Wednesday, June 25, 2008

And the answer is. . . .

What are five things on your to-do list for today?

1) Do the adult batiks
2) Draw out more designs
3)Go to the FREAKING gym
4)Buy more shit for Rothbury Festival
5)Stress about doing and buying more shit for Rothbury

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1) Potato chips n Dip
2)Chips n Salsa
3)Chedder Cheese
4)Pineapple
5)Olives

Savory Snacks, folks. .. . that's all I'm sayin. . .

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?

1) Buy a house
2)Pay all our bills
3)Buy the PHATTEST sewing machine EVAH!!!
4)Get a Hot Tub
5)Send everyone on vacation where THEY wanna go

What are five of your bad habits?

1) Being messy
2) Leaving laundry in the dryer (or washer!)
3) Pro-Cras-Ti-NA-TION!
4) Leaving fabric or thread around any area in the house--then finding out stuff is missing--under the fabric!
5) Not making enough stuff for little boys :(

What are five places where you have lived?

1) Dearborn, MI
2) Boyds, MD
3) Shepherdstown, WV
4) Berkeley Springs, WV
5) That's it.

What are five jobs you’ve had?

1) Children's shoe sales person
2) Babysitter
3) Children's Shoe sales person/slave for Asian lady at the mall
4) Babysitter/Nanny?
5) Self-Employed, baby!!!!


Tag! You're it if you ...

1) Have stretch marks on your ass
2) Like to sleep in late and tell yourself (even with your own set-time) Screw off! I'm sleepin in!
3) are on your period and wanna throw your uterus out into the pond
4) like to get drunk
5) love Tofu

Copy and Paste, ya'll. And don't forget to link where this came from!!! Pin It

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

New Rothbury Festival Blog

As promised, folks, here's a direct link to my Rothbury Blog. I'll try to keep all Rothbury topics on that blog, so I won't bore those of you who couldn't give a rats ass about the most amazing festival of the year.

Yeah, so if you don't wanna hear about it, don't read it! Pin It

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Potato Dextrin Project

Well, I finished the Potato Dextrin Project!! I wasn't really all too thrilled with the result, but it's still cool. I think it will make a nice base for some kind of elephant themed something or other.

The potato dextrin powder is kind of weird. It moves around like liquid, and is really silky to the touch.
You mix the powder with boiling water until it's smooth like batter. After it cools to 90 degrees, the application begins.



I used a squeegee to make sure it went evenly across the surface. It's rather sticky, so it really ISN'T easy to get it even. The unevenness of the potato dextrin is what gives the surface it's unique characteristics. Here is is completely covered, still wet:



I did this early in the morning, so after we ran errands in the afternoon, the surface had dried and cracked. The sun was a great help for this! It is really cool to see the power of this substance on the surface of the fabric. The fabric actually pulled away from the frame, popping a few of the thumbtacks along with it. I wish I got a picture of that! Anyways, here it is, all cracked up:


Next, I mixed up some dye with some sodium alginate (seaweed), which thickened the mixture. This helped keep the dye from accidentally going beneath the cracked areas of the fabric. The thickened dye was brushed on, tapping into the surface of the fabric with the paintbrush to get it into the cracks well. When all else fails, use the kitchen pastry brush! (That WON'T be used for food Again!)


All filled in with dye:




Then it sat overnight.

I began cleaning it with a brush, attacking one corner with a fury. Realizing I would be there all day, I decided, what the hey, throw it in the washer. I gave it a wash in hot water, with Synthrapol (a textile detergent), keeping my fingers crossed. I opened the washer after it was done, and was like Wow! No residue in the wash!

Here is what it looked like after I removed the dye:


Yesterday I dyed it again in a light black (grey) dye.

I was bummed that I didn't put enough soda ash on half of the first dye. I didn't have enough halfway thru, then had to go and mix up another batch. I was close with the color, but didn't add enough soda ash, so it washed out a bit. Bummer!

Here's a close-up of the two sides, where the colors are more apparent:

You can also see more details of the natural cracks.

All from the joy of Potatoes!!

Still workin' my butt off for the Rothbury Festival. Stay tuned for a direct link to my Rothbury Blog!! I'm still freaking out, but getting excited! I've gotten close to halfway on my goals for my batik t-shirts. They are looking more beautiful than ever with these double dye techniques that I've been doing.

