In fact, most quilts shops now have an extensive selection of very pricey batik prints to choose from!

But why is batik so expensive?

Well, for one thing – it can be a very labor-intensive process.  The dye and wax must be layered on for each color, which takes time to do, set and cure.  The fabric is usually quite a high-thread count quilting cotton as well, which adds to the price.

But you can also make your own batik fabric as well…

I’ve made my own batik prints using a commercially-available batik medium (from my local fabric store).  It doesn’t give the same control as the traditional wax, but for a simple hand-painted design it works nicely.

You can also batik with soy wax, Elmer’s glue or go with the traditional method, used to make the batik pillow shown here.

image: HGTV

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DIY Batik

I’ve also completed several of his needlepoint projects over the years.  They’re luscious, but not for the first time stitcher!

Kaffe Fasset also works with fiber art designers to create gorgeous quilts as well.  Glorious Color carries the complete line of Kaffe fabrics and even full kits to create bed quilts.

Check out some of these yummy fabrics!

“Jade Lotus Leaf” :

“Asian Circles “:

‘Dancing Leaves “:

Yummy!

images: Glorious Color

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Delicious Fabric From Kaffe Fasset

Then I’ve got some good news for you!  Jay McCarroll has recently collaborated with Free Spirit Fabrics to create a line of quilting cottons.  The prints are fresh, modern and very charming.

Here are links to the “Garden Friends” collection and the “Woodland Wonderland” collection.

image: PicApp

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New fabric from Project Runway’s Jay McCarroll

I thought that it’s been too long since I’ve hosted a contest on Tangled Thread… I’m giving away on of my DH’s copper fiber art tags, this one says “Love” in block letters.  I had so many responses about my hand-dyed quilting cottons that I’ve decided to also include five 4 inch squares of the colors you see here!

Okay, now the rules:  Due to shipping costs, the contest is open to residents of the continental USA and Canada.   To enter, just leave a comment on this post, describing what you’re going to do with the tag and the fabric.  The contest will run until Saturday, April 26th, and I will hold a random draw on the 27th to determine a winner.  I’ll write a post on the 27th announcing the winner’s name.  The winner will have three days to contact me to claim their prize – I’ll draw another name after that.

Good luck!

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Tangled Thread “Tags & Tie-Dyes” contest

Or this:

Or… this:

Inspiring, luscious, yummy – oh yes!  But I need to get my colors into some kind of order before I start hacking up fabric.

Here are the fabrics I’ve pulled, mostly in order, for this project:

I’d still like to organize them a little bit more before I start cutting individual pieces.  I’m using a color swatch board to help myself.  In this case, it’s just a regular piece of paper that I’ve pinned 1 inch square pieces of fabric to:

It’s not fancy, but the colors are organized in a way that I can easily reference.  I know exactly which color goes in the third row across, four down.  I’ve also roughly painted some of these swatches – again, this is the time to do it, not when you’re finished cutting all your fabric out

Next time you’ve got a project with lots of colors, try using a swatch board to make your life easier!

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tip of the day – using swatch boards

Whatever you did, I hope you had a great one!

Ready to play in your studio again?

I thought it would be fun to post a great Canadian site for fabric – after all, I’ve got a lot of readers from all over

The Satin Moon Quilt Shop, in Victoria, British Columbia, has an amazing variety of yummy fabrics, notions, and even things like Shiva Paintstiks, which are a real challenge to find in Canada.

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Canadian fabric sources

Of course, sales on yummy quilting cottons don’t help much either!

I’ve got a real problem and/or passion for quilting cotton – I swear it’s an addiction!  I see a bolt of freshly marked down cottony-loveliness and my palms start sweating.  Luckily, I do actually use many yards of the stuff a year

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this isn’t helping my organizing