I had a day off from work today and I was feeling a bit arts-and-crafty. I had been wanting to make a kimono for agesss, but had never really gotten around to looking up patterns or finding the right material. I wasn't really in the mood for something that would require too much effort so the kimono idea was starting to fade fast when I came across an old bed cover (originally bought from a charity shop for £3). I loved the fabric so much and thought about making some of those dip-dyed doilies you see in Home & Garden, untilll I had another idea: a shoulder wrap/shawl thing!
Pretty perfect for this time of year when wearing a coat is a bit too hot, but going out in a strappy dress is a bit too cold. I started by working out how wide I'd like it to be. I also decided to keep it as long as the original width (more of it to swoop around). After snipping and washing the fabric I mixed up my dyeing pot.
This was just a mixture of warm water, salt and a 1/2 pack of Dylon 'Tulip' coloured dye.
Such a bold colour!
I kept it in the pot for about 2 hours, occasionally mixing it. I also tried and failed to dip-dye the fabric, leaving half of it out the pot for the final half hour. Next time I'd probably leave it half out after 30 mins of submerging the fabric.
After rinsing the fabric in cold water, washing it in hot, and then rinsing again, I hung it out to dry...
Ta-daa! A completely transformed bed cover!
Can also be used as a table runner! Ooo multi-tasking shawl, not bad for an afternoons work :)
