Tag: blue

13 Jan

Nigella Blues Smock

Amelia Hoskins / Dress / / 0 Comments

NIGELLA BLUES Smock Top Dress

Enough patches prepared from 'Tasmanian Blues', for a smaller garment.  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 [how to below].  Applique patches giant seed designs again created with eucalyptus dyed lace and bundle dyed silk.  Back hem is drooped lower.

AVAILABLE :  £85.00 - Direct from maker

Nigella Blues button up short sleeved smock dress - £90.00. [Shop coming SOON! and FOLKSY to add]

Nigella Blues Smock – Bound buttonhole sewing – Click to enlarge

Nigella Blues Smock – Applique making – Click to enlarge

Nigella Blues Smock – Making – Click to enlarge

03 Oct

Tasmanian Blues Robe Dress

Amelia Hoskins / Dress / / 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.

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.

Tasmanian Blues MAKING PROCEDURE

09 Sep

Scarlet Lilies blue echo print

Amelia Hoskins / Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

Ahimsa silk - previously bundle dyed with bright pinks and lilacs of clematis and bougainvilea, produced only a weak colour result, so a new arrangement of flowers was done, but including Hesperantha Coccinea Major (scarlet lilies) and Coreopsis.

Hesperantha Coccinea Major, Heliotrope, Coreopsis, Cotinus leaf (Smoke Bush) and Dahlia.  Flowers laid on one half of silk length only, allowing for folding over during steam.  Two sided result provides two side shapes for a garment.

Scarlet lilies make violet blue!

Of the various petals for second attempt, Hesperantha and Heliotrope are successful; giving a good violet blue, adding firm flower shapes to the previously weak prints.  Indoor light after steaming.

More importantly this was steamed only for 20-30 mins.  Other petals; dahlia and bougainvillea made no print.

Mirrored Pattern - Ahimsa Silk

Flowers arranged on only half of length, to produce mirrored pattern of imprints.  One half folded over, then clingfilm wrapped, before tying to stick for steaming.  Wrapped fairly tight, but not strenuously, pushing fabric flat around before wrapping with string or cord. Initially use rubber bands to hold in place, prior to string wrapping.

Background silk shows previous steaming with pink and lilac petals, as blurs, which were oversteamed.  Cotinus leaves work well, but paler than Hesperantha lilies.  Some Heliotrope also turned blue-violet.    Silks with failed steaming can always be oversteamed again with better performing flowers.

Ready for a garment

Dried length folded - Hesperantha lilies, Scarlet to Blue prints.

Will be used in a kimono front; one piece each of mirrored prints each side.

More design details can be added by hand overpainted, dependant on other fabric prints inspiration used in the garment.

MORE  HESPERANTHA  STEAM  PRINTS on pre dyed silks

With a number of previously gold dyed silks; some steam prints over were weak and so the next step is to OVERPRINT to create more interesting designs.  Strength of Hesperantha pigment allows for a purple print on existing dyed silk which is influenced by tannin.  Clamps used to see if they make the prints firmer, by excluding some steam. Flower prints were good, regardless.  Small purple flowers are salvia prints and along with other print marks are from a previous steam.

08 Jul

Purple Bundle dye double silks

Amelia Hoskins / Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

Cranesbill - Linaria - Vetch

Experimental bundle dye to see what 'takes'.   Foraged purple flowers.  Linaria flowers were almost seasonally finished; so tried purple vetch also, still massing into flower.

Habotai light gold silk was pre-soaked in Alum mordant.  Hawthorne dyed thicker Ahimsa silk was pre-soaked in 10mls of red acid dye, (used for silk painting) to change the gold slightly.   Both silks to be steamed together.

Flowers arranged on Ahimsa and Habotai covering

Flowers between two silks before folding in three

Two types of silk: Habotai light, Ahimsa darker

Dark gold Ahimsa as 'blanket' around Habotai silk sandwiched.  Silk 'sandwich' was folded over itself into thirds, before winding around a thick stick.  Tightly tied with string, but uncovered, before steaming over an open saucepan.

While folding over, area was sprinkled with vinegar/water weak mix.  (too strong vinegar can causer yellow-browning).  Queen Anne's lace was sponged with rust water.

Silks rolled around branch

Two silks wrapped around branch with string

Wrapped bundle over steam pan

Steaming pot

Improvised steaming stick; rose tree root rests across pan.  Sits, or can be tied on.  Length enables handles to turn around.  Bundle was steamed for 5 hours simmered, turning part time, then left in position overnight and opened after 24hrs.

