I don’t need any new hobbies. I simply don’t. Time is precious so I am constantly reining myself in. However, dyeing fabric really isn’t a new hobby. I consider it just an extension of sewing. That’s my story and I am sticking to it. I love everything created by this gal. So when she wrote a book, I had to buy it. I have purchased some of her fabric before which can be found in this quilt of mine.It’s a beautiful book filled with all things colorful pertaining to batik fabric. And if you know me, you know I love color. I crave it the same way I crave chocolate cake and buttery avocados. I see beautiful pictures out there of serenely decorated homes with soft colors in pastels and think how beautiful they are. But it’s not me. I just can’t ever pass up the opportunity to decorate with lots of color. Like I said, I crave it. A friend once told me color is simply a part of my Mexican DNA. Claro que si!
Batik fabric is gorgeous. And I like simple geometric designs, so I thought, what the hey, why not dye my own fabric? News flash: I am officially hooked. It’s loads of fun and a great way to be creative with fabric before I even sit down at my Bernina.
How cute is this design above? It’s just the cardboard end of a roll of embroidery stabilizer dipped in hot liquid wax and stamped onto some Egyptian cotton. The fun part is dyeing the fabric. See how vibrant and saturated the colors are in the fabric below? I used all kinds of stamps—carrots, potatoes, and cardboard. I use Procion Dye which can be found all over the web but I bought mine from Dharma Trading.
And here is a bag I made with some delicious new fabrics. It’s totally unique and because I dyed the fabric I know this is a one-of-a kind design. Nobody else in whole wide world has a bag just like this. It’s totally Cynthia.
So thanks to Malka and her fabulous book. I learned everything I needed to know from her perfect directions and dye ‘recipes’. (The only bad part is that this can’t be done in the home—I have to do it in my garage which means once winter comes, this new found love will have to take a 5 month hiatus.
