Tag Archive | dyeing

National Sewing Month

Sep8

Day 8

Question: Do you like to make and sew your own jewelry and adornments? I have a few suggestions including cuffs, bracelets and brooches, all use bits of this and that including fabric, lace, ribbons, and buttons.

Chantilly Lady’s Lace Cuff by Christen Brown

These are examples of what I call the wistful days gone by, reminiscent of tranquil days lounging on an overstuffed satin pouf, or demurely sashaying along a tree-lined avenue, parasol in hand. There are two styles to choose from that will be embellished with needle-tatted and crochet components, ribbonwork flowers, a few silk ribbon embroidery stitches, beads and buttons. The lace base and other components are dyed with Colorhue dyes.

silk ribbon, embroidery, bracelets

Tandleton Rose Bracelets by Christen Brown

You have two styles to choose from, both using a Tandleton base (pillow). The “Ring of Roses” is made up entirely of embroidered ribbon pillows, strung with beads and has a glass button for the closure. The “Band of Roses” is made from a ribbon base, layered with vintage lace and a few of the embroidered pillows; a dainty embroidered button and hand-stitched button loop are used for the closure.

ribbon work flowers and leaves

Scrumptious Hearts by Christen Brown

The base is created with bits of cherished lace and with silk fabric to form a beautiful heart shaped base for your floral design. Chose from a few different heart shapes and ribbon worked floral vignettes or create your own. This is an excellent way to use up small amounts of this and that to form an heirloom brooch to be treasured. The lace base and other components are dyed with Colorhue dyes.

Happy Stitching, ~Christen

Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New

Aug15
Sage and Cornflower

I have a new book coming out in March 2023 called Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old With the New, by C&T Publishing. The book has 17 projects: 3 Projects by Design with step-by-step instructions and 14 Stash Projects with creative ideas, and minimum instructions for using your stashed bits and precious treasures.

It includes loads of information on vintage stash items, embroidery stitches, embellishment stitches and tips on dyeing. There will be plenty of inspiration to help you create with your stashed, hoarded, and handed down bits and pieces of special treasures!

There are plenty of examples of innovative uses for all kinds of embellishments ― like lace, vintage linens and hankies, trims and ribbons, buttons of all sorts, and vintage notions ― through techniques and projects.

I just finished this piece Sage and Cornflower, which is an adaptation of one of the Projects by Design, Lace, Doilies, and Appliqués. The base started as half of a stained doily, which I dyed (sage), with Colorhue dyes. The (blue) lace and rickrack trims were dyed, as well as the embroidered (ocher) lace. I embroidered the piece with Finca perle cotton, Valdani carried by Rusty Crow Quilt Shop, and a wonderful colorway called Wild Rice, by Laura Wasiloswki of Artfabriks. I embellished the piece with seed and larger glass beads; vintage glass and celluloid buttons; and brass charms.

Happy Stitching to you! ~Christen

Corsages to Dye For II: class/tutorial

Dec5

Corsages to Dye for II: 3 lessons/$38.00

dyed ribbon corsagesDo you find yourself wishing “if only I had a ribbon that was this color or that”, or “why didn’t it come in my favorite colors”? If your answer is YES, then let me invite you to take a colorful journey into the realm of dyeing your own RTD (ready to dye) silk ribbons. I will teach you how to prepare your ribbons then dye them to create one of a kind, creative and colorful ribbons. These ribbons will then be turned into magical works of floral art for your own “corsages to dye for”!

Skill Level Intermediate: hand sewing and ribbonwork knowledge helpful

Lesson 1: This class you will learn how to mix the Colorhue dyes (no other dye will be used or discussed); you can use the basic color wheel or create your own colors. You will learn a series of techniques to prepare the ribbon for dyeing, then dyeing the ribbons that you will use in the next lessons. I will also cover over-dyeing and “antique coloring” of the dyed ribbons.

Lesson 2: This class will focus on making the flowers: the Chou Rose, the Country Rose, and the Lady Ashley Rose. I will show you design options for each flower, from a single flower to a group of flowers. Which corsage you decide to make is up to you.

Lesson 3: This class will focus on making the leaves from the ribbons that you have dyed, then stitching all of the components together into the corsages.

*Note: The Corsages to Dye For series need not be taken in order. In each class you will learn how to prepare the dyes; and each lesson will cover a different set of preparation techniques to create the colorful patterns in the ribbons.

Class Information

These classes can be purchased at any time, there is no set schedule.The class can be ordered by contacting Christen: thestoreonthecorner@gmail.com. She will send you an invoice through PayPal.

Once the class is paid for, the supply list will be sent out. The lessons will begin one week after the purchase of the class, unless otherwise stated. You will receive an email with the lesson attached. The following lesson/s will arrive one week after the previous lesson.

A high speed internet connection is recommended, and you must have basic computer and internet skills. You will need to be able know how to download and save a document to your computer’s hard drive, open it and print out a copy.

You can contact Christen with any questions pertaining to the class/class information throughout the length of the class.

Class fees will not be refunded.

Happy Stitching,

~Christen

Corsages to Dye For I: class/tutorial

Dec5

Corsages to Dye for I: 3 lessons/$38.00

dyed ribbonDo you find yourself wishing “if only I had a ribbon that was this color or that”, or “why didn’t it come in my favorite colors”? If your answer is YES, then let me invite you to take a colorful journey into the realm of dyeing your own RTD (ready to dye) silk ribbons. I will teach you how to prepare your ribbons then dye them to create one of a kind, creative and colorful ribbons. These ribbons will then be turned into magical works of floral art for your own “corsages to dye for”!

