Featured Artist : Barb Chapo

I am a Grandma, and I have been a landscape painter/crafter for over 30 years. I was looking for something special to make for my husband's birthday and found tie-dye, a new way for me to work with color.  That's what drives me: putting color on anything.  I live in a rural area and watch nature all around me, so color is important. 

The sky is the limit when doing tie-dye. Even my eight-year-old grandaughter loves to fold and twist the fabric... So many unique patterns and happy accidents! 

First, I tried over-the-counter dyes, which resulted in fading and bleeding. So then I looked online and found Dharma's Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes!  I placed an order, and I was hooked from then on.  Now all my customer feedback is always happy and positive. I can't stop; I love doing it.   

I like the instruction on Dharma's website, showing me new techniques that I can try. Recently, Dharma Trading sent an email on the ice dyeing process with the fiber reactive dye.  I got some fantastic results and happy accidents.  I made a spiral with a t-shirt and then used the ice process and dye. This resulted in an octopus looking tee; very three-dimensional and cool!

http://www.bonanza.com/booths/MichiganTieDye