Dy(e)ing All Over The Place – Part 2

Examples to inspire us.

Throughout the entire dyeing workshop, Rachel had examples of textiles that she had dyed on display so that we might see some of the wide range of effects that are possible by using different mordants and different fibres. Those shown above were dyed with Indigo, as per the label. I was surprised at how light the colours were – proof of my considerable ignorance about dyes and dyeing.

Various shades obtained using a Madder dye pot.

It is possible to see several shades in the fibres dyed with Madder.


Onion skins have been used to dye these.

A mordant is not needed when dyeing with Turmeric.

Hapa-Zome Technique

An example of the Hapa-Zome technique by Rachel.

Rachel explained the Japanese technique of Hapa-Zome to us. Dampen your fabric [but do not make it too wet] and lay it on a waterproof surface. Sprinkle petals across the fabric. Either fold the fabric in half, or place a sheet of cartridge paper or handmade paper on top of it. Tap gently across the entire fabric or paper surface with a small hammer, rolling pin or similar instrument. Leave to dry. Some petals will adhere to the fabric or paper, some will fall off. Decorate or embellish as you wish. This technique proved very popular so it was frequently rather noisy in the room!

This was my first attempt at Hapa-Zome.
I used a piece of silk georgette, folded in half and am quite pleased with the result.

 

On Saturday evening, some of the students experimented with the Hapa-Zome technique. This photograph shows the result of using red pepper and green pepper, amongst other things. 

 

Dyeing with Non-Indigenous Dyes







 





On Sunday morning we began dyeing using non-indigenous dyes. The three dyes on offer were Indigo, Cochineal and Madder. Rachel showed us how to prepare our dye pots and told us that the pots we use should not be made of aluminium, which reacts with the dyes. First she prepared some Madder by making it into a paste and adding it to lukewarm water. It was brought to the boil and simmered for 20 minutes to bring out the colour.

 

Indigo is not soluble in water and it does not like oxygen. It is prepared by shaking it in a jar [with the lid on!] with some lukewarm water [more than is needed to make a paste], then adding it to a lidded stainless steel pot containing more lukewarm water. Do not boil but simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.

 

Cochineal must be made into a sort of bouquet garni to prevent it ‘spotting’ on the fibres to be dyed. It releases its colour instantly. Bring the pot of water containing the Cochineal to the boil and simmer for an hour. Items need to be left in as long as possible to achieve intensity of colour.

 

 

Denise and I had been working together and decided to use a mixture of Cochineal and Madder in our dye pot, both of which we made into bouquets garni. This dye pot contains our dye mixture with some silk satin, cotton lawn, cartridge paper and woollen yarn.



I will reveal some of the results of our labours in my next post, together with more photographs of the workshop.

 

 

Dy(e)ing All Over The Place – Part 1

Example of fabric dyed by Rachel Dawson

Yesterday and today I have been on a workshop organised by WEA (Workers’ Educational Association) and held at Helmshore Textile Museum. The workshop was on dyeing with natural dyes. Our tutor was Rachel Dawson.

Rachel began by giving us an overview of dyeing, the sorts of plants that can be used, both indigenous and non-indigenous, the variations of colour when using different parts of the plant and the processes to be undertaken i.e. scouring and mordanting. We then began scouring the fabrics that we were going to be dyeing. We used soda ash for the scouring. We began by bringing water to the boil in a stainless steel pan, adding the soda ash, stirring it to dissolve it and then adding the fabrics. The heat was turned down and the mixture was simmered for 45 minutes.

Mixed Fibres and Fabrics being mordanted

The next stage was mordanting. Mordanting prepares the fabric so that it will take the dye and the dye will fix. There are various substances that can be used for mordanting: alum sulphate, iron, urine, glaubers salt and wood ash, amongst others. Each mordant produces a different effect with the same dye. For example, wood ash creates a duller effect than alum sulphate. The amount of mordant to be used is a percentage of the weight of fabric to be dyed. 
For a light colour use between 1% and 5%.
For a medium colour use between 5% and 10%.
For a dark colour use between 10% and 20%.

