it's a good day to dye

Experimental dyeing with tansy:

They're not quite dry and still a little blotchy.

I think I'm most excited about two in the middle, especially the lemon-yellow linen with an alum mordant and tin afterdip (third from left at the top), and the dark gray (looks black in the photo) cotton jersey with alum and an iron afterdip (fourth from the left at the top). Note to self: Iron darkens everything and tin brightens everything.

Also, the cotton jersey took the dye surprisingly well. I've always heard that cotton doesn't take natural dyes well at all, and my first dyeing experiments with your standard white Gildan t-shirts didn't really work...but this is Alabama Chanin jersey, so maybe the fact that it's organic had something to do with it. (It is awfully soft.)

I actually love the dark gray so much that I'm dyeing up an AC remnant with the tansy/iron mix right now. I hope there's enough to make a t-shirt.

Also, I'm messing around with swatches in part to prepare for a natural dyeing workshop I'm giving at the Peabody Essex Museum in January or February. Super-excited about that -- it's for all ages, and if I can get little kids (and their parents) excited about plants and/or textiles, I'll be happy.

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completed: Alabama Chanin fitted dress

Yeah, I can't believe I'm saying that either! It's going to be a long post, so here we go. Design choices Size and alterations: Straight size medium, with neckline raised a few inches and made into a scoop neck; the original v-neck is really deep Fabric and thread: Alabama Chanin medium-weight cotton jersey — top layer in Sand, bottom layer in Dark Grey (only Dark Grey is currently available on their site) — and red craft/button thread Stencil: Anna's Garden Paint: Tulip fabric paint in Black, watered down and applied with an airbrush Embellishment: Outside reverse applique -- in which you stitch slightly outside each shape and then cut out the shape exactly on the lines Stitch type: Straight stitch for outlining and construction, Cretan stitch for binding Here's how it looks on me: Hanging up: I picked the color scheme after seeing it in a sample book at the two-hour workshop in New York last year. (Hig...

finished: Alabama Chanin Classic Jacket

Hi! Lots going on around here lately. Thing One: I bought a new sewing machine! This is my new Bernina 480 , purchased from Sew Creative in Beverly, which recently closed. Sorry I don't have a better picture. I love this thing—it's fancy! I'm still learning my way around it. Thing Two: I was supposed to have another article in Vogue Patterns Magazine, but it folded! Bummer. It's on lighting for sewists, and if you want a copy, feel free to contact me on le social and I'll send it to you. I interviewed the gadget person from the Carroll Center for the Blind, and he recommended a lot of great stuff. (Really going to miss Vogue Patterns—it was my favorite sewing magazine! RIP.) And finally, Thing Three: I completed an Alabama Chanin Classic Jacket, from their Sewing Patterns book. The backstory is that I really wanted a nice reversible travel jacket in nice AC organic cotton for an upcoming trip to Japan. (This is after ordering an expensive travel hood...

complete: Nani Iro pocket dress

I made a dress! With the new sewing machine! Wheee! And not to bury the lede, but: We went to Japan for two weeks, and I completely fell in love with the clothing—especially Nani IRO and their amazing fabrics. I'm hooked. We tracked down the atelier in Osaka. ( Here's my review on PR .) They wouldn't let me take photos of the shop but said it was OK to take pictures of the fabrics. Lots of linen, cotton gauze and sateen in bright colors, as well as buttons and notions, an archive (I wasn't sure if it was possible to buy any of the archived fabrics), and jewelry. I bought some lovely blue linen with an asymmetrical print: And the book—the English translation had just been released. And it was signed! (I have a picture, can't seem to post it, sry.) So anyway. I couldn't stop reading the book—you know when you get really really obsessed with a pattern book? Like that. As soon as I got home, I decided to try out the pocket dress. Here'...

duck bucket sewing

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