Time goes fast

I was just looking at the date of my last post and realised that it is a while ago. Well, maybe that means that I am very busy creating. Yes, indeed. I am selling lots at the local Port Douglas markets and need to constantly make more stock.
I have been making lots of nuno felt scarves, nuno felt tops and rust tunics. I started making my silky nuno felt ponchos again, because they are so popular. People love them and I get a lot of positive comments on my natural colours as well, which is encouraging.
I really enjoy the dyeing on the moment and love to experiment with it.
I will post some more photos of my work soon.

More Rust Tunics

I have made more rust summer tunics as they are very popular and I love making them. They are light as a feather and so soft to wear.

Rust summer tunic with white merino wool

Rust summer tunic with orange merino wool

Grey and purple rust summer tunic. In this one I dyed the silk with logwood after the rust dyeing.

Handeye Magazine - Natural Dyes, Wild Silk

I just received the handeye magazine in my inbox. There is a beautiful article about Avani, an indian agency that connects people in the villages for a project with natural dyeing and wild silk....

They have added a few natural dyes recipes.

Read the full article here:

http://handeyemagazine.com/content/natural-dyes-wild-silk

A Freeform Week

Last week, I decided to make some more freeform lace shawls. These are made by sewing pieces of felt and nuno felt together with recycled ribbon. My daughter (who is also in the photos) gave me a hand with the sewing, which was great. We went for white and blue. Here they are:

Find more information and other shawls on etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lizetfrijters?section_id=5771466

Pure White - Etsy Treasury

Thanks to Glassimo for including my shawl in her "Pure White" etsy treasury. It is great to see all these white items together.http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c1165d10a5a6d91f4e5652e/pure-white

Aquatic Life - Etsy Treasury

My "Aquatic Movement" shawl is in another treasury, that it the second in a week time.
This one is called Aquatic Life and is made by earlybirdcreations, another Australian etsy artist.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c10066f19246d9174907acd/aquatic-life

Dyeing Wool Slivers

When dyeing wool slivers, it is recommended adjusting the dyeing techniques to prevent the wool from felting in the dye bath. I have dyed my wool for years straight into the dye bath and checked regularly to keep the temperature just below boiling point. Most of the time it worked but now and then I forgot and the wool got a bit felted in the dye pot.

As I dye all my wool with natural dyes, I need to bring it to the boil twice, once for mordanting and once for dyeing, so there is even more chance of felting.

So, I have adjusted my technique and can relax now why I am dyeing wool.

(I have taken off the lid of the dyepot, just for the image)

I use the french "au bain marie" way. My dyebath is filled up with the mordant or dye solution and the wool goes in there. I put this pot into a bigger one, filled with water. There needs to be a space in the bottom between the two pots, so that the dye pot has water around it at all sides. I bring the water to the boil and the dyebath will heat up, but not boil completely.

The wool comes out perfectly unharmed.

Energywise, it would be a lot better if the dyepot was lower than the heigth of the water pot, because than I could put a lid it. I am still looking around for the right sizes that suit me.

Listed and Gone

This white nuno felted tunique was my fastest sale ever on etsy. I listed it yesterday and it sold within a few hours. I might make more of them. This piece got a lot of attention on the market last Sunday as well.

Felt Up and Blue - Etsy Treasury

Here is another etsy treasury where my "Aquatic Movement" shawl is included. This time it is all about felted items and it has been put together by alienlabel

You can visit the treasury here

Black Merino Wool

Look what I received in the mail yesterday. A beautiful black merino fleece. I am so happy with it. It feels so soft and greasy (still needs to be washed).

I am very surprised about how clean it is, not much vegetation in it at all.

I bought it from "The Natural Coloured Fibre Company". They stock merino in black , white , brown and every shade of grey . Corriedale , Romney , Perendale , Comeback , English and Border leister , Finnsheep and Alpaca in just about every colour under the sun.

Send me an email at lizet(at)lizetfrijters(dot)com if you want their details.

Purple Freeform Lace shawl listed today

I listed this freeform lace felted shawl on etsy today.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48549548/purple-felt-art-shawl-freeform-lace

A New Online Fiber Arts Magazine

I just discovered Strand Zine, a new online fiber arts magazine. The first edition Spring is out and it focusses on feltmaking. You can read it at http://www.strandszine.com/

You will find an interview with the Funky Felter, information about the Midwest Felting Symposium, a tutorial and lots more....

Dyeing with mangosteen skins

Recently the mangosteen season was at it's peak and we enjoyed eating the delicious fruit.

For those who don't know mangosteen, it is a tropical fruit, covered by a thick maroon skin and the white pieces inside, is the part that we eat.

I collected all the skins, knowing that they are very rich in tannin, which is of course interesting for natural dyeing.

I dried some of the skins for future use. We had so many though that I thought I needed to find another way of storage because of lack of space.

I first soaked the skins in a bucket with water. Than I boiled the skins to extract even more colour than in the cold water.

I decided to dye my white nuno felted dress in cotton and wool in this dyebath ( after removing the skins) and brought it to the boil. I did not use any mordant. Here is the result, still a bit pale; I might dye over it again later:

I now have stored the remaining liquid in our freezer and will see how that will be going.  I have put some mangosteen skins in the freezer and want to try the cold technique with them later.

May Day - Treasury

I can't resist showing this beautiful "May Day" etsy treasury, filled with gorgeous lavender and purple items, chosen by fashiongreentbags.
I am grateful to be included with my butterfly flight shawl.

You can still visit the treasury until Tuesday May 4 2010:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=97221

People on Etsy - Treasury

menzocollection decided to make a treasury, featuring etsy people "because we're all the face of etsy". What a great idea.
I am grateful to be included, actually, it is my daughter, wearing my light blue funky nuno felted top.

Visit the treasury here