Week 16 Not Hibiscus or Paisley

 If nothing else, this yard of hemp fabric was overworked leading up to the final design this week. Since it is all a learning process for me, I am getting a good education. I began with dried lavender, rose and hibiscus petals, sprinkled over the fabric, rolled up then soaked in water.


The fabric smelled lovely, even calming, after rinsing, washing and drying but the colour was not the stunning magenta that initially came out of the "tea" bath it started in. 


Something felt lost after seeing the colour possibility that the "hibiscus tea" was creating before washing. So I took a bit of Radiant Pink Dylon dye and "painted" around the edge of the naturally dyed grey fabric. 



I won't deny that this piece of fabric then sat in my house for quite some time until... I thought I would make a summer dress out of it. I wasn't thrilled with the look of the fabric as it was but since I still had more radiant pink dye, I thought I could try a resist pattern with white glue and over-dye the piece again. 


At each stage of these various experiments, there was a point where I was really optimistic about how wonderful the result would be.  But in the end, the resulting fabric, after a quick dip in a pink dye bath was just pink with a slightly brighter pink trim. 

I've now been working with this fabric, which is what I would describe as a light weight hemp linen, for 16 weeks. After exploring many of the simplest designs that can be created out of one yard of fabric; simple in cut; simple lines; simple construction; I am beginning to realize that linen craves fine details. It is also "takes direction" very well as it takes form naturally and seems to hold it shape effortlessly. 



Since the paisley resist pattern did not turn out, I opted to try making a simple Kimono rather than the summer dress I originally imagined.  It can together quickly, but did not have any romantic drape. It needed more, something to give it a little more purpose.  



I draped it on my dress form and began to play around with folds. With a few, the length of the back and others in the bust line, I gave the Kimono that romantic interest I was hoping to.  Adding some flashy jewelry and it could even be a little sexy! I added the link below to purchase your own Flash Tattoos if you love them as much as I do.

Flash Jewelry Tattoos
In the end, I learned, it's difficult to make a linen Kimono without it looking like a hospital gown, I'm just glad I didn't dye this fabric green.



I am that I am.

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