I must be more patient....

Last week I added a good metre or so of silk to this jar of eucalyptus dye along with a few onion skins squashed in between. The silk had previously been experimented with a 'compost dye' technique where the fibre is wetted then dye stuffs (i.e. leaves, petals, vegetable skins etc) are folded in with the fabric and left in a tied plastic bag to do as they please.
Unfortunately, I was very inpatient and opened it only after a week or so and therefore not a lot had happened! So, now I know I must be more patient!

The silk has now been soaking for 7 days sitting on a sunny window sill which can be called 'Solar Dying' but I don't think it has been warm or sunny enough. I am thinking of releasing it from the jar to heat in a pan for an hour then straining the liquid and returning the fabric to the jar with some addition findings....

I will post the results in a week or two...depending on how long i can wait!

Guess who !

She just has to be in everything :)

Experimenting...

Yesterday I decided that I would make time, I have been trying to make time for the past few weeks mind, to conduct some fresh colour tests for future dye projects.

I wanted to start basic with what I know best - Eucalyptus dyes. I used a secondry dye that had been brewed a few weeks a ago and stored, and began by warming it gently. I then cut up several sample pieces of silk and threw them all in the pot (below) and set the timer rolling.

(Please note that the flash was used and therefore the liquid dye was not quite as bright as this photograph is showing!)

The silk swatches were removed every 15 minutes. There were 5 batches of swatches so the longest time soaked totalled 75 minutes. The results for solely Eucalyptus dyed swatches can be seen below with the various times marked.

The remaining swatches were then divided into three ready for their next stage of experimentation, which was to add them to colour modifiers to see if any changes would occur.

The modifiers I had prepared were a Soda Water Modifier, a Vinegar Water Modifier and a Iron Water Modifier as below...

(All three modifiers were prepared by me, but the Iron Water is marked as home made as this was solely prepared from re-claimed rusty nails rather than a powder bought solution.)

The next step was to prepare all the various water modifiers to all the individually timed swatches. So out came the plastic cups. Each were marked as to what their contents would be, then a teaspoon of the specific modifier was added along side half a cup of cold tap water.

The swatches were then added and photographed after 15 minutes to record any changes...

Already at 15 minutes soaking time I could begin to see colour changes.

Then they were photographed at 30 minutes....

Then again at 45 minutes...

And finally at 60 minutes....

It is clear from the photographs that a lot of the colour changes occur within the first 30 minutes of being added to the colour modifier.

The swatches were then chopped in half, leaving one half in the pots to soak for a further hour with an additional teaspoon of modifier.

The results from both tests were then recorded beside each other to compare for additional changes and to store for future records and dyeing times.

Soda Water Modifier Results

Vinegar Water Modifier

Iron Water Modifier

And that is just a few tests from one leaf source! I have plans to test a lot of different plants and flowers, and hopefully it won't be too long before I find the time again!

I hope you have enjoyed this post and found it quite interesting, would love to know your thoughts.

Spring is Springing !!

At last it's time where we can all start to shread the chunky winter knits, well maybe only to some finer choice knits for now, and start to embrace the outdoors and colourful delights on offer once again!

Yes it's spring time and that welcomer of spring is starting to pop up across the country in beautiful bright glory, shouting 'hello it's me' ! I am of course talking about the daffodil. I really enjoy it when it makes it's appearance and start to look forward to longer, warmer and, hopefully, sunnier days ahead.

So today I have been browsing around Folksy looking for all things Daffodil, and here is just a small choice of whats on offer....

Bright felted Daffodil brooch from Sue2

A set of three note/Easter cards from Pollyhogg Photography & Design

Beautifully beaded Daffs from Fleurs de Perles

Free hand embroidered cushion from Maxemilia

You can find many many more Daffodil treasures at Folksy.

Soaps For Mum...

Today was Mothers Day and although I could'nt be with my mum today I was very much thinking about how great she is :)

All mum's are fantastic but your own is always the most precious isn't she. It's fair to say that my mum is my best friend, my rock... and font of all knowledge!!! Hopefully she knows this already x

I treated my mum to a lucious soap cup cake surprise from fellow Folksy seller Soap Aroma, who makes delicious, good enough to eat, handmade soaps. I choose to send my mum a box of four muffin soaps topped with sprinkly delights....

Lissi's Long Apricot Silk Scaf has been featured in an Etsy Treasury by Simply Inviting.



Please take a look as my computer doesn't seem to want to save the screen page right now!

Stocking up on Etsy

After joining Etsy last year I have finally decided that I am going to give it a go and list some items in my shop there.

I find Etsy is very vast and extremely hard to get noticed but i'm trying! I have listed 5 items so far, and intend to stagger listings, as I am with my Folksy shop now, in the hope that one of my products will be floating about in the early pages of searches etc.

I have also been spreading the link love with my Etsy shop included but as yet I still have only 1 person who hearts my shop :( It is still early days but would love some support if anybody would like to heart me and of course I will always reciprocate and spread the word :)

Visit Lissi on Etsy here www.etsy.com/shop/lissionetsy

She just can't help herself!

Yes, another pan delivered and 'Nosey Rosie' is back again!!

She really likes to be involved in everything thats going on it seems....though she is clever enough to know when not to step into the pans too, instead she prefers to climb the cupboards and sniff from above.... She needs to get out more!