Deadline Extension

Thanks to all who signed up so quickly for the Valerie Allen/Golden products talk and demo on April 22. We have 15 participants, but would like to encourage more of you to attend. It promises to be a very interesting time. The new deadline for sending an e-mail to confirm attendance is April 11. Don't miss out!

Susie
skrage2@att.net

EXCITING NEWS!

Valerie Allen, a working artist and Golden Paints Representative, has agreed do a special program for us. Valerie will be talking about the use of Golden products on textiles. This will include using your inkjet printer on various substrates. I think I read somewhere that they have a product that allows printing on aluminum foil. 

Valerie needs to know numbers (I believe she will bring some sample products.) So, please shoot me an e-mail to confirm your attendance within the next week. (skrage2@att.net) Friends of fiber are welcome. Please bring a simple snack to share and your favorite beverage.Coffee and tea provided.

Date: Sunday, April 22, 2 p.m.

Place: 1731 Seminole St., Detroit, MI 48214

Reminder:  Our next regular meeting will be the extended show and tell, March 25, 2 p.m. at the home of Sandy Kunkle in Ann Arbor.

See you soon.

Susie

CLASSES OFFERED

Classes Offered

Susie Krage has been involved with textiles for many years; dying and surface design. In 2010 she completed Jane Dunnewold’s 3 year Mastery Program through Art Cloth Studios in San Antonio, Texas. She has exhibited nationally and internationally an won a number of awards for her work.

All classes will be held in my spacious studio in historic Indian Village near downtown  Detroit. Classes are limited to 4-6 so students may move freely in the space and receive lots or personal attention.

Dying to Know

Low water immersion dying

Whether you are a complete novice or want to learn more about dying, this three day class should fit the bill. We will take a light hearted and fun attitude to dying and use both batching and the instant gratification of microwave dying. You will go home with a stack of beautiful fabrics. There will be adequate time for experimenting with your favorite technique.

Included techniques will be: basics of low water immersion dying, batching versus microwave dying, single and two color gradations, layered dying and manipulated fabric dying.

Dates: Tuesday, April 17 through Thursday, April 19, 2012 9-4

Cost: $395 (includes all dyes and chemicals)

Dyeing to Explore

Painting and Printing on Fabric

Once you have learned to dye fabric, the next step is to be able to paint and print to develop designs and textures. Using thickened dyes, and a variety of tools, including developing some silk screens in class, we will spend a glorious four days printing and painting fabric with thickened Procion MX fiber reactive dyes. There will be time to experiment and to spread dyes to your hears content. This class is limited to 4 students to allow lots of room to move around and receive personal attention.

Dates:  Tuesday, April 24 through Thursday April 26, 2012, 9-4

Cost: $450 (includes all dyes, thickners and chemicals

Contact information: skrage2@att.net

Making a Simple Steamer

Making a Simple Steamer

Here are directions for making a simple steamer. I learned how to do this from Jane Dunnewold. I purchased my pot and spring form pan at a thrift shop. The hardware cloth, metal duct tape and metal duct pieces came from a hardware store. Please read through all of the directions before making the purchases. You will see that the size of each piece you buy is dependent upon the size of another.

Items to gather together:

1. Large stock pot, measure the diameter before buying the ducting.
2. A section of metal ducting that, when assembled, will fit into the pot and be supported by the spring form pan.
2. A spring form pan that fits nicely into the stock pot
3. A piece of fiberglass screening (window screen)
4. Hardware cloth 24: wide worked well for me. (comes in a roll)
5. Two large hose clamps, that when joined will fit around the outside of the spring form pan.
6. Cheese cloth or light weight fabric (to cover the roll)
7. Wire cutters (I found the small jewelry type worked well on the hardware cloth)
8. Needle nose pliers
9. Metal duct tape

Directions:

Remove the bottom of the spring form pan and put aside. Cut a piece of screen and stretch over the top of the pan. Connect the two hose clamps to make one larger one. Slip it over the screen and tighten, making sure the screen is snug. Trim excess screen, but not too close to the clamp. Put the completed pan into the stock pot with the screen up.

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The duct comes with a self locking edge that you may have to put together. Once assembled, tape the edge closed with the metal duct tape.

The duct should stand nicely on top of the screened spring form pan and not quite touch the edges of the pot.

