Judy Lyons: The Many Facets of Fabric Dyeing

We’re celebrating textiles throughout March at the Horry County Museum! Join us Friday, March 18 at 1 p.m. for a presentation by local textile artist, Judy Lyons. Lyons will describe the fascinating world of fabric dyeing and show the audience many techniques to achieve a variety of results. Some techniques include basic dyeing, cross dyeing, resists, shibori, ice dyeing, painting dye, parfait dyeing and uses for your hand-dyed fabric. She will also bring some of her quilts that she made from her dyed fabrics and show examples of printing on dyed fabrics.

Lyons has a degree in Textiles from RIT, School for American Craftsmen. There she learned to weave, spin and dye anything and everything fiber related. While raising three kids in Maryland, she started her first business, Sunflower Hill Dyers in 1998. Her hand-dyed fabrics were sold at quilt shows up and down the East Coast as well as Houston, Texas. But life, and three kids playing competitive hockey, got in the way and she had to close the business. She also taught Quilt in a Day and dyeing classes for the county’s continuing education program.

In 2015, Lyons and her husband retired to South Carolina and she finally had time to put into her dyeing again. Dyeing for Happy Hour was created and she started with hand-dyed clothing. Then, she started fabric dyeing again and has sold her hand-dyed fabrics at quilt shows in the area. Lyons has also hosted weekend Dye Camps that teach many facets of dyeing. Her quilt kits are also sold on her Etsy shop under Dyeing for Happy Hour. Lyons also makes art quilts and enjoys fabric printing on gel plates and mixed media pieces.

The program will be held at the Horry County Museum, located at 805 Main Street in Conway. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (843) 915-5320 or email hcgmuseum@horrycounty.org.

To view a full list of programs, visit our website.