Back in the Dye Pots

For some unknown reason this past week was one where I wanted to play with my dyes and of course since I mixed colors, not really paying attention to what I mixed, I'm just naming the results the way I see them LOL I started off the first pic with wrapping some of my DMC #30 white Cordonnet around an empty toilet paper roll and after soaking it I used the droppers with bright red and goldenrod dyes for a "new" butterfly tatting thread color. Now I have to wind the thread onto the plastic DMC floss holders. After I set that aside to dry I used the combination of bright red and golden rod for the rest of the pieces. I did use some olive to paint a bit on the basket and added more of the bright red with the paint brush. I'm not too happy with this basket and it does look better in "real" life. The fans look more peachy and I wish I had dyed some silk ribbon that color (sigh).

For this "roll" of crochet thread I used goldenrod and brown and I've started winding this on the floss holders. It dried to a beautiful honey color. Although the silk ribbon looks yellow here it is really a very light honey color. All of these items were white but as you can see they did not all dye with the same intensity. That is one of the things that amazes me when I play with the dyes. How can they all go in the same and come out different?????

I'm going to have to stop using so much red on the flower baskets LOL With the exception of the second lace from the top all of these items were white. The lace exception was ecru cluny cotton and the cluny laces take the dyes so differently from the other cotton laces. The flower on the bottom right was also painted with the goldenrod for an additional effect. With the exception of the two pieces in the bottom of this group I'm calling this color - sandy peach! It is a very lucious color!

Boy, did I have fun with this next group! First of all the top piece of lace went through multiple dye baths and I just wasn't happy with any of them so as a last resort I put it in with these pieces. It started out as an ecru lace, went through a green, a bluegreen, and another (forgot which one next) dye bath .... it is now a soft mauve and I've decided to leave it. Some things just don't work LOL The second lace is a nylon lace because it didn't want to take the dye at all but finally accepted enough to give a tint of color. Everything else did just fine. For the angel I did paint a touch of blue on her dress just so she wouldn't be a "plain jane".

In my last post I mentioned that some of the pieces that came out in the mint coloration I wasn't too happy with ..... well this next group were those pieces. With the exception of the peacock I added some olive to the green and redid them with very happy results. The peacock I left alone and just painted it.

I just can't seem to get away from green (sigh). All of these pieces went through the same dye bath but as you can see with varying results. Susan do you recognize these lace pieces? I am very, very happy with these results. Some of the pieces in these groups will definitely find their way onto my Season to Season Summer swap for the CQ4Newbies square for which I'm auditioning fabrics.

AHA! another piece of fabric thrown to the dye pots! Originally ecru Aida, it went through the lime green dye bath and then I painted some bright red and goldenrod for a tie-dyed concept. Not sure how I'm going to use this ..... probably some more stitches for my cq journal.

This completed square is a "homework" assignment. Not really, but that is what I'll call it. With the exception of the ribbon in the upper right corner, ALL the seam treatments are some of the "results" of my stitch journal and were taken fully from Carole Samples' Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches. I'm looking forward to learning more to add to other pieced squares.

Usually I begin my posts with tatting but this time I'll close with some more tatted butterflies. The thread I used here isPearl Crown Rayon from YLI and is a machine embroidery thread. It is really a tricky thread for tatting but the primary colors were what I was looking for. I purchased several different varigated color spools and have plans to use these threads also for embroidery on my cq squares.

I can't believe I posted two weeks running! Don't expect anything next week .... tat's all folks!!!!!!!!