Thursday, June 27, 2013

Dye Retreat 2013

I attended my annual dye retreat last week. 
This was the 40th Anniversary of the first dye retreat.
Linda and Deanna started dying fabric in 1973 in Galveston.
I joined them in Galveston for the first time in 1986. 
Jill joined us in New Hampshire in 1991.
We went to Kathi's in Southlake in 1992.
We've been coming to Ken and Kathi's in Edom most years since 1996.

Tonya, Linda, Kathi and Jill.

See more history here and here.

Ken's wood shop provides a wonderful dye studio.

We cover the saws with plastic.

I dripped dye on some sateen on the line to create a sky.

I imagine this will be used for the barnyard for my "Omelet Sisters" chicken quilt.

I dyed a few T-shirts and onsies.

I dyed several pieces of flannel to make receiving blankets.

I helped Jill letter 18 sashes with the names of cancers for her Relay for Life team.

 Jill painted the colored ribbons on sashes.

 The relay is tomorrow. Good luck to your team, Jill.


Jill tried some confetti dyeing by adding dye powder to wet fabric.

She also figured out how to get the black lines on the lime green shirt in the middle.
Jill folded the shirt, mask most of the fabric, wrap with string and paint with thickened black dye.
Thanks Jill!

Linda drew lines on commercial velvet with cheap dishwasher gel.


She wrapped this fabric on a pole and dyed it turquoise and then eggplant.

Linda folded and clamped fabric to make a hexagon pattern.

Grace and Linda wrapped a dress on a pole.

I drew on t-shirts with dishwasher gel.

We had a great time.
Until next year...