on you binding.

You now have the perfect beginning and ending seam on your binding.

Thanks to Phyllis for taking the pictures and encouraging we to write this tutorial.  Thanks to Flo for being our model!

Happy Quilting.  Barb

Connie's Fishing Quilt

This is another fun quilt I sent out recently.  I don't do very much applique so I really appreciate just how much work it is.  This is a full view of Connie's quilt.

Here are some closeups so you can see all the fun details she added.

The frog in the corner with the grasses and lily pads.

And we have a turtle in the other corner.

A tree extends into the quilt from an upper corner.

And in the center they are fishing in the lake.

This is just one of the fish blocks.  I used a ray type quilting in the fish blocks.  In the background I used a free form lazy meander to resemble the wind or breeze.  All the applique was outlined in free form applique outlines.  The large blue border was quilted with soft piano keys.

Thanks for sharing another great quilt with me.

Barb