New Ideas

I decided I'd have a bash at natural dyeing and used the most rudimentary of all dyeing techniques by dyeing some calico with brown onion skins soaked in hot water. I have no mordant of alum which I hear helps the colour to adhere/ up take to the material. I don't have any household ammonia that changes the colour or any other paraphernalia which might be useful for naturally dyeing. I had very little expectation and was rewarded with something of  a soft brown. I suppose in terms of colour not very exciting but it was a change anyway.

Having dyed  a piece  of material I was compelled to utilize it and have decided to utilize the pen sketches/ patterning that I did a couple of weeks ago as the basis for an embroidery.

I rummaged around my floss box and found some pearl cotton in a mushroom pink that melds in nicely with the muted brown of the material.

I do realize that this will take for ever to complete in between crocheting baby blankets, but it is so nice to have a change from all the hooky stuff no matter how happy the colours. Hopefully I wont run out of pearl cotton but I suspect I will as I seem to have used a lot just forming the french knots in this little patch of sewing.

Anyway it was a nice way to spend Anzac Day. Oh I have a long way to go!
Sorry about the photography, it was taken at night in soft light. If I used the flash you see nothing.