I'm stitching something almost everyday, too! Today I made 5 little girls bloomers and a top for my friend Rebecca. I also altered some pants I made for her a while back.

Well, that's it! Thanks for the interest!!

Pin It

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Festival Express

I'm sitting here freaking out about all the inventory I need to get done for my next festival. Yet, I still feel like I'm recuperating from the last one. I have a LOT to get done. But I've set myself small goals, and it seems easier on me that way. For the last two festivals I vended, I put a list of items on my handy-dandy Google Gadget Sidebar thingy. It rocks! I'm a total list-maker nut, and I have them all over the house. This makes it super easy to see my list IN my face like every day! I go to the computer every day, several times a day and BAM! It's there, and I can't avoid it. I also loaded up a photo viewer, so I can be inspired by my own art. I also have a calender, clock, and another check-mark list box for "things to get".


I had a great time at Hookahville! I worked hard at sewing all I could, and I think I actually sewed more than ever for that fest. I couldn't get any t-shirts because I was just tapped out in the funds department. So I managed to whip up another batch of batiks with the random t-shirts and few dyes that I had laying around. It feels so good to get those shirts done, because they come together a lot faster than sewing projects. I can get about 6-12 shirts done in the same amount of time it would take me to do 2 or 3 sewing projects. Here's a few of my favorite customers:


Ahhh! Mo got the TREE pants! And she looks so great in them!! Merry got the Soy Keyhole top! The other young lady got a batik hat, that was actually Infant size. I cringed when she put it on, thinking she was gonna stretch the darn thing out, but voila!

So for the next festival, the ROTHBURY, I will go head first into the batik world. Yes, I will literally be up to my ears in batiks, but that's okay. I'll do it until I get sick of it, then move on to something else. This week, as I wait for my t-shirts to get here (including organic cottons & hemp skirts!), I am working on little girl dresses. This batch is about 12-18 months, give or take. I've been using my neice M. as a model (when I can!) and for size reference, although she's a little bit big for her age.

The one below was made from patchwork that I cut up earlier this year. Rock n Roll mama, you might recognize some of those patches! I've always loved those. . . Anyways. I added some cute brown floral for the panels and for the ruffle as well. It has a little chick on it! I have never done a chick applique, and I actually forgot his tail! Oops! Well, he's hiding it behind his back, and his eye is a tiny glass bead.



The next one is just SO stinking precious! I had bought this cute turtle print a while back at my local quilt shop. This past weekend when I went and visited the shop, I was pleased to find a great selection of fabrics on the half off table. One of those prints matched that turtle print and I was EXCITED! Such a fabric dork! I went home and washed those fabrics and got strait to work. I know, I know, I'll bet you're just melting when you see it. "EAT ME UP I'M CUTE" it will yell, at each person who sees the little girl in this dress who gets it.

C'mon. . . Tortoise Turnpike? Makes ya wanna throw up cuteness, doesn't it?


And this last one, I'm actually not that thrilled about. It's funny, how we can make things that some people find completely atrocious, while others simply adore it. I think I used to take a lot more time deciding on fabrics. Now, I just kind of go for it. If I dig the color or the print, even just a little bit, I'll just get it. SOMEone will like it.
I love those tiered dresses!!!

Next up today is a larger size range for the dresses. Once I get those done, then on to a larger size. Or those t-shirts when they get here. I guess I should order more dyes, too, as the ones I have now have gotten boring. Not the Emerald Green, though. That color ROCKS!

Last night I had a fantastic plate of taco salad. Anyone who doesn't like taco salad can just go and eat Corn Flakes!!! The possibilities are endless. Last night, I let my cast iron skillet get all smoky and ridiculously hot. I threw on some canola oil, asparagus and some portabella mushrooms and spices. Normal toppings, including the last of the roasted vegetable salsa I made for the Hookahville festival last weekend, were added to some Morningstar crumbles that I cooked up for the hubby.


Makes ya wanna go make Taco Salad, doesn't it??



I shall leave you with this picture of my next project. Potato Dextrin!!

My dad made this adjustable frame for me.
Pin It
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...