the dye has been cast….

10/06/21
Back in October 2020 I wrote…..

“Recently I took part in an Instagram based challenge called September Textile Love or #septtextilelove2020 in Instagram-speak . You can see all of my posts for it here
One of the prompts was “Disappointment” and I wrote this…

“When heavy hints were being given that we might be heading into a 2nd lockdown I decided I needed a project ready to work on if , like the first time, I lost my sewjo. Get it sorted in advance, so I didn’t have to think about it, just do it. Something I could handstitch if I couldn’t face my sewing machine.

.

I bought this hand embroidered tablecloth in a charity shop and I thought I could cut the embroidery out and use it to decorate a jacket. If I’m put a lot of effort into handstitching it I should make it for myself as it will end up being too expensive to sell, if I added the hours up.
 So I had a look on ebay and found one that looked promising. It was describe as  Size L, which I guessed would be a size 16 minimum,  so it should fit me. It was a nice shape. I went for it.

Disappointingly, when it arrived it was marked on the label as a  Size 14 and it’s too small for me.
So it’s not going to be my lockdown project, but that’s ok, because the 2nd lockdown didn’t happen, at least not yet.
I will still decorate the jacket with the embroidery, but I won’t keep it, I’ll sell it.
If I had been going to keep it I would have dyed the jacket and tablecloth before starting, as I am far too clarty to wear white. But now I’m not keeping it, I might just leave it white. What do you think?”

Today I started cutting out the embroidery from the tablecloth and pinning it to the jacket..

I then noticed a stain on the arm that I don’t think was there when it arrived, or after I washed it. Must have been me, as I said, I am a clart.

So this has made me decide that I am going to dye it, and I should do that before I start stitching because the thread I use will not take on the dye, so if I dye it first I will know what colour of thread to use on it.
I’ve got at least 3 Dylon Dye pods somewhere, I know I have because they were sitting on the sideboard in the kitchen for months, waiting to be tidied away. Now they are not there, when I need them. And that is why tidying up is a bad idea, my friend.”

Since then the jacket , with the embroidery pinned to it, has been hanging on the wall in my spare room, giving me the evil eye whenever I go in there. I never did find those 3 Dylon Dye pods, so the first time I went into town after the “non-essential shops” had re-opened I bought a Tropical Blue one.
As we speak it is clunking round my washing machine amidst the jacket, the tablecloth and this pile of assorted charity shop doilage..

I hope to sew on the larger pieces using my sewing machine, and then add the smaller bits by hand, in the evenings, I really need something to be doing with my hands and I have no other projects occurring at present.
Ooh the anticipation of waiting for the washing machine to finish it’s cycle is delicious!

11/06/21
So, pretty good results, I think, here is my drying rack right now. Ooh the dyed bits match the colour of my wall.

I’m relieved that the stitching on the embroidered tablecloth retained it’s different colours after being dyed.

Pretty good match!

So I’m off to iron all of the dyed pieces, then the fun begins! Tune in next time for an update 🙂
Update here