Dyeing with Blackberries. The blackberries growing in and around my garden are now way past their prime with all the heat we had last week. They are far too overripe for eating and preserving. Seeing that it seemed like such a waste I decided to go out the other day and pick all that was left. Extremely berry stained fingers later, I ended up with enough berries to dye 4 ounces of wool and one silk scarf and even freeze some for later use. I had previously applied an alum mordant to both the wool yarn and the scarf.
To make the dye, I first mashed up the berries before adding them to my pot of water. I then added my wet fibers to the dye bath and turned the heat on slowly. As you can see the silk scarf really took up the color of the blackberries. All in all, I am very pleased with the results I achieved and will definitely be using blackberries to dye with again. If you try this out yourself be sure to let me know (or better yet send me a picture!) Tagged as: Blackberries, Natural Dyes. 404 Error - Page Not Found. Make fabric prints with tape. I'm still on that tape kick. I have a deep love for anything self-adhesive; peeling and sticking are two of my all-time favorite activities. So I tried an experiment with painter's tape to make a pattern on fabric.
You'll need: fabric, a measuring tape or yardstick, scissors, masking or painter's tape, fabric paint (I like Jacquard Textile Color), a foam brush, a protective surface of some kind, and any sewing supplies you'll need to turn the painted fabric into something. I decided to make simple envelope pillow cover. To prepare your fabric, cut out a piece a few inches larger than the total amount you'll need for your project. With painter's tape, make a pattern on your fabric. Place the taped-up fabric on a plastic tablecloth or other protective surface.
Let the fabric dry, then pull off the tape pieces. Then sew the fabric into something nice. Stencil with freezer paper (harry potter tee) Yes, I am a nerd. I came up with a brilliant idea for a Harry Potter t-shirt and I couldn't resist. "Expecto Patronum! " However, you can make whatever kind of design you want with a freezer paper stencil. It doesn't have to be Harry Potter related.
(Although it would be awesome if it was.) I learned about the joys of freezer paper back in my early college days. Basically, freezer paper is backed with a plastic coating that will stick to soft surfaces when ironed, but it peels off cleanly and easily. To make a sweet t-shirt you will need: paper & pencil a t-shirt an iron a piece of cardboard or poster board fabric paint & brush Start by drawing your design on some regular old paper. My design kept getting bigger, so I taped two sheets together. Next, place your design underneath a sheet of freezer paper and trace it neatly with a sharpie. The marker gives your lines greater width making it easier to cut them out and paint them in later. Important: Set these shapes aside. Sun Printing 2 | Bloom, Bake & Create. Last summer I had so much fun with sun printing. If you’ve not read my project from last summer, check it out here . I liked those pieces, but wanted more vibrant color so I headed off to Blick’s to buy some Seta Color Transparent paints.
There, I sat on the floor trying to decide on a trio of colors. I was looking to break out of my usual mauve and teal colors and ended with three colors: Buttercup, Emerald Green, and Pernod Yellow. On my first attempt I realized that the Pernod Yellow pretty much disappears so I didn’t need to waste it on this project. Let’s get started! Wash fabric that is at least 50% cotton. Next lay fabric on a board either covered with plastic or a garbage bag. Mix 2 parts water to 1 part paint in a jar.
Watered down paints ready to play Spray the fabric with water until it is wet. Spray fabric with water Once it’s completely wet, start painting. Painted fabric Now to add masks. Ferns added to fabric Then it’s off to the outside in the sun. Fabric in the sun That’s it. Fabric Stenciling. I had a bunch of leftover fabric pieces, so i decided to try my luck in fabric stenciling! Here is a step-by-step tutorial for the bloody beginners (like me!). Choose your fabric wisely. Make sure it does not have a stain resistant finish.
Pre-wash your fabric, do not use fabric softener. Draw or print your design on paper and transfer it to Acetat or in my cheaper (!) Case cartboard. Cut out your stencil with an Exacto™ blade. Apply the color to the stamp/stencil. Apply the paint with a gentle pounding motion, holding the brush straight up and down. After 24 hours, iron your fabric on the back to set the color, using the hottest possible setting. How did your designs turn out? Linked with Tip Junkie & Made by You Monday //xoxo, Sibylle// Bird Pillow Cover by Running With Scissors. I'm honored and excited to be the creative guest this week. Kind of nervous too. I'm Jessica and my blog is called Running With Scissors. I chose to share a project that includes a lot of different elements that reflect a lot of what I love right now; sewing, freezer paper stenciling, applique, and more recently decor as we bought our first house and I've been working on furnishing/ decorating it.
