Monday, January 16, 2012

Success in Dyeing - Pale Pink Achieved!

Okay, I know posts about fabric and colors are getting old. It's kind of a cop out. I don't have anything interesting to post so - whoopee! - I'll post about dyeing. Or trimming ideas. Or style musings.

In my defense, though (and I did want to have this dress at least half way done by now) I have been working on the Great 1860's Steward-Dressing Project and finishing up the baby gown I started several weeks ago. In addition, I was taken violently ill on Saturday and so was not able to do any work this weekend. (never eat buttered movie-store popcorn and drink pepsi simultaneously, especially if you are feeling nauseous to begin with and are in the habit of unwillingly ejecting your meals - even healthy ones - shortly after consumption). I determined to not start on this project until the baby gown was finished and the first part of the stewards outfit done. The baby dress is finished, ironed and ready to be mailed tomorrow and I am about three hours away from finishing up the stewards shirts (square-cut, blue-checked cotton) so I do firmly intend to start my gown tomorrow and have it done by Saturday.

Last week I dyed my tan linen with wine colored dye and consequently turned it a bright fuschia pink. I was unhappy with the pink color so I decided to remove the dye and redye it a light gray. David brought me home some dye remover although he could not find gray dye anywhere. So on Friday, I thought that at least I could remove the dye so the fabric was prepared for taking gray dye whenever I found some. I filled the machine with hot water, agitated the dye remover, and plopped the 5 yards of fuschia linen inside it. I then was gone for about five hours to take my oldest son to a doctor appointment. When I got home, I lifted the lid and was shocked to see the color the linen had become. See:

A very light brownish-pink - exactly the color I had wanted in the first place. Not close to the color I wanted - not similar - no, but the EXACT color I had wanted!

It looks SO much better with the greenish-blue undress than the bright pink did. I like it just as much as I would have liked gray. Perhaps even better than gray, since this color seems to turn up a LOT in medieval images and I haven't found nearly as much evidence of gray, especially combined with the greenish-blue color of the underdress. From what I've been able to find, greenish-blue is a popular combo with this certain light pink color.

In other news, my lil baby boy is three years old today! He was such a red and squishy little fellow with dark blue eyes and black hair when he was born; the eyes lightened into a light blue-gray, the black hair fell out and   blonde hair grew in its place. And here he is today.

Three years old! The baby of the family, but the bossiest, most opinionated and dare-devil member by far. Of all the children, he is the most like me.

And he's still not too sure about giving up his place as baby to make way for a new one. But no matter how old he gets and how many other babies will follow him, he will always be my special little boy and my own true love. We are pards.

Love,
Sarah

6 comments:

  1. Don't you just love happy accidents? The shade you achieved is so lovely and looks perfect with your coloring!

    Congratulations on your little one turning 3! I can't wait to see who's coming to live with you next...who knows, maybe it'll be a little girl?

    I think he'll be able to give up his place as the baby as soon as he realizes it means HE'S a big brother and will have someone new to show the ropes to!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, what a delightful thing to have happen to your fabric! It looks lovely against your coloring in the pic with your face.

    Happy Birthday, Mr. Malachi! It's hard to believe, Sarah, that it is already 3 years ago that you and I were waiting together for our little ones to be born. Maria will be 3 a week from Friday. I wish we could have a picture of them together. Someday, perhaps.

    He's going to be a great big brother with that strong personality. He'll be the leader of some grand adventures with his little sibling. Maria is the brains and motivation behind everything she and Henry do. Like right now, I hear her in the kitchen saying, "It's okay. There's lots more crackers in this box. You just sit down and I'll open some for you." Plastic tearing, crackers hitting the floor...now I better go in there. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy Birthday to your little baby!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Its great when things turn out right by accident.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Emily, I know! It doesn't seem possible it has been three years already. Yet on the other hand it feels like Malachi must always have been here and part of our family. It's bittersweet to realize how fast they grow and how the years go by in a blink! And I too would love to see Maria and Malachi in the same picture someday! I'm sure that together they could think up some very interesting things to do. ;) They'd make quite a creative team!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yayy, I was so hoping you would do it in light pink because that looks so fresh and beautiful :)
    When things go accidentally right like that, I feel like God kissed me on the top of my head.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your lovely thoughts!