Last year I finished this swing coat, in hand-embroidered linen and cotton:
But the seafoam green, gray-tan, and turquoise colorways were not quite right. Too high a contrast.
So a couple of hours with a fiber-reactive dye, soda ash, a big plastic vat, the right kind of salt, and much care, I got exactly the color ranges I needed – a sort of blue-green-gray mix that’s not only very flattering for my ruddy tones, but is rather important in my Lonhra Sequence series.
I rounded out the experiment by dyeing a linen tunic and pair of pants, the Veil Cap I blogged about last week, and two crocheted cotton gloves. Now everything blends!
The blue embroidery is still blue, the green is still green, just blended into richer background textures. My only problem was using light gray poly thread, which didn’t take the dye as strongly. It gives an interesting contrast, so I’m not unhappy with it.
Whether I use it for mundane gallery openings or a convention hall costume, I finally have the outfit I wanted.
Can we see a full-length shot of what it looks like now, after treatment?
Soon. I have to hang it up outside to get the right shot. Hoping for a lightly cloudy day. I’m threatening to enlist a friend with a boutique full of display mannequins.