It's been almost five years since I used indigo dye last, so the process is more an experiment than a skill at this point. Like most of my experiments, some results were better than others.  :)

What looked like a deep, dark indigo straight out of the vat often washed out to a lighter patchy blue. So back into the dye it went...again + again. It's hard to know what color has been achieved without washing the pieces, so it took a few rounds of dyeing + washing + dyeing again to achieve the color I was hoping for on most things. ​

These will make lovely, zero-waste, gift wrap!

I thought that the shorts would also retain some of their varied coloring, but now they are just a very solid blue. ​Boo.

There were a few happy accidents too...like the resist pattern that developed on this bandana.

​It feels really good to just play + not take any of it too seriously.  

Love,
Jane

Dying with indigo feels like pure magic to me. 

This deep rich color develops right before our eyes. ​

The pieces emerge from the dye vat a beautiful emerald + oxidize into deep indigo.

I guess I only wear indigo now.  :)

Love,
Jane

Since we were trying to squeeze every ounce of fun out of this project, we decided to try a few shibori techniques on our bandanas + kitchen towel. This turned out to be a sort of finger strengthening exercise as well.  :) The binds we chose are simple + are meant to produce squares, swirls, stripes + circles. I keep my expectations low with this sort of thing. For me, it's not about perfection...it's just about experimentation, enjoyment + discovery. 

Love,
Jane

My preferred uniform consists of a white top (tank, tee, sweatshirt or button-up) + a pale, worn, denim bottom. I like white tops, but I'm no stranger to a coffee dribble or blueberry tart squirt on my front. Knowing this about myself, I have a plan for that. (sniff, sniff, Elizabeth Warren) White tops are are easiest color to dye.

I've been putting off this batch of dyeing, mostly because I don't want the fun to be over. But I need some tops to be wearable + the dye vat is ready...so here's what I've collected to dye so far:
-the aforementioned, blueberry-tart-stained tank
-an old, layering tank
-a couple of too transparent tanks
-a pair of thrifted shorts
-the bandanas that we wrap our gifts in
-a tea towel of which I have more than one 
-a stained kitchen towel

Dye is a great tool for a more sustainable wardrobe. Not only can stained garments be made useful again, but things that we tire of can be made "new" again. Adding dye to the list of ways we could transform thrifted pieces expands options. I've also found that dyed pieces are often more durable than undyed ones. 

Let the magic begin.

Love, 
​Jane

Poplinen is designed + made in Los Angeles from natural fibers. They offer a wide size range in a variety of versatile, basic tops. I especially like the long-sleeved tee pictured here. It might be just the one I've been looking for.  :)

All lovely images via Poplinen.
​
Love,
Jane

postcard via my affirmation project

Love,
​Jane

This weekend we're listening to neighborhood fireworks + also listening to Ibram X. Kendi + Jason Reynold's Stamped: Racism, Antiracism + You. We're eating a rustic, blueberry tart + also taking recipe inspiration from Jamie Oliver's 5 Ingredients: Quick Easy Food. (There is quite an index here as well.)

A red tailed hawk has been living in our neighbor's tree for about a month (it's impossible to ignore its loud squawks or the squirrels' + birds' frantic warnings to each other). It swoops + sails inches from our windows some days. 

A little decluttering motivation.
​Sacred place...never willingly relinquished.
We need the storm, the whirlwind + the earthquake.
​The beauty + resilience of our people.
Made in the USA.

May this weekend inspire us to fight for recognition of the injustices this country is founded upon + to fight for the inclusion of every one in our efforts toward freedom, justice + our collective happiness.

Love,
Jane

​[There are] pleasures that are free
or without a permanent cost.
These are the pleasures that we take in our own lives,
our own wakefulness in this world,
and in the company of other people + other creatures-
pleasures innate in the Creation 
+ in our own good work.
It is in these pleasures that we possess the likeness to God
that is spoken of in Genesis.
​[God looked upon all that God had created + saw that it was very good. Genesis 1:31]
~Wendell Berry

Here's a little, vintage-inspired, sewing project that I made this week. I really like this pattern + can imagine using it in a bunch of different ways...long sleeves, collared, hooded, in a block-printed voile or in a sweatshirt-weight fabric. 

This summer version involved shortening the sleeves a bit + leaving the collar/hood off. I wanted to make sure that this top was not too snug + also wanted to use a woven fabric. The pattern calls for stretch knits only, so I added 1/2 inch at the fold of the center back + front (+ also on the facing pieces). This added an extra two inches total to the bust circumference.

​The pattern includes some lovely large facings (why don't we get many of those in modern indy patterns?) which I usually like to sew down for a clean finish that needs no ironing. (yay!) I like vintage, hand-embellished Mexican + Indian tops...and also like to spend time hand stitching...so I hand stitched around the facings + at the sleeve edges. I might add some little patch pockets as well, but ran out of black thread toward the end of sewing the drawstring. I like the slightly cropped length, but might add a couple of inches to the length next time I sew this pattern. 

Sewing always makes me think of garment workers. I think about all of the costs involved in making this top including the pattern, fabric, shipping, thread, embroidery floss, use of my sewing machine + all of the other tools involved. These costs don't consider the time I put into planning, cutting + sewing (not to mention the unpicking of stitches + restitching I had to do). I was not in a rush, but this top took me most of one day to sew. This always gets me thinking about what a garment should cost, what it is worth + how nondisposable it should be. 

Pattern :: vintage Simplicity 7847
Fabric :: lovely, Gordon Cotton, crinkle cotton from Fancy Tiger this time (though I've seen it elsewhere online as well)

Love,
Jane