Harmony Hand Dyes hand-dyed Fabric MX Procion Dye Shiva Paintstiks Tisdale SK Sask Saskatchewan Canada
About Us
About Our Business
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It is our objective to create quality products for Quilters.
Hand Dyed products are unique! No two turn out exactly the same (although we can duplicate
the colors fairly closely).
One-color fabrics can have a soft "suede-like" appearance while complex over-dyes can have
many effects from subtle blending to bold contrasts.
Hand Dyed products are unique! No two turn out exactly the same (although we can duplicate
the colors fairly closely).
One-color fabrics can have a soft "suede-like" appearance while complex over-dyes can have
many effects from subtle blending to bold contrasts.
Our Location
We are located at:
Box 277
Tisdale, Saskatchewan
Canada, S0E 1T0
Phone: 306 873-5109
Proprietor: Kathy Tanner
Box 277
Tisdale, Saskatchewan
Canada, S0E 1T0
Phone: 306 873-5109
Proprietor: Kathy Tanner
A Little Background:
Women on the prairies have always been able to take scraps, left-overs and minimal
resources; enjoy social opportunities; and create a product that meets the need of both form
and function.
The quilting bee is a perfect example. Old sugar sacks were bleached and remnants from old
clothing were stashed away to be reused for quilt blocks. When there were enough created to
make a quilt top, friends and neighbors gathered to help quilt it together. Daylight time that
was so precious had to be put to good use and the multi-tasking of working, socializing and
creating was all rolled into one event. Many Saskatchewan families have an heirloom quilt in
their closet that still attests to the value of this tradition.
I learned to quilt while visiting and drinking tea at my grandmother’s. It was much later in life
when I really began to value the work and beauty that her simple tools and scraps had created.
Traditions, styles and tastes all adapt and change. Tools change and materials change. The
modern sewing machine took the place of hand sewing and synthetic fabrics took the place of
cottons. Supply and demand for the quick and easy – maintenance free products came with
the surge of women that began to work outside the home. Busy lives did not eliminate the
appreciation for the quilt but sewing was placed on the back burner for a number of
years.
We still value the multi-tasking that our ancestors were able to do but we have been able to
incorporate newer, faster tools and systems to move into another era of quiltmaking. The
invention of the rotary cutter and cutting mat shaves hours of time off the preparation of
materials. Cotton has made a comeback and newer sewing machines and equipment have
enabled today’s quilter to choose from many sewing techniques that were not available to our
ancestors.
The art of traditional hand sewing and appliqué is still visited in today’s quilts but with fusible
webbing, spray and fabric glue, the fabric artist has many more options at her fingertips.
I began quilting again once my kids were grown. I rediscovered my love for the traditional quilt
but I have also developed an interest in the art quilt. As I began to search for a colour or type of
fabric to fit into a specific quilt design, I discovered hand-dying fabric. MX Procion dyes are
much different from the old style dyes that I remember dumping in the washing machine. The
Procion dyes are permanent and can create vibrant, intense colours or make the softest pastel
or the darkest shade. We can create a soft “sueded” look or mottled and complex
combinations in the fabric. While I worked full time, hand-dyeing my own quilt fabric was a
delightful, productive hobby.
My husband’s job brought us back to Tisdale two years ago and opened the opportunity for a
change in direction for me. I wanted to utilize some of the skills that I have been able to
acquire and spend my time working with something I love.
I began sourcing the materials I would need to do larger batches of hand-dyes and I
researched the provincial and federal requirements – fortunately besides sewing machines,
technology has given us the computer and the internet. With fabric, dyes, chemicals, a GST
number and PST number, I was ready to start building up some inventory. Marketing via the
internet seemed the most logical method for a rural home-based business so I researched
and built my own website: www.harmonyhanddyes.com. My background in accounting
supplies some business skills. My interest in design has helped me record my designs and
create patterns. My love and satisfaction from sewing have provided a lot of enjoyment for
creating proto-types and samples. My past experiences with Toastmasters and leadership in
Girl Guides have contributed presentation skills that help me share my knowledge of dyeing
and quilting through instructing quilting classes and dyeing workshops. It is also an
advantage to be able to re-dye fabric results I don’t like and rip out sewing I’m not happy with.
