For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
I am on a roll this week.....despite the hot weather I am still trying to be productive. This is my bear for this week...a little 7 inch boy called Pekoe. I hand dyed the mohair then over dyed it with a tea stain....I love the colour...it made it very pretty.
Oooooh how sweet !! I love the bears you make !! The colors are so nice ! :)
John
Gorgeous!
(have been thinking about tea staining, must check out any threads on it)
Thanks so much....tea staining is easy peasy. You just pick a tea and dunk the fabric in it...leave it soaking till it turns the colour you want then wash it .
Simples!
aww for the love of cute, how adorable
What a sweet little bear he is!
Thanks guys...I really love making these little ones....
Natural coloured bears are my most favourite.
You create such magical faces with lots of soul .
Thanks Renee....I always favour natural shades....I love to hand dye..it keeps the bears unique.
You make tea dying sound so simple, I must try it some time. I love the idea of dying, but past experience with Dylon dyes etc makes me feel that it's a lot of mess and hassle, and with an expensive fur, the thought of it going wrong would paralyse me from trying. But I could start with tea. Does coffee work as well, real coffee from beans rather than (or even including) instant coffee?
And Pekoe is very cute, of course!
I use Landscape dyes...they are brilliant...and you just experiment with scraps....coffee works....tea is great...I love camomile and berry teas too...even food dyes..or hair dyes...just try ...like I say...just try scraps first.
You don't need to fix tea dyes...they are very colour fast and just rinsing well is enough.
Hair dyes...now, there's a thought, given that I just recently dyed my white hairs bright pink with a temporary dye by Schwarzkopf! And as a bear is not meant to be washed, the colour might stay. Worth a test, as I still have some of the pink left over. I think they do fairly jazzy colours in permanent dye as well. Should have thought of that, as mohair is a kind of hair anyway. (Brain is ticking over now...)
Wow, Jenny - you've been on a roll , especially in the summer when the mind kind of wonders! He is adorable and I love the idea of double dying, very rich color! Will have to give that a try. Tea dying is one of my favorites! Love the name as well!
Oh I am busy busy busy. I never stop. I make it look like I am fast at making them but I am not. I make 2 per week. To do it I work an 80 hour week... Every week.
When do you eat and sleep!!!!!!
Haha..I eat on the go and sleep from about 10 pm till about 5.30..then start all over again!
My hat is off to you, Jenny! That is dedication. And if you ever get burn out, your creations never show it!
sooo cute!