Message

Wow, it's spring again! By the time you receive this, I'll probably have one last chance to indulge in some spring snowboarding and then I'll be picking up the clubs and switching to the links. Unlike last year when I took advantage of the great weather and traveled all over North America, this year I intend to spend my time learning how to break 90.

So what will I be doing with my work time. Well, spring is the start of my traveling workshops this year. No more being cooped up in the classroom. This year, I'll be visiting town after town, spreading good cheer, inspiration and lots of new ideas. So check out the article inside for full details. Besides, I hear there are great golf courses outside Toronto.

We also have a busy year planned when it comes to trade shows. You'll see us at three times at the Creative Sewing and Needlework Show in April (Toronto), September (Calgary) and November (Toronto). In between, I'll be at the odd weaving and quilting conferences. So do look us up.

Enjoy the weather,

Dixon

Making Holes with Fiber-Etch

by Silk Paint Corp

Decorate with holes:

A terrific new way to decorate curtains, pillows, lampshades, and wearables! Use the instructions included with Fiber-Etch and try a few of these ideas.

Fabric:

100% cotton and cotton denim work the best. Make sure the fabric is washed free of sizing or finishes (use TNA soap - see article inside). Fine Egyptian cottons are especially nice for fine detail.

Designs:

Silhouette outlines of simple shapes are good, as are Hawaiian quilt designs. Keep a minimum space of 1/2 inch between holes (especially keep this in mind where design lines cross or come near other design lines). Random holes also work nicely.

To Fray or Not to Fray:

Your choice. For more fray, use coarser fabrics, bigger holes, and heavy-duty wash cycle. For less fray, use finer fabrics, smaller holes (oftentimes pin-size holes won't fray at all), gentle wash cycle and hang to dry. Experiment with different size holes on the same fabric and practise making the smallest possible holes. If you would like large holes which do not fray, you can outline your design first with embroidery or fabric paint.

Make a sample piece:

Using the heart design below, poke holes through all dots with a sharp pencil. Place heart pattern on fabric. Mark all dots on fabric with pencil. Read Fiber-Etch instructions (see page 4) and dot a very small amount on fabric at each pencil dot. Dry. Iron until Fiber-Etch are is brittle and rinse fabric away.

Ideas:

Place contrasting fabric behind a pillow cover made with tiny holes. Fray the bottom edge of a curtain valance and make a 4" border design of tiny holes. Make a fabric lampshade using a quilt design and tiny holes (attach the fabric to adhesive lampshade backing). Light will illuminate the holes of both projects.

Jeans:

Way cool! Make holes for threading ribbons, chains or dangling charms. Throw into the washer and then the dryer for Maximum Fray Potential. Great for denim shirts and vest too!

NOTE: Do not mix Fiber-Etch with bleach or any other chemicals. Rinse away Fiber-Etch thoroughly before further processing of jeans.

Instructions:

Begin with cotton, line or rayon fabric (rayon velvet too). Always do a test swatch before beginning a project. To prevent raveling of fabric, embroider with 100% synthetic thread, or use fabric paint or an iron-on applique for a border, if desired. Pin fabric to newspaper.

1) APPLY: snip spout 1/16" and apply a thin layer of Fiber-Etch gel on area to be removed. Squeeze bottle slightly, release pressure and spread gel by rubbing into the fabric. Dry with hairdryer (on larger projects, dry a section at a time).

2) IRON: Unpin fabric from newspaper and iron (without steam) on reverse side (will not stick to iron or ironing surface), "wool" setting or less, depending on project. Test periodically with finger to see when Fiber-Etch area becomes brittle. Do not overheat or over iron.

3) RINSE: Rinse under running water, rubbing lightly to allow fabric bits to fall from project.

Note: For unintended spots on fabric, sprinkle a bit of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) on area while the Fiber-Etch is still damp or wash with soap and water immediately.

120mL bottle	$14.95
1.0 Quart jar	$85.00

 

Rita's Excellent Adventures I was thrilled when Dixon asked me if I would be interested in contributing to the G&S newsletter. I have always enjoyed sharing my ideas or experiences, so I (actually Dixon) thought why not share it with all the faithful readers of G&S News. I would like to start with an experience that many of you may or may not have encountered when silk painting. I recently started my own business and in doing so, learned a lot about what to do when mistakes happen and how to correct the problems quickly. In this incident, I had a client that wanted a specific design drawn onto silk twill with vibrant colours (of course G&S dyes). I had used the new G&S Black Resist to outline the design. Anyway when I had finished painting it, I was very pleased with the way it turned out. This is where the frightening part comes in. I rolled it in some white paper (in hindsight, I should've used absorbent newsprint) and steamed it over the stove. When I took it out

of the steamer, I found my design had become a tie-dyed, with faded areas and bleeding of colours into other areas that I did not want. If you can understand my frustration, I had promised the client that it would be ready for Friday and this happened Thursday evening. I felt like crying, but my husband suggested that I could re-stretch the piece and try painting over the damaged areas. I thought "what good will that do? How will I fix these large faded areas?". But he (husband) was right, I had no choice but to try and see if I could correct the problem. So what did I do? For the large faded areas I took some sodium alginate thickener and brushed it on, then let it dry. Once dried, I took paper towels, some dye and blotted a bit of the colour onto the alginated area. I then did this to the overall faded area. This gave it more of a uniform look to the piece. It's similar to sponging on walls, but you're doing it on silk. Don't ever use a kitchen sponge because you will just get blobs.

