Welcome Summer 2017- Ice Dyeing

 

Last Sunday, since it was a gloriously sunshiny afternoon, I set up two dye baths for ice dyeing. Since I had a few boxes of RIT Dye in the studio, I went with it! The colors I used were golden-yellow, petal pink and fuchsia.  So for a few hours, the dye baths languished in the hot sunshine and then a pop up rain storm came. I had just enough time to cover everything with plastic and put weights on top as the wind was really gusting!

After waiting for the storm to blow past, I decided to move the dye baths into the garage and set my sights on Monday. The sun cooperated beautifully and I set the dye baths back outside with a fresh supply of ice on top.

Here’s the dyed fabrics resting on the lawn. Their next stop was for a thorough washing and rinsing out in the washing machine with Synthrapol, to get all the excess dye out and set it.

Three of these lovely cotton textured, tea towels are part of a shared threads collaborative I’m involved in with my talented needle artist friends from Summer       Squam 2017.

I also dyed some cotton DMC embroidery floss and I love the ombre effect I got. The rayon bias tape, shown above, I literally tossed into the bottom of one of the dyeing buckets…what a sweet surprise to see how well the tape took to the dye! Those of you who know me, know how devoted I am to to my Shibori and organic dyeing practices…fear not, that hasn’t changed a drop. This ice dyeing with RIT proved to be some great summer fun, easy and brought a big punch! The colors remind me of rainbow sherbert! Certainly will be doing more of this method as we enjoy the nice summer sunshine!

For more on Ice Dyeing with RIT Powder Dyes, click here. Enjoy!

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Last Post #MMM-Me Made May 2017! Slow Stitching…

Wow this month of making sure did fly by! I thought I’d end my participation in the annual, global Me-Made-May sewing challenge with a post on a hand stitching project. Last month hubs and I took a road trip down to Philadelphia. Whenever we have extended drives, I love to have a lap-sized sewing project to work on. I had purchased this cotton/linen blend poets style night shirt and have been looking for just the right motif to do a little appliqué stitching on it. My inspiration came from the well known book, Alabama Stitch Book written by Natalie Chanin. Included in this beautiful book, is a lovely leafy stencil that I slightly modified and used for the appliqué pieces. From my stash, I used a white-on-white subtly, patterned cotton quilt weight fabric. Since I wanted to use both sides of the white fabric, I made a sandwich of the two different sides of the fabric with Heat N Bond Lite in between and fused them together. For the layout, I used both the patterned and plain sides of the fabric interchangeably. I placed the leaves down in somewhat of a symmetrical design around the front buttoned placket, over the shoulder and around the back neckline and then heat set them into place.

Then the fun began! I hand “slow stitched” all around each leaf with perle cotton. This was a perfect traveling project that didn’t really require any deep concentration:  as hubs drove, we chatted, listened to music, and I stitched! The drive down was some three hours, give or take. The project was completed on the return trip.

I love the clean simplicity of this design and embellishment! This shirt will be great to wear with jeans, leggings, a cami underneath or a sweater thrown over it on a cool summer night!

It’s always a challenge for me to participate in challenges while school is in session, but I’m always glad I do in the end! It’s that little extra nudge I need to work on something new or a long overdue project that’s been waiting in the queue.

For more on #MMM17, click here!

 

#MMM17-Me-Made-May 2017 Jumper

Just a couple posts left for Me-Made-May 2017! Many, many years ago I made a sweet pullover loose-fitting jumper that was truly one of my favorite spring into summer dresses. Sadly the pattern was beyond repair and and also out of print. So, when I came across McCalls M6739 which is very similar in design, I had to take a crack at it!

Using a suiting weight black Irish linen from my stash, this jumper came out great! I chose View B, with just a couple pattern modifications:  lowering the neckline in both the front and back, and lining the deep side front/back pockets with a contrast black and gray polka dot cotton fabric for fun!

It’s such a comfortable jumper for the warm weather as I can wear a t-shirt under it or not. It’s unlined, all seams were serged on the inside and I topstitched all seams on the outside. As we all know, linen wrinkles very easily, and for some that is a no-no. I’m totally ok with the wrinkles. I know that the more this dress is washed the softer the hand and drape will become.