My blog has recently been more decor oriented, with some furniture building/ makeovers, and lots of thrift store remodels. My favorite projects are usually ones that take junk and transform them into something great, all for the least amount of money possible. I'm a stay at home mom to a toddler son, and wife to a hard working husband. I do have a little etsy shop, but lately it's been pathetic and totally empty. So on with my tutorial for today. Many different ideas combined to inspire this pillow. Here are a few: The pillows you can purchase here for $124 to $135. -main fabric (1/2 yard) 1. 2. How to Block Print Fabric. I showed y’all My New Backyard and promised some tutorials.
One thing I did was to block print some fabric with a chevron pattern. I couldn’t find a fabric I liked to cover the cushion with, I wanted a linen with a sort of handmade feel to it. So I block printed my own. Then I sewed it into a cushion cover (using the exact same method as I did in my tutorial on sewing a crib sheet, with the measurements adjusted to the measurements of the seat cushion). I’m really happy with the way it turned out. First you’ll need a few supplies. For around $5 (depending on the size) or any art supply store in a variety of sizes. . And you’ll need some fabric. So first things first, determine your design. Then you’ll need some ink. Which is for fabrics (and paper). Squeeze a small amount of ink into your tray.
Use your roller to evenly distribute it. Use the roller to roll the ink onto your block: Go back and forth a few times to distribute it as evenly as possible: That’s just what i wanted! Continue… It's been a hard day's night - IMAGE REPRODUCTION TECHNIQUES. Spray painted slipcovers...boy edition. It's my turn to be a part of celebrate the boy month! I'm excited to show a little of what i've been working on for that.this year i decided to finally start tackling my boys' room. i knew i didn't want too much in their room for decoration, i believe a boy's room should be a little more on the plain side, but i wanted their room to represent them. and if there's anything that represents my boys, it's clone troopers. but because i'm their mother and i like comical things i also bought this poster to go in their room as well. and because my husband has the same sense of humor i do, i constantly have to hear him say "that poster would sure look great in my office.
" i think i may get him one for father's day, or i may just have to come up with some other art for that wall and finally quiet him down by giving it to him. a woman can only take so much you know? Lets get on with the tutorial: things you will need:one pillow (mine is standard 16 by 16 inches) Quilter's Freezer Paper Sheets. Bloom, Bake & Create » Blog Archive » Ice Fabric Dyeing. Did you say you don’t have snow and want to do some dyeing? Well, before I put up my dyeing stuff, I thought I’d try one more type of dyeing – ice dyeing. For those of us who don’t have snow or would like to try this in the summer, this is an alternative. Please read my getting started and my fabric dye precautions posts before attempting this or any fabric reactive dye project.
Since Judi had suggested I set my fabric up out of the dye, I tried that this time. I set a metal rack on top of cat food cans which I put into my dyeing container. I then folded my material and placed it on top of the rack. Folded fabric on rack I topped the fabric with ice cubes. Ice cubes on top of fabric I then sprinkled dye powder over the snow. Green, Raspberry and Yellow Dyes over ice cubes Follow procedures as other dyeing. After 24 hours Now to rinse, wash and dry. And this is what I got from this ice dyeing. Finished Ice Dyed Fabric I am so pleased with this piece. Polka Dot Cottage: Breezy Ombré Tank Top. Posted June 25th, 2010 by Lisa I discovered last year that I really liked cotton lawn fabric for summer – it’s so lightweight and breathable.
The only problem is that it’s hard to find inexpensively. Enter Dharma Trading Company and their nice selection of unprinted fabrics. Plain white cotton lawn can be had for a fraction of the cost of the printed varieties, plus you have the extra fun of embellishing it with your own designs. One look I enjoy is the “ombré” look, which essentially involves a gradation of color from top to bottom. I recently sewed and dyed a Summer top for myself, and while it didn’t come out exactly as planned, I’ve decided that’s more a result of the color I chose, than of the process itself.
Tools and Materials Directions Sewing the Shirt You can either use a pattern you already own, trace a favorite tank top to make your own pattern (as I did) or follow an online tutorial (this is a nice, easy one from Belle Epoch). Preparing the Dye Bath Put on the rubber gloves.