making natural Shades of Peach / Salmon

 Jewelweed - orange/peach
- Broom Flower
- Virginia Creeper (all parts); alum mordant; Peach.
- Achiote powder (annatto seed
- Plum tree (roots) (salmon color on wool with alum)
- Weeping Willow (wood & bark) makes a peachy brown (the tannin
acts as a mordant)
- Virgina Creeper - (fruit) - pink
- Balm (blossom) - rose pink



References : pioneering thinking

Making natural shades of Green dye

- Artemisia species provide a range of greens from baby's breath to nettle green.
- Artichokes
- Barberry root (wool was dyed a greenish bronze-gold)
- Black-Eyed Susans - bright olive/apple green
- Broom - (stem) green
- Camellia - (pink, red petals) - green
- Chamomile (leaves) - green
- Coneflower (flowers) - green
- Dogwood - (fruit) greenish-blue
- Foxglove - (flowers) apple green
- Grass (yellow green)
- Hydrangea (flowers) - alum mordant, added some copper and it came out a beautiful celery green
- Larkspur - green - alum
- Lilac - (flowers) - green
- Lily-of-the-valley (light green) be careful what you do with the spent dye bath. The plant is toxic so try to avoid pouring it down the drain into the water supply.
- Mulga Acacia - (seed pods) - green
- Nettle
- Peach - (leaves) yellow/green
- Peppermint - dark kakhi green color
- Pigsweed (entire plant) yellow green
- Plantain Roots
- Pomagrante – with alum anywhere from orange to khaki green.
- Purple Milkweed - (flowers & leaves) - green
- Queen Anne's Lace - pale green
- Red onion (skin) (a medium green, lighter than
forest green)
- Red Pine (needles) green
- Saffron - (petals) blue/green
- Snapdragon - (flowers) - green
- Sorrel (roots) - dark green
- Spinach (leaves)
- Tea Tree - (flowers) green/black
- White Ash - (bark) - yellow
- Yarrow - (flowers) yellow & green shades































































References: pioneer thinking

Making natural shades of yellow / wheat dye

-- Alfalfa (seeds) - yellow
-Bois d'arc or hedgeapple (heartwood, inner bark, wood, shavings or sawdust) (pale yellow)
- Bay leaves - yellow

- Barberry (bark) - yellow
- Burdock
- Cameleon - golden color (Alum mordant.)
- Celery (leaves)
- Crab Apple - (bark) - red/yellow
- Crocus - yellow
- Daffodil flower heads (after they have died); alum mordant -  gold / yellow
- Dandelion flower
- Fustic - yellow
- Golden Rod - Goldenrod makes a beautiful yellow. The color ranges from a deep golden to pale yellow depending on how much goldenrod you use and how well the material takes the dye.

- Heather - (plant) - yellow

-  Hedgeapple - the wood and inner bark of Bois d'arc or hedgeapple. (heartwood, inner bark, wood, shavings or sawdust) (pale yellow)(Maclura pomifera)

- Hickory leaves (yellow) if plenty of leaves are boiled and salt added.

- Marigold (blossoms) - yellow
- Mimosa - (flowers) yellow
- Mullen (leaf and root) pale yellow. *careful, because the little fuzzy hairs can make one itchy!
- Old man's beard lichen - yellow/brown/orange shades
- Onion (skins) - set with Alum.
- Oregon-grape roots - yellow
- Osage Orange also known as Bois d'arc or hedgeapple (heartwood, inner bark, wood, shavings or sawdust) (pale yellow)
- Paprika -pale yellow - light orange)
-  Red Clover (whole blossom, leaves and stem) alum mordant - gold
- Queen Anne's Lace
- Saffron (stigmas) - yellow - set with Alum.
- Safflower (flowers, soaked in water) - yellow
- Sassafras (bark)- yellow
- St. John's Wort - (flowers & leaves) - gold/yellow
- Sumac (bark) - The inner pith of Sumac branches can produce a super bright yellow color.
- Syrian Rue (glows under black light)
-- Tea ( ecru color)
- Weld -bright yellow.

- White mulberry tree (bark) Cream color onto white or off-white wool. Alum mordant.

- Willow (leaves)

- Yellow cone flower (whole flower head); chrome mordant; Brass to Greeney-Brass.
- Yellow, Curly, Bitter, or Butter Dock (despite various leaf shapes, all have a bright yellow taproot) gives you a yellow/flesh color.








