Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Me? Addicted to hand dyed fabric? (And a giveaway)

How did you know about my addiction?


Oh, right, I'm showing you :)

Putting away the new hand dyed fabrics that had arrived over the last couple of days (yay, stash mail!), I decided to organize them by size and loosely by colour families.  I thought I'd count them too while I was at it.  Well...  Let's just say I could start a new project every day for the next three months and still not run out of fabric.  Does this qualify as an addiction?

I still remember when I first saw hand dyed fabrics.  There was still a great local needlework store in Ottawa, the Cross-Stitch Cupboard, and they had just received Lavender & Lace's Firefly Fairies.  This must be a good ten years ago.  I was quite horrified at the idea of putting bleach on a cross-stitch fabric.  The ladies at the store suggested I could use already hand dyed fabric, and they now had several pieces in store done by some lady in Ontario.  I thought they were tacky.  Ah, the uninformed opinions of my youth.  But none of the models on their walls were stitched on these newfangled hand dyed fabric, so I hadn't seen the effect that was possible with them.

Now of course, I'm crazy about hand dyed fabric.  It gives so much more life to a project and lets me express my individuality and sheer love of colour.  Looking back on it, I kind of regret not getting those fabrics.  They were likely Sugar Maple Fabrics, a Canadian business that closed down five years ago, I think, and their fabrics are prized beyond all others.  People snatch them up and a piece even went up on eBay a little while ago for $100.  For a fat quarter.  Luckily, I've found several companies to keep me in hand dyed fabrics - Steph's Fabbys, Under the Sea Fabrics, Sparklies, Polstitches, and Youthful Hands Needlework (aka Sunny Dyes) are my current favourites - and I've found I can't resist a pretty piece of mottled 28 count fabric, as many of them have Facebook sales.  Which is how I ended with this much fabric.  I may need to start stitching faster.

And so I need your help!  In my sorting, I found three pieces of fabric I will not use.  Two I bought from Silkweaver's weekly solo sales, thinking I might give another count a try and because I liked the colours, but who'm I kidding?  And the other, I have no idea when or why I got it, but I'm really all about 28 count.  So I'm having another giveaway.

Fabric Giveaway!

I'll draw names next Wednesday, February 20, let's say at 10:00 a.m. EST.  To enter, you have to comment on this post and tell me which piece you would like to win.  You can of course also say that you'd like to be entered in all three draws :)  Who am I to judge fellow fabric addicts?  And while you're at it, I'd like to know, what is your favourite cross-stitch fabric type and count?  Feel free to answer even if you don't want to be entered into the giveaway.  I love learning more about you guys.  Please note that this time, I won't be entering my followers, since I know these counts are not necessarily to everyone's liking.

And now I'm off to stitch so I can buy more fabric use the fabric I already have.

What?  You want to see what I'm giving away? Well, ok, if you all insist ;)

Piece #1 is a fat quarter, approx. 13" x 20" of hand dyed Newcastle Linen (40 count) from Silkweaver in Witch's Brew.  This is my favourite of the three, but my eyes hurt just thinking about stitching on so small a count.


Piece #2 is 18" x 20" of hand dyed 14 count Aida, also from Silkweaver, in Thunderstorm.  It is a dark gray, with a few slightly lighter areas, and some dark purple.


And piece #3 is a fat quarter, 13" x 18", of yellow Belfast Linen (32 count).  It's yellow.  And linen.  And 32 count.  That's three strikes.


Good luck everyone!

21 comments:

  1. What a great giveaway! I love aida, especially 14 count is the type I usually stitch, I rarely stitch on small count or other fabrics so I would love to take part in this one!I have white and I usually dye with coffee.This grey would look lovely for other projects. AriadnefromGreece!
    ariadnesky@hotmail.com

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  2. ROFL!!
    I think we've discussed that we have around the same amount of fabric. I'm a 28 girl, too. But I can manage some 32. That being said, I'll be happy to leave the giveaway to someone that can appreciate these lovely pieces much better than I. ;)

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  3. I would love to be entered to win either the 40 ct New Castle or the 32 ct. Belfast. Those are my 2 favorite counts and fabrics! I also love the Edinburgh (36 ct.) and Cashel (28 ct.) linens.