Thanks to both my willing and patient adult children for taking these photos!

For more on Me-Made-May 2017, click here.

Me-Made-May 2017 Handmade Journals

In today’s Me-Made-May 2017 post, I’m switching things up a bit. Let’s talk about handmade journals. I think of journals as an essential accessory. I carry one wherever I go. It’s part of my ensemble, if you will. Nothing like knowing that it is at my beck and call.  It is tucked safely inside my tote,  along with an assortment of pens, pencils and other fun and necessary journalling tools, like washi tape, glue stick and double-sided tape.

This Spring into Summer has seen a great deal of journal making. I am gifting most of them as workshop treats for my students, end of the school year/welcome summer gifts of gratitude to my fellow educators and to new friends and cabin mates at an upcoming art retreat. For my paper-covered types, I painted with acrylic paint, sponges and bubble wrap onto 140 lb weight Canson watercolor paper. My color story was based on Spring in the City. I mixed colors to look like urban concrete neutrals with touches of warm sunny yellows and earthy browns. The assortment of papers inside come from my collection of new and vintage pages as well as from my handpainted paper stash. I machine stitch the signature using a Jeans needle 90/14, a heavier weight cotton thread and a long straight stitch.

Roll call!

 

These cloth covered journals are a classic fave of mine. They are sewn like a book cover, so that the writer may replace the journal when necessary. I used both 7oz and 12oz unprimed canvas from Jerry’s Artarama. The serger is my friend for this style. I love the look of the overlocker’s exposed chain stitch of ivory beige thread against the canvas. Covers are hand stamped with Jacquard Textile Paint. I have a wonderful selection of bias tape and it is often a mainstay in my journals, whether tying around the machine stitched binding , as above in the paper journals or threaded through the spiral bound notebook inside these cloth journals.

I wish all my creative friends many days full of opportunities to sit, muse, write and create in these “me-made” journals.

For more on Me-Made-May 2017, click here.

 

 

 

 

#MMM17- Jersey Tunic Top

Hi sewists, for this Me-Made-May 2017 post, here’s a sweet little tunic top I recently made based on New Look’s pattern S0172.

When I decided that this would be a sleeveless version, I made some changes using View B as my base pattern. First in the armscye, I dropped the bottom of the armhole about 5/8″, moved the shoulder seam in and then opened up the overall shape of the armhole curve in the front and back creating a less constricting opening. I also lowered the neckline about 3/4″ in both the front and back.

For the top half of the back of the tunic, I carried over the same fabric from the front and for the bottom section, I used a remnant piece of gray and royal blue striped jersey knit, from my stash. Btw the main fabric is a lightweight, 2-way printed jersey knit from Mood Fabrics NYC. I loved the colors and design that mixed florals and cool lettering graphics. This easy tunic paired well with a light sweater, jean leggings and booties on this cool, overcast Spring day at the Jones Family Farm Winery,

For more information on Me-Made-May17, click here.

 

#MMM17 Asymmetrical Knit Tunic Top

Loving my knits! I purchased this Craftsy online class that features Marcy Tilton’s Vogue Pattern 9057, view B. This was round one so to speak. The class offers many ways to incorporate different knit fabrics into one top: using neckline, sleeve and length variations. This top, using only one fabric, was my test drive. I used a lightweight, printed, two-way stretch knit from Mood NYC. This top is perfect for cool spring days. I paired it with skinny jeans and suede booties. I’m looking forward to sewing up another and trying two or more different knits!

For more information on Me-Made-May 2017, click here.

Craftsy.com offers many wonderful online sewing tutorials at reasonable prices. Check them out here.

This picture was taken in The Magical Gardens, Philadelphia PA by hubs.

 

Me-Made-May 2017, Neoprene Take 2

Since May has been a month of temperature extremes, I’m going for one more #MMMay17 post about using Neoprene also called Scuba Knit.

