Sunday, 28 August 2016

Saved

Tie dye organic cotton scarf
Rescued by my friend Liz who just happened to have an indigo kit. We had a fun day despite choosing the only day of the week when we had rain, so controlling the temperature was difficult.
I also dyed some papers the next day. The indigo was by then exhausted and although I got good results on the paper the fabrics only came out the palest blue.

I have also been dyeing a few silk scarves with plants from the garden.
On its third dye, looks better now, was
very nondescript before its indigo dip.

Very pale and pretty, garden flowers overdyed
with indigo

This one is also an overdye

A bit of a hippy top

Silk scarf, leaves and rusty pole

Dyed with horsetail and garden flowers

Tuesday, 23 August 2016

Hot

It is hot today, I don't know 26, 27 centigrade, not far off 80 fahrenheit that's to hot for me so what have I been doing, gardening, am I crazy, definitely and now I am inside and hot, hot, hot. I have been clearing out dead raspberry canes and all the stuff the annoying neighbour has cut off my trees that overhang his garden and thrown back in mine, he's entitled but why is he cutting trees at this time of the year. My birches in full leaf, suffering from lack of rain and to much heat, He has no respect.

I am starting a new cloth, lots of people seem to be making 'feelings' cloths. I am doing one and would like to reference Fabienne who is my inspiration, https://www.facebook.com/FabienneRey.
Mine was going to be about fearlessness but I am not ready for that, I am a very anxious worrying person so this is going to be a quiet cloth of contemplation.

Friday, 19 August 2016

Failure

I watched my beautiful turquoise water (see previous post) turn to murky brown. This was my first attempt with indigo and I have noticed that many people either dye with the indigo before or after bundling with plants. When these have dried off a bit I will unravel and re dye in the indigo remembering to add vinegar, it helps if you read the instructions first, and see what happens.

Wednesday, 17 August 2016

Conundrum

 How do you tell when a black tomato is ripe? I can't find the packet so don't know what they are or how big they are supposed to get. We have had glorious weather recently so I have been out in the garden most days.
Still managing to do odd crafty things as well, two dyed scarves curing before being washed, hope they will retain the colour.
Dyed with mare's tail and hibiscus
 Rusted covers for notebooks awaiting their waxed finish
Rusted washers and tin lids
 Another one hopefully rusting away
disposable barbecue found on the beach
 Woven friendship type bracelets
Cotton ribbon and silk threads
 Bundles in an indigo bath heating in the garden.
This is a liquid indigo extract that I bought from http://www.dtcrafts.co.uk/
A couple of days before the weather changes and it starts raining, desperately needed, but a few more sunny days would have been appreciated as I have quite a lot of clothing waiting for the dyepot.

Friday, 5 August 2016