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  4. Hello Julie

    Lovely fabric!

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  5. Aww so much lovey fabric
    P,ease count me in the giveaway for 32 count Belfast linen..
    I love to stitch on 28 count cashel linen and 32 count Belfast linen...
    Thank you x

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  6. I'd love to be entered for either the 14 count Aida or the 32 count linen. 32 count linen is my fabric of choice generally. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  7. oooo I am working on over one on forty count at the moment and love it and that fabric is fabulous .... please pop my name into the hat for that and the 32 count please ...( I don't work on aida any more but it is a fab colour )

    and Sparklies well I know Kate quite well and I just have to see her each harrogate for some more fabbie too hehehe (also in the fabric a month club )

    have a great stitchy week :) love mouse xxxxx

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  8. Wow! Those are all so pretty! I usually stitch on 14 ct. Aida (since it's so cheap), but I am loving stitching on a piece of linen or evenweave that I received (don't know the count). :P

    I love your stash!!!

    Please enter me! I will post about it in my Giveaway update tonight.

    Thanks!
    ~McKenna

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  9. Don't you just adore hand dyed fabrics?! I'm a total addict!! :D
    My favourites are 28 or 32 count, linen or lugana (but not 32 count opal lugana) I adore Jobelan and so wish it came in opal! I love the way the dyes look on it and I love the feel of stitching on it :D
    Its lovely to see I'm not the only addict around here :D

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  10. Hi, I found your blog from Katy's blog (justalittlestitchin). I'd love to enter for the 14 ct Aida. I started a Halloween design last year and really wanted a dark gray fabric. I ended up trying to dye my own but it turned out very light gray. This one would have been perfect! I like stitching on all counts of Aida and up to 28 ct linen over 2. I have only bought a few hand-dyed fabrics on eBay but would love to have a pile like yours some day! Debbie
    http://debbiescrossstitch.blogspot.com/

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  11. What great fabrics. Please include me in the drawing for the yellow. I can think of several things to stitch on it already! My favorite fabric is cashel so the 28 ct is perfect. Thanks for sharing your overstash!

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  12. I love the 40 count! I like working on 32 count linen, but also like finer stitching. (The finest I've done so far is 60 count over 2 - stitching on calico in my cheap student days). I do use 28 count too,but mostly only if it's the specified size for something with beads. Anything bigger feels huge to me now.
    I'd love to go in the draw for both the 40 count and the Belfast.

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  13. Great giveaway Julie! Count me in please for piece #2. Thank you x

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  14. It is not an addiction, you are simply being frugal. How you ask? Well we all know that prices are going up so by buying the fabric when you see it and it is something that you will use then you are definitely saving yourself the future price increase. I also think that stashing is a very important part of retirement planning. That being said, I can certainly see several patterns from my retirement stash on either the Newcastle or Belfast.

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  15. Fellow addict, definitely count me in for all three, I'm not picky!!!

    I typically like 28 or 32...but will stitch on just about anything!

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  16. I'd love to win any of them I've never worked with hand dyed fabric to date, thank you for the giveaway! And yellow and linen and 32? All winners in my book ;)

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  17. Sorry you've been feeing so bad but thankful you could get some motherly TLC. Thanks for a second chance. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the yellow fabric behind door number three, :)

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  18. Sorry to hear you've been sick. It's been a bad year for that this year! Thanks for the extra chance to win. I'm sticking with either the 14 or 32 count. I hope you feel good as new again soon!

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  19. Back!I'd love the handdyed aida!You said we could leave a second comment right?AriadnefromGreece!

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  20. I love to stitch on 32 count Zweigart linen) and seems i have chance to enter in your giveaway... and ı would love to be entered in all three draws)

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  21. I would love to have my name put in for all three fabrics. I am still learning what kind of fabric I enjoy the most. I have just recently been exposted to fabric other than Aida and I am enjoying it so much more.

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