I'm so excited! All my attempts to rust on fabric in color have been dismal—although I now know many things that don’t work. The goal is/was to find a way to add color to rust-dyed fabric using little or no nasty chemicals, requiring little or no measuring, no boiling, mordant dips, etc.

After many months of frustrating disappointments, Barbara Matthiessen a longtime crafting buddy introduced me to Generation Green from Earth Safe Finishes. They have a complete line of artist’s quality paint and finishes, all made in the USA—and all using formulas with little or no volatile organic compounds in them. The packaging is made of recycled materials and is biodegradable and recyclable—and they donate 1% of their profits to Global Green USA.

The colorants, fabric medium, and gel media caught my attention immediately, because they work on fabrics. The example above is the blue colorant on a piece of rust-dyed cotton and the example below is on bleached muslin.

No measuring! No boiling! No nasty chemicals—or little dead creatures involved! No waiting! I mixed one part fabric medium to four parts water, mixed in a drop or two of the colorant and that’s it! Isn’t the texture yummy? I placed the wet fabric on a plastic drop cloth and it dried with the crystal-looking texture. KEWL!

I’ll post more photos as they are available, but this has such exciting possibilities for fiber artists, kids’ crafts—and is environmentally responsible.

No affiliation with the company; I just really like the product, the company, and their social responsibility!

It’s been busy here in the Muttonhead studio the past week, even though there hasn’t been much posted on the blog.

Easter Seals/Arc here in town is sponsoring a fund-raising project by pairing business sponsors and local artists to create an artistic version of a huge cast Easter Egg. The project is call Eggstravaganza and is the brain child of Easter Seals' special events coordinator Valerie Magana.

29 eggs were matched with sponsors and artists to decorate oversize eggs (32 pounds each!) made from a casting medium called Merlin's Magic. The medium comes from the dental industry. They fashion replacement parts for chipped and/or broken teeth, so it's dense and very tough.

I was paired with the publisher of a local business magazine to create From a Distance, an abstract version of our planet. What a challenge—it was way out of my comfort zone! It's finished. It's beautiful. And I'm really glad to be back in my own world of fabric, thread, buttons, and beads!

Isn’t this sweet? It’s the first needle-felted landscape for my new needle-felting class that will launch on http://www.quilterskeeplearning.com on March 27.

This will be needle-felting by machine, meaning embellishing machine, or needle tool and mat. The class plan is pretty ambitious and packed with information and exercises. This landscape is from Week #3 when we start felting in deliberate patterns. I love the depth the poppies add as they recede into the distance.

It also illustrates two ways of blending colors of roving.

There is so much potential in needle felting and the roving colors are so yummy! A quick visit to Ebay reveals scads of hand-painted roving in wool, bamboo, rayon, angora, mohair, tencel, silk, soy silk, and more. I want to try it all!

I’m always jealous when someone comments about what their “art group” did in the last meeting. There are no art groups in my area and I really want to be part of one! So, a handful of artistic buddies created one ourselves!

We are a diverse mix. Dixie is a photographer and painter, Gail is an altered-book artist, Susan is a graphic artist, Christine, Carol, and I are quilters, Lori jumps right into any of it, and Amy has her own kiln (although she teaches painting and works in many media)!

We take turns hostessing the group and planning the project. There is usually a lot of giggling and occasionally a serious discussion of art matters, such as the state budget cuts for art education and grants.




Amy introduced us to clay. What a step out of the comfort zone it was for some of us (meaning me). I think in fabric, and clay has a totally different philosophy.

Amy made it all work and we all felt like the project was do-able. The clay was already rolled to the proper thickness and we used a pattern to each cut out a kimono. There were all sorts of texture tools used to press or gouge a pattern into the damp clay.

We meet about once a month, so December we formed the kimonos and added texture. In January we applied glazes and this past Sunday we saw the finished pieces.

Each kimono was a delight. Every one was different, and we rejoiced in the differences.


Mine has a ruffled collar and buttons (of course). Not knowing how the glazes would act made the whole exercise serendipitous, but I wanted something organic looking. I’m definitely pleased. Clay will not become my medium of choice, but it was fun and challenging.

Isn’t that what art groups are all about? Experimenting in new techniques, encouraging one another, and enjoying the community of like-minded souls.

Don’t despair if there aren’t any art groups in your area. There are many online groups for fun, swaps, and serious discussion. Check out Yahoo groups. There is sure to be one that will tickle your imagination.

If you’re interested in rust dyeing or thread-base art, consider joining. There are links to the Joy of Rust Dyeing and The Thread Society along the left column. Or contact me and I’ll be glad to send an invitation to you!

Enjoy the adventure!

As mentioned yesterday, I’m working on a new online class in Needle Felting using an embellishing machine or needle tool and mat (more work, but less expensive)! It’s sooo much fun and initial experiments with incorporating images printed on fabric have been very positive.

I need your opinion.

Roving can be difficult to find and next to impossible to find a variety of fiber content and colors locally. However, there is a wide variety available on Ebay. The problem with purchasing on Ebay is you have to buy (much) larger quantities that needed for this class.

Would it make sense to offer a starter kit with small amounts of 8–10 different colors roving for less than $20?

I really value your input!

Aren’t they beautiful? These photos came from Rhoda Oakes in California. The camellias, crepe myrtle, and jonquils/daffodils are in bloom in her yard!


She sent them to me because here in northeast Indiana, we are experiencing another snowstorm. This one is expected to dump up to 8" on the area today. We are weary with winter and longing for warm sunshine!

The wind is blowing the snow sideways, so there hasn’t been much accumulation yet, but it’s a good day to work on my new online class.

There should be a photo of a class sample or two to share by tomorrow.

It’s Valentine’s Day! Officially my favorite holiday of the year. The one day I can be ooey-gooey sentimental to my family, friends, and loved ones—and not even my son can object.

It’s snowing today, but we’ll celebrate the holiday later with dinner and games by the fireplace.

The beautiful stamps above are on an incredible envelope from Catherine Etter. We were swap partners in a Beat The Winter Blues swap on The Thread Society yahoo group. Catherine’s charming card (5" x 7") was delivered to my mailbox inside a cheery pink paper bag with sweet messages penned on the front and back (below).






Inside, the fiber card is just as special—with fascinating nest made from an upholstery fabric scrap, stitched with free-motion stitches to create interesting texture.





What a lucky girl I am to be the recipient of such loving kindness. Thank you, Catherine!





One more Valentine ATC, also from a swap with The Thread Society list mom, Diane Harmon-Hoog. Isn’t this a hoot? The artwork is from a vintage postcard. I scanned it and use the image frequently. Can’t you just hear the young lady scolding cupid for causing romantic complications with a gentleman?