Fire truck

This is a stencil I designed a couple months ago.  It is in the style of fire trucks from the 40s-50s.  The advantage of using stencils is that I can get sharper lines than if I was applying the was freehand.  The stencil both masks the areas so I don't put was on them, but also seems to help keep it from wicking into the fabric as much.  Also, it makes a design more repeatable.  I cut this stencil at 3 different sizes so it would scale to a toddler's shirt as well as an adult's.

In looking up pictures of fire helmets I learned that firefighters have the nickname Leatherhead since the helmets were traditionally made of leather.  The leather is being replaced with polymers and other plastics.  The back brim is wider so it helps the water run down the back rather than inside the collar.

Blue

Like the previous post, an example of color differences on cotton vs. silk and from previous batches.

The silk scarf on the right and the guy in the middle were in the same batch.  The hooded tshirt, done with the Mokume Shibori technique, on the left is the same color but from a previous batch.  I know the guy and scarf the dye was stronger.  This is Dharma Trading's Lapis.

Green

Another example of the different color on silk and cotton.  As well as in different batches.

The silk scarf on the right was in the same container, at the same time, as the flower shirt in the middle.  Although fiber reactive dye will work on silk, the colors shift a bit so it will be different.  The tiger on the left was dyed with the same color, forest green from Dharma Trading, but in a different batch.  It shows that there are differences from batch to batch.

There are several possibilities:  I may have mixed it with hotter or cooler water, it may have been a different strength, the water hardness at the new house might have made a difference, the moon wasn't full.

Find your child from a distance

A couple of really bright children's sets.  In case your toddler tries to escape, you should put them in something really bright to make it easier to spot them.  Plus, these are really cute with the safari animals on them.

Wildness

This is one of my interpretations of a Green Man or wild man to go with Mother Nature or Earth Mother.

When I did a sample and held it up I asked my husband if it reminded him of my Dad.  He said "I wasn't going to say that."

Sailing on a green sea

While I haven't been busy posting, I have been busy creating.  We moved this spring and immediately started remodeling.  That is my excuse.  Not that I couldn't have gotten out my stuff to take pics of finished work.

When waxing something I like to use a flexible cutting board to keep the wax from getting all over the table.  It is easy to clean off but the wax doesn't smear on the next scarf or shirt so I don't have to clean it every time.  And I prefer a colored cutting board as it makes it easier to see the wax I've put down.  Which helps so I don't miss any spots.  You can see in the pictures how the color of the board shows when the wax is applied.