Marta Brysha
​hand embroidery artist
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SILK AND COLOUR
this artist's perspective on living a creative life in a chaotic world

A Colour Library in Silk

27/5/2013

8 Comments

 
Picture
Finally I have done something I have been meaning to do for ages, that is, I have dyed a silk thread in each of the colours in my Landscapes Dyes collection.  Believe it or not that is actually 60 colours.  Doesn't look like that many, does it?  I think there are only 2 or 3 colours in the range that I don't have.  I'll probably get them eventually, if for no other reason than completeness.
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I've long wanted to have a library of my colours so that I can refer to it before proceeding to dyeing threads for each project.  If I find the exact colour I'm looking for there already I don't have to dye it.  If I want something different I can refer to my stock colours and easily work out which colour is my best base colour and which colours I need to combine to get the colour I want.
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Interestingly, some of the colours looked nothing like the colour indicated on the dye jar.  I'm not sure whether that is because colours on the jar correspond to how the dye performs when used on wool, or whether the colours on the labels are just not that accurate.  Some are sooooo different that I tend to think it's due to the former.
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The biggest surprises were in the yellow range, especially Sugar Cane (3rd from the right) that came out more of a yellow brown rather than the soft yellow on the label.
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I also wonder whether my surprise was due to the fact that many of these colours I have only used in multicoloured threads so that my impression of them was influenced by the colours I paired them with.
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Another factor may be that, because I wanted the most intense and true colour I could get, I let the dye sit on the thread for at least 10 minutes so that it really soaked in before setting the dye in the microwave, whereas when space dyeing threads I tend to get it in the microwave sooner so that the colours don't bleed and become muddy.  Delicious range of blues, don't you think?
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It would be great to have a library in each different type of silk thread I work with, but the whole exercise was so labour intensive that it is unlikely to happen.  Knowing this was likely to be the case I decided to make the library in my "work horse" thread.  This is a fine thread that is the most used thread in my armoury.  
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Here's how they look wound onto bobbins and arranged in a box.  As you can see, I wind very generous skeins.  That's because my works tend to be large and I want to know that when I dye a thread I'll have enough to finish a particular project.  As all dyers know, it is virtually impossible to accurately recreate a hand mixed colour and you definitely don't want to run out half way through a project.
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I wound the bobbins while watching TV.  It took me 20 minutes to wind each bobbin.  At 3 bobbins per hour it took me roughly 20 hours just to wind the bobbins.   Given that it probably took that long again to wind the original skeins and another 8 or so hours to do the dyeing, you can see why I'm not hurrying to repeat the process with my other threads.
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Still, now that I'm done I couldn't be more pleased.  It's going to make my life so much easier and I just love looking at them prettily arranged in the box.
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8 Comments
Carol S.
30/5/2013 00:30:50

They look SCRUMPTIOUS!

The obvious question is, will you be making these available for purchase? I would gladly hand over some money for a complete set.

Reply
Marta Brysha link
30/5/2013 00:48:44

Actually, Carol I hadn't even considered that, although if you really wanted a set I suppose it could be done. I'd have to calculate the cost, etc... If you are seriously interested then send me an email via the contact section.

Reply
Carol S.
30/5/2013 01:00:04

Hi Marta--I tried to email you via the contact section, but I'm not sure it went through, despite several tries. If you get many duplicate emails, my apologies! If I don't have an email from you tomorrow, I'll try again.

Carol Sylvester
6/3/2018 04:44:16

Hi Marta--I'd still be interested in buying these threads if they were available. I sent an email through your contact link on the website.

Marta Brysha link
6/3/2018 08:05:48

Hi Carol,

I've sent you an email, please check your inbox and spam and whatever other folders you have!

Janice lew
25/2/2018 14:19:28

Hi
I’m glad you have shown the landscape dyes on the wool. I’m just ordering my first dyes as I am trying to dye silk for the first time. I’m just wondering in the fifth picture what the 2 green colours are between kelp and alfalfa. Im also wondering in the second picture what the colour to the right of Gallah is. Thank you!

Reply
Marta Brysha link
5/3/2018 19:12:31

Hi Janice,

sorry it's taken so long for me to respond but I was away from the studio last week. The green next to Kelp is "Daintree" and the one next to Alfalfa is "Fern". I forgot to check the pinks when I was at the studio, but I know those colours really well and I'm pretty sure the one next to Galah is "Fuschia". I hope that helps!

Reply
Janice lew
6/3/2018 14:32:32

Thank you for letting me know.




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    I am a hand embroidery artist living and working in the rugged and wild Central HIghlands of Tasmania.

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  • Home
  • Galleries
    • ORIGINS
    • Flow Series
    • Crop Circles >
      • It Starts and Ends at the Beginning
    • Heaven and Earth Series >
      • New World Order
    • Who Watches the Child
  • Buy Artworks
    • Buy Flow Series
    • Buy Crop Circle Series
    • Buy Heaven and Earth Series
  • About
  • Artist's Statement
  • Blog - Silk and Colour
  • Contact