JULY 2021 :: Tie Dye

This is the seventh blog post in my 2021 Sewing Plans blog series. Click here to see the video where I share my inspiration for each month. My July project was to dye secondhand clothing.

I go through waves of being obsessed with tie dying. It’s a great way to upcycle clothing, especially if an item has a stain or if it’s just something that could be improved with some color.

The images below are taken from my Dye Job Pinterest board. As you can see, I’m mostly drawn to blues and muted pastels. I love bold colors but I’m less likely to wear them in my daily life.

I purchased a large vintage nightshirt from Tom Cat Bazaar on Etsy. I don’t remember what I paid for it but I remember it was very reasonable. I imagined that if I dyed it — it might make a nice market dress.

I decided to use blue-gray dye and a simple scrunch technique. I like how it turned out! What do you think?

I think if I pair it with leather sandals, an oversized straw bag, and a low bun it would make a nice beach coverup or a comfy dress to wear to the farmer’s market. The cotton is a little stiffer than I would like so I’m going to treat it with salt or vinegar to make it softer. This is what I found with a Google search:

“Create a mix of water and salt, or water and vinegar in a large plastic bucket. For one quart of water, you will need ½ cup of salt or vinegar. The salt and vinegar both help to open up the fibers of the shirts, and the mixture will add volume to the cotton, making it feel fluffy and soft” – findanyanswer.com

What I learned on this project:

Creative work is work. It takes time. It takes space. It can take lots of tools and prep work. It sometimes gives you a bad back. This project was pretty simple but I did avoid it for weeks because of the work involved. I love creative work but it’s good to be reminded that it is work. It can make you feel amazing when things go right but it doesn’t mean that it’s not work like other work. Think of that the next time you buy something from a local maker.

I’m so excited about my August Project — SHOES!!!

ONWARD!
XOXO RECOVERGIRL

Local Maker Spotlight

I finally got to meet the woman behind Ersilia Designs at the Portsmouth Farmer’s Market today. Her name is Luca (pronounced Lootza) and she lives in Portsmouth. I think she said she is originally from Hungary. She hand knits face clothes, hand dyes and sews bento and produce bags, and knits adorable pixie hats for children. Follow her on Instagram and buy her stuff on Etsy.

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I also met ceramic artist Zane Tillinghast. I am so in love with his work. He makes mugs, plates, vases, toothbrush holders, and ceramic strainers for fruits and vegetables. He is a graduate of the Maine College of Art. On his website Zane says this about his work:

“My pots capture the essence of a good time. Through the use of form, I illustrate the irregular and sometimes pear-shaped reality of what it is to celebrate with other human beings, — The act of eating and drinking with this tableware and with the people you wish to spend time with, make the ceramic objects a backdrop for the performance of life to happen around.”

Pear-shaped reality. Love that! Follow Zane on Instagram and buy his stuff on Etsy.

There are 87 days until Christmas. Buy handmade and local! #sustainablestyle

Creative Mornings PKX – Community

I have been reading Tina Roth Eisenberg’s blog (SwissMiss) for years. I read along as she started the Creative Mornings lecture series. It was thrilling to learn that it spread to my own community as Creative Mornings PKX.  I’ve wanted to attend many talks over the years but unfortunately, I am always at work.

Late last year, one of the organizers (Noelle Grattan of Five Line Creative) invited me to speak. I was really hesitant but also interested in accepting the challenge. I teach computer classes but I don’t have any experience giving talks. I thought — I could really embarrass myself!  (nervous emoji here!)

How it works is — each speaker around the globe is speaking on one common topic at essentially the same time. When it came time for me to pick a month to speak (and in so doing pick a topic to speak about) I was in the midst of organizing Project Upcycle. One of the options that was presented to me was “COMMUNITY.” When I heard that it felt right so I went with it.

Like I said, I didn’t have any experience presenting and I thought I could really embarrass myself so I decided to get professional help. (big smile emoji here). I reached out to Mike Teixeira at DECK Presentations for coaching. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. He gave me real concrete direction on how to improve my presentation and how to actually present it. The whole experience has opened my eyes to how helpful a coach can be. If you are struggling with something — get a coach!

Kate & Keith Photography

So without further ado, here is my Creative Mornings PKX talk. During my talk, I played a video about Project Upcycle. It is NOT spliced into the talk below.

THANK YOU!
Thank you, Noelle Grattan, for inviting me to speak. I wouldn’t have done it without your encouragement. Thank you, Keith Tharp, for being patient with me for the photo shoot thing. Sorry I was late! 🙂 Thank you, Raya Al-Hashmi and Miles Woodworth. Your energy reminded me of that final scene in Captain Phillips when Tom Hanks is being cared for by a very capable nurse. Your positive energy really bolstered me that morning. I really needed it.  And thank you, Monte Bohanan. It is always nice to see a familiar and supportive face. And thank you to that tech guy ( I don’t know your name) who made sure the audio worked on my video. Thank you to the whole Creative Mornings PKX team. It was an incredibly positive experience!

xo jam