For the areas where it wasn't solid colour any longer, I re-painted each shape, picking up the excess dye with a paper towel. This prevented it from streaking. Then I took a black Fabri marker/Niji Pen (or Hybrid Roller pen) and drew over the white resist lines to hide the colours that bled onto the lines during the steaming process. Overall the piece looked even better than before. I steamed it in an old cotton cloth and then rinsed it using the TNA soap. When all was said and done, it was 1:00am and I was exhausted. I worried if the client would notice all the corrections (I'm a perfectionist about my work). "WELL!!", to my surprise, the client hugged me so hard I couldn't breath. They were so impressed that I was a little bewildered by their reaction. "Conflict is the oxygen of creativity" Rita Lange.

Traveling Workshops

As I mentioned in my message we won't be running workshops this summer at our store. Instead we shall be taking the show on the road. We are willing to travel to any place less than a 1200 Km radius. That means as far west as Chicago, north to Thunder Bay, as far south as Virginia and up the northeastern seaboard. So what wonderful things will we be offering and what are the costs?

You'll have a choice of learning silk painting (beginner and advance), dyeing fabrics (quilting & batik), marbling on fabric, microwave dyeing, Fiber-Etch burnout (devore) and screen printing. The costs and minimum students will vary for each workshop. See chart below for more details.

Workshop	Minimums	Maximum	Duration	Cost / Person
Silk Painting	8	12	5 hours	$50.00
Dyeing Fabrics	8	16	6 hours	$75.00
Marbling	8	16	5 hours	$50.00
Microwave	12	24	3 hours	$30.00
Fiber-Etch	8	12	6 hours	$75.00
Screen Printing	4	8	8 hours	$125.00

OTHER:

- There will also be a 20¢/km one way traveling charge (greater than 50 km away) + lodging if required (over 500 Km away).

- Prices are $10.00 / per person less if the workshop is run at our offices in Markham

If interested, please contact Dixon for further details for more information.

Breaking NEWS

2 Day Special Batik Workshop in late July

at our Markham store, email for details

Product Updates

Circle Cards

After many requests, we have now started producing the open faced circle cards without the "Greetings" script (available mid May '98). The price is still $4.20 for 6 cards. That's only 70¢ each.

rectangle	$3.70 / 6 cards
oval	$3.90 / 6 cards
circle w/ or w/out script	$4.20 / 6 cards

Chinese brocade

This line of fabrics keeps getting better and better. We recently added another 12+ colours and patterns (available late April) and intend to keep adding. It is getting difficult to keep track. Our price is still $19.95 a yard. Remember to check out the web site page for the current availability

Waterbased Resist

As announced in our last newsletter, we have started a new line of coloured waterbased resists. It went so well our black resist sold out within a couple of weeks. We now have stock again, along with a new colour. Along with the black, gold and silver, we've now added copper.

100mL	$12.50
250mL	$19.95
1.0 L	$59.95

Rayon Chenille Yarns

This wonderful yarn has a soft feel and a beautiful sheen when dyed. We helped out Marie (Woven Works) last year by selling some of her extra rayon chenille. It went really well and we have now decided to carry her yarns permanently in colours and white (for dyeing). The available colours are: light blue, sapphire blue, burgundy, purple, light fuchsia, grass green and patina bronze. We shall be adding black and other colours soon also. As an introductory special, we shall be offering a 15% off the regular price for the month of April.

4oz white skein	$8.00
white on a cone (average 2-4 lbs)	$30.00 / lb
4oz coloured skein	$12.00
4oz black skein	$14.00

Imagery on Fabric

by: Jean Ray Laury

This completely revised edition of Imagery on Fabric is updated with all the latest techniques and technology for transferring images to fabric. You'll go step-by-step through today's most exciting processes, aided by new full-colour photos and instructions for safely accomplishing beautiful results.

Almost any image can be captured forever on fabric - family photos, a child's drawing, the words of a love letter. Included are clear explanations and complete material lists, along with troubleshooting tips and tested solutions.

Topics; Fabric transfers using copiers and computer printers, light sensitive printing - blueprint, brownprint, drawing and painting with crayons, dye sticks permanent markers and paints, stamp printing, discharge printing, silk screening and dye transfers with disperse dyes. - $43.99

How To Paint Your Own T-shirtswith twenty iron-on transfers

It is so simple to turn plain T-shirts into amazing wear - all you need is some fabric paints and a few hours of your time! Do not worry if you are not good at drawing - the transfers are all there in this book, ready for you to iron on to your T-shirts.

