Tussah Silk Nino-Anthrazite/Silver and Holiday Pfau

I have one wrap in the washer now; another two are half -done, waiting to be finished when crazy weekend comes to an end ; one more is just drying and one is waiting to be washed in Synthrapol pre-dye. And there are some more on the way...sooooooo, not being able (for many reasons) to do a lot this weekend to finish my started orders, I took the opportunity to quickly change my two wraps: a Tussah Silk Nino and Petrol Pfau.
It wasn`t an effort at all and I could do it while doing other things, as the washing machine did all the work:)

First in went this beautiful TSN. Beautiful in its` natural state, but I had been lusting after an Anthrazite Nino for a long time...except, the Anthrazite Nino is wool, and we can`t do wool. So the wild silk Nino was destined to change its` skin:)
With just the right amount of Jacquard acid dye this beauty was created and I love it! It is perfect for my grey stash and I don`t see it going anywhere anytime soon.






Then I mixed some procion mx dyes (Carribean Blue and Turquoise) to transform my Pertol Pfau. I know, I know, the birds should not be disturbed, and I also love the white thread in the Volkspfauen. But I couldn`t quite accept the fact that the petrol thread is actually a lot greener than acceptable for my preferences.
So, here it is, my Holiday Pfau:)



Next posts will show some finished orders hopefully very soon!

GD: Chiara Summer Wine

Not long ago I managed to dye another Chiara, which was purchased by one UK mama.
I used Blackcherry, Raspberry and Plum Blossom dyes, which created this fresh combination, that reminded me of young, fruity summer wine that my grandmother used to make. I was too young to drink it of course at the time, but I loved looking at it in summer sun, shining through the big glass bottle on the old kitchen windowsill.


After receiving this wrap the mama however decided it was a bit too pink for her, so I overdyed it with more purplish colour. This created the look of summer wine a bit more mature:)

GD: Robert the Seaman:)

When one UK mama asked me to transform her double faced linen Robert, I was really excited as I had been curious how this wrap would look transformed; I always thought that Robert`s original colours were quite dull to be honest, but would look great with a touch of colour here and there.
So that`s what happened to old, good Robert with the help of some Azure Blue, Bahama Blue, Emerald Green and Cobalt Blue:






It is like 2 different wraps now, as both sides took colours very differently!

GD: Smoking Kissy Hemp Indio

This was supposed to be a dark grey to intensive red gradation for a lovely mama in America, who was thinking about it for quite a while.
But for many reasons, the most significant being Dharma sending me wrong shades of ordered dyes (and my working at nights), the red turned out to be more raspberry red than proper intensive, burning red. How often does it happen, to use Oxblood Red dye only for it to turn out delicious but far from bloody raspberry...?
I tried to overdye this part with various mixes of darkest reds (even with additions of black), but the fabric didn`t want to absorb it, so we both decided it`s better to try find it a new home than strip (in which I am not fluent!) and redye it, as it is in fact quite beautiful. Just not for this mama of boys!:)
So, here`s the Smoking Kissy gradation on a new Indio Hemp in size 7:







This wrap has found its home:)

GD: Indio Rainforest

A certain gradation on Indio Eis has caused quite a stir not long ago in our not so small babywearing community. So when one sweet mama from America asked me to do another gradation for her, I wasn`t that much surprised when she asked for that particular grad to be recreated on her Indio Natty. With some modifications then, a Rainforest Indio was brought to life with the help of Dharma Chartreuse, Teal and Avocado Green.
I hope it will be a refreshing piece of cloth in warm California:)

Carmin Fishies makeover

I got the latest Didymos LE Carmin Fische because I like fishy wraps, and because it`s a 50% linen one, so that would be a perfect opportunity to finally try and break in for our own use a 50/50 wrap.
But the colour didn`t do it for us....



...so with help of some Thiourea Dioxide I managed to strip the wrap to this -sort of natty state:



But I wanted this wrap as white as possible, so tried some more stripping. Unfortunately that didn`t work, so-because I already have natty fishies (TSF), to the dye bath it went:





I used Charcoal Grey with some Jet Black (which of course rinsed out a lot, this being Rosalinde-type fabric!), and I like it as it is now, although I am thinking about giving it another bath, with just Jet Black (which would result most likely in dark, anthrazite grey). But that`s it for now, time to start breaking in!

