Author: Amelia Hoskins

02 Dec

Garments Available

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Dressing Gown, Jacket, Skirt / / 0 Comments

HANDMADE ORIGINAL CLOTHES - A variety of leisure, fun and decorative ladies' patchwork.

Aldebaran

Uniquely shaped, with deep kimono styled sleeves and collar extended to hem.

Red-Pink-Black-Cream patchworks.  Knee length with lace-up adjustable front to adapt bust size.

Shamanic Nights ETSY Shop

Purple Shimmers

Kimono styled below knee dress, (same style cut as dress Aldebaran) in panels of purples, navy and floral prints.  Close fitted back top, with skirt section gathered slightly below bust into high waist.

Unique adjustable front lacing.  Front lower skirt stitched closed but can be reopened to customer's preference for open lower dress below lace-up.

Shamanic Nights ETSY Shop

Cappuccino

Two dresses in coffee/cream/black patchwork: multi styled with stretch cotton bandeau top which performs dually as a dress bust hold up, or cummerbund if worn as a skirt.

Two variations: Black lace hem, lined in nylon knit with coffee coloured feature patchwork print 'Love Never Dies'.

White fringed hem version, unlined, no feature coffee patchwork; just cream and black.

Shamanic Nights ETSY Shop

Tropical Parrots

Lose fit large shirt dress in olive green/black/bright pink with parrots print back, and beige green orange passion flowers front printed panel. 

Lined in black viscose shirt with orange flower print: allows dress to be worn in reverse.

[To be added to Etsy shop]

Tasmanian Blues

Robe dress in blue cotton and viscose; below knee, with unique seed pod applique decoration.

Collar is silk painted, on hand dyed gold collar, from maker's eucalyptus bark dye session.

Shamanic Nights ETSY Shop

Nigella Blues

Short sleeved large smock top in same fabrics as Tasmanian Blues robe-dress.

Front buttoned, floral print lined.

Shamanic Nights ETSY Shop

Cherry Fluzzies

Two patchwork panelled dresses with bright cerise knitted buttoned tops.

Two variations:  An A-line knee length; and a flared wide skirt with frilled hem on knee

Both have same knitted top. 

[Add to ETSY]

Hopi Birds  Dress

Adaptation of scarlet red linen skirt, with linen and viscose back panels using Vogue pattern.

Ornate front polyester print patterned applique.  Maker's hand silk painted lower tie-back panels of 'Hopi Birds' on black, and white.

Name derived from abstract bird designs on Hopi pottery.

Shamanic Nights ETSY Shop

Hopi Birds Grey  - Post

Pinafore dress with full silk painted bib front, and panels of thick grey cotton with silk piped

edgings.  Silk painted front panel of 'Hopi Birds', from Hopi potter designs.

Slim fit hips 34-35: model Marian

Shamanic Nights ETSY Shop

 

Butterflies and Pansies

Frivolous tea party dress in pink and maroon silk, with silk (bundle dyed) sleeves, pink-mauve shot taffeta and cotton with pansy print.

Silk painted front panel of nigella seed pod with butterflies and banana leaves.

[Add to ETSY]

[Add to ETSY when sash added]

Kokopelli

Shirt sleeved button fronted smock top dress in grey and lilac, with lower section gathered at bust line.

Lilac/white long striped sleeves have pre-existing turn up tab to elbow.  Muted grey/white viscose rose print front and back. 

Front has large silk painting one side, featuring Kokopelli design from rock carvings.

Shamanic Nights ETSY Shop

Persian Piri Dress

Dress converted from mustard yellow cotton/viscose tunic top, with pink/green abstract print lower frill.  Lace lower frill, sleeves and collar.  Extra long featured two toned pink sash.

Maker's appliqued silk painted panel of 'Piri' figure from Persian illustrations.

[Add to ETSY ?]

[to be added to shop 2021]

11 Nov

Silk dyed with Comfrey leaves

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Bath Processes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

Comfrey leaves give a cream or light beige colour, good for painting on.  Adding iron, gives a dulled greyed mushroom cream.  Comfrey leaves get mushy after boiling.

Alum is a standard means of pre mordanting fabric, to help dye absorption.  Soaking in soya is another.  Alum dissolves in water, before silk is added and soaked for an hour or overnight before dying.

I used this dye session to experiment with shibori: stitching through layers with embroidery skeins, wrapping thread tightly at intersections.  It worked but the result was too pale to notice any difference where the dye resisted.  Iron was added to the dye bath after first pigment had taken up.

