The original trial:
The second version:
Comparison photos:
I like both versions but the original one is more mottled than the second one. I think the second one is the smoother version with blending of colours.
Two versions, same colour theme
July 10, 2010 at 3:56 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: experiments in dyeing
Dyes and Water Goddess
July 8, 2010 at 6:46 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: experiments in dyeing, Joan Elliot Designs, Water Goddess
I have two new colours that I think should be official colours – one I am calling “Bubblegum” as it reminds me of these multicoloured bubblegum ice-creams we got as kids, and the other Is Midsummer’s Night.
Bubblegum was an impulse colour and style of dyeing that I hadn’t tried before but I think is repeatable and lovely – I have completely changed my mind and I think I will use it for Titania.
Midsummer’s Night is inspired by late twilight on Midsummer’s eve where the colours blend from violet to blue to inky black. It is also inspired as a possible colour for Mirabilia’s Midsummer’s night fairy – so the partial floss toss is below. Now I know I have all the colours of kreiniks and dmc for midsummer, but apparently they aren’t in her kit for some reason…. Meh!
Same fabric, different lighting
I think the photo with the floss toss is actually truest to life!
And finally, my Water Goddess update:
No stitching…
July 5, 2010 at 12:32 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: experiments in dyeing
But I am working on a colour for a version of Midsummer’s Night Fairy. I think it needs a tad more mauve and it will be pretty much the colour I envisioned. This lot of dyes is new and a little odd. The black when you first mix it up looks navy, but dyes black and grey quite well. It is a bit problematic though as the colour it is when you paint it on blends well with the blue, so at the moment these samples probably have a tiny bit too much grey in them for me. I actually think this would be a nice subtle colour for Stargazer too, looking at the floss colours for Midsummer. They are quite similar… but I have stitched her already!
There are more photos in my album on photobucket – click a photo to be linked but…
Indoor lighting (yellow light)
Fluro lighting (white light)
Floss toss sample 1:
The dark blue colour sort of in the middle is DMC 924. It looks true to life on my screen.
Floss toss sample 2:
Titania Floss Toss
July 1, 2010 at 1:16 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: experiments in dyeing, floss toss
Mirabilia’s Titania is one of the first Mirabilia patterns I fell in love with and wanted to stitch, but the size and apparent complexity, plus the fact that in Australia MIrabilia patterns are not cheap, put me off (this was 12 years ago… long before I decided I could stitch ANYTHING – that was something I decided 3 years ago :D)
So I have decided to finally sit down and stitch her. She will be my first Mirabilia fairy, and I have what I have decided are her companion pieces – Midsummer’s Night Fairy, and Shakespeare’s Fairies. ( Even if she didn’t mean to, all three names make me think of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. I also have Lily of the Woods to stitch, and if I get all 4 of those done, I will have enough fairies stitched I think. (I am also stitching two PR Fairies so that will make 6 designs if I ever want to make a fairy wall).
Anyway, floss tosses:
Black Orchid Flair
Fairy Twilight
Spring Meadow:
I bought the black orchid with Titania in mind, but I may change my mind. Although I do think she would work well on any of those fabrics.
Also finally started playing with my new dyes. This is a very pale version of what I am thinking for Midsummers Night. It is a blend of blue, grey and a pinky mauve colour.
It was just a small piece to trial things, so tomorrow I think I will try a bigger piece and then if that looks good, go from there. Ignore the dark spots. They were an accident! What do people think?
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the starting date
June 9, 2010 at 1:05 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Cirque des Carreaux, experiments in dyeing, ink circles
For my Cirque des Carreaux…I suppose on the plus side, it is still growing!!!
And the revamped fabric for “The Night” – this would be a colour scheme I would probably call Galaxy or something – inspired by photos from Hubble, and the deep space telescopes that show space is full of wonderous colours and lights. It is darker than the photograph and has definite greens and pinks scattered through it this time.
What not to do with dyes…
June 8, 2010 at 1:24 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Chatelaine, Cirque des Carreaux, Egyptian Garden, experiments in dyeing, ink circles
I decided that the fabric for PR’s “The Night” had dyed too pale so tonight I decided to fix it – and couldn’t get the lid off one of the dyes… when I did manage to the dye flew everywhere – my hands are dyed, it went into my hair and all over the floor… so I am now running low on one of my greens.
Anyway, as it is cold I am leaving it to cure overnight, and will add the fixative in the morning. If it doesn’t work out how I think it should I will just dye it all navy.
So I gave up on that and did another bit on Cirque des Carreaux:
And because I had said I have started it – the very beginnings of Chatelaine’s Egyptian Garden – on 32ct linen dyed by me
I didn’t get so much done…
March 28, 2010 at 12:07 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Cirque des Carreaux, experiments in dyeing, ink circles, mirabilia, Waiting for Ships
I managed to spill coffee on the edge of the fabric – not the stitching thank goodness, just the fabric, so it spent the day being washed and drying. It was rainy so it took quite a while to dry. I managed to get part of her fin done though…
While it was drying I did a little Cirque des Carreaux
And worked on dyeing a little more – trialed another combo for a friend- so here are the two
Another go at dyeing… now back to Waiting for Ships…
March 27, 2010 at 11:04 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: experiments in dyeing
This is possibly for a friend:
Pictures!!
March 26, 2010 at 12:37 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: experiments in dyeing, mirabilia, Waiting for Ships
Page one is all done… bar the beads of course!!
And here are some more trials with dyes – each piece is about 7 by 9 inches, 14ct aida, just so I can try colour combos… anyone want one of these as a 14ct fat quarter?
Fabrics, giveaways and mystery stitch alongs
March 10, 2010 at 3:41 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: experiments in dyeing, MSAL
So just to remind everyone, I still have my giveaway going if you want to join.
I have been thinking about fabrics and trialing dyeing colours etc. and had an idea, again if anyone is interested (and please comment and I will get back to you)… anyway my idea was while I am learning to dye, if anyone wants any particular colour combo, I will dye it for you for the cost of the fabric and postage and handling.
It may take a little while as I have to source some fabric and dye colours but there is no point in me trialing lots of colours and keeping them for myself as I will never get around to using them all!!! But I do want to experiment.
I am stitching a mystery stitchalong based on a vague idea about a quilt:
I like it so far. Not sure where the next part will take us though 😀
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