My hand-dyed fabric stacks
An Informal Fabric Stack Project
Last week on her blog, artist Lisa Call had a fun idea – have each of us that has stacks of fabric take photos of our stacks and post them on our blogs and then add a comment on her blog, so that we can all go enjoy looking at each other’s colorful stacks.
This idea sprung as a tangent of another similar project – the Paper Stack Challenge – that Seth Apter of The Altered Page posted on his blog.
The idea in either case is that multiple artists will post photos of their own “stacks” on their own blogs, and then add a link in the comments section of either Lisa’s post (if fabric artist) or Seth’s post (if paper artist), so that everyone can check out all the cool “stacks” we’ve all got.
One of my racks of fabric.
Yes, I’m a Fabric Junkie!
But really, what textile artist isn’t? Ok, some of us are worse than others. I currently have a (spouse-imposed!) limit of 4 (oops, make that 3) racks of fabric. Actually, the limit is for my own good and I need these boundaries, otherwise, well, my studio would likely become over run with fabric and I’d be so overwhelmed I’d never get anything done.
Another of my fabric racks.
I’ve acquired quite a stash in the few years I’ve been working in textiles and I do weed through it on occasion and donate some of it to charitable causes. I’m working mostly with my own hand-dyed fabrics these days, so some of those commercial fabrics I found at thrift stores don’t quite have the same appeal now that they did back when I first acquired them and I know others will put them to good use.
A mini stack - a textile painting waiting to happen.
And sometimes it’s just necessary to let go of the old to make room for the new!
If you have a stack you’d like to share, please do join in the Informal Fabric Stack Project on Lisa’s blog.
Fabulous!
Oh dear!
Aynie, I wish to clarify the spousal side of the “rack count”!
There is currently 4 with the overflow rack. Three is the goal, but 4 will be fine as long as you are happy and have room to create all you want!
I am so lucky and blessed to be in your art life!
B
So I just spent the last two days cleaning the guest room closet which is actually the fabric closet. I rolled the fabric and put it on end in baskets. You mean I was supposed to stack it? Oy!
At any rate, I found I don’t need to buy or make any more fabric for a while. Plenty to last through the long winter is now neatly rolled. Oh, maybe I will need to do snow dyeing, but that’s it. That’s really it, except for some nature printing, fabric torture with clips and dye, and maybe some discharge with Soft Scrub with bleach.
Isabel – glad to see you’re all set with your stash for the winter, except for the nature printing, snow dyeing and discharging of course (LOL) Are you sure you don’t want to also try some deconstructed screen printing or eco-dyeing too?
Ooh, I forgot about those methods. Must go roll the leaning tower of fabric that needs more work. Tata.
I used to qualify for this sport – fabric stacking – but since I hardly ever sew anymore, I have weaned myself away from the compulsive saving and storing. Maybe there could be an alternative paper stacking event for people who draw?
woops – hit return before I was done!
Hi Nanci – You’re in luck – there is a paper stacking event! Check out Seth Apter’s “stackaholics anonymous” post here: http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/2011/09/stackoholics-anonymous.html
Our 1912 home doesn’t allow for stacks,,,but I have plastic bins galore!!! Filled with treasures …moving them around is a great work-out, too! I am always on the hunt for fabric donations for quilts that are donated to Childsafe..a non profit that provides therapy for kiddos recovering from sexual abuse. So…if anyone out there has a stack they’d like to part with…our mutual friend Ayn knows where to find me!!! She has donated a stack!!!