Monday, March 4, 2013

Need a Certain Color of Thread?

I was finishing up my SAQA auction quilt and needed a small amount of powder blue Pearle Cotton thread. I had a light gray and a dark blue, but no powder blue. I didn't want to drive to the fabric store that has Pearle Cotton (20 minutes each way). So I took the gray thread and Inktense Watercolor Pencils in blue and a green and white and colored the thread directly. Then I dipped the colored thread in water. It was a little too intense a color so I folded and twisted the thread to double it up with uncolored thread. Some of the ink transferred to the uncolored part of the thread and I got the color and intensity I needed. The Inktense is permanent when it dries.
Thread partially colored

Dipped in water

Twisted to spread the ink to more of the thread

2 comments:

  1. What a neat idea!! I never would have thought that the Inktense would be permanent after drying. This little tidbit is going in my file for sure!!

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    Replies
    1. The company that makes Inktense says that they are permanent after drying. An article in QuiltingArts magazine said that they faded after being washed. Since I'm only using them on art quilts that aren't meant to be washed, I think it will be OK.

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