Getting ready to hand dye fabrics

[image source: shiborigirl]



Last week, I wrote a post on how to make your own twill tape labels.  When I was looking for some visuals, I came across this image of dyed twill tape.  It's absolutely gorgeous, don't you think?  I just love indigo, especially when paired with natural tones.



Finding this photo has only affirmed my latest obsession with hand dyeing fabrics.  I've been casually storing ideas and resources in my head the past month or so, and I think I am ready to start experimenting.  My plan is to make natural dyes from plants in my garden.  And with the sun blazing down on us for the next few days, this seems like an opportune time to dye fabric.  Expect an update soon!

Marianne Hallberg's hand drawn ceramics

I have always loved blue and white ceramics.  And after seeing the delightful work of Swedish artist Marianne Hallberg, I love it even more.  Hallberg's ceramics can be found at the gallery Sintra- if only it wasn't 4500 miles away!

[image sources: www.mariannehallberg.se, fine little day, design sponge]

My Week

playing on the beach in southern california

"the happiest place on earth"

i had a disneyland hangover the next morning

squeezed in an event on our way back home

a few new small drawings, new stickers perhaps?

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sticker set added to etsy shop; shop reopens tomorrow

Creating labels with twill tape

My dear friend Katie likes to make things, whether it’s soap, rugs, skirts, journals, or homemade bread.  Recently, she’s been sewing pencil pouches made from vintage and reclaimed fabrics.  She needed some labels for the pouches, and I suggested stamped twill tape as a simple solution.  Twill tape comes in a variety of widths and colors, is easy to adhere to fabric, and is very affordable.  (The .5 inch tape shown above just cost 25¢ a yard!) 



To create your own labels, all you need in addition to twill tape is a stamp, ink pad, scissors/pinking shears, and iron-on adhesive.  For a more custom look, you can have a stamp made at an office supply store for a reasonable cost.

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If you’re near Sisters, Oregon tomorrow, come see Katie’s creations and my art at the Sisters Summer Faire tomorrow.  We’ll be sharing a booth at the event all day Saturday.

Urban street art right up my alley

I like art that is clever.  On a recent trip to Powell's Books, I was highly amused by the miniature art in Slinkachu's book Little People in the City.  Slinkachu takes little figurines and creates scenes in the urban enviroment that are humorous and thought-provoking. 

His tiny installations have been in a number of European cities including London, Amsterdam, and Barcelona.  After photographing the models, Slinkachu leaves the installations on the streets for others to discover.

Slinkachu's urban art reminds me of another artist's work.  German artist Jan Vormann fills small gaps in walls with Legos, one of my favorite toys.  His work was spotted in New York City just a few months ago.  Other cities he has "repaired" include Tel Aviv,  St. Petersburg, and Quito.  A visual documentation of his Lego constructions can be found here. 

My Week

scenic drive to crater lake, oregon

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the deepest lake in the u.s. proved to be a wondrous sight indeed

stairs in the historic crater lake lodge

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me, snapped by my 7 year-old

central valley, california

yosemite, the park that ansel adams loved

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mirror lake

my new drawing

Michelle Ramin's art auction

Portland artist Michelle Ramin just sent me an email announcing an art auction extravaganza.  Michelle is headed to San Francisco Art Institute this summer for grad school, and she needs our help getting there!  To help pay for tuition and living expenses, Michelle is auctioning off one original work a day for the next four weeks.  Some of the pieces up for bidding include the works shown in this post.  To view the complete gallery of works for auction, go here. 

I'm a huge fan of Michelle's art (read my interview with her). I attended the opening of her show in March where her mixed media portraits of friends and family were featured.  Below is one of her latest portraiture works.  I absolutely love the patterns and colors in this piece! On July 24, Michelle will be auctioning this art work, along with other larger pieces, at FalseFront in Portland.  If you're in the area, come by and show your support.  There's even talk of homemade ice cream!