Heat water in the dye pot, stir in the mordant then add the fabric. Bring the pot to the boil then simmer it for about an hour. Rinse the fabric in clean water.

A Bumper Harvest!

September is harvest time in the UK. The rural idyll in Kent (where I am currently), fields of golden wheat swaying gently in the breeze; bright, shiny apples on the trees; homemade plum jam sitting on the shelf. And today was my turn to reap a bumper harvest, without a combine harvester in sight.

These are my harvesting tools. Confused? Well, this is the precious result of my of toil:

Probably not what you were expecting. Garment labels and hanging ribbons from clothing. Exciting stuff – well, for me, anyway.

A couple of years or so ago, I read an interesting item online by an American woman (I’m afraid I have not been able to rediscover her – I cannot remember her name or blog) who commented that often the best quality part of a garment is the label. I checked and she’s right. She went on to show how she had used them, rather than throwing them away. I was so taken with the idea that I had a go. This is what I came up with:

It’s a wallet that I designed to hold credit card receipts, loyalty vouchers and money-off coupons. I don’t like having all those pieces of paper cluttering up my purse.

Since making the wallet I have been planning more projects using garment labels. Of course, more projects mean that more labels are needed so, whenever I come to visit my mother, I try to raid her wardrobes for labels! Today I didn’t have to sneak around and steal them as we had turfed out two bagfuls of clothing for the charity shop. Oooh! All those lovely labels!

Today Jess is 21

Today, September 23, Jess is 21.

So what? Who on earth is Jess? Why does it matter? Does it matter?

Well, actually, yes it does matter.

Jess is Dixie’s and Adeline’s daughter. Dixie (it may be spelt ‘Dixy’, I don’t know), is my cousin, Richard. Richard is Armand’s younger brother and Zia Ida’s son which makes Jess Zia Ida’s granddaughter. It also makes her my second cousin. And, of course, I didn’t even know she, or any of them, existed until my recent trip to Australia. 

Last night, when I saw on Facebook that it was Jess’s birthday I immediately sent birthday greetings to her. However, when I looked on Facebook this morning, I saw that it isn’t just any old birthday, it’s her 21st. I was surprised at how much it affected me to know that. I am part of her extended family: she is a part of mine. It’s a big deal. And I’m thrilled about it. So…

Have a really wonderful 21st birthday, Jess, as you step over the threshold into adulthood. If the loving and supportive family all around you is anything to go by, I think you’ll do OK!

Bookmaking You Wouldn’t Bet On!

One of the lovely things about staying with Little Sis is that we both enjoy trying out different types of crafty doings.

Little Sis is very keen on Calligraphy which has led her into an interest in bookmaking, or making books, otherwise known as bookbinding. It was she who showed me how to make this book last year.

Whilst I was staying with Little Sis we visited several of the artists taking part in Devon Open Studios. One of the artists we met in Chudleigh showed us a couple of folded books she had been making and it reignited my interest in the craft. I fancied having another go at bookbinding and, as I was left to my own devices on Tuesday, I had a bit of a play. These are the two books I used as reference guides:

I began by making several folded books. These are made using one sheet of paper which you fold into a particular number of squares – it could be 12, 16, or perhaps 18 – then one ir more cuts are made in the sheet. When the sheet is refolded, the cuts allow the pages to be formed. The style of the book is determined by the number of squares the sheet is folded into and the positions of the cuts.

As I was just having a play, I used pages from a holiday brochure, rather than new paper. I labelled the front of each sample and wrote the page number in the book and the numbers of the diagrams which showed the folding and cutting lines.

I made five different styles of folded book, each using one sheet from the holiday brochure. There were three different overall sizes. Obviously the uses for books like these can be quite limited but they can certainly add an extra special touch to a project. In fact, I think they could be stunning made in fabric and embellished with threads and beads. The possibilities are endless. It gives a whole new meaning to bookmaking!

