The Author

The Author
Brian Haggard

My Dyslexia

Having the skill to write, spell, and punctuate has never been my strong suit. Growing up as a young child I was always nurtured to be creative and artistic which came naturally to me but I could never quite grasp written language. I now know that it's a learning disabilty with a name: DYSLEXIA.



I write from the heart and I make my best effort to get the words on the page properly but as you'll see I don't always succeed. I ask you to enjoy what I write and post but to be understanding and kind. Brian

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Sunday, April 27, 2014

Hello everyone!

I’m sorry it has been so long since my last blog post.  Life just gets crazy sometimes!

I just completed a project that I thought might be of interest to you.   

I was putting together the kits for an upcoming quilting retreat and decided I wanted to include a beautiful piece of Venetian lace in the design.
The only problem was the lace was white and I needed it to be brown!

I decided to dye the lace, that way I could get just the color I had in mind. 

This process is really very easy and not very time consuming. I had the whole thing done in less than an hour.

It is best to have all of your supplies assembled before you begin. I typically use vegetable dye but any type of dyeing agent would work as well.

To begin, prepare your dye solution in a small pan or bucket. You will need a towel to lay the dyed pieces on. Make sure it is an old one because the towel will pick of some of the dye. I should mention here, that a pair of rubber gloves should be worn for this process, as the dye will be just as happy to dye your hands as anything else you put in it. Tongs or chopsticks can be used to pluck them out of the dye. 

The resulting color can be controlled by the length of time spent in the bath. Remember though, different types of fabric accept the color much more quickly than others, so check the pieces often to get the depth of color you want. 


Once everything is assembled, just start dipping the fabric in the dye then take it out when they are the color you wanted. Then just place them on the towel to dry.

When they are completely dry, press them with a warm iron.  I do this for two reasons. It sets the dye and makes the piece nice and flat.

The pieces in the photos were used for a pillow top, quilt square in the design of, “The Old lady in a Shoe.”  A project we made at the “Quilt Connection” quilting retreat.  


I hope you enjoyed seeing how “the magic” happens and that you plan a dyeing project of your own soon!

And don't forget to create a little happiness for yourself, everyday!

Bye for now,
Brian


2 comments:

Mosaic Magpie said...

Egads! We have missed you!!! Dyeing is always so much fun and you get some unexpected surprises too. I have trouble with the extra dye at the end...I go searching around the house for things to dye, to use it all up.
Love the quilt block!
xo,
Deb

Pamela Kellogg said...

Brian, I always look forward to your posts! Dying lace and ribbons is one of my favorites things to do for CQ.

Pam

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