Saturday, February 10, 2018

In the Pink

I dyed a batch of mohair fabric this week.  It's been a few years since I took out the large dye pot to make my own colours. I've forgotten what strenuous, messy work it is.
First, the fabric is washed and excess water squeezed out.
Then comes stirring in a boiling dye pot on the stove.  I was happy to rediscover my special Dodo dye spoon in the box with the dyes :-)
 When the colour intensity looks right, the fabric is ready to be drained and rinsed.
Several rinses in cold water to remove all the excess dye, and neutralize the acidity of the dye bath.  After this the fabric is lovely and soft, and ready to hang out to dry.
Drying on a line under the trees, away from direct sunlight.  The beautiful bougainvillea flowers pick up the colour!

These pieces of fabric will be packed into kits to make a teddy bear called Erika.  Everything to make the bear and her little kitten and bunny slippers is included.

Available on my website HERE.

I'm still musing about the direction I want to take with the dollhouse.  Now that am over my  mental block about colour, a whole world of possibilities has opened up.  Here are three people who have influenced my thoughts this week:

http://www.petergabrielse.com/
The Dutch artist Peter Gabrielse.  If you are not familiar with this miniaturist's work, have a look at his website.  Peter also has an Instagram account.

Claude Monet's home in Giverny.  A person who could make colours have a party in every room.  Never too bold, nothing clashes.  I could live in a house like that.

The Canadian artist Marina Bychkova, whose dolls are commanding hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The incredible workmanship and attention to detail in the video makes it clear why her work is so highly valued.

And finally... a blast from the past.  Faded photos of my first experiments with fabric dyeing in 1994.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!




12 comments:

  1. Erika is super cute, especially with those adorable slippers! The work of Peter Gabrielse has a unique atmosphere, he makes amazing things! I look forward to seeing your progress on the dollhouse :-)! Enjoy your weekend :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for liking Erika! The first miniatures I ever made to sell were teddy bears, they will always be my great love. I hope that you find inspiration in PG's work as well, he's set my mind to thinking about all kinds of possibilities!

      Delete
  2. Such an adorable little bear. I love that she has a stuffed kitten and bunny slippers.

    Have to admit my favorite picture is the one with your cat stepping all over your fabric. Awesome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sheila! That cat was Peter, one of the sweetest animals we ever had.

      Delete
  3. That shade of pink is perfect! Not too pastel, not at all garish — just right. It complements the tan so well :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Nancy. Colours are very important to me. Not that I always get them right, but I do try ;-)

      Delete
  4. Wooo Megan es un oso adorable, los complementos como las zapatillas y el gato hace un conjunto fantástico.Gracias por la información, unos artistas increíbles;dignos de admiración.
    Seguro que encontrarás la inspiración ,feliz fin de semana:-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for liking my teddy, Rosa, and I hope you find lots of inspiration in the links I shared. They have certainly made me think!

      Delete
  5. Oh my Erika is so adorable! I'm kind of tempted to attempt a bear like her. :D Love your dodo spoon. :) Typical kitty walking all over something new... I'm going to check out Peter Gabrielse's website. His work looks gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sam. With all your skills, I'm sure you would be an ace at teddy bear making too!

      Delete
  6. What a lovely little bear, so cute with the slippers and the pretty pink fur - and of course with just the perfect name. In German we use "Erika" for special sorts of heath - I've looked it up to find out that it's the same in English... ;O) Great to hear you've found your "vision" for your house - I'm looking forward to see your newest steps.

    Greetings
    Birgit

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for liking my teddy, dear Birgit! The teddy was named after a friend who did me a kindness. But I know the English version of Erica, little flowers. Now the name is doubly special.

      Delete