A Good Article

Some of you will be aware that I suffer from Anxiety. I don’t mean anxiety, with a small ‘a’, but Anxiety with a large, uppercase ‘A’. I should imagine that everybody gets anxious occasionally, but to be Anxious is something completely different.

Anxiety is a horrid, debilitating condition. It is misunderstood by many, disregarded or ignored by too many. Anxiety saps self-confidence. Then there’s the fear of Anxiety. This is one of the things that I suffer from. There are certain situations that I know are likely to trigger strong feelings of Anxiety in me so, in effect, I become Anxious about becoming Anxious – how’s that for an antidote for a peaceful mind?

Before my recent trip to Australia to meet lots of new members of my family, my GP and I had a long discussion about how I was likely to be affected by it. We planned strategies to help me cope. It was a sensible thing to do but, my goodness, it makes me feel like a pathetic specimen of the human race that I have to incorporate plans for what to do about the Anxiety. I have pretty much accepted that my ability to cope is severely depleted, but I really have to fight to keep any vestige if self respect intact.

This article about Anxiety is a good place to start if you want to find out more.

If You Want To Get Ahead…

My Little Sis and I were sitting here chatting, in the way that we do, when suddenly she jumped up and ran from the room. She reappeared a couple of minutes later to show me a Christmas present she had received last year… And here it is!

We decided it was best if we both modelled it, so that you may enjoy its beauty to the fullest. OK, I may have been less than honest with that statement. We both tried it on to see who looked the most ridiculous! I think it’s a close run thing, don’t you?

Putting Things On – For A Change!

Finally the day had arrived! Fiona at The Sewing Directory had arranged a second sewing meet in Exeter and it took place yesterday. At long last! I had booked to attend the meet that she had arranged in Liverpool but too few people had booked so it had to be cancelled. When I heard about the one in Exeter, I immediately contacted my friend, Janet [otherwise known as ‘Little Sis’], and arranged to stay with her and for both of us to attend.

We had a really enjoyable day. When we entered the hall we were warmly welcomed by Fiona’s mother, Pippa, who explained how the day would run and directed us towards Ruth, who gave us our name badges. Fiona then came over to chat to us.  I have been following The Sewing Directory for a long time and find it an invaluable source of sewing information, so it was lovely to meet the person behind it.

By this time, Janet and I had noticed that there was a man present. I probably shouldn’t say this, but we were slightly surprised. The man in question was Will Abakhan from Abakhan, the fabric and haberdashery retailers. I had a very interesting chat with him about all manner of things related to sewing and other crafts. He was interested and enthusiastic about the day ahead, as was I. He joined in with the various activities throughout the day and was a quick learner.


Our day began with Kerry from Very Kerry Berry, who ran a workshop on various applique techniques. I had been aware of Kerry for some time and enjoyed her online tutorials, but had never met her nor attended one of her workshops. I found her delightful and generous with her help and advice. I enjoyed her style of teaching and learnt a lot from her session. She made a point of coming to each of the three tables to demonstrate aspects of the techniques she had shown the group, as a whole. That made it easy to see what she was doing and to ask questions of her. We then put what she had shown us into practice by decorating and embellishing bags that Fiona had provided. Fiona had explained that the bags would be used by Macmillan Nurses to return the personal effects of patients who had died to their bereaved families. In view of the proposed use of the bags, I decided to eschew my usual style and try for a more subtle style. This is how the bag I decorated turned out:

Yes, I even used green!

We spent an enjoyable few hours trying out the various applique techniques and decorating the bags.

Here are some of the completed bags:

Will decorated one of the bags and also had some one-to-one tuition from someone [sorry, I don’t know who it was], which helped him to make the drawstring bag he is holding – not bad for someone who claimed he had previously only sewn for about fifteen minutes, in total.

