Merry Christmas!

I've been taking a break from quilting and dyeing fabric for awhile.

Taking lots of photos


Enjoying nature 

 Taking walks

 trying to see things with new eyes

discovering

exploring new roads

Sitting in the park watching children feed the ducks

Moon gazing - that was one great
super moon!

Sometimes you have to just stop look and listen

Feedsacks Dresden Plates

Vintage Feed sacks - Dresden Plate

 1930s to 1940s - Lot - 9 pieces and more

 
Measures about - 17" round
Some are hand sewn and some are machine stitched. 
Various vintage fabrics and feed sacks
No stains or holes
Not hemmed

Some of the plates do not lay flat and would have to be adjusted.

SOLD

Dyed Sun Prints

I saw these baby deer in my

neighbor's back yard. 

They were eyeing his enclosed garden.

They're so cute!

 I was dyeing some sun prints on 

my deck when I spotted them.

Sun prints are trumpet vine leaves.

Aqua Shibori with some sun prints

with leaves. 

 Greeting Card with Fabric insert

of Sun Print of small maple leaves.

Have to take advantage of the warm

weather. 

Happy Quilting!

Dyeing Naturally - Hibiscus Part 2

In my previous post; I talked about 

Natural dyeing with Hibiscus flowers.

The results that I found after doing  a

google search; always shows the results

as pink color.

This is my second attempt.

I soaked my fabric in distilled water

and alum.   Did a quick Tie dye method

of wrapping the fabric and put it into

the pretty dark pink dye water ( after

extracting the dye from dried hibiscus

flowers)

I just heated the dye water and left

the fabric in over night.

 
 This is what it looked like in the morning.

(I took the photo on my deck; so the bright

spots are from the sun)

It's a very pretty pink!  

Dried and Ironed it.

Filled the sink with distilled water.....

gone is the pink and it's back to the grey again.

It's just not working.

If anyone knows of a way to retain the pink

color after washing - please let me know.

Otherwise, my conclusion is that hibscuis

flowers does not make a pretty pink but a 

grey.


 

Dyeing Naturally - Hibiscus

I have been reading a couple of blogs

that have dyed fabric with Hibiscus (dried)

flowers.

I loved the results that they were getting with

the pink to rose colors.

I googled to find other web sites that told

you what colors you can achieve with certain

plants, flowers et.  Hibiscus was always

listed as a pink.

I followed one blog's instruction using

vinegar to soak the fabric.

I first placed the flower heads in a

nylon stocking secured with a rubber band

at one end. This way I won't have to strain it.

I also used my tap water.

I lightly boil my Hibiscus flowers in a stainless

steel pot (only used for this purpose) and

I start to see a nice beautiful almost red

color. Now I'm excited and place my fabric;

which I just did a quick shibori tie in

4 places.

I had the heat on low for about 2 hours,

shut off and left over night.

Took out the fabric and let it dry completely

and gave it a light iron.

Here's what it looked like

 It's pretty and pink! 

 I then put it in water with a light detergent

and then my heart sunk. It had turned a bluish

grey!

 It's still pretty but not pink!

I belong to an eco dyeing group on FB and showed

the group what had happened and to ask if there

was something that I missed....??

Someone suggested that I use distilled water instead

of my tap water.  (good idea) 

My next test to follow.

My point in putting this on my blog is that you

can't believe everything you read on the internet.

(including me)  LOL

So the blogs that I saw with the pretty pink from

the hibiscus flowers probably didn't wash their

fabric. When they finally did I bet they got a

big surprise! 

Back later on this week with the results of my next test.

Shibori and Beyond

Shibori - there are traditional ways to

dye and manipulate the fabric.  Some

patterns are more complex than others.

Traditionally, Indigo dyes are used more

often than not.

What I enjoy doing is going beyond the traditional

and experiment with bold bright colors. 

Playing with a technique and reinterpreting

the design; giving it a whole new look.

 

I played around with this one - is it a Red moon

or a Blooming Flower Burst?  

There are so many possibilities!

 Change the colors and it becomes a Sunburst.

I discovered this design by just manipulating

the fabric in different positions. 

The possibilities are endless and surprising!

 The smaller pieces that I do I'm putting them in

greeting cards. The fabric can be removed and used

or just left the way it is in the card to be displayed.

All these are available in my Etsy shop.

Happy Quilting!