- Peach (leaves) - yellow
- Beetroot (yellow) (alum & K2Cr2O7)
- Turmeric (spice) --bright yellow
- Oxallis (wood sorrels) (flowers) - the one with the yellow flowers. Use the flower heads, some stem ok. It is nearly fluorescent yellow, and quite colorfast on alum mordanted wool.
If the oxalis flowers are fermented or if a small dash of cloudy ammonia is added to the dyebath (made alkaline) the fluorescent yellow becomes fluorescent orange. Usually I do this as an after-bath, once I have the initial colour. Useful for shifting the dye shade, and some good surprises in store!
- Dahlia Flowers (Red, yellow, orange flowers) make a lovely yellow to orange dye for wool.
- Mulga Acacia -(flowers) - yellow
- Sunflowers - (flowers) - yellow
- Dyer's Greenwood (shoots) - yellow
- Tansy (tops) - yellow
- Yarrow - yellow and gold

- Lilac (twigs) - yellow/orange
- Barberry (mahonia sp.) yellow orange (with alum) very strong & permanent. Any part of the plant will work.
- Broom - (bark) - yellow/brown
- Fennel - (flowers, leaves) - yellow/brown
- Ivy - (twigs) - yellow/brown
- Broom Sedge - golden yellow and brown




References: Pioneer thinking

Making a 'scare away'

You will need

• Twine.
• Poles - or two trees.
• Compact disks
• Bulldog clips

Image via Wikipedia

A clove hitch

• Drill
• Piece of wood

1. In order to drill holes into the compact disks you will need to secure them to something. 
1. Use the bulldog clips to attach each of the compact disks to the drilling board [the wood].
2. Drill a hoe into the compact disk.
3. Thread the twine through the hole in each disk.
1. Do the first, knot it off with a clove hitch,  space it so there is distance between the first and the second.  Do the same for the third, fourth - until there is no more.
4. Hang these up in the garden to frighten the birds away.

Making a simple name tag.

 

• colored cardboard
• metallic calligraphy pen
• ribbon
• cutting implement
• punch

1. Make a template of your tag.
• A second template may come in handy if a few name tags are needed.
2. Cut the tag shape out with scissors or a knife with underlying board..
3. Punch a whole in the middle of the top of the card.
4. With chosen colored ink and a calligraphy pen write the recipients name  on the card.
5. Thread a ribbon through the hole and tie onto item that needs the name tag.

Metallic place mats and coasters

Materials

• 4 rectangular wooden place mats
• 4 square wooden coasters
•  8 meters [7.5 yards] 10mm [1/2 in] metallic ribbon.
• Metalic paint  [different color from ribbon]
• masking tape
• paint brush
• craft glue
• mini gas torch

1. Paint each place mat and coaster with metallic paint.
2. Allow to dry throughly.
3. Cut 4 strips of ribbon slightly longer than the length of the place mat.
4. Cut 2 lengths of ribbon slightly longer than the coasters.
5. Run a line of glue on the back of the ribbon and glue the ribbon down in strips across the place mats and coasters.
6. P_lace masking tape around the edges of the place mats and coasters.
7. Mix the liquid gloss according to instructions.
8. Pour onto the place mats and coasters.
9. Work the gloss out to the edges.
1. The gloss will find its own levels.
2. Throw away the brush.
10. To get rid of the air bubbles use a mini gas torch
11. When dry do the other side.
12. Allow to dry throughly for 24 hours before you take off the masking tape.

Making an onion skin brown dye

• 4 brown onion skins
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 3 cups water

1. Into a saucepan place the onion skins, white vinegar and water.
2. On medium heat bring the liquid to boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Strain dye into glass bowl and cool.
5. Discard onion skins.
6. The dye will be orange.

My Scrapbook

Yes. Creating magical memories is time consuming - but worth it.

Materials needed.

• blank scrap book.
• peel off stickers
• paper puncher
• colored paper
• craft glue
• photo corners
• double sided cellotape
• stencils
• pens
• And anything else that you want to include!

1. Having brainstormed what theme you want the scrap book to have.
2. Listed out the best ideas.
3. Worked out what goes on what page.
4. Organise the contents of the page.
5. Choose the base scrapbook.
1. this can be a photo album, a new scrapbook or other such thing that will hold what you want to place in it.

   Image via Wikipedia

   Scrap booking  can be achieved via the computer.
   

6. Decide on your approach.
1. Are you going to include different colored pages for different sections or would you rather tabulate the section.?
2. Is the papers visual intensity going to bring out the colors of the photos or just inhance the added bits.
7. Paste down the background paper.
1. You may want to layer the paper, add stenciled out shapes, use stamps, rollers, stickers, ribbons, feathers or other crafty things around the photo/s now to go on the page.
8. After gluing the photos in wait for the glue to dry.
9. Write your thoughts and memories .. typeset or handwritten

rmfgm

http://www.manageahousehold.com/2011/03/smilc.html

Making ghost shapes from cloth

• Inflate the balloons.  
• Join balloons together into desired form.
• Cover with a thin plastic wrap.
• Use a fabric stiffener and dilute to about 50 /50.
• Put in a resealable bag that is big enough to fit the cheese cloth material in.
• Cut out the cheese cloth so that there is enough size to fit over the balloons.
• Place cut cheese cloth into resealable bag that has the stiffener liquid in.
• Take fabric out of the bag.
• Squeeze out excess liquid.
• Drape the fabric over the balloon form

Free standing forms need to be hung up so that there is an even base line . Rearrange the balloons inside if necessary.

