Color

IsacordI’ve been thinking about color quite a bit lately. It’s just so amazing the way all of the colors work together, the way they blend to make a harmonious whole, or how they contrast to add interest to a piece.

And no matter which department you visit at Erica’s, you’ll be visited by a riot of color. I thought I’d offer you a little color adventure today.

Bulky Yarn Sock Yarn

Through the yarn department, from bulky to sock yarn.

And on into embroidery, where every color under the sun greets us, ready to create any scene or design your heart desires.Cosmo Floss

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then on back to wool; this thick, rich fabric that holds its shape so well and loves to be fashioned into so many lovely items to adorn our homes.Wool

 

 

 

And of course, the fabric. So, so many colors and textures, just waiting for you to come and claim them as your own. Solids

 

 

 

 

 

Now you must know, that I would not, in a post like this, leave you without a photo of everyone’s beloved Bali fabrics.

Purple Bali fabrics

Enjoy, friends. Maybe work with a color you never have before, or pair a new combination. You just never know what might work in a given situation until you try.

Most of all, have fun with color. Maybe share your favorite color in the comments? Today, mine is red. I’ve been known to change my mind from time to time.

Until next time,

Jennifer

Remember, you can see What’s New at Erica’s almost every day! Any page of our website has a column on the left that tells you where to find things, and all you have to do is look for “New Items” in purple, and click to find out.

Bali vs. Batik – What’s the Difference?

People are in love with bali and batik fabrics.  We recently asked our Facebook friends to “like” our status if Bali/Batik Fabrics were (one of) their favorite fabric groups. Clearly, we struck a chord since over one hundred people liked that status.

Bali Store Display

Do you know the difference between Bali and Batik fabrics? Are they the same thing? Does it have to do with where they come from?

Cathy Mark, one of our resident fabric gurus, describes the difference this way: They all start out as “Bali” since these are what can be considered the “solids.” It’s the fabric that you start with when you set out to make “Batik” fabrics. A Batik fabric is printed with a wood block (traditionally by hand) using a wax resist method, over the Bali (dyed) fabric.

Wikipedia has an extensive history on the subject of Batik fabrics if you are interested. For our purposes here, we will simply use our basic description from Cathy above and take a look at all of the wonderful ways to use these luscious fabrics today.

Bali Display Greens/Blues

Island Batik, one of our distributors of Bali & Batik fabrics, says “Our Batik Cotton is individually hand dyed and wax stamped with . . . exclusive designs. Each piece of fabric is created by our talented artisans reflecting the uniqueness of this time honored art.”

My current favorites among our Bali fabrics are anything with a sunflower print (999852 for example), and a relatively new line from Moda called Snow  Days, designed by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts. I would very much love to create a quilt with these beautiful fabrics.

Jen's favorite bali fabrics

Any design or pattern can be made using Bali and Batik fabrics. We have an entire section of patterns created specifically for these wonderful fabrics. There are Bali applique, Bali quilt patterns, and Bali home decor sewing patterns.

Floral Wall Hangings

Quilts are especially stunning when made using Bali and Batik fabrics. It’s often not apparent at first glance that the fabrics are Balis. This Schnibbles pattern below (A16028) appears energized in this Mango Salsa colorway (fabric pack A15809). Made using blues and greens, the quilt would appear calm and soothing.

Bali Quilt

Really, there’s no sewing project that cannot be completed using Bali and Batik fabrics. Treat yourself to some special fabrics and get started on that project that’s been waiting for just the right time!

Bali Treats from Timeless Treasures

You can also see our new Beautiful Balis & Batiks board on Pinterest. We hope you’ll follow us there!

You can see What’s New at Erica’s almost every day! Any page of our website has a column on the left that tells you where to find things, and all you have to do is look for “New Items” in purple, and click to find out.

(To find an item or event on our web site after clicking on the highlighted words, hold down the “Ctrl” key and touch F. Enter the item number in the box, press enter, and you’ll be taken to that item.)