The Big Dye Day!

My lace friend Sally and I got together today to play with thread, ribbon, fabric and dye. I was amazed at how fast the time went. I thought I'd get photos while we were playing but I was way too engrossed to bother!

You've seen most of these as I tatted along the way but there might be a few new ones. I grabbed some bits and pieces from my "fail tin" and my shuttle endings that were in white.

Don't you like the stark black and white contrast here? I will admit I was getting very tired of tatting in white and thought I didn't have enough, but I did. I was still using up the last bits when the end of the 4th hour rolled around!

Here's the encased results. I didn't wait too long to rinse out the first ones I dyed. I knew it had been hours since they were colored.

DRUM ROLL!!!!!

TA-DA!!!! Full, Living Technicolor!!!!

I'm still rinsing and blocking in small batches. I need to be able to match up the lace with the baggie it came home in because that's where I recorded the colors used. It reminded me of playing with watercolors. The colors tend to float and blend in unexpected ways. I learned to stand up the cylinder that I wrapped lace around so that the same colors would run down the same path instead of a different color path but I have some that did that too.

The little butterfly on the left was my very first attempt. I didn't know how much the dye would bleed into other parts. The colors aren't as symmetrically divided as I had them in my head, but it didn't turn out too badly. I didn't premix colors except in one case much later and that was for fabric. Everything was painted on with a stencil brush or foam brush. There were some small pieces that I dipped but very few of those.

I love how that cross turned out! I think I used golden brown, which was very light, all over and then nutmeg in the center. Then I added lemon on the outer edges and it made it literally glow!

I had hoped to tat more of the sunflower like medallions before today but it's okay because we already KNOW we're going to do this again so I'll tat more for later. I had a project in mind, that also involved yo-yo's. It was also an experiment. One is tatted in Lizbeth and one is tatted in DMC cordonnet, both in size 20. I'll just leave it at that for now. I might have more to say later, when some other pieces are rinsed and dried.

The greenish butterfly seems a little drab with all that bright color around it but on its own, it really is very pleasing and will look good in the right color environment. The little fragment flowers from Konior's book were unexpectedly pretty. I'm clueless about what to do with them but something will come to me.

The simple ring and chain edging was wrapped around a saran-wrap covered straw. I laid it down on its side thinking I would paint a length, turn, paint another length, turn, etc. this is where I learned that wasn't a good idea for the way I expected it to turn out. It did provide a sort of "confetti" look though. I notice it's paler at one end compared to the other. I suspect when I stood it up, much of the color ran DOWN before I finished wrapping it for transport.

Here's a sneak preview at what is on the blocking board right now. I still have another batch waiting to be rinsed and blocked but these are probably all the major pieces.

I realllllllly like the way the hen and chicks edging turned out! I knew I would though I didn't know what color combinations I would use until I was ready for it. There is a very good chance I will tat another yard to dye in a different colorway next time.

I have more comments on the colors I used for these but I'll fill you in on that tomorrow. For now, I think I'll go fix a very late dinner.