The snow that fell on Saturday last has been joined by a lot more over the last week and consequently yours truly hasn't been very far. It's amazing how many basic food supplies you can order off the milkman to have delivered to your door and how little you can spend when you don't go to the supermarket! It's also amazing how the milkman can brave freezing temperatures in the middle of the night to get the milk to your doorstep while the postman finds it impossible to walk up your street to deliver the post! We've had no post all week and I'm waiting for stuff!
Anyway, enough ranting! When the skies send you snow, break out the dyes! I have to confess that my quick foray into snow dyeing this week didn't turn out quite as I intended. I was aiming for browns, oranges and blues from the dyes I chose only to find I'd grabbed golden yellow instead of an orange so yet again I've got greens! Duh!
I made a few deliberate errors, as ever, and some areas of the cloth ended up sitting in the thawed out snow/dye which gave a solid colour but these areas are the best. I used Golden Yellow, Turquoise and Aquamarine. Not that I want any more snow but if we get some later in the winter I shall have another go with orange and indigo and see what that gives me.
There has been a lot of discussion on the Contemporary Quilt Group Yahoo site on the subject of snow dyeing. I did mine by soda soaking my fabric for about half an hour. I then wrung the excess out and put it crumpled up on top of upturned foil dishes in a large bowl. I heaped snow on top and then poured on the three dye solutions (one tsp dye powder mixed with 100mls tepid water) using a teaspoon to distribute the colour/sprinkle the dye on. The bowl was left outside for a few hours but as it was still freezing out there I brought the bowl into the conservatory until bedtime when I judged that enough dye had percolated down, removed the snow and put the fabric into a plastic bag and put the whole thing into a warmish room overnight. Having then decided that the kitchen wasn't really that warm I put the bowl up against the radiator for a few more hours and then rinsed like a loony and did a final quick wash in the machine. The beauty of the fabric was revealed when I ironed it. My method is definitely of the hit and miss variety and not the scientific variety. I'm amazed it works! The main thing is not to let the fabric sit in puddles of dye or you'll get solid colour.
You can find more posts on snow dyeing if you click the label at the end of this post.
It's snowing again as I type and guess whose DH is going to be walking home from a 'boys night out' later on? It takes all sorts............. :-) Just hope he doesn't fall over! Keep warm and safe if you have snow and ice.
16 comments:
I wish we could still have the milkman here. But no such thing anymore. But the post always gets delivered. I love your blues and greens, my favorites along with orange too! Fun technique, I like the chance result. xox Corrine
Superbe ces tissus. J'avais fait quelques essais l'année dernière, c'est toujours surprenant de découvrir les différentes nuances de teinture déposées par la neige en fondant. Ici aussi, beaucoup de neige et de froid ! Bon week end.
Must try this! Pleased you are surviving the cold - hope mum is too. x
Looks good - would be snow dyeing too if I didn't have flu - and a small leak in the roof on the upstairs landing (I think it's melting snow which is piled up on the roof but I don't think anyone's going on roofs in this weather so not much can be done about it....so I REALLY want the snow to end! Love S
That's seems funny you're busy snow dying and I'm making sun prints. Mother nature working at her best.
I am in hermit mode right now - a good place to be! lol!
Love your mistakes! Meant to comment on your K&S post, drooled all thru it & was called away ;)Are you enjoying art cloth? it's on my Christmas list! One 'workshop' I did get round to doing was from an article in Quilting Arts by Julia Capara using layers & organza. I'd love to have seen her work, but she has left behind so much wonderful information.
Love the colours you've come up with. We don't have a milkman but the Co-op isn't far away!
We had quite a lot of rain overnight so it is slightly milder here. More frost tonight though. I have never tried snow dyeing - love the results you got. Hope your husband got home safely - they don't let us out on our own, late a night!!
Well you all got snow before the rest of us!! SO glad that you got some snow dyeing in!!!! Love Love your new banner!!!!
Happy Holiday Hugs!!
We've got enough snow outside right now - so I could try it ... Your results are tempting, the fabrics are really wonderful! Hmmm ... that means I've found a reason why I should hope that this snow stays for a while ;-)) Stay warm !!! Take care, Frauke (typing in front of the stove ...)
We saw on the news last night just how covered in snow the British Isles are! Wow. Although I love to watch snow fall and see it on the ground for a day, I don't miss having to drive in it or deal with the cold or anything else. Glad at least the milkman is making it through. Your fabric looks very pretty even if it didn't come out with the expected colors.
I love your new masthead, very pretty!
I still havent used what I did in feb this year when I tried it, but I love your results. Mine werent nearly as good, but I made the mistake of laying my fabrics out flat in cat litter trays ( very clean ones honest!)
Couldnt bring myself to face the cold again twice in one year but may do more after xmas if we have the blessed stuff again!
I hope Stewart found his way home in the snow. We head home tomorrow and will find snow when we get there. Since we didn't think about the possibility that winter would attack with a vengeance while we were gone, I have a sweater and a windbreaker.
Hello Julie,
had to laugh out loud reading your ponderings about the postman and the milkman - it's absolutely the same here! I figure this difference in service-mindedness is simply the question of public and private economy ...
The snow-dyeing sounds very exciting, Julie - as soon as things get a bit calmed down here (= after X-mas ;-)...), I think I'll try that out - there's no lack of snow here either!
And your new blog design is great!
Good to hear/read that you mum is OK and that you're getting a bit of time for your own work as well!
Post a Comment