I get asked if I have a catalog of my products....That would be me being organized and carving out time from an already overloaded schedule. That really sounds snotty does it not. But it is reality. I am a one man band....that means all the packages, ironing, dyeing and so on is up to me. Trust me, I go to bed with a to do list longer than the one I had when I got up in the am...
Well, I am putting up some of the newer linen colors here. I will keep posting them as I take pictures to send to Hoffman my distributor. Those guys rock sending all the products out to our Local Needlework Shops. Plus the pictures I take for my Etsy shop. I try to take all the linen pictures beside a DMC color code for reference. I understand it is hard to make decisions when the product is not in front of you. The translation of color is a topic all in itself. Just a brief talk through. There is the dye process onto the product, then digital pictures (which tend to lean to the white of light in the coloring), then pulling into a computer program, then you have your screen on your computer or phone, do not get me into the whole discussion of printing from the original to a print product. It all depends on the inks used and the mixing of only the primary colors to get the color. Then it depends on how you see color. That is a factor. Some people can pick up the undertones and some cannot-and as we age color starts to fade.....wow yep a small lecture about the translation of colors. I am off my soap box- I present a parade of a few of the new colors on linen. Hope you like them. Ebeth
Stained Grey
This is just a hint of coloring to the linen. It takes the edge off the white or off white of the linen. It works for so many designs.
Rice Powder
This color reminds me of how many times I am asked how I name my products. I start with an idea of what color I am going for. As soon as the color is in my head I start the chemistry of what colors will mix together to get to the end product. Then I start the math of the chemistry to measure out how much of a color needed to make the color. It is magical when I hit the color the first time. It comes from experience of working with the dyes and powders to know how they play off each other. I digress-When I created Rice Powder the moment I put the linen in the bath immediately Rice Powder popped in my head. After I finished processing the piece of linen I went to the computer and pulled up Rice Powder-it was almost spot on of the pictures on the screen. Other times-I do name a color after an event or a person who requests the color. But most of the time as I am creating the product the name just comes to me. The reverse hardly ever works. I also like to name the products with non-tradtional names-laughing can you tell?????
Polar Bear
Now who can resist a name like that? When this color came up I immediately thought of the old Coke commercials from Christmas. It had to be Polar Bear. This is a bright and fun color.
New England Bog
This was a customer request. The client had an older Blackbird Designs pattern and the linen in this color is not available anymore. This was a little hard-the orginal color was dyed on Permin which orginially was made from a flat beaten flax thread. I usual dye on Zweigart-this is a twisted flax thread that is made for the upolstery industry. So the dye will take differently. Even though I pretty much hit the color it will not be as rich as the Permin linen. This is because the flat beaten thread has more open fibers and accepts the color deeper than a twisted linen thread. With all that said-this is a great substitute for the older designs on this color fabric.
Dried Virginia Baccy
This color is an overdyed. There are times you cannot get there from here. This is one of them. I wanted a slight green hue to peak through the light brown. This linen is overdyed on a color base to enhance the coloring. That is always tricky. The color sometimes goes off on its own when doing an overdyed. It all revolves around chemistry. One-the base product may look like the same color-but the orginial source may have had to use a different dye or the flax for the linen could have been grown in a different area. So, the dye will adhere to the product a little different. But, it is always fun to create an over tone to a color. It takes a lot of thought on what colors would blend with the base and give you the color that you are looking for.
Dark Chocolate
This is not quite one of the newest colors. I am putting it out here because I have had quite a few request for it lately. It is not the dark brown of a semi sweet dark chocolate. It has a lighter tone like a Dutch dark chocolate powder. It is a fun color and not too dark to stitch on. Plus who can resist chocolate?
Cow Fodder
Who would not want to stitch on something called Cow Fodder????? I was trying to help a client get a straw like color. One - straw is such a dull and ordinary name-plus this color is just off from dried straw. I love the subtle hint of reddish/brown over tone on this linen. It is quite a hit and also one of my favorite go to colors.
Cosmic Platinum
Now this one is unique-just like my Peddler's Blend this is a chemical reaction process. Each piece is unique and cannot be repeated. This dye process takes 3 steps and all depends on the temperature staying constant. Each piece is a work of art by itself. Now you are thinking that it is too busy to stitch on. Trust me-it works for Samplers, smalls and other kinds of designs. I just love this color-it always makes me smile when I have the final product and see the spontaneous results.
Colonial Blue
My new go to. I love this color. It is so light it goes with all colors. It can be for samplers, traditional designs and all seasons. Trust me the picture does not do it justice.
Aged Linen
This is a subtle coloring to the linen. It has slight molding to the color.
Well-this is just a sampling of the colors of linens that I dye. Thank you for going down the path of how a color came about and the other information that I added to the color. I hope you enjoy my humor and very slight knowledge of chemistry and so on that I share with each description. Hand dyed industry is a unique niche area. We for the most part use dyes that are made for large vat dye process. We use very small amounts of the dye and this can cause color changes when producing a color. The dyes are made using the primary colors then there are what are called fillers put into the mixture to bond the color together. The filler is usually a mixture of left over powder from other dyes. In a large vat this causes hardly any variance in the end result. But when working with hand dyed niche production any small varience can cause a big color change. Plus the base of the product, water, other chemicals, weather and so on can cause the end result not always consistent. But then again-that is the fun of overdyed and hand dyed. Plus-shhhhhhh-the design and color police never show up and get you if you change your project to fit your own taste. I know that you fall in love with the picture-or even the orginial model if you are so lucky to be in the room with the orginial. But as with any art-no two pieces are ever the same. Trust your instincts. If you feel like something is off when you are working on a project-put it down come back and if the color or anything bothers you change it. If you do not feel like you can change it on your own there are always friends and shop owners that will help you change out things to help you get the results you want.
Well-again thank you for sharing some time with my ramblings and may you have fun creating your projects.
Hugs Ebeth
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