MAKE-DO AND DYEING ~ ~ ~

This is the make-do chair that I picked up at the market a couple of weeks ago ~ it will go to my show next weekend. It's a very appealing little piece, don't you think? I like to pick up odds and ends to add a little extra interest to my booth ~ I'll take some pictures of my set-up at the show, so you can see what I do!



Yesterday, I did a little dyeing ~ I didn't start until almost 3 in the afternoon (a school friend was here and we worked on our 45th reunion plans) and then the mister and I had to be ready to go to dinner at 6 at a friend's home. Miss Margo fixed us stuffed peppers ~ she knows it's my very favorite ~ they were yummy!! Two dye pots were left outside in the drive and on the deck ~ I added the vinegar when we returned home at 9:30 and as soon as this blog is posted, I'll lift the lids and see what happened!!!

My dyeing probably leaves a lot to be desired as far as the purists go! And I was feeling a little inadequate in that department until I read, just last night, in one of Deanne Fitzpatrick's books, that she doesn't really use a recipe or record what she does. Sunnie Andress, who's blog is listed at the right, recently posted that she "doesn't really record her formula's and adds a little this and a little that"!! Reading that in print goes a long way to validate for me that I'm not just being kind of free-wheeling but maybe, shall we say, more artistic!!! That makes me feel a lot better!! Except if someone calls and wants more of something they bought from me a while ago ~ then it gets scary!! Flying by the seat of my pants is so uplifting!!!!

Another not so good dyeing habit, is that I try to cram too much wool into the pot and my colors often come out lighter than I'd like! So, yesterday, I tried to follow the rules (it's hard, might I add) and do the recommended amount of wool. I just peeked in one of the pots and amazingly, there is this deep rich color!!! I say 'amazingly' ~ others might say "duh"! There's more dyeing on today's schedule and I'm going to use the leftover water and start from there ~ I started doing that last year and it does conserve water, of course, and takes me down a little different path!! Tomorrow, I'll show you the fruits of my labor!!

Have a good day!
Alice