Tag: blue

02 Jan
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Summer Blues Skirts

Amelia Hoskins / Skirt / / 0 Comments

BONDI BEACH 1 (available)

Stretch swimsuit fabric top print with black tie cord to wrap around through loops.  Cotton abstract ethnic print lower.  Can wrap tighter for any smaller size, or extend looser as beach wrap for larger size to 34 inch waist.  Can also be worn dropped to a 34 inch hip.

SIZE: Length 18 inches/46cm.  Waist: 26-28 inch/66-71 cms

SUMMER BLUES - Blue fabrics coordinates - Summer craft show project

Skirts designed as holiday wear.  Initial inspiration was fabric print in 'Bondi Beach 1 & 2' , then adding blue and white abstract flower print.  Next I added the blue-green Indian print to Bondi Beach wrap around.  Then added blue-green Indian print to the abstract blue-white.  By keeping colour coordinates in fabric baskets its easy to dive in and be inspired.

Prussian Dolphin in blue/white viscose with elasticated waste and floral voile print lower hem. Patched pocket. Fringe on blue viscose overlap side.  (Sold)

BONDI BEACH 2 (Sold)

Original surf print fabric was one small skirt: cut in two to make two new skirts.  See MAKING for waistband sash slit and sash.

INDIAN BLUES wrap around

Main skirt area repeats use of blue/white abstract thin cotton print.  Additional smaller geometric print hem layers (viscose/polyester).  Waistband, side overlap and sash in Indian navy blue/green cotton, which is not slippery: good for waist and sash as will hold a knot well.

(Unavailable: commissioned by Jennifer buyer of Bondi Beach 2. )   See Indian Blues MAKING: waistband with slit for threading long sash through around to back.

Turquoise Dreams (available) Wrap around is good quality viscose waistband and side panels, with see through sheer printed voiles forming main skirt attached to turquoise silk lining as hip covering. Long sash belt to wrap around. (slit feed through to be added)

Blue Tiger (available) voile layers of printed blue, purple and black polyester voile over airforce blue lining, plus a contrast light blue floral fabric as frill decoration and front edge.  Elasticated waist facilitates wearing style in any position.  See ‘Making’.

SIZE: Length 18 inches/46cm. Waist 30 inch/76 cms (max elastic stretch 36 inch/91 cms).

MAKING Wrap around skirts

  • A-line shape created by putting darts at top of front and back waist of an A-shaped rectangle (waist to hip).
  • Skirt rectangle can firstly be made with variety of patches. Recommended patch quality: cottons at top with viscose or polyester lower which hangs well.
  • When darts made and pressed, lay skirt pieces flat and cut lower parts following the curve created in top part.
  • Allow extra 12 inch to rectangle, for overlap side.  Due to patch joins, I use a patch length for side overlap.  Choose feature fabric which can also be waistband.
  • See making photos for bound slit which must be in waistband to pull sash tie through, to hold waist in place.
  • A-line shape fabric can be taken from a dress which is too small: add slit at side with added flap length.  Use upper dress part for side flap.
  • A curved front flap edge is optional; on one side or both.  Alternatively to a flap section, rectangle can have piped edging. (not featured here).
05 Nov
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Tasmanian Blues Robe Dress and Nigella Blues Smock

Amelia Hoskins / Bespoke garments, Dress, Robe / / 0 Comments

Features hand dyed silk painted decorative collar of gold dyed silk from natural Tasmanian eucalyptus tree bark dye

Original silk painted samples dyed with eucalyptus bark dye on my photography site resonant-visions where there are the photographs of the nigella seed pods I used for the applique designs.

Tasmanian Blues Centre front print and applique details

BLUE Patchworks

Abstract with text print blue/white cotton-viscose.

Feather print navy-white cotton.

Navy blue lace lined on gold.

Stylised flowers blue-gold-navy cotton print.

Gold embroidered cotton.

Gold plant dyed silk.

PLUS – Leopard print blue-black-grey and  Chinese Bird of Paradise with gold texture cotton.

Applique Seed Pods Nigella 'Love in a Mist'

Robe Dress has applique lace pod dyed in eucalyptus dyebath after the collar piece. Colour took well, which is a guide to fabric content being cotton or silk. Dark centres to seed pod designs are cut from eucalyptus dyed silk (iron modified).  Light centre to pod is from bundle steam died silk with seeds and petals.  Nigella blues has variable on same pod idea.  A motif is a good means to join over a seam (smock left top). Also provides contrast to break up a solid dark or light area.

NIGELLA BLUES Smock Top Dress

When there are enough patches prepared, another garment can be made.  Size and shape was dictated by the blouse used as an underlining, the colours of which were a perfect match, being cream brown and pale blue.  Short sleeves made in dark blue lace.  Coconut buttons with bound buttonholes.  Applique patches again created with eucalyptus dyed lace and bundle dyed silk.  Back hem is drooped lower.