Skill Level Intermediate: hand sewing and ribbonwork knowledge helpful

Lesson 1: This class you will learn how to mix the Colorhue dyes (no other dye will be used or discussed); you can use the basic color wheel or create your own colors. You will learn a series of techniques to prepare the ribbon for dyeing, then dyeing the ribbons that you will use in the next lessons. I will also cover over-dyeing and “antique coloring” of the dyed ribbons.

Lesson 2: The second class will focus on making the flowers: the Rose and Bud; Butterflies Delight; and the Harlequin flower. I will show you options on how to use each flower, from a single flower to a group of flowers. Which corsage you decide to make is up to you.

Lesson 3: The third lesson will focus on making the leaves from the ribbons that you dyed, then stitching all of the components together for each corsage.

*Note: The Corsages to Dye For series need not be taken in order. In each class you will learn how to prepare the dyes; and each lesson will cover a different set of preparation techniques to create the colorful patterns in the ribbons.

Class Information

These classes can be purchased at any time, there is no set schedule.The class can be ordered by contacting Christen: thestoreonthecorner@gmail.com. She will send you an invoice through PayPal.

Once the class is paid for, the supply list will be sent out. The lessons will begin one week after the purchase of the class, unless otherwise stated. You will receive an email with the lesson attached. The following lesson/s will arrive one week after the previous lesson.

A high speed internet connection is recommended, and you must have basic computer and internet skills. You will need to be able know how to download and save a document to your computer’s hard drive, open it and print out a copy.

You can contact Christen with any questions pertaining to the class/class information throughout the length of the class.

Class fees will not be refunded.

Happy Stitching!

~Christen

Color Me Happy: class/tutorial

Dec5

Color Me Happy: 2 lessons/$30.00

color me happyThis is a technique class debunks myths, decodes terms and will open your world to the possibilities of COLOR, creating your own colors and dye baths to be exact. The goal of the class will be to create a journal of the dyed silk swatches that you create in each lesson. We will discuss working with color and how to choose colors. The class will only use Colorhue dyes; no other dye will be covered.

Skill Level Beginning

Lesson 1: Is all about the color wheel: primary, secondary and tertiary colors. You will start with 1 set of blue, yellow and red colors and explore the possibilities. The dyes will be used to paint a Color Wheel and Color Comparison Chart in Journal, and dyed ribbon swatches will be glued to these pages. There will also be examples to dye fabric and ribbon with the left over dye baths.

Lesson 2: This lesson will focus on a muting color wheel; saddening colors; achieving different tones; over dyeing and antiquing colors. You will create a second set of Color Wheels and Color Comparison Charts with paint and ribbon swatches. Color will be defined further, discussing Value, Hue and Saturation, with examples of several different Color Harmonies. There will also be several Additional Exercises that you can use to experiment with.

Class Information

These classes can be purchased at any time, there is no set schedule.The class can be ordered by contacting Christen: thestoreonthecorner@gmail.com. She will send you an invoice through PayPal.

Once the class is paid for, the supply list will be sent out. The lessons will begin one week after the purchase of the class, unless otherwise stated. You will receive an email with the lesson attached. The following lesson/s will arrive one week after the previous lesson.

A high speed internet connection is recommended, and you must have basic computer and internet skills. You will need to be able know how to download and save a document to your computer’s hard drive, open it and print out a copy.

You can contact Christen with any questions pertaining to the class/class information throughout the length of the class.

Class fees will not be refunded.

Happy Stitching,

~Christen

Chantilly Lady’s Lace Cuff: class/tutorial

Dec5

Chantilly Lady’s Lace Cuff: 4 lessons/$42.00

chantilly1This lovely lace cuff is reminiscent of tranquil days lounging on an overstuffed satin pouf, or demurely sashaying along a tree-lined avenue, parasol in hand. Two separate processes, one with Texture Magic, and the other with Solvy make the base of the cuff and the lace frill; pre-made lace will also be used. There are two styles to choose from that will be embellished with needle-tatted and crochet components, ribbonwork flowers, a few silk ribbon embroidery stitches, beads and buttons. The base can be left in the natural colors of the lace, or you can dye the components with the self-setting Colorhue dyes (no other dye will be covered). Please also note that basic crochet knowledge will be very helpful.

Skill Level Advanced: sewing machine, embroidery, ribbonwork and crochet knowledge needed

Lesson 1: In this lesson you will explore working with Texture Magic, making the base of the bracelet with bits of lace enmeshed on the top. The next step is to take the Solvy and small amounts of lace turning them into a lacey trim for the cuff.

Lesson 2. In this lesson you will dye the base, lace frill, any extra lace trims and appliqués along with the perle cotton and ribbons.

Lesson 3: In this lesson you will be making the floral components. Directions for beginning needle tatting with four basic stitches; two basic crochet flowers will be included, it is recommended that you have crochet experience. Directions for four ribbonwork flowers round out the floral components.

Lesson 4. In this lesson the floral components and appliqués will be assembled onto the base, adding in a few silk ribbon embroidery stitches. Embellishments will also include a few beads and buttons. Directions will be provided for assembling the base cuff and lace frills.

Class Information

These classes can be purchased at any time, there is no set schedule.The class can be ordered by contacting Christen: thestoreonthecorner@gmail.com. She will send you an invoice through PayPal.

Once the class is paid for, the supply list will be sent out. The lessons will begin one week after the purchase of the class, unless otherwise stated. You will receive an email with the lesson attached. The following lesson/s will arrive one week after the previous lesson.

A high speed internet connection is recommended, and you must have basic computer and internet skills. You will need to be able know how to download and save a document to your computer’s hard drive, open it and print out a copy.

You can contact Christen with any questions pertaining to the class/class information throughout the length of the class.

Class fees will not be refunded.

Happy Stitching!

~Christen