My business is still in the infant stages. My product is for a niche that will not appeal to
everyone. I have discovered it is a lot more work that I expected, but I have also gained a lot of
satisfaction. The real bonus is the people I meet and deal with through hand-dyeing are all
interested in fabrics and colours and quilting.
Like my ancestors, I am trying to make use of the resources that I have. My sales venue is my
home, the internet and a booth at quilt shows. I enjoy the benefit from multi-tasking -- while I
am offering my product at the booth, I also get to visit and socialize with other quilters, and
share ideas and inspirations.
Women on the prairies have always been able to take scraps, left-overs and minimal
resources; enjoy social opportunities; and create a product that meets the need of both form
and function.
The quilting bee is a perfect example. Old sugar sacks were bleached and remnants from old
clothing were stashed away to be reused for quilt blocks. When there were enough created to
make a quilt top, friends and neighbors gathered to help quilt it together. Daylight time that
was so precious had to be put to good use and the multi-tasking of working, socializing and
creating was all rolled into one event. Many Saskatchewan families have an heirloom quilt in
their closet that still attests to the value of this tradition.
I learned to quilt while visiting and drinking tea at my grandmother’s. It was much later in life
when I really began to value the work and beauty that her simple tools and scraps had created.
Traditions, styles and tastes all adapt and change. Tools change and materials change. The
modern sewing machine took the place of hand sewing and synthetic fabrics took the place of
cottons. Supply and demand for the quick and easy – maintenance free products came with
the surge of women that began to work outside the home. Busy lives did not eliminate the
appreciation for the quilt but sewing was placed on the back burner for a number of
years.
We still value the multi-tasking that our ancestors were able to do but we have been able to
incorporate newer, faster tools and systems to move into another era of quiltmaking. The
invention of the rotary cutter and cutting mat shaves hours of time off the preparation of
materials. Cotton has made a comeback and newer sewing machines and equipment have
enabled today’s quilter to choose from many sewing techniques that were not available to our
ancestors.
The art of traditional hand sewing and appliqué is still visited in today’s quilts but with fusible
webbing, spray and fabric glue, the fabric artist has many more options at her fingertips.
I began quilting again once my kids were grown. I rediscovered my love for the traditional quilt
but I have also developed an interest in the art quilt. As I began to search for a colour or type of
fabric to fit into a specific quilt design, I discovered hand-dying fabric. MX Procion dyes are
much different from the old style dyes that I remember dumping in the washing machine. The
Procion dyes are permanent and can create vibrant, intense colours or make the softest pastel
or the darkest shade. We can create a soft “sueded” look or mottled and complex
combinations in the fabric. While I worked full time, hand-dyeing my own quilt fabric was a
delightful, productive hobby.
My husband’s job brought us back to Tisdale two years ago and opened the opportunity for a
change in direction for me. I wanted to utilize some of the skills that I have been able to
acquire and spend my time working with something I love.
I began sourcing the materials I would need to do larger batches of hand-dyes and I
researched the provincial and federal requirements – fortunately besides sewing machines,
technology has given us the computer and the internet. With fabric, dyes, chemicals, a GST
number and PST number, I was ready to start building up some inventory. Marketing via the
internet seemed the most logical method for a rural home-based business so I researched
and built my own website: www.harmonyhanddyes.com. My background in accounting
supplies some business skills. My interest in design has helped me record my designs and
create patterns. My love and satisfaction from sewing have provided a lot of enjoyment for
creating proto-types and samples. My past experiences with Toastmasters and leadership in
Girl Guides have contributed presentation skills that help me share my knowledge of dyeing
and quilting through instructing quilting classes and dyeing workshops. It is also an
advantage to be able to re-dye fabric results I don’t like and rip out sewing I’m not happy with.
My business is still in the infant stages. My product is for a niche that will not appeal to
everyone. I have discovered it is a lot more work that I expected, but I have also gained a lot of
satisfaction. The real bonus is the people I meet and deal with through hand-dyeing are all
interested in fabrics and colours and quilting.
Like my ancestors, I am trying to make use of the resources that I have. My sales venue is my
home, the internet and a booth at quilt shows. I enjoy the benefit from multi-tasking -- while I
am offering my product at the booth, I also get to visit and socialize with other quilters, and
share ideas and inspirations.
