dyeing fabrics

Hi there,

Today I was feeling homesick and was going through all my Summer 14 pictures, and found these ones. I remember it as a very creative and fun afternoon.
we had some cotton fabrics,( it has to be cotton, otherwise the dye will not come out as intense) and we spent a couple of hours tying the fabric with all sorts of different knots, can be a bit boring, but so worth it, the more intricate, the better, and the tighter you make the knots, the more contrast will show later. we didn't think too much about it, but there are loads of things you can use, from buttons to lids, from twigs to elastic bands and the internet is full of very nice tutorials..anything can make a surprisingly beautiful pattern ..
the dye we had was Dylon, to be used with boiling water, (always follow the brand instructions, as there is some dyes for cold water, washing machine...)
 so we got a big pot my father uses for when he mixes the cement for building (do not use any pot that you will use for cooking food)
and we followed the below procedure:
soak the fabric in a bucket with cold water
meanwhile put water on a pot to heat
once the water is boiling, add some salt and the dye
add the fabric to the boiling water and leave it for 20 minutes, stirring it frequently
once the time is over, take out the fabrics and rinse with cold water, add some vinegar on the last rinse (water has to come out clear) to fix colour to the fabric.
and then ... undo all the knots and leave it to dry! it's so so soooo much fun, like magic!
definitely will be doing it again ... maybe with Indigo?
It's always recommended to use a colour catcher the first time you wash this fabrics.

night night x

Living succulent wreath tutorial

Hi!

It was only this summer that I started noticing succulent plants, and immediately felt in love with them, there are so many varieties and colours, the internet and Pinterest are full of pretty arrangements and lovely ideas, one of my favourites  has to be the wreath... and it's so easy to maintain! after hanging it on the wall, you will only need to spray it with water in winter, and when the weather gets hot,  sink it in a container full of water once a week or when it starts to look a bit dry...

started it by collecting loads of different succulent plants, and when I say loads, I mean lots of them...it actually depends on the size of the wreath, but the more plants you can fit on it, the better it looks,
the ring below was done by my mum with wicker shaped into a circle, covered with moss and tied up with a cord, but you can buy the ring floral foam oasis in any flower shop, or the internet.

 the succulent plants had been cut a few days before, so the stem was a bit dry, by doing this, we will help the plants take roots quicker once we've watered them

pinch the oasis with a long stick and move it in circles, I used the end of a paint brush

 pop in the first stem

 make sure you place them as deep as possible into the oasis, this is going to be hanged on the wall so don't want plants falling down from the wreath

 once finished, put the wreath in a container with water, let it soak for a couple of minutes and leave it for a week on a flat surface, this will allow the stems to start taking roots

 once all the plants are stable and with roots, it's time to hung the wreath on the wall!

this picture was taken a couple of months later

remember to trim the plants every now and them to keep the round shape, and place the cuttings in a flower pot, a new succulent plant will grow from them! :)

night night! x

How to make lavender sachets (tutorial)

Hi!
It's starting to get chilly on this side of the planet, and with the change of seasons comes the change of wardrobes, while packing away all the summer clothes and getting out all the coats and thick jumpers I thought it would be a good idea to make lavender sachets for the wardrobe

Materials
fabric scraps
cushion filling
needle & thread
dried lavender
thin ribbon
trims for decorations

heart template made out of paper

Started sewing the heart from one of the sides

Turned it inside out

to fill it, what I did first was to put on the top and bottom of the heart some cushion filling and the remaining space left it for the dried lavender, an other option is to fill it only with lavender.

  I finished it with more cushion filling and sew the side with an invisible stitch.

Finally, all I had to do was to sew the ribbon and a tiny bow to make it look prettier

...and done!

night night!

Butterfly tea light holders

Hi!

This summer my mum and I decided to make tea light holders out of glass pots, 

very important to make sure the pots are wide, so it's easy to put the tea light / candle inside without getting burned.

materials we used

glass pots/jars

paper

scissors

thin wire & tools for cutting the wire

glue

paint (watercolors, acrylic..)

baking/parchment paper

tea lights

cut the butterflies out of paper, as many shapes and sizes as wanted

color the butterflies, I chose for mine a pink color

cut a piece of wire and put it on the top of the jar with a hook, like the pictures below 

 glue the baking paper to the glass jar

 glue the butterflies to the baking/parchment paper, hung one of them with a thread from the hook

and done! 

we were well pleased with the result, the butterfly hanging from the wire looked like it was really flying!! :)

night night x