When the desired form is to be free standing dip all but the cut edges into the liquid. This allows the edges to flap in the breeze when hanging up.  Add several more layers of cheese cloth to the form once the base is dry.  This way while swinging in the breeze the form has shape and movement combined. 

kaftans were the rage then.

In the 1970's my mother used to wear Kaftan's.  these were easy to make, loose fitting a cool along with comfortable.  Also it did not matter how many layers you wore underneath [clothing or natural additions] you also could keep warm in winter.

Check out this pattern as it is the easiest one that I have seen around.

A sand-filled Pyramid Door Stop

You will need

• Cardboard [from empty cereal packet will do]
• Ruler
• Marker pen / dress makers chalk
• Paper
• Fabric
• 20 cm  wide
• 12cm by 1mm matching ribbon
• Medium weight iron on facing
• General sewing supplies
• Funnel
• Sand
• A copy of illustrations sheet in thispost.

What to do

1. Make templates.
1. Base
1. Draw then cut a 15.5 cm square piece of cardboard.
2. For the four height triangles using the 2nd piece of cardboard
1. Make a Triangle base template by drawing two pare 15.5 cm lines 15.5cm apart from each other.  now you have the base line and have measured for the triangles  height as well.
2. Find the midway point on what will be your top point line.
3. From the two end points of the base line draw from each a straight line to the mid way point of the top line.
3. Cut out the triangle template.
2. Connecting the interfacing
1. Using a hot dry iron press the interfacing onto the wrong side of the fabric. 

1. Cutting out the pattern.
1. With interfacing face up and using the templates trace out the fabric base.
1. Cut out this base.
2. Now draw around the triangles twice.  Once directly around the template.  The second line 1 cm on the outside of the template. 
1. Follow the fabric direction when planning out which way to cut the material or you will end up with some patterns going one way and others up side down.
2. This second line is the hem area. 
3. The template line is the sewing area.
3. Cut out the four triangles which are the pyramid sides.
2. Sewing everything together.
1. With the correct sides facing each other sew along a long side of two triangles.  This is the first upper seam.
1. Now sew two other triangle [along their long seam]  so that each triangle is connecting to the initial ones. 
2. At this point all four triangles are sewn together and the material is able to be laid out still.
3. Iron open all the seams. Carefully trim a little off the apex of all four triangles. Iron back the apex so that the interfacing is touching the inside.
4. Fold a small piece of ribbon over itself.
5. Pin the sew this ribbon near the apex of the triangle.
6. Sew the last triangle seam together. Take particular notice of the ribbon re the ribbons security of placement.
7. Now pin and tack the base onto all four triangle bases having left a small opening, big enough to turn the pyramid inside out, so that all the correct material sides are showing when you have machine sown the base to the pyramid base to the traiangles' base.
8. Machine sew around the base.
9. Gently snip the four base / triangle corners twice.  Scissors pointing towards the sewn line.  Stop the snip a few m away from the sewn line. This allows less of a bunching effect to occur. 
10. Turn the pyramid inside out [interfacing now faces inwards.]
11. Place a funnel into the opening.
12. Funnel sand into the inside.
13. Hand sew the opening closed.

Now you have one  really handy door stop.

It's a wire structure

As you enter the Australian Art gallery in Canberra there is an interesting wire structure.  All it is really are pieces of metal embedded into but standing out from the wall.  It looks like a painting but if you look closely on the right hand section the wire appears to overlap the ninety degree protruding wall.  A great optical illusion.

Water

Simon* overleden op 23 juli 1996 na enkel dagen op de IC te hebben gelegenDaar op dat bed, daar ligt ons kindMet zijn gedachten in de windEen kind dat uit ons geboren isNa negen maanden ging het misDe hoop ebt weg uit ons hoofdZijn levensduur is haast gedoofdOh God, haal hem naar U toeHij is van het vechten an zo moeHem laten gaan doet heel veel pijnToch moet het zo maar beter zijn....

hose basket illusion

What a terrific Idea for old hoses.  Might take years to complete. The plastic plants line the inside rim. As one walks up to, then under,  this hanging basket the illusion of a big basket FULL of flowers evaporates. So even as you are looking up through into the base of the basket the ilusion that it is still full to over flowing with plant life [abit plastic ones] is reinforced even as you walk away. 

The basket frame looks to be just 0.75 cm metal and has as been welded together with hioses threaded through to make the basket. The basket measurements are about two [2] meters wide by roughly one [1] meter in height from the base.

The base is strips of metal stuff [as seen in picture looking through the base to the top] weaved together adding to the overall strenght of the basket.

This basket is definately both an visual [optical] and a psychological [mind] creating a cognitive state of opposing views.



Dress from Angoria Wool

Made from thin Angoria felt this dress would be soft and supple, caressing the skin.As seen in Melbourne Show 2010

Universal Wind Chimes

 

Twisting glittering hanging wind chimes.  Easy to make and beautiful to have twisiting in the brease as seen in Melbounre Show 2010

Angora jacket and scarf

Angora wool created into scarf and jacket. As seen in Melbourne Show 2010