Wednesday, July 14, 2010

I've been Dyeing


I have been have so much fun with my crock pot dyeing and some new (to me) dyes the last couple days. It's a good thing I've got lots of white BFL/Shetland combed top on hand!

Last week I used my old pre-mixed Lanaset dyes for some resist dyeing and I wasn't happy with the lack of intensity of some colors.  Those dyes have been premixed in the cupboard for months, actually probably a over a year.  I will cut up the scarf above and make some smaller embellished pieces with the felt.  That's the cool thing about felt, you can always figure out something to do with it. 


This is a little neck warmer I made in Chad Alice Hagen's class at the Midwest Felting Sympoisum last year.  I think it looks good on my new head.  I'm going to have to set up a background someday.



Anyway, I was thinking it was time to order more dyes.  Especially blue and green.  Then over the weekend I touched base again with a gal who is dealing with health issues and can't do her quilting anymore.  She asked if I could use some Procion dyes and I said sure!  Well I didn't know she was going to gift me with her whole dye kitchen! 



There were jars, sponges, gloves, measuring cups and spoons, face masks, wooden stir sticks and even an apron. Oh, I forgot to mention the dyes and the books on dyeing fabric, the salts and water softener.  I've got lots to studying to do when things settle down around here.

Dorothy, if you're reading this, THANK YOU SO MUCH!



I'm loving the three packets of fabric dye for use in the crock pot. Dorothy had three primary colors and with them I can make just about any color. Here you can see a blend of the red and the turquoise (which is really a blue color).

Below is a purse and matching coin purse that I finally got felted today. I plan to add lining and I think I'll snazz up the flap on the little coin purse. Lots to do before this weekend's festival.

Looking forward to cooler weather.  We got 180 bales so far off the hayfield. I hope there's a least another 300 bales left in the rest of the field.

Oh, the pond is getting more water in it and the corn is looking good.

5 comments:

  1. Life marches on, doesn't it! Never a dull moment when you live on a farm.

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  2. The dark purple in the 1st picture on the bottom rack is just gorgeous.

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  3. Wow! Look at your land, Becky! I remember when you were first thinking about buying it. Now it's got crops and a barn and a POND. Awesome.

    I love the felted clutch and coin purse. You could just hang a sheet up to use as a backdrop for your head manikin. The hat & neckwarmer look great!

    You're getting to be quite the production felter!

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  4. Kelly, thanks for the tip. Now I know what to use for my special little knitting project. ;-)
    Thanks for the tips Nancy, hopefully I will get my space organized some day, right now it's all in my kitchen - what a mess! But a fun mess.
    Oh yeah, it's not our corn, it's our hay guy's corn. But we get all the hay in the other field in return for him getting the corn. I want to reseed that field to orchard grass and everyone said we should put corn in for a year before we plant the orchard grass. Someday we should have good hay coming off our land. I hate the Timothy hay, because the seedheads get in the fleeces.
    I don't know why we didn't put a pond in years ago, it wasn't expensive and it sure is holding the water. I'm hoping we can get some cattle over there in the future to make use of that 20 acres of pasture. If only my sheep could be over there! But I'd need multiple LGD's for that, it's probably cheaper to just go with cattle.
    I can't wait to get my felting machine, I think it ships out today. :-)

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  5. What good fortune to receive the dyeing supplies! Looks like you have been very busy making pretty items. How fun!

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Getting ready for Christmas Markets!

  I'll be doing two Christmas markets this year. The first one is at Sapsucker Farms in Brook Park, MN Nov. 18-19th. And the second one ...