This book gives you:

• exotic, Art Deco flower and bird designs
• tiger, eagle, car and motorcycle motifs
• lots of original ideas for his-and-hers Tee's
• tips on how to use a wide range of;
• fabric, glitter and puff paints
• ideas for painting on white, black and colours

Get painting - get creative - and wear your own work of art. - $25.95

Liquid Colours: We are sad to report that Cardinal Red (LC34) in our Liquid Colours line has be discontinued. The raw materials changed on us and we are now unable to make it again to the same quality as the other colours in the line. We shall continue to work on it and will report again when we have a solution. As for the other colours they are going strong and the reception for these paints over the last year have only been glowing. For those who have forgotten or do not know about this product, Liquid Colours is a high quality liquid paint that is iron set. When used on silk, it produces vibrant colours while still maintaining the feel of the fabric. It also flows and reacts like a silk dye (Procion 'H', Dupont, Pebeo Soie). Not a direct replacement for steam set dyes, it has been well received by many painters, especially those who paint banners, wall hangings and framed works.

There have been many "silk paints" before Liquid Colours, Deka Silk & Setasilk to name a couple, and we feel that neither of these can come close to the colour and

vibrancy of Liquid Colours while maintaining a soft hand. A great way to try them is with Liquid Colours starter pack.

The pack consists of 4 colours (yellow, rodamine, cyan & black) and a diluent for $25.00, that's about a $5.00 savings.

Monthly Sales

April	Pebeo Soie silk painting dye in 120mL sizes are $7.50/each (25% off) Also, rayon chenille yarns in white and colours. 15% off.
May	Indonesian cotton (item # T1003) is on sale for $4.75/yd regularly $7.00/yd - 5 yd minimum. Also, in stock whit T-shirts are $4.50 each regularly $5.50.
June	All transparent, nacre and opaque Setacolor in 250mL size are 20% off..

Shipping Methods and Costs

Since shipping is FOB Markham, the following is a chart on shipping options to help maximize your shipping dollars. The approximate business days it takes for delivery are in parenthesis. Please note that these are only estimates and prices and delivery time vary depending on weight and size of order.

Legend:

Cdn Post - Post Office Ground Service	Fedex - full service courier service
Freight Forwarders - companies that handle large packages by air or sea	Xpress Post - faster than regular mail but cheaper than full service courier
Messengers Courier - Local small delivery company	Greyhound - Greyhound bus service (depot to depot)
Priority Post - Canada Post's courier service	Air Mail - Post office air service

 

Destination	How we ship?	Cheapest Way	Fastest Way	Fastest With Value	Slowest Way
Major Cities In Canada	Canpar (2-7)	Cdn Post (7-14)	priority post/Fedex (1)	Canpar/Greyhound (2-5)	Cdn Post (7-14)
Major Cities in USA	Air Mail (7-14)	Cdn Post (10-28)	Messengers (1-2)	Messengers (1-2)	Cdn Post (10-28)
rest of Ontario/Quebec	Canpar (2-5)	Cdn Post (7-14)	priority post (1-2)	Canpar /Greyhound (2-10)	Cdn Post (7-14)
Maritime	Xpress Post (2-5)	Cdn Post (10-21)	priority post (1-3)	Xpress Post (2-5)	Cdn Post (10-21)
Prairies/West Coast	Canpar (4-7)	Cdn Post (10-21)	priority post (1-2)	Canpar / Xpress Post (3-7)	Cdn Post (7-21)
rest of USA	Air Mail (10-21)	Cdn Post (14-28)	Fedex (1-3)	Fedex 2 day	Cdn Post (14-28)
S. America, Europe, Asia, Australia - small orders	Air Mail (14-28)	Cdn Post (21-45)	Fedex (2-7)	Messengers Courier (2-5)	Cdn Post (21-45)
- large orders (air)	freight forwarders air (5-7 days)
- large orders (surface)	freight forwarders surface (21-45)

A general idea of the cost involved for shipping, expect to pay the following

Weight of Package	Canada	USA - air	USA - ground
< 2 lbs	$6.00-12.00	$5.00-9.00	$4.00-7.00
2 - 10 lbs	$7.00-20.00	$12.00-22.00	$7.00-14.00
10 - 15 lbs	$8.00-30.00	$22.00-30.00	$11.00-18.00
15 - 20 lbs	$9.00-35.00	$30.00-35.00	$13.00-22.00
20 - 30 lbs	$10.00-40.00	$35.00-50.00	$15.00-31.00

Please use only as a guideline not as fact. The range of prices varies according to method shipped, the exact weight and the value of the order. All orders are sent with POD's (proof of delivery) and insured to the value of the order. Please note that there is a $2.50 handling charge on all orders on top of these shipping costs. The best way to determine the cost is to call first.

Go to ORDERING INFORMATION PAGE