Silk looks dark when wet, after iron water added to dye bath, but dried many shades lighter.  Good as a pale mushroom colour.  Shibori stitching was diagonally across weft and warp.  Pale dyes dont give the contrast seen on darker dyes.  I used only cotton thread, which did not resist much dye stuff.  Soya wax could have been brushed on the diagonal lines, to give a slight resist.  Thicker waxed thread ought be tried.

Plain comfrey dyed portion of sample

Darker comfrey + iron dyed section sample

Adding iron to comfrey dye bath turns grey green, and leaving silk submerged longer, results in a very good khaki or green-gold colour.

05 Nov

Tasmanian Blues Robe Dress and Nigella Blues Smock

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Dressing Gown, Robe / / 0 Comments

FEATURES:  Collar is of hand dyed silk, from natural Tasmanian eucalyptus tree bark dye  then painted over.  Silk sample designs see here. [add link]

APPLIQUE DECORATION:  Nigella Seed pod designs from my drawings of dried seed pods in my vegetable garden:  see seed photos on photography site resonant-visions Beige lace has a similarity to the thin casings of the pods as they break down.

AVAILABLE:  Direct from maker £160.00

BLUE Patchworks

Abstract with text print blue/white cotton-viscose.

Feather print navy-white cotton.

Navy blue lace lined on gold.

Stylised flowers blue-gold-navy cotton print.

Gold embroidered cotton.

PLUS :  Gold plant dyed silk. Leopard print blue-black-grey. Chinese Bird of Paradise with gold texture cotton.

Applique - Seed Pods of Nigella 'Love in a Mist'

Robe Dress has applique lace pod dyed in eucalyptus dye bath after the collar piece. Colour took well, which is a guide to fabric content being cotton or silk. Dark centres to seed pod designs are cut from eucalyptus dyed silk (iron modified).  Light centre to pod is from bundle steam died silk with seeds and petals.  Nigella blues has variable on same pod idea.  A motif is a good means to join over a seam (smock left top). Also provides contrast to break up a solid dark or light area.

NIGELLA BLUES Smock Top Dress

When there are enough patches prepared, another garment can be made.  Size and shape was dictated by the blouse used as an underlining, the colours of which were a perfect match, being cream brown and pale blue.  Short sleeves made in dark blue lace.  Coconut buttons with bound buttonholes.  Applique patches again created with eucalyptus dyed lace and bundle dyed silk.  Back hem is drooped lower.

AVAILABLE :  £85.00 - Direct from maker

Nigella Blues Smock – Bound buttonhole sewing – Click to enlarge

Tasmanian Blues MAKING PROCEDURE

16 Sep

Alder Tree Cone Dye

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Bath Processes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

Alder cones in Exeter

Cones form on lower branches of the alder tree, first greenish, changing through to brown by late summer. Usually reachable just above head height.  Often seen laying on grass around the base of the tree, clumped on sprigs.

They have good keeping qualities when box full collected.

Produces a pale earthy beige; very useful for painting on to.

Alder Cone dye result on Habotai silk

15 Sep

Walnut Husks Dyed Silk

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Bath Processes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

Walnut Husks Dye Process

  • Walnut husks were soaked for several days before boiling up and simmering until liquid was very dark brown.
  • Remove husks and decant liquid to bowl.
  • Add wet silk pieces. I used Ahimsa silk.
  • Agitate frequently then soak overnight
  • Silk takes up the brown dye bath quickly but keep turning and agitating occasionally while soaking. (I don't boil Ahimsa silk as it would roughen surface) Soaking is adequate for obtaining a reasonable colour.
  • A secondary dying of another piece of Ahimsa silk produced a lighter shade of the brown.

There is a lot of pigment left in the dye bath which can be stored in jars or used for additional fabrics.  Fill to brim to avoid mould forming. It could also be used to add to jars of cream/gold dyes to strengthen tone.  At this stage it would be good to investigate what might be added to the bath, to change the colour of what pigment is left.  I was tempted to add some madder dyestuff for a dark red (purchased, not foraged), and this remains to be tested.

Silk Samples of Gold Variations

Walnut dyed silk is the darkest obtained so far of the beige and golds range, turning out to be a light coffee brown/bronze colour.  It might have gone darker still on Habotai silk.  The Ahimsa silk used, is cotton-like in feel, thicker, and although absorbs well, slightly slower.