GD: Rosalinde Shangri-La

Have you heard of the legend about the mysterious Shangri-La...? Well, I have and it`s been sitting somewhere deep in my archaeologist`s soul until this linen Rosalinde arrived from Poland. I bought it not having anything specific in mind, but when I took it out of the box I knew straight away. Shangri-La. Deep, empty skies, crystal clear air, red tiles of a lamasery roof atop a Himalayan mountain, delicate sound of tiny copper bells. Shangri-La....

To dye this wrap I used Dharma`s Cobalt Blue with some addition of Sapphire Blue, and Pagoda Red.

GD: Anegada

British Virgin Islands are among the most beautiful Carribean locations with breathtaking views. One mama in London wanted her wrap dyed in a way that it would reflect that beauty, bringing back the memories from her time spent there....
So that`s how Anedaga gradation was created-Anegada being one of the islands and the only one with coral reef:



And here`s the Anegada gradation on a hemp Indio, dyed with the use of Dharma`s various purples mix, Turquoise with some Azure blue and bright yellow:

GD: Taiga Sunrise

I got a 55% linen Moss in a trade once, convincing myself that I`d give it a try:)
It has been lying all sad and naked until just recently-yesterday I managed to finish gradation on it, as the natural colours of the Didymos "beasties" don`t appeal to me.
I used Dharma`s Forest Green (with a pinch of Emerald green:), Pagoda Red and Soft Orande dyes to create this Taiga Sunrise gradation.
Taiga-this word sounds magical, and the sunrise within those evergreen firs and pines up in northern Russia just has to look magical!
My very own and private beast has been tamed then:)





Well....the wrap is going to live in America in the end:)

GD: Chiara Neapolitana

In order to break my personal "Chiara spell", I`ve got another Chiara wrap to dye it, hoping there wouldn`t be problems this time...and I am thinking it might have worked finally:)
This is Chiara Neapolitana then, dyed soft pink and light brown with Dharma`s dyes, with one rail left creamy natural. The colours reflect delicious Italian ice cream....







This wrap is available to buy.

GD: Passion Rosalinde

Yes, that`s another linen Rosalinde, but this time with different colour combo.
It was to be dyed really deep red and purple, similar to Susana`s Dream Azur I`ve done some time ago-and it was a truly exciting task as Rosie is a completely different sort of "blank". Luckily it came out quite nice I think!
I`ve used Dharma`s Carmine Red, Fire Engine Red and a little bit of brown for the red part; as for purple, it`s a mix of Amethyst, Blackcherry and Plum Blossom (did I mention I liked mixing colours?:).
I hope this Rosie will be a good sister for Cayman Breeze Azur that belongs to a lovely New York mama!

GD: Lycian Azur

There is a country not so far from here that in ancient times was a home for mighty civilisations, some of them indeed the very first and most advanced in the world.
This country is also known for its` beautiful landscapes and wonderful coastlines.
No wonder I was very happy when this wrap (an Azur!) arrived to be dyed around Christmas time, and the chosen colours were to reflect the uniqueness of this country in a way. I thought of painfully blue sea waves and flowers blooming on the coastal hills...
A mix of various tones of cool purple along with Azur and Cobalt Blue have brought to life the Lycian Azur then.

And where did the ancient Lycians live...? The wrap is going back there very soon!

GD: Monsoon Flowers

This is another Christmas project-a 3 colour gradation on a natural silk Indio.
At first I planned to use acid dyes because of the silk blend ; but then I decided to have a go with Dharma`s procion mx dyes; the silk amount is only 30%, therefore with the use of acid dyes contrast between the two types of threads might have been too striking. I thought with this wrap concentrating on proper dyeing of cotton threads would work better.
So here it is, Monsoon Flowers gradation which is going to live in a very warm, very southern climate, where monsoons tear flowers:)