Nigella Blues Smock – Bound buttonhole sewing – Click to enlarge

Tasmanian Blues Making Procedure

Lining (blouse) is put inside out on model, then outside patchworks pinned to it.  First cut blouse neckline according to style wanted) allowing extra cm for seams.

Short sleeve (blouse) as lining, needed lengthening with cream floral thin polyester fabric.  Fitted on dummy to check desired finished length of sleeve, before cutting length.

Llining of sleeve (partly made in patches), except small join at shoulder top which can remain after cutting open and flat most of the lining blouse.

Shaping sleeve top fit fit curve of bodice armhole.

Lining sleeve having patches added.  Bodice top right has outer fabric pinned.

Floral patch added to upper arm with blue lace.  Floral fabric used for top back bodice top. Leopard print added.

Sleeves layers visible ready for inserting into dress armhole.

The floral patch has gold in which was a pointer to add the gold dyed silk for collar

Fused vylene interfacing ironed onto inside of outer sleeve extension.

Blue and gold floral fabric used for decorative interest. Seam pressed 1cm away from outer hem, for added decorative interest, before cutting rough edges equal.

Pin in place cuff and upper sleeve (when open and flat).  Join seam down length of sleeves.

After outer sleeve patches also seemed to close sleeve, smooth down outer sleeve patches to lay behind sleeve cuff. (Cuff folded over first and pressed). Pin cuff to sleeve; machine or hand stitch down, all around sleeve.

In order to increase the dress size to 38",  to be larger than the lining, and to give a loose arm feel, sleeve inner and outer was left unseamed for 8 inches with 2 inch extra at armhole line.  Two gussets were cut, and added one to dress and one to lining. (see machining images).

Machining gusset side to dress side, from arm seam slit point to empire bust line bodice cut.  I used viscose weight for outer gusset to match with fabrics, and the blue lace for inner gusset, for light weight in the under-arm area.

Lace used for the inner gusset lining; also machined to lining down length of sleeve slit, and joining bodice front and backs.

Join patch pieces to form a facing (take shape from back neck centre, around to front, on dummy). Pin to cotton to make a pattern to cut vylene interfacing.  Or use two thicknesses of cotton tacked in.

Lining fabric (black/blue/cream floral) (interfaced) used as an upper back section to be inserted into a loose neckline.  Smart patch colours (with gold dyed silk painting) joined to form facing, which when turned outwards, becomes the open collar.  Note 'pointed angles' - when turned right way out, become collar points.

Patch pieces chosen  for outer collar. This may be difficult to follow for beginner sewers. Whatever shape is the front of garment (e.g. a basic round neck cut down centre front): this requires a facing fabric, so when top neck is turned out, it becomes a small faux decorative 'collar'. To have a proper back collar would need additional piece inserting around back neck.

22 May
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Woad Leaves Dye

Amelia Hoskins / Dyes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

[This page undergoing new photo uploads. please see old blog temporarily]

Woad is easy to grow.  Buy some seeds, and watch the plants develop over 2 years.

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Spring flowering of 2yr old plant
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Summer seeding of 2yr old plant

Woad Dye Bath Alchemy - 1st Session

Overview - Woad leaves are cut up and soaked before boiling and simmering for an hour. Remove leaves, then dye bath needs soda crystals, before whisking for 10 mins until froth forms. Woad dye bath is ready when there is a pale blue or (in this case) pale green froth. Reheat dye bath to 50 deg. then add spoon of sodium dithionite to remove oxygen. The water goes limey green.  Submerge silk.  Lift after a while to see strength of blue (which shows in oxygen).

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Woad leaves cut up and soaking, simmered until liquid sherry coloured.
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Whisking dye bath with soda crystals
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After dithionite added, immersed silk turns blue in air
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Test dye regularly with litmus papers until best green achieved
  1. Boil woad leaves - until liquid is sherry coloured: it changes quickly, but simmer for an hour.
  2. Add soda crystals - until alkalinity reaches 9-10. Use litmus papers from plant dye suppliers.
  3. Whisk liquid - until froth forms. A tiring 10-15 mins but liquid can also be poured from height from one pan to another making bubbles. (for a whisk break)
  4. Heat dye bath - to 50 deg again. Set aside 20 mins. (use cooking  thermometer)
  5. Add desert spoon sodium dithionite - to remove oxygen.  Add enough until dye bath turns limey green.
  6. Place silk in liquid - carefully without creating air bubbles. Submerge. Leave for 20 mins.  Woad colouring occurs quickly after exposure to air, because the dye bath had the  oxygen removed by sodium dithionite; re-exposure to oxygen turns it blue.
  7. Remove fabric - and rest. Watch it turn blue in air. (mine went turquoise on ahimsa cream silk using pond water)
  8. Rinse out - when colour as dark as will go, hang out to dry.
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Result! Good woad take up in oxygen, but patchy.

This bright turquoise was lost on re-emersing in dye bath! How we learn!

A second session (to be added) produced pale blues as in above image.

[Note: page restructuring - additional detailed dye process images, Session 1 and 2, being resized.]