To Dye For
Bart Van Hemelen
To Dye For
You don't have to be a textile artist to transform garments, household
linens, yarn or plain fabrics with rich custom color. Local experts on
dyeing and color tell how they do it.
By Julie Pfitzinger, Special to the Star Tribune
Jan Eisner's custom-dyed vintage table linens are like a soothing balm
for winter-weary eyes: rich periwinkle, luscious persimmon and an
especially brilliant "swimming pool blue" are all part of the St. Paul
artist's vibrant palette.
Eisner's experimentation with colors began 15 years ago with a white
linen damask tablecloth "just like the kind everyone's mom got for a
wedding gift." Deciding to throw caution to the wind, Eisner bought
some blue dye from an art supply store, engaged in "a little bit of
alchemy," and was delighted with the final product. "It was a
beautiful shade," said Eisner, whose business is called Cedar Chest
Linens. "The damask designs just pop when you put them into dye."
Whether dyeing fabric for table linens, clothing or handmade quilts,
or tinting yarn for knitting projects, many of today's textile artists
are boldly spinning their own color wheels. From soft pastels to
brilliant jewel tones, home dyers can completely transform the
simplest piece of cloth: All it takes is an understanding of fabric
and a willingness to experiment with color.
Marliss Jensen of Minneapolis has been a professional dye artist since
1969, coloring such diverse pieces as movie and theatrical costumes,
ballroom dance ensembles and archival museum case materials. For
several years, she even did custom fabric dyeing for Prince and his
band members. (Not everything was purple; "I used a lot of peach,
too," she said.)
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BVH
ernestlsewell
<bartvan...@gmail.com> said:
> http://www.startribune.com/217/v-print/story/1033823.html
>
> To Dye For
BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Ernest L Sewell, IV
East Greenbush, NY
{{Nick S}}
ernestlsewell
> yeah, that was about as interesting as a plastic turd in a box .
LOL Ahhh, the days of the novelty store.