Global Threads: Weekly Diary (5/5/2014)

This week i looked at my weekly plan and decided that i should make my Natural Dyes and prepare my fabric and drape my final garment ready for the following Monday .I had found in my research that Beetroot dye has a much more vivid colour if made with fresh Beetroot , rather than pickled Beetroot . As there is more colour inside the Beetroot and because the Vinegar that they are pickled in absorbs the majority of the pigment and makes it pink rather than dark Red-pink . I also made a start on dying all my Calico(100% Cotton .) brown with tea and coffee dye . I am using calico on my final garment because it is a naturally made fabric , and apart of my FMP is to use as much natural materials as possible so that my garment gives the same natural and wild visual effect as the American Indian garments . I want to dye my calico brown so that is resembles hide , a material which i found in my research the American Indians used as a biproduct of their food (Buffalo) .

To make the Natural Beetroot dye , i found in my research that i must cut the Beetroot into slices so that all the segments which hold the pigment are exposed in the most efficient way possible.Then i placed them into a saucepan and filled the saucepan up with water until it just covered the beetroot . Then i brought it to the boil and let it simmer for 8 hours so i could be assured that i got the most pigment out of the Beetroot as possible.

The beetroot on the boil . If i wanted a darker colour then i would of left the lid off so that the water boils off and gives me more beetroot pigment to part water , making the colour more concerntrated .

I then used 7 teabags and boiled the to make my tea dye . I then added a cup of coffee to the 2000ml mix to make the colour darker.

After using a salt fixitive on my calico fabric i massaged the fabric into the dye bath of tea and coffee . Massaging the fabric assures that there are no patches which havent taken to the dye. I found this out through experimentation .I let the fabric sit in the dye bath for 3 hours .

Draping My Final Garment .
I wanted to drape my final garment because i wanted to move away from the standard princess line bodice pattern . I wanted to experiment with the darts . Also i wanted to try and make two darts which make a triangular shape so that it links to my American Indian research . I was happy with the result of this experimentation .