Walnut Tree

Walnuts were found on the ground where they had had been decaying under a walnut tree on Bossington Green, Porlock, North Somerset.

22 Aug

Clothes Treasure Paradigm

Amelia Hoskins / Bespoke garments, Ethical Fashion / / 0 Comments

A mixing of fabrics to create a NEW LOOK.

'Guinevere' dress modelled at Cockington Court Crafts show.  [sold].  The name is suggested by the medieval style influence of the sleeves.

Rachel really liked this dress and was a perfect model for me as she was so happy trying it on.  'Guinevere' is a good example of a new way of designing clothes: a dress with contrasting fabric types, all held together by the coordinating of colours.  A 'treasure paradigm'.  

Lace knit - viscose - acrylic wool knit - polyester - wool-cotton.

 

I started with the navy lace as top piece, cutting the V shape, then adding the fabric frills to lower waist-hip position.

The khaki brown fabric frill and narrow beige frill echo the colours in the lower skirt pieces.  Polyester beige and khaki had identical prints, very subtle.

Skirt tartan was soft fine wool texture.  Beige 'V' inset to centre back and centre front to give more flare, as the original material was a small size.

Navy lace was cut from the same fabric as the top, to give a lace hem.

 

Its a bit wild in formulation, being an unusual mix of fabric types, but later sold in a shop.

 

 

The peplum is longer at the back, to give an elegance over the rear and to utilise the pleats which existed in the skirt it was taken from.

The skirt pieces are sewn up under the first beige peplum.

However skirt pieces became available, after cutting away from their original garment, I allow them to hang as they are, 'handkerchief style'.  When insets are needed, to create flare, I add a coordinating hem, in this case lace as the top; which hols the whole structure together.

I prefer craft show sales where I meet the buyer; when it creates a relationship between the maker's effort and the end user.  Its always nice to see the buyer in the garment.

21 Aug

Logwood Dyed Silk

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Bath Processes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

Experimental shibori and batik on Logwood dyed silk - 1st Trial

Logwood (in bought dried form) was found to easily produce a very deep violet dye on Ahimsa silk.  Note: Less dye stuff would produce lilac and mauves.  Shibori stitching outlining butterfly showed clearly in white where dye penetration was resisted.

Batik wax originally painted on the silk was overcome by dye, remaining strong aubergine.  To create a contrast to bring out shapes, I outlined in transparent gutta the shapes intended in the design (to be coloured). I used craft 'fabric bleach' to brush on some areas, such as banana leaves.  A second steaming produced the intended shapes in a lighter aubergine, which would be interesting to explore further.

Colour added to simple images copied from a textile, as experiment.  This piece was unfortunately burnt in steaming (water pot went dry), and was cut into strips and used in another garment.

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2nd Batik Experiment

Double stitched outlines of images, as shibori test.  Batik wax painted quite heavily onto ahimsa silk, with daubing stiff paint brush, to create a cellular texture.  The shibori threads were pulled tight before dying.  Washing out, the wax had held.  Ironed over wax several times with strong brown paper to absorb wax, then rubbing off the bees wax in warm soapy water.  Texture remained to start painting on.

2nd Trial result produced a pleasant textured background to overpaint on.  Fabrics were chosen to coordinate, and use as a colour guide.

Rectangular design was a simple test with the batik, creating a usable textured background to over painting with brighter colours.  This rectangle was used in a dress Butterflies and Pansies  panel front.  Flowers were also embroidered.

21 Aug

Mullein Dyed Silk

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Bath Processes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

Mullein gold colour is not from the flowers, but the LEAVES.

Soak before, and simmer mullein leaves to release colour



Boiled leaves removed. Silk added to brown dye.



Ahimsa Silk absorbs mullein leaf dye well. It dries much lighter than it first appears.



The longer silk is left in a strong dye bath the more colour it may absorb, for a stronger and deeper colour.  This looked dark, and I washed it out, but it could have been darker if left over night.  A small piece of silk will not be able to absorb all the dye, so a secondary piece can be added later.

I may not have used a mordant (such as alum), as colour dried light gold beige.  A good neutral background for painting on.

Many plants produce a dye for cream, beige, or gold;  which is very useful background for silk painting on, rather than stark white. Intensity varies.  More antique tone can be achieved by adding ferrous water to the dye bath. (iron - made from rusty nail water). Other metals could be experimented with.  Copper will have an effect.  Making the dye bath in copper pan has an effect.