Love this pattern, McCalls 7122. A perfect choice for this heavy knit. Neoprene, as I mentioned in a previous post, works best in a garment with less seaming. This little pullover dress has a modified, sweet “fit and flare” type silhouette: fitted a bit more through the bodice and flaring out like a skater dress. I used dress view B with the long sleeves from view A. The shoulder seams remind me of a baseball practice jersey! I made the neckband using a bias strip of Ponte knit.

Neoprene is so cozy! I scored this fabric from Mood NYC. I enjoyed wearing yesterday when I spent the day shopping with my Mom and daughter. We have a tradition of “Malling” the day before Mother’s Day. A perfect day to be inside as the weather was awful:  a rainy and windy spring Nor’easter!

Since today is Mother’s Day, I’m wishing all a very happy day!

For more info on #MMM17, click here.

Photo credit to Tess

#MMM17 Still Jumper Weather!

Hi there sewists! Time for another #MMM, Me Made May 2017, post.  According to the calendar it’s Spring but when the temps dipped into the mid 40’s, making it quite nippy this morning, I was all about wearing this jumper to school!

I have had this mid weight, cotton linen blend in my stash for quite a while. It’s olive drab in color with horizontal lines and threads slubs in other earth tone colors. I made it up based on McCalls pattern M7120, view D. It’s a pullover style jumper that is semi fitted.  It can also definitely be belted. And of course it has “must have” on-seam pockets, large enough to hold my cell.

The jumper has a shaped high-low hemline.

The armhole are low enough so that I can wear a top underneath or not!

Love this versatile transition dress!

Photos courtesy of JJ

#MMM17 Begins!

Hi there sewing enthusiasts! It’s that time of the year for Me-Made-May.

For those of you familiar with New England/Northeast weather, you will totally appreciate this garment, as my first post for #MMM17!

I’ve been hankering to work with Neoprene and this jacket was a great choice. Neoprene or suba knit has a pretty hefty hand and so creating a garment without a lot of seams made sense. I used McCalls MP285 as a starting point. It is described as a “very loose fitting hooded jacket with sleeve, pocket and length variations.” And change it up I did! I opted out of the 3/4 length sleeve for a longer one, added overall length and enlarged and lined the pockets. Another lil detail was to create a bias tape to encase the seam where the hood meets the jacket. I used that same snazzy printed knit to line the pockets.

Neoprene is water resistant and makes a nice toasty layer for those damp spring days.

These photos were taken in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia by my patient hubs! If you visit Phily, make a pitstop to Pizza Brain in Fishtown for some the most delicious pizza ever!

For more info on #MMM17, click here, http://sozowhatdoyouknow.blogspot.com

Organic Dyeing with “Blood Madder” Concentrated Powder Extract

On a wintery day during our February school break, I did some organic fabric and fiber dyeing. This time I used “Blood Red Madder,” concentrated powder extract. My source for this vegetable dye was Organic Plus.

I decided to try a little experiment. Two dye baths were set using the same selection of pre-washed and mordanted fabrics:  cottons, linen and cotton canvas. The first dye bath,  set up in a stainless steel pot, stayed on my heated stove top for the entire dyeing process. Fabrics from that bath are pictured above. In the second dye bath, set up in a 5 gallon bucket, I used hot water but did not cook it on the stove top. Those fabrics from the second dye bath are pictured below.

You can see that the fabrics from the first heated dye bath did produce slightly darker, richer colors, but honestly it wasn’t a significant difference. If I had enough large stainless pots, I would probably keep the baths on the constant heat, but I was also pleased with the dyed fabrics from the second unheated dye bath. Good to know, in a pinch, that you can still get some beautifully colored dyed fabric samples without the constant heat and cooking!

 

I also dyed rayon bias ribbon, cotton Cluny Lace and bobbins of cotton embroidery floss, pictured above. What a yummy bounty of warm and cool pinks and rose blushes. I am thrilled with the range of colors from both my batches of fabrics and fibers.

Can’t wait to incorporate these goodies in sewing and stitching projects!

What kinds of colorful makes are you creating these cold winter days?!