Next comes making the roll or "core" from hardware cloth. This will fit into the duct, vertically, with the fabrics rolled around it. So, do not make it so large that it fills the duct. Mine is about 2 1/2-3" in diameter and fits into a 7" duct. The hardware cloth is quite stiff and hard to roll. When it comes in a roll, it wants to stay in that size roll. Flatten out the length you want. To cut, you will need to cut each wire down a row. Leave one side with no wires protruding and the other end with the ends extended.

Using the needle nosed pliers, bend the extending wires through the matching square on the opposite end and bend to secure. It is a bit unwieldy, but can be done with a bit of patience.

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Detail

The wire core now needs to be wrapped in cloth. Cheese cloth works well and is easy to work with. I used a curved needle to sew it through and to the core.

Congratulations, you are just about ready to steam!

I use pieces of old sheets to wrap my fabrics. Lay out a piece that is larger than the article you want to steam. Fold the long edges over the article. Remembering that the steamer core is only 24" wide, if your article is wider, it will need to be folded lengthwise. Be sure every surface of your article will be covered by the sheet. No area needing to be steamed should touch any other. Roll the entire package around thecore, smoothing as needed. Tie loosely with a strip of fabric. When folded and rolled, leave a few inches of the core exposed where it will sit on the screen. It helps to avoid wetness.

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Put boiling water in to the pot (water boiling when the roll goes into the pot saves time and helps with timing.) Insert the duct and be sure it is standing on the screen. Slip the wrapped core into the duct with the uncovered end down. Place a small towel over the top to collect condensation. Sit the lid on top of everything. If the pot did not come with a lid, use the bottom of the spring form pan that you put aside in the beginning.

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My steamer sits on the floor atop a single electric burner. I will steam a 2 yard length of fabric or several scarves for 30 minutes. Timing starts
when the steam is rising. The mitts are necessary to prevent steam burns when you remove the top.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the exhibit, Quilt Art: International Expressions, at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House on Lakeshore Rd., Grosse Pointe Shores,MI. (www.fordhouse.org) I would encourage you to make an opportunity to visit. There are more than 30 quilts by 22 contemporary quilt artists from eight countries. I am proud to know several of the artists. The work is original and interesting. Associated with the exhibit are a number of classes, some for children. Check the website for more information. There is no charge for the exhibit, which will be open through March 25. The exhibit is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Monday.

Both of these quilts are by Linda Colsh, an American living in Belgium. The first is "By the Grace", and the second is "Laundry Queen".

Susie

online surface design class with Lynn Krawczyk

SDA member Lynn Krawczyk is teaching an online surface design class, The Printed Stash:

This class is being taught through the online video workshop community, STITCHED, and begins on April 1.

From Lynn's blog:

"This is a technique based workshop. In this one hour long video you will learn the basics of Thermofax Screen Printing as well as more advanced concepts like printing layers. We'll talk about what images work best, how to choose colors and the depth that can be created with this process. We'll also learn Gelatin Plate Monoprinting. We'll create positve and negative prints, learn how to transfer your own doodles and drawings to the plate and how to use the plate on projects you already have in progress. While we won't work through an actual project in the workshop because its centered around teaching skills, we will talk about the different ways you can use the fabric you create by looking at various examples.

You will need thermofax screens and a gelatin plate to take this class. Both are inexpensive tools. You can get thermofax screens here and a gelatin plate here.

The best classes I've ever taken have been ones that teach me skills that I can use and adapt to my own way of working. So that's how I structure my classes and that's what The Printed Stash is about."

For full details about the class, how to register and how to be eligible for three giveaways, visit Lynn's blog here.

is your profile on the SDA site?

A note from Susie Krage:

Hi Friends,

As your state representative, I need to nag you all a bit.

We have 95 members state wide (yay!) but only 13 have put their profiles on their gallery pages on the Surface Design Association (SDA) website. Of those, only 8 have uploaded images. The SDA site gets thousands of hits daily and the most often visited area is the members gallery.

Let's be the state to fill up our pages and show off the wonderful talent that can be found in Michigan!

Sometimes the viewings can lead to sales or commissions. I was contacted through the website, so I know it can happen. It is a perk of your membership and offers free advertising. Be sure to put contact information there, an email and/or your website. You never know what might come of it.

Thank you to those who have posted! If you need help, please contact me (skrage2@att.net) or Susan Trovillion (s.d.trovillion@gmail.com)

Don't forget our about our next meeting, March 25, in Ann Arbor. Details for the meeting can be found in this post.

Thanks!


Susie