©Ann Pocklington annpock@btinternet.com
DRIVEN TO STITCH
DRIVEN TO STITCH
This calico bag was an experiment in dyeing. The front panel was constructed out of a variety of natural fabrics - cotton, calico, muslin and linen - and embroidered with a mixture of natural threads - cotton, linen and rayon. (Because rayon is man made I always thought of it as synthetic - but as it is made from plant cellulose it reacts as a natural fibre.) I wet the panel and the embroidery and let procion dyes chase each other through the stitches and underlying fabric. The result attracted the college photographer at our course end show and the bag appeared as ‘June’ in the next Derby College calendar!
Dyeing
Top tip: don’t announce in a crowded pharmacy that you only want the potassium permanganate crystals you’ve just asked for ‘for dyeing with’ - the pharmacist can’t hear the ‘e’ in ‘dyeing’!