 

During the day, Rhiannon of The Sewing Boutique had a stall selling some fabric and haberdashery. Janet and I chatted with her for a while. She was saying how pleased she had been when Fiona invited her to join in with our activities. Actually the entire day had a friendly, relaxed feel – it was a testament to Fiona’s hard work and organisation [ably assisted by her mother, her sister and Kerry] that it appeared so effortless.

 

At the end of the day there was a free raffle with prizes donated by various individuals and companies. I dare not name any because I don’t want to offend anyone by leaving them out! Janet and I were both thrilled that our respective numbers were pulled out, although she did look daggers at me when she discovered that I might have to buy fabric with my voucher!

 

All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable day. I met several people that I had had contact with online, spent the day sewing with like-minded people and had fun in the scramble for scraps that Pippa didn’t want to take home – what’s not to like?

 

I have to say a huge ‘thank you’ to Fiona and Kerry for all the hard work they put in organising such a great day. I hope there’s another one soon!

 

 







Lots of Little Bits

Since I returned from Australia I have been desperately trying to reduce my stashes by using some for various projects. 

I tried out freehand machine embroidery on some precut squares that I bought from someone else’s stash, then used those to embellish some tote bags that I made for the Refuge using some of my fabric. I also made some handbags for them using  two different fabrics from my stash, together with another of my pieces for the linings. After that I made some fabric storage bins from two other stash fabrics and three smaller stash pieces, also for the Refuge. Whilst doing all of that I finished knitting one shaggy hat and made another shaggy hat from my scrappy yarn, to go to Priatelli, and crocheted some squares for charity blankets that the Monday knitting group are making.

So, you can see that I have been beavering away. Not only that, but everything apart from the squares, has been handed over to the relevant people.

All of the above may make you think that my stashes are reducing nicely. Huh! No such luck! Apart from a couple of the lining fabrics, none of the fabrics that I used for the bags and storage bins was completely used up. There is still a large amount of each of the fabrics remaining so the stash doesn’t even look any smaller! Plus, my Little Sis (who is supposed to be my friend!!!) brought me a sizeable bag full of tapestry wool.

I have managed to find a home for the complete skeins: they will be going to Lilian who knits tiny snowmen and other ‘people’ for charity. However, that leaves me with a large, chaotic bundle of bits and pieces of tapestry wool. Well, you know me, I can’t bear to waste anything. So, I am now to be seen chopping and knotting lengths of it in readiness for knitting yet another shaggy hat.

Sometimes my stashes act as though they are trying to be craft versions of the Never-Ending Porridge Pot!

One Way To Stay (sort of) Sane

My Little Sis is coming here this evening and will be staying for a few days. Don’t get confused – she’s not my little sis(ter), she’s my Little Sis. In fact, she’s the reason why Donata is my ‘mini’ sister, rather than my ‘little’ sister. My best friend, Janet, is my Little Sis and I’m her Big Sis – and she’s hundreds of years older than me. The nicknames came about because of an incident that occurred when we went to a craft show at Shepton Mallett in about 1996.

So, anyway, my Little Sis is coming to stay so this week I have been doing housework – and I don’t like it! (Can you hear me stamping my feet as I say that?) When I first moved in with Peter I offered to pay for “a woman wot does” to come and “do”, but he did not want one. I said that was OK as long as he did the cleaning, as I had stopped doing it when I employed my cleaner in Somerset.

Generally the system works well but occasionally there is a glitch. And this week has been one of those occasions. That has meant that I have needed something to keep me sane. I didn’t want to get my sewing machine out and knitting wasn’t doing it for me so I have been doing some hand stitching.

I posted this picture of my first biscornu pin cushion earlier this week. I was quite pleased with how it turned out so I decided to make another.

This one is larger than the previous one. Again, I used some of the prepared squares that I bought when Elizabeth and I went to a quilt show a while ago. However, these are four inch squares, rather than two inches.

I shall be putting both of the pin cushions into a sale that the craft group and sewing group will be holding. We are aiming to buy a cutting machine which can be used on fabric, as well as paper and card.

If you have experience of using any of the cutting machines, for example this one: