Since I am almost ready to assemble my Autumn Song sewing box, over the weekend I attempted the painting and crackle technique I need to do. After following the instructions carefully , I waited with baited breath for the crackle to happen.....zilch, zero, nothing!! So off to Spotlight I went to complain about the crackle medium, buy a different brand and a new box. I also attempted the antiquing of the fabric also without too much success. Oh dear!! It just wasn't happening. The antiquing required me to remove some of the colour from the fabric and then to over-dye it with a tan dye but it was a bit 'hit and miss' as to how long I needed to leave the fabric in the dye remover before I removed it and did the over-dyeing. I was afraid I might have ended up with no pattern left on my fabric so I think I removed it too early. Actually, the colour looked pretty nice when it was still wet but after it dried, it seemed a bit too orange.
Here are the 'before and after' photos.
Hhhmmmm, I have yet to decide what plan B will be!! I think the acorns which were in the before photos, quite obviously look like acorns, now tend to look a bit more like Christmas lights :-/ I still have half of the dye remover and tan dye left so might try again on another piece of fabric. I guess it is all a learning curve.
On a more positive note, my shadow continues to be well and really enjoyed his trip to the beach on Saturday.
These photos show that he does do more than just lie around the house which is what he always seems to be doing in the photos I show of him. LOL!! He loves the beach and gets so excited when he knows he is going.
We are on Cyclone alert here in Queensland at present with 'Tropical Cyclone Hamish' making his way south east. It has been downgraded to a category 4 which is still very strong and could potentially cause a lot of damage. We really hope it will blow out or head off out to sea before it reaches us here.
As always, thank you for visiting my blog. It is really special to receive your comments.
If a mistake is not a stepping stone, it is a mistake.
~Eli Siegel
Lots of luck with your fabric dying, Chrissie. I hate it when you follow instructions exactly and it still doesn't turn out the way it should.
ReplyDeleteAnd look at Ben at the beach. What a wonderful day he would have had. They're great photos of him and lovely to have for the future.
I'm hoping Cyclone Hamish doesn't cause too much damage and heads away from the mainland. My thoughts are with you. :)
I am really sorry about your dying disaster especially as you followed the instructions to the letter. If it were me I would call up the manufacturers and get advice before I did any more. Good luck with doing it again. Cute photos of Ben on the beach. Lots of Love Patti xxx
ReplyDeleteHey Chrissie! I have no advice to give on they fabric dying but I hope you get the fabric to look the way you want it. Great pics of Ben and the last pic in particular is really lovely! Is that you in the hat with Ben? It's a really lovely photo! I love hats too and wear them all the time in the sun.
ReplyDeleteForgot to add ~ thinking of you and everyone and hoping the cyclone goes away, far, far away!
ReplyDeleteHi Chrissie,
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of Ben, beach, Ben & you on beach! I hope the cyclone bypass you guys. I'm sure it's scary wondering.
Good luck with the fabric dying experiments! I have had no experience in that regard so will look forward to hearing what you find out.
Take care!
Hi Chrissie
ReplyDeleteI never have much luck with the crackle happening where and how I like it but my Rustic Tarts partner Marion is the master of that department! Apparently if your crackle medium is a bit old it won't work very well - and good crackle is all about how thick you have applied it and how you have brushed it on!
However I have done similar with the dying fabric scenario and I ended up putting it in some bleach/water. At least with bleach you can see when it is time to take it out and rinse off as soon as you can. If you have nothing to lose I would give it a go.
Christina
I am terrified of painting my box now Chrissie after your failed attempts, but will make a start this coming Thursday. I quite like the after picture of your fabric. Great photos of you both on the beach.
ReplyDeleteHi Chrissie
ReplyDeleteDoing a bit of catch up reading on your blog this morning. Sorry to read about Ben - thankfully he is doing better. What gorgeous photos of him enjoying the beach. Our Ben also suffered with the occassional seizure and then they just stopped.
Keep safe and I hope Cyclone Hamish looses strenghth & blows out.
Urgh about the crackle fiasco. I have no words of wisdom to offer because the same sort of thing would happen to me if I were to attempt it! :P Your pics of Ben are wonderful! We were going to take The Fluffinator to the beach on St. Patrick's Day but it got too late. Hopefully this weekend. I hope the cyclone doesn't do any/much damage!
ReplyDeleteHey Chrissie, it ain't over till it's over. . . With dyed fabric that is too dark or not the desired result you can soak it in hot/boiled water to lose some of the dye. It is only permanent if you added salt to the water. Otherwise it should rinse quite well. Rinse well and aim for a light orange. Then try dying with a second colour that is more brown. I use RIT all the time and find that two tones work well.
ReplyDeleteI found an Aussie Vet for Cider! Right here in Canada. We love him and you can't have him, LOL.
Glad you and Ben are both doing well, Hugs Karen.