14 Aug

St-Johns Wort Plant Collecting and Dye Bath

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Bath Processes, Dyes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

Foraging along the Tarka Trail

Yellow Flowers of St. John's Wort are found along grass verges. Many changed to orange seed buds, which helps identify them from other yellow flowers and which may be attributable to the golden colour result.

Collecting Dye Plants (St. Johns Wort in basket) along a decommissioned rail track Barnstaple to Bideford: my 10 mile foraging route using Jenny Dean's plant spotter book.   Late summer finds many of the traditional dye plants along grass verges.

St Johns Wort - Dye Bath Process

  • Soak flower tops and seed buds overnight in rain water. I use pond water.
  • Boil up and simmer for an hour. Press fibres with potato masher. Remove from vessel.
  • When cool enough not to roughen silk, add and soak silk, stirring occasionally.
  • Colour appears soon, but leave overnight to absorb dye colour fully.
  • First silk takes most dye pigment.

1st Woad Dye Session

2nd Woad Dye Session

  • Most pigment its taken up with 1st session, but there is always some left.  Remove 1st silk piece.
  • Add dyestuff again and heat and simmer dye bath for 15 mins.
  • When cooler than hand hot, add 2nd piece of silk and leave overnight, to absorb all dye pigment.
  • Second soak actually used up remainder of dye pigment leaving water clear, with paler silk result.

3rd Dye Session- Iron Modifier

Use remaining dye liquid to add iron (ferrous sulphate) for a greyer or greener result.  Colour mix is involved: cream dyes will turn pale grey, the stronger orangey St. John's Wort dye produced green-grey. Other dye baths may produce a pale grey/dull brown results.  Iron can be added by a little rusty water, made by soaking rusty nails in a jar. Small amount needed to tip the colour. Avoid using too much as iron can weaken silk fibres.

Hand Dyed Silk Samples

  • LEFT:     Rosemary - St. Johns Wort Light/St. Johns Wort strong gold - Comfrey Light - Comfrey Dark
  • RIGHT:  Top left St. Johns Wort gold, Green/St. Johns Wort iron modified contrasting with the other natural dye results.
09 Aug

Robes First Designs

Amelia Hoskins / Bespoke garments, Dressing Gown, Robe / / 0 Comments

Original robe designs in cotton, linen, viscose, silk.  Large format rectangular patchworks were originally for quilts.

1. ORIENTAL CRUISE  &  2. LINEN CRUISE  -  Sold

3.  LILAC LOTUS  &  4. JADE GARDEN  -  Available.

I had a large quantity of white linen at the time, which inspired the cream/beige coordinations.

Some patches I painted in silk, designed to coordinate with the existing textile prints used in the robes: pale design seen in upper arm above is an enlarged version of a smaller design shown below it.  Black ornate design on right robe side is silk painted replica of smaller print.

Sash belt in linens

2. LINEN CRUISE - Pleat at back allows for full lower width

2.  LINEN CRUISE:

Cream, beige with colour patches, and black highlight.

Paler colours blend with the neutral cream and beiges, and splashes of black and navy are tasteful contrasts.

Robes all had sash belts in style of house coat usage.

Large patch formats were due to original ideas for quilts, subsequently converted to robes or dressing gowns.

3. LILAC LOTUS one of the original robe creations of 2009!

White and lilac patchwork robe, with very warm brushed cotton lining. White embroidery-Anglais detail.

White linen start, with lilac and taupe as contrast. Taupe silk with cheetah print. Taupe cotton with embroidery. Silk patches with lilac flowers.

Modelled by Sybella, and below by musician Judith at the Green Fair, Barnstaple.

Available  £90.00 direct from maker.  (new purchasing coming soon...)

 

LILAC LOTUS

LILAC LOTUS

4.  JADE GARDEN ROBE. see page (Available)

Very warm thick cotton winter robe, dressing gown or summer coat. Large turn back collar all-one.

Cream, beige and green theme.  Midi length. Long on shorter women; modelled by Coral, Falmouth.

Fabrics:  Ornamental shepherdess cotton furnishing, furnishing floral print, beige linen, green taffeta.

Robe inner lining of brown cotton and cream satin.  Cream satin turn-up sleeve lining.



Jade Garden patchworks - beige, green, white, pastels



Jade Garden Robe with print of shepardess french taapestry.



Garden scene - print of french tapestry shepardess

Images copyright Amelia Jane Hoskins Please email for use permission.