Gallery
The beauty of tie-dye, and especially ice-dye, is that every piece is one of a kind, even if it's a design we've done multiple times. From the obvious things like tie tension and dye placement, to the nuances of ambient temperature, ice composition, and color flow, there are infinite opportunities for variation.
A design is not a recipe that can be replicated; it’s a collaboration between the artist and the universe. Here are some of our favorites! (commentary by Ginny)
"Connections" Custom Tea Towel. In a world where it's easy to feel isolated, divided, and grey, connection brings color to our lives. The visual message of this design packs an extra punch thanks to the serendipitous flow of orange -- yet another reminder that ice dye is a collaboration between the artist and the universe, and we are never fully in control of the outcome of our efforts.
"Sunflowers" Bouquet Tea Towel. This piece was part of a fundraiser benefiting UNICEF's efforts in Ukraine.
"Heartwood" Tea Towel. On a personal level, this design honors our local Montessori school, which was such a powerful part of our family's life. More generally, we heart forests!
"Vibrant NC" Geode-tied Tapestry (42x35"). This was the largest single geode I've ever tied!
"Sunny Susan" Tapestry (42x35"). This twist on a sunflower actually started out as a custom request, but I loved it so much, I added the design to our inventory.
Some of my favorite designs from the last year! There are so many ways to put color on fabric, and I love combining techniques to create something that is one of a kind.
Vibrant colors can elevate a comfy t-shirt dress into something truly special. Reverse dye always reminds me of those scratch-off art pads we used to take on road trips, so that's what I channeled for this dress collection.
Background: "Dragon Cove" custom tee. This magnet was a gift from Jen, with a message that resonates for both of us!
Designs from my 2023 Nutcracker collection, which celebrated Infinity Ballet's performances of the holiday classic.
"Fishy Trio" Custom Tea Towel. This is a companion piece to "Connections" above. The client gave me free rein with her fishy towels, so I had a blast creating these finned friends and their ripply water world.
"Tuckasegee" Tapestry (35x42"). During my last year of college, I lived in a tiny stone house just up the hill from the Tuckasegee River in Western NC. In this tapestry, I wanted to incorporate my memories of the whitewater, wildflowers, and wind-swept ridges that surrounded me.
"Lighthouse" Tea Towel. This piece originated as a 4-color design challenge. I utilized a variety of folds and techniques to convey my coastline idea, but it was the thickened dye paint on its lighthouse that brought this design to life.
"Blue Rige" Tea Towel. If you've ever driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, you've likely noticed the innumerable folds, ripples, and other geologic forces that formed this beautiful landscape. At their height, the Appalachians made the Rockies look short, but eons of work by water, wind, and plant life has softened their contours. In this piece, I wanted to evoke a little of that history, incorporating sedimentary folds into the foreground along with an active whitewater river.
"Forest" Napkin Set. This set combines leaf motifs with geode-tied tree rings, for an effect that evokes a walk in the autumn woods. Perhaps even a walk with a friend?
"Aquarium" Tapestry (35x42"). The larger surface area of the tapestry gave me an opportunity to play with geodes and ridge-folds to create a more detailed scene.
"Cabin in the Pines" Tapestry (35x42"). The mountains are calling, and our clients definitely hear the summons! There are so many opportunities for variation in this design -- day/night, whitewater/forests, realistic/fantastical... every single one is unique.
"Sunny Susan" Stuffable Shopping Bag. You can't see it here, but this bag's little "stuff sack" pocket also has a sunflower on it.
"Oak Island Sunset" Tapestry (35x42"). It can be hard to find a good ocean sunset on the east coast, but if you visit a certain curving point of sand on Oak Island, you can actually see both the eastern and western horizons. It's a magical place at sunset, and the inspiration for this tapestry.
"Canopy" Custom Tapestry (58x85"). The client didn't want any yellows in his green-themed tapestry, so I focused on dyes that would split turquoise instead. An experimental fold resulted in the dragonfly wing effect -- a fold which, incidentally, I have never been able to remember or replicate entirely successfully.
"Jack-o-Lantern" Flour Sack Dish Towel. Not all pumpkin carvings have to be fearsome! This friendly fellow seems perfectly happy to let his tealight shine.
