Resists, Rubbings and Repetitions - Upcoming Workshop

Join me for three exciting days of colour and pattern while using thickened dyes, textile paints  and soy wax. You will be able to experiment with painted batik, soy wax crayons and screen printing while learning design principles, mark making and colour theory. Soy wax is biodegradable and easy to remove with steaming and washing! You will make a wide variety of samples which can be used for further exploration in quilting and stitch.
Date: June 7-10th, 2012
Come as a day student or stay at the beautiful Pearson College in Metchosin, BC

Visit http://victoriaquiltersguild.org/QITT/QITT2012.htm for registration information or email me at info@susanpm.com for details. You can also call Carol at (250) 383-4965 for further details.

Soy Wax Batik in Edmonton!

We've had an exciting time at the Quilters Dream in Edmonton for three days of screen, plate and mono printing, plus deconstructed printing and much more. I had many enthusiastic and dedicated students!
Here are some students working on their soy wax batik projects.

Lynette has painted her fabrics with dye solution after applying the coloured wax.

Jackie is getting ready to use a dye solution.

Shirley is explaining her technique to Darlene, the store manager.

Luba has applied the coloured wax with a spong roller. Have a look below for her fabulous design with coloured wax and dye solution. Exciting colours ready for steaming!

Have you had a chance to use soy wax? Its a wonderful product for an exciting technique!

Soy Wax Batik

I've spent a few hours in the dye room playing with coloured soy wax and have been absolutely thrilled with the results! I had purchased Lisa Kerpoe and Jane Dunnewolds book Vibrant Color and made up some wax paste to begin. I used the paste on some already coloured fabric and found the paste easy to use, especially through some Thermofax screens. It was the consistency of shoe polish, I could also rub it on, use stiff brushes or stamp with it. I realize I need to spent more time with the paste, my results so far have been less than thrilling.
BUT, I then made up some pans of coloured wax and had an absolute blast using the coloured wax on soda soaked fabrics, then painting in the open areas with dye solution. I batched the fabrics overnight to set the liquid dyes, steamed the fabrics to set the waxed areas and then washed the fabrics with Synthrapol to remove the wax. I should mention that I have used soy wax a lot in the past but never as a coloured medium, now I am hooked!
Here's some of my results, I've already cut and pieced the first fabric and am eagerly looking forward to some machine quilting:

Here's a second piece, coloured with black wax and then painted with fushia and scarlet dyes. Its being cut up for one of my Shattered Angles quilts.

I used bronze, golden yellow and turquoise wax with fushia, purple, and emerald dyes. I think I'll dye some more colours to co-ordinate with this fabric.

Next time, I'll be working with larger pieces of fabric and I'd love to try the coloured wax on the Radiance fabric that is a blend of silk and cotton. The silk threads will pick up the colour in such an exciting way. More ideas and inspiration are always generated by work in the studio!