In Business: Cherrywood Fabrics Paving Its Own Path in Hand-Dyeing Business

Woman-owned and -operated since the late 1980s, Cherrywood Fabrics in Baxter specializes in hand-dyed fabrics and has grown to be a leader in the business, bringing its clientele into Cherrywood’s unique world of color.

Dawn Hall started Cherrywood Fabrics 35 years ago, and although she first brought Karla Overland on board for advertising help, Overland, who has loved sewing since childhood and was a graphic design major in college, shared Hall’s love for quilting.

“Quilting is very therapeutic for me,” said Overland. “If I don’t do sewing every day, I kind of can feel it, and it’s just a way to kind of turn your brain off and create something. I’ve always loved creating and putting colors together that just makes people happy.”

Cherrywood Fabrics has developed a reputation for having a rich, suede look to the product. It all starts with an unbleached muslin which is then dyed in washing machines. However, there is far more to a process that can net over 1,000 yards of fabric in one day.

“A lot of things can go wrong in the dyeing process – water temperature and air quality and just all sorts of things,” Overland explained. “To be consistent in the dying, you have to be very precise and just a really good eye for color because every dye lot’s going to turn out a little different. But we really want a consistent color.”

What makes Cherrywood so unique is the dedication it gives to color, whether for quilts, garments, or any request outside of wedding dresses. The business pays close attention to the aspects of color, from hue to saturation and more involving color theory.

“I love coming up with new colors, and sometimes those colors are created by accident and putting the gradations of colors together, I look to nature a lot,” Overland said. “My husband does photography and I’m always kind of analyzing everything I see and picking out the colors and then deciding, how can I put those colors together? How can I recreate that dye?”

Overland has been dyeing fabric at Cherrywood for 25 years, but she still finds herself learning and testing new color combinations for clients everyday. And speaking of clients, what she also sees is that most ask for colors that match their personalities.

“I notice that they pick up colors that they’re wearing because you’re drawn to that color already,” She added. “I think we all have just kind of an innate color attached to our personalities. People are using, matching what they’re attracted to with kind of how they present themselves. It’s something that you can learn it, but there’s also something that’s kind of in you that really appreciates color.”

Cherrywood Fabrics hosts a contest every year where those interested can create their own fabric that follows a certain color theme, and every entry will be included in an exhibit for the country to see. Cherrywood will be announcing its next challenge for the community this month.