"Wolf Paws" Triangle Bandana. These fun bandanas aren't just for pets! They also work great to keep the hair out of your face (ask me how I know!) This one features geode-tied paw prints in a color scheme reminiscent of a certain local university.
"Vanishing Vase" Flour Sack Dish Towel. So named because the sinew lines of the bouquet emerged more clearly than those of the vase, this Van Gogh-inspired design still makes us smile.
"Gothic Glass" Napkin Set. Napkins are another item with infinite opportunity for experimentation. I love playing with color, pattern, and tying method to create sets that coordinate without being "matchy."
"Anne" Handsewn Shoulder Bag and Organizer Pouch. This set is special in every way, from its custom-dyed fabric to the personalized ways that Kitty adapted her pattern to create a tote that's as functional as it is beautiful.
"Passionflower" Grommet Pocket Apron. Aprons are such a fun place to express creativity, and this style is a workhorse! Its high-quality construction, sturdy canvas, adjustable neck and long straps make it suitable for cooks and creators of all shapes and sizes.
"Blue Wave" T-Shirt Dress. I love that these dresses have a relaxed fit, making them easy to dress up or down while accommodating a wider range of sizes.
These custom "Future Inventor" and "I Have Good Ideas" designs combine batik and thickened dye with the tied lightbulb.
Designs from our 2023 "NC Pride" Collection. I love combining the clean lines of these custom stencils with the free-flowing vibrancy of an ice-dyed rainbow.
"Blue Willow" Napkin Set. Growing up, I loved playing with my mother's miniature willow tea set, with its soft blue pattern and delicate scenes, so it was a joy to revisit that memory in this intricate design.
"Garnet Kaleidoscope" Napkin Set. What happens when you combine origami with mandala folds? That's the question that resulted in this intricate set of designs. Can you follow the fold progressions?
"Dragon Eyes" Custom Tee. This ominous tee was created as a birthday surprise for a young friend who loves all things dragon. Don't get too close -- you, too, might be crunchy and good with ketchup.
"Dance is the Hidden Language" Custom Tapestry (42x35"). This special custom request includes a twist on my turtle-in-the-surf design. The quote layers stippled batik, thickened golden-brown dye, and swirled gold-bronze metallic paint to give the impression of being written in sand.
"Rosebud Bouquet" Tea Towel. Bouquet designs can be complicated, with warm and cool colors in very close proximity as the ice melts, but they're worth it. Love the dreamy vibe!
I always want to make sure our napkins look good when folded, too! Friend of the shop Kalmia Handmade was kind enough to indulge my request for napkin rings.
"Sea Turtle" Stuffable Shopping Bag. The turtle is easily GDD's most popular design, and this awesome bag is one of our most-gifted products. Put 'em together, and you've got magic.
"Harvest Susan" Napkin Set. An autumn-themed take on our popular Sunny Susan design, perfect for the Thanksgiving table or a picnic in the mountains. (Cameo appearance from Kalmia Handmade's napkin rings, too!)
"Tannenbaum" Curtain Panel. We all loved how the colors of this panel glowed in a sunny window -- and so did the customer, who decided it was too pretty to take down in January!
"Ash Rose" Shoulder Bag and Organizer Pouch. A companion to the "Anne" bag above, this piece illustrates how much variation can be found in a single piece of hand-dyed fabric. Both bags were crafted from the same yardage and pattern, but they each have their own personality and special design touches.
"Rocky Mountain River" Custom Tea Towel. I mentioned before how much scope for imagination resides in the simple concept of a mountain scene. This tea towel was part of a larger custom order, which was commissioned as gifts for the client's siblings who all live in different mountainous areas. It's humbling and very rewarding to be trusted with creating something so personal.
Handsewn "Hungry Dino" Child's Bucket Hat. This hat was so much fun! After I dyed it, Kitty appliqued our prehistoric friend from a scrap of our custom fabric and embroidered his dinner.
"Paperless" Towels. Not everything we make is fancy, but these little towels sure do brighten up the most mundane chores. In addition to tackling messes, I'm told they are the perfect size and weight for a run towel. They also make a good (oversized) washcloth, pack small and dry fast for camping, AND save money and trees compared to disposable paper towels. No wonder they're one of our most popular small gifts!