This method, with a 'blanket silk layer' has given cleaner prints than other methods with lid down and long steaming.  Conclusion: open dye pan avoids bleeding of flower colour which happens during closed steams. [or do shorter steams].

STEAMING RESULTS

Linaria (semi wild) produces a very good dark blue, in places 'Prussian' blue shining turquoise, in blurred shapes from the tops of Linaria flowers.  Speckles can be seen where I broke and scattered linaria flower heads, giving dark blue-black dots.  Shapes created by blue dye are in places mirrored due to the folding of the Habotai silk into three, together with a 'blanket' of Ahimsa silk.

Mirror prints appear on darker gold Ahimza silk, but feinter.  (Ahimsa was not soaked in Alum, but was briefly soaked in a weak magenta acid dye.  (A tip from another dyer that a pre soak in an acid dye will increase density of floral 'prints'; especially if iron modifier used).  

Red clover also made purple prints of the small tiny petals.  [They may have shown more purple dots if they had been flattened out first.  These tiny petals could have been sprinkled over].   No evidence of purple vetch giving a dye result, nor blue cranesbill.

Queen Anne's lace produced a good yellow, though just blurred areas, where they were placed in centre of silk scarf lengths. They were sponged with rusty-nail 'iron' water modifying mixture.

02 Jan

Summer Blues Skirts

Amelia Hoskins / Skirt / / 0 Comments

Blue Fabric Coordinates - Summer Craft Show Project

Skirts designed as holiday wear; inspired by mixing and matching my 'blues' collection with blue/white and blue/green.

Turquoise Dreams 

Wrap around skirt has good quality vari-toned turquoise viscose curved edge side panels, waistband and sash, with semi transparent printed voiles forming main skirt attached to turquoise silk lining, as hip covering. Long sash belt to wrap around. (slit feed through to be added)

TURQUOISE DREAMS available £70:00 - Direct from maker (new purchasing coming soon...)

Blue and Purple Tiger

Blue, purple and black polyester voile layers over airforce blue satin lining, plus a contrast light blue floral fabric as frill decoration and front edge.  Elasticated waist facilitates wearing style in any position.  See 'Making'.   SIZE: Length 18 inches/46cm. Waist 30 inch/76 cms (max elastic stretch 36 inch/91 cms).

AVAILABLE : £65:00 - Direct from Maker

BONDI BEACH II   -  AVAILABLE: £35:00 - Direct from maker

Stretch swimsuit fabric top print with black tie cord to wrap around through loops.  Cotton abstract ethnic print lower part.  Waist tie will wrap tighter for smaller size, or extend looser as beach wrap for larger size to 34 inch waist, which could also be worn dropped to a 34 inch hip.  To be added to shop.  SIZE: Length 18 inches/46cm.  Waist: 26-28 inch/66-71 cm

Prussian Dolphin  (Sold)

Skirt in blue/white viscose main, with elasticated waste and floral voile patch print lower panel. Patched pocket. Fringe on blue viscose overlap side. Floral voile lower section is cut from blouse bottom.  Summer feel achieved with light voile fabrics lower panel.

BONDI BEACH I (Sold)

Original surf print fabric was one small skirt: cut in two to make two new skirts.  See MAKING for waistband sash slit and sash.

INDIAN BLUES wrap around (SOLD)

Main skirt area repeats use of blue/white abstract thin cotton print.  Additional smaller geometric print hem layers (viscose/polyester).

Waistband, side overlap and sash in Indian navy blue/green cotton, which is not slippery: good for waist and sash as will hold a knot well.

(Commissioned by Jennifer)   See Indian Blues MAKING: waistband with slit for threading long sash through around to back.

MAKING Wrap around skirts

  • A-line shape created by putting darts at top of front and back waist of an A-shaped rectangle (waist to hip).
  • Skirt rectangle can firstly be made with variety of patches. Recommended patch quality: cottons at top with viscose or polyester lower which hangs well.
  • When darts made and pressed, lay skirt pieces flat and cut lower parts following the curve created in top part.
  • Allow extra 12 inch to rectangle, for overlap side.  Due to patch joins, I use a patch length for side overlap.  Choose feature fabric which can also be waistband.
  • See making photos for bound slit which must be in waistband to pull sash tie through, to hold waist in place.
  • A-line shape fabric can be taken from a dress which is too small: add slit at side with added flap length.  Use upper dress part for side flap.
  • A curved front flap edge is optional; on one side or both.  Alternatively to a flap section, rectangle can have piped edging. (not featured here).

SLIDE SHOW - Prussian Dolphin - Blue Tiger - Turquoise Dreams

Images copyright Amelia Jane Hoskins Please email for use permission.