Page 42 - The Digital Cloth Holiday issue 2

made can be for sale to others if she she imbeds into the dye on the screen,

does not use them! she is delighted at the reveal of the
Like most quilters, Catherine has a love fabric when its washed out after a
of colour and over time has some few days. She will then often use this
favourite combinations: teal/silver; navy fabric as a base in her own work and
blue/red/gold and green which is her then over dye or over print it. Catherine
favourite colour. However, if she is loves to add several layers to a base
getting ready for a market, she tends to colour to add dimension and originality.
plan the colours she will work with as Not every piece of fabric comes out
well as the print she wants to make. She well the first time e.g. the colours may
generally makes 30 half metre pieces at not work or the pattern is not clear so
a time which equates to about 3 hours’ Catherine says adding more layers can
work of printing on a pre-dyed base turn an ordinary fabric into something

fabric. special. Overdyeing a piece in a vibrant
Catherine is always surprised by some colour often adds a lot of depth to the
colour combinations as often she thinks piece or depending on the colour used
what if I use those colours together? Of can soften the overall affect.
course, adding a metallic paint provides Catherine is often asked how she made
that bit of bling that a lot of people like! a piece of fabric which is sometimes
Then again, she makes a lot of tone on difficult to answer as it might have
tone as these colours are often good had 3 different processes on it with

blenders or background fabrics. the colour changing throughout each
Inspired by nature she loves making process. She loves the serendipitous
fabrics that are great for using as rocks nature of dyeing or overdyeing fabric
or mountains, trees or plants. There are and will often use the dye made up on
various techniques that work well for this the table wondering what if I add this
and one of Catherine’s colour to that colour? As a result she
favourite techniques is roasting fabric in has been able to create some special
the oven like a leg of lamb! She says you one-off fabrics.
have to be careful not to overcook it as When working at a market and seeing
you will get holes in the fabric, but then all of her fabrics displayed on the
again that might be what you are tables she often looks at some and
looking for! She has used roasted fabric goes “I like that one!” so stashes it

in a lot of her quilts and especially her away to add to her own stash when
latest work called “Migration”. The she gets home. Sometimes a piece of
roasted fabric provides texture rather her fabric will give her an idea and off
than a plain colour and is also very useful she will go making her own work.
for tree trunks and sand. It also works Catherine also teaches surface
well as a background for a traditionally design along with other classes and
pieced quilt rather than a plain calico. was thrilled to be selected to go to
Probably Catherine’s favourite technique Ailsa Craig in Canada last year to teach

is deconstructed screen printing. While a alongside the Aotearoa Quilters team
lot more involved, she loves the organic and New Zealand exhibition.
nature of the texture that she gets. Using
thickened dyes and a variety of tools that