Sunday, October 17, 2010

Hand Painted Hemp ~ Avocado & Azalea



While I was experimenting with fiber reactive dye and corn fiber the other day, I decided to go ahead and dye some hemp roving. I had all the materials handy, so why not?

I have been making the shift from kettle dyeing to hand painting with quite a few fibers this year. I have found it to be a better way to handle silk and soy silk. With this in mind, I decided to paint my hemp as well. Not only do I feel I'm achieving a better outcome, but I find the process easier. It feels like a win-win.

So now I have these pretty colors of hemp available in the shop, Azalea and Avocado. In addition, I thought to take some pictures and I was painting my hemp. This means I'll be able to write a nice picture tutorial of how to paint hemp roving. Of course the same method will also work for other cellulose fibers such as cotton or bamboo. I should have that post ready early this week.

In other news, I'm sitting here wearing the second model of my Drape Front Vest. The design is so close now, but I still have a little tweaking I want to do before I'll be truly happy. So today I have donned my vest in order to bond with it. Sometimes you have to wear something for a little while to really get a feel for it. I think it will help me clarify in my mind the changes I want to make.

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