Resist dyed.

Completed fabric ready for ironing. This is my favorite from today.

These baggies are "batching" outside in the warm sun.

Wet, washed fabric is placed in a heavy duty baggy, diluted dye stock and dye activator (dissolved in warm water) are added and the whole thing is zapped in the microwave for two minutes at 30-second intervals. MAKE SURE TO LEAVE AN OPENING FOR STEAM TO ESCAPE. BAGGIES ARE HOT!!! BE EXTEMELY CAREFUL IN HANDLING! Although not really necessary, I then let the bag sit for further batching until I have time to wash the fabric. Time can range from 1 - 24 hours, depending on how busy I am. I do try to let turquoise and colors containing turquoise batch a good 24 hours. Because of the size of the dye molecule, this color just takes longer to bond with the fabric.

Include the amount of dye required for each color on the lid. You'll want to indicate measurement in teaspoons or tablespoons and the percentage per weight of goods (given on the color charts as %WOG). The percentage is the amount of dye required to dye one yard of fabric.

Finding a dye color is much easier if you mark the lids with the color name and stock number. I include the date the dye is received. This way, I make sure to use the oldest stock first.

I order dyes from both Pro Chem (prochemical.com) and Dharma. Chartreuse and Eggplant from Dharma are among my favorites.

Dye stock is stored in designated Mason jars. It will last longer if stored in the fridge.

Mixing dyestock in a designated blender saves tons of time and eliminates dye clumps.

Ellen's Dyeing Technique

Dyeing one's own fabric is extremely labor intensive. You have to either be out of your mind or extremely stubborn to go to that much work when every quilt shop has a plethora of gorgeous cottons just waiting to be had. But today I gave in to my passion for dyeing.

I found a long-forgotten 20-yard roll of high thread count Indian cotton shirting just begging for dye. Longing for beautiful colorations of my own choosing, I mixed dyestock from Procion fiber reactive dye: fuchsia, turquoise, sapphire blue, basic red, lemon yellow, golden yellow and a little black which leaned very much towards purple.

Most of the baggies are still batching and won't be washed out until tomorrow, but I do have a couple of pieces fresh from the dryer to share along with photos of my technique.

Happy Anniversary

My husband surprised me this morning with a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers for our anniversary. A proper celebration has been delayed until later in the month as we both have very full calendars. We are so blessed to have a farmer's market at the bottom of our street. The flowers were grown by three generations of a Laotian family on their farm. They rise very early (3 a.m.!) to pick the blossoms fresh for their customers - three mornings a week!

Drawing Inspiration

My friend Judy Vierow kindly allowed me to photograph a work in progress. Her talent never ceases to amaze me. See more of her art at: www.vierow.com/Judy

Friends Who Inspire Me

Over the years, I've met a few people whose hearts have spoken to mine. Judy Vierow of Columbus OH is one of them. An artist with a truly unique style, Judy states: "I paint because it makes me happy. My paintings often revolve around the intimate facts of hearth and home and teacup."

Judy's spirited, colorful paintings are full of joy - just like Judy. Full of detail, each piece demands a close study lest you miss a "signature" of Judy's - like the high heels which serve as feet on tables, chairs, beds and teapots. Absolutely charming!

I have two of Judy's prints waiting to be hung. "Mixed Aromas" is my latest aquisition. The round little blue teapot reminds me of the elementary school song, "I'm a Little teapot....short and stout, here is my handle, here is my spout......"

I really should put the painting in the kitchen. But it makes me so happy it may go in my studio!