Shall We Call Them Hippie Dippies?

Last week I dove right into my challenge of creating shirts from my new flax blend fabric. Wednesday I set up the loom with a pale peach yarn and enough length for two shirts. I wasn't exactly sure how much shrinkage I would have so I made the warp nice and wide at 30 inches. Thursday, I arrived at my studio bright and early and spent the day weaving and was able to cut the warp off the loom - whew! I haven't spent the entire day weaving in such a long time. Sure wish my massage therapist was closer.

Being obsessive compulsive, I had a race with time to see how much I could accomplish before the weekend. Friday found me setting up the loom once more with a light yellow and enough yarn for one more shirt - seemed manageable at the time, but it was a challenge to get it woven and cut off in one day. But I did it!

I spent the evening and part of Saturday morning pulling the threads to create the resist that makes that wonderful shibori pattern. Then I plopped them in two different dye pots. One of the peach fabrics went into a pot of scarlet and the other peach plus the yellow fabric went into a rust/brown pot. I was a little disappointed to discover that the yellow and peach don't really look that different after the final wash. Doing the shibori in dye pots is new for me. I usually hand paint the dyes onto the fabric. But since I love trying new stuff, this is the new of the moment for me.

And after all is said and done, don't these really look like something right out of the past? All I could think of was Hippie Dippie!! Seriously, I think they'll be lots of fun to wear.