Malka Stops By
Today’s blog post includes an interview with Malka Dubrawsky, one of my favorite quilters and dyers. Malka has a book out called Color Your Cloth: A Quilter's Guide to Dyeing and Patterning Fabric
in which she explains how to dye and discharge fabrics. The book also covers the use of wax resists in patterning fabrics (i.e., batik). I’ve yet to crack into batik, but when I see images like this one:
which Malka posted on flickr last week, I want to run right out and get the wax and get going! Isn’t that stunning? She used a potato masher to create that pattern.
I first came across Malka’s work on Flickr and shortly thereafter began to follow her blog. What really drew me in were her twinkle quilts:
Those quilt blocks are not make with applique, but rather by clamping plexiglass circles to either side of fabric squares, then discharging and/or dyeing the fabric. The use of commercial fabrics so cool!
As soon as I saw this process in action, I knew that I had to do it. And my struggle to find someone to cut plexi for me is part of the reason that I opened my shape shop.
I’ve also been really interested in what Malka calls her “low volume” work, these are quilts that are constructed with really quiet, subdued fabrics.
As you can see, I’m a big fan of Malka’s creations and processes, so it has been awesome to get to know her a bit better in recent months as I’ve been sponsoring her blog. I’m so glad she agreed to be interviewed on my blog today because that’s one brain I’ve been itching to pick!
Rossie:
You've blogged in the past about fabric as inspiration, and noted that when it comes to altering commercial fabrics, you like simple and graphic, what else makes you think a particular fabric would be ripe for overdying?
Malka:
I usually pick fabrics that aren’t too dark in value for overdyeing. Unless, I’m planning on discharging the fabric first, I don’t want it to be too difficult for overdyeing to contrast with the base fabric. I always try to keep in mind that the dyes are transparent, so what’s underneath will still be visible to some degree.
Rossie:
What about discharging? I've noticed that when a printed fabric has both warm and cool colors, the cool colors bleach out much more quickly, so you can get pretty dramatic results (see below). As a result, I keep my eye out for this. What inspires you to try discharging a particular fabric? What do you look for?
Malka:
I’ve also noticed that fabrics that have been dyed into reds are difficult to discharge, so I usually avoid those.
My experience has been that certain designer’s fabrics seem to discharge better than others. I don’t know why, but it’s pretty easy to discharge Denyse Schmidt’s fabrics, as well as Amy Butler’s and Kaffe Fassett’s. Right now I’m really excited about playing with Denyse Schmidt’s new Hope Valley line because if past experience is any indication, they should be fun to manipulate.
Rossie:
When you are dying and overdying solids do you always start with (i.e., buy) white PFD (prepared-for-dying) fabric?
Malka:
Yes. Always. And I’m very particular about the weave of the PFD fabric I use. I only use pima cotton because it has a very high thread count and the dyes are soaked up so intensely.
- - -
See more questions and answers (this time with Malka asking and with me answering) over on Malka’s blog A Stitch in Dye.
In honor of Malka’s visit, I’m giving away a shapes bundle from my shop (winner can pick anything in stock except for the Kalka). In order to enter, reply to this post with a comment! The winnerwill be randomly selected on Valentine’s Day. has been drawn. Mams, please email me!
in which she explains how to dye and discharge fabrics. The book also covers the use of wax resists in patterning fabrics (i.e., batik). I’ve yet to crack into batik, but when I see images like this one:
© Malka, used with permission
which Malka posted on flickr last week, I want to run right out and get the wax and get going! Isn’t that stunning? She used a potato masher to create that pattern.
I first came across Malka’s work on Flickr and shortly thereafter began to follow her blog. What really drew me in were her twinkle quilts:
© Malka, used with permission
Those quilt blocks are not make with applique, but rather by clamping plexiglass circles to either side of fabric squares, then discharging and/or dyeing the fabric. The use of commercial fabrics so cool!
As soon as I saw this process in action, I knew that I had to do it. And my struggle to find someone to cut plexi for me is part of the reason that I opened my shape shop.
I’ve also been really interested in what Malka calls her “low volume” work, these are quilts that are constructed with really quiet, subdued fabrics.
© Malka, used with permission
As you can see, I’m a big fan of Malka’s creations and processes, so it has been awesome to get to know her a bit better in recent months as I’ve been sponsoring her blog. I’m so glad she agreed to be interviewed on my blog today because that’s one brain I’ve been itching to pick!
Rossie:
You've blogged in the past about fabric as inspiration, and noted that when it comes to altering commercial fabrics, you like simple and graphic, what else makes you think a particular fabric would be ripe for overdying?
Malka:
I usually pick fabrics that aren’t too dark in value for overdyeing. Unless, I’m planning on discharging the fabric first, I don’t want it to be too difficult for overdyeing to contrast with the base fabric. I always try to keep in mind that the dyes are transparent, so what’s underneath will still be visible to some degree.
Rossie:
What about discharging? I've noticed that when a printed fabric has both warm and cool colors, the cool colors bleach out much more quickly, so you can get pretty dramatic results (see below). As a result, I keep my eye out for this. What inspires you to try discharging a particular fabric? What do you look for?
Malka:
I’ve also noticed that fabrics that have been dyed into reds are difficult to discharge, so I usually avoid those.
My experience has been that certain designer’s fabrics seem to discharge better than others. I don’t know why, but it’s pretty easy to discharge Denyse Schmidt’s fabrics, as well as Amy Butler’s and Kaffe Fassett’s. Right now I’m really excited about playing with Denyse Schmidt’s new Hope Valley line because if past experience is any indication, they should be fun to manipulate.
Rossie:
When you are dying and overdying solids do you always start with (i.e., buy) white PFD (prepared-for-dying) fabric?
Malka:
Yes. Always. And I’m very particular about the weave of the PFD fabric I use. I only use pima cotton because it has a very high thread count and the dyes are soaked up so intensely.
- - -
See more questions and answers (this time with Malka asking and with me answering) over on Malka’s blog A Stitch in Dye.
In honor of Malka’s visit, I’m giving away a shapes bundle from my shop (winner can pick anything in stock except for the Kalka). In order to enter, reply to this post with a comment! The winner