Lark Crafts

When I moved to Asheville about a month ago, I noticed that a lot of the local stores here sell tie-dyed apparel. On some weekends there’s even an artist tie-dyeing to order outside of Earth Fare!  If I had moved last year, I might have been wondering why tie-dye is still so big here. But this summer it’s completely different: Tie-dye is big again everywhere.

Remember knitting a few years ago, back before it was reinvented? Well tie-dye is now starting to attract the same sort of attention. The hands of a new generation of crafters are in the dye pot and the results are not only wearable, but desirable.  Don’t believe me? Take a quick look around the internet:

Shabd Simon-Alexander is the one person who is most likely to change your mind about tie-dye. Her astral-inspired designs are captivating: http://www.shop.shabdismyname.com/shop.html

One of my favorite sewing designers, Jenny Gordon of Wikstenmade, posted some of her designs from Shabd’s class. It’s simpler than most of Shabd’s work, but equally awesome: http://wikstenmade.blogspot.com/2010/06/tie-dye.html

Always ahead of the trends, Alison on Etsy recently highlighted the Shibori school of tie dye: http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/trends-a-summer-to-dye-9024/

Even bigger manufacturers are getting in on the action:  http://www.americanapparel.com/bb401tdw.html