Bits and Pieces #6: Dye jobs, Ottobre 02/2013

1. I've dyed a couple of things before but mainly stuff I didn't care much about -- some old white t-shirts that I died red, and some old sheets that I dyed blue just after Christmas but then used mainly for muslins because (even dyed) it was the cheapest fabric in my stash. Yesterday was the first time I dyed anything I actually really wanted to come out well.

It started life as 2m of really nice quality needlecord. It was one of those thing where through no fault of the vendor (who was someone I bought from a lot while she liquidated her late mother's fabric stash) I expected something different, colour-wise, from what turned up. I expected a sort of pale turquoise and what I got was a shade of mint green that I just would never wear. I was mulling over what I could do with it the other night before bed, and woke up with a full formed plan: dye it dark green.

I chose Dylon Olive. I dyed the 2m piece of fabric in my washing machine at the same time as an old cream polycotton king sized sheet. The sheet, being polycotton, dyed to a much lighter shade. I am going to use it to make bias binding for my quilt project. The corduroy is going to be an autumn jacket, I think, or possibly a Moss Skirt (the non-mini version!) also in the autumn.

Dying really isn't a very economical option if you're buying fabric. It was £5.50 for a box of Olive Green from eBay. The fabric was on the cheap end to begin, though, and it really made the difference between a fabric I couldn't ever see myself using and one that I will definitely use.

Before on the left. Neither is completely accurate compared to real life colour -- they're both less blue irl.

2. More on Ottobre Woman 02-2013: the full preview is up. Here's my favourite pattern:

Moto jacket! I like this one because it's armhole princess. As usual though, not sure I'd get through the sewing on this one as a 3 dot pattern. Another for that pile of jackets I might make someday, I suppose. I liked quite a few other patterns, although to be honest I never like anyone's summer patterns as much as winter patterns. My fault for living in such a cold, rainy country I guess. From the rest of the magazine my favourites are probably the mid-thigh coat on page 4, and the cardigan (although, that's a lot of darts for a knit) on page 3. I know a lot of people were excited for the twist front dress and top but eh, it's a lot of fabric where I need no extra volume, so I am never super excited by twist front anything. Also, having said I am emphatically OVER colour blocking, I find myself quite liking the colour blocked dress and the two colour tee the model is wearing under the moto jacket above. At any rate, I am still happy I have bought it, although there's nothing in it that I'm determined to make immediately.