Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 10
Now I have the Coin Jingles I can make a start
Skirt
I take the Skirt and spread it out so I can see.
Undo Tassels
I Undo the Tassels as I am going to start on the Second Trim
Find the Needle
Since I am using a full Embroidery Thread I need to find the right Needle. It needs to hold the Thread but not damage the Skirt.
Pin to Start
I line up the Toggles and place a Pin in where I am going to start.
Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 9
This Beading is harder than anticipated. In fact it reminded me of Goldilocks and the three Bears.
Too Short
I am looking at what I have done and now I can tell at a glance that it is going to be Too Short to be able to Sew on to the Skirt.
Double Length
Right so this time I have more than Doubled the Length.
Second Go
This time I have removed the Third Bead as I didn’t like the look of it. The Thread is now Too Long. Obviously I could just cut this off after Sewing. However since I am using this as a Guide for all of the other ones I don’t want to waste all this Thread.
Remeasure
Hopefully now I have Remeasured it will be Third time the Charm.
Right Length
Now I have the right Length I can make the rest.
Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 8
Afterall the dismantling I did last time now I have to start to reassemble.
Materials Needed
I have found a Ruler, a pair of Scissors and some of my Cross Stitch Thread.
14 Cm
I have only limited Thread at present so have to be careful how much I use, Therefore I am going to do some tests.
Thread Coin
I pull the Thread through the Coin and knot it at the Top.
Thread Big Beads
Next I Thread two Silver Big Beads. I did not knot the Thread this time.
Split Thread
The reason I am using this type of Thread rather than ordinary sewing cotton is because I can easily Spit it. I have divided it into two equal parts and placed a Small Bead on each.
Third Bead
Finally I add a Third Small Bead.
Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 7
After last weeks long blog this week a shorter one.
Belly Hip Scarf
Along with the other two Hip Scarves I have already mentioned I have this one. To be honest I am not really sure what the colour is. The nearest Shade I can think of is Mauve.
Unpick Coins
Whatever the Shade I am going to scrap it. I am going to Unpick the Coins and Reuse them elsewhere.
String of Coins
I have now Unpicked one String of Coins. I am trying to keep them the way they were on the Scarf. I hope to be able to Replicate the Pattern.
Section Unpicked
This is one complete Section of Unpicked Coins. I still have another 2 to do. However it is going to have to wait for now.
Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 6
As in my previous Blog I didn’t craft this but left it to a professional.
Coin Hip Scarf Black
This is a Black Hip Scarf that I brought whilst I was abroad in Egypt. It is known as a Coin Scarf for obvious reasons. The Coins are Silver in Colour.
Egyptian Hat
This is a Box type Hat with Cloth attached. It can be used as a Face Veil and has Gold Highlights.
Bead Hat
This is a different type of Belly Dancing Hat. It made from Beads. If I remember correctly I got this from somebody selling them on a Boat. I was taking a trip down the Nile in a Felucca. They seemed to sell a lot of Beaded work in Southern Egypt which along with Sudan used to be the Kingdom of Nubia.
Black Organza Edged
I had picked this particular trim because of the mixture of Gold in the Hats and Silver in the Hip Scarf Here it is beautifully Sewn to the Top of the Black Organza.
According to my friend Laura who owns Alyssa Rose Boutique it was a right pain to do. To which I replied why do you think I got you to do it instead of me.
Purple Velvet Hip Scarf
I cannot remember if this came from Egypt or later on from Tunisia. Regardless this is a far more sturdy Hip Scarf. The material is like Velvet and though you cannot really tell from the photograph it is a rich Purple colour.
This is by far my favourite Hip Scarf. I feel fantastic wearing it. Like the other Scarves it has Silver Coins.
Purple Chiffon Edged
I now have my lovely Purple Veil to go with my Hip Scarf. As much as I love to Craft sometimes its better to let a professional do it.
https://derbyclothhouse.co.uk/
https://www.alyssa-rose.co.uk/
Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 5
First of all I have to confess that apart from the choosing of Materials I have not contributed Craft wise .As you may recall this whole process was started by enrolling in a Belly Dancing Class. Along with the Skirt I need more Paraphernalia.
Lilac Veil
I had a Veil that was temporary one but I need to get a proper one. I should mention at this point that Veil doesn’t mean for the Face but is Tucked into the Waistband and used as a Prop.
Bought Veil
I bought a Veil online and what arrived was not at all what I wanted. First of all it was way too short in both width and length. Not only that the Material was terrible. It was so coarse and scratchy. Not at all something I would want next to my Skin.
Black Organza
Therefore I decided to make one. My friend Laura recommended a Fabric place so I took a trip to Derby to the Derby Cloth House.
The place was a lot bigger than I anticipated so I had so much choice. I settle on some lovely Black Organza to go with the Skirt that I had Dyed.
Purple Silk Chiffon
I had decided that since my Skirt hadn’t come out as I hoped and also because it was Damaged I would have two outfits. One outfit for practise that would be Black and a performance Outfit that would be Purple.
Black Edging
Now I had the Basic Material I needed to find some Edging to go with it. This posed a problem because there was so much to choose from. I finally settled on some that looked like Gold on Silver.
Purple Edging
With the Black sorted I moved on to the Purple. I found some much thinner Purple and Gold. I bought 2 metres of each.
Fancy Purple Edging
I found this Fancy Edging. Unfortunately there was only a metre left of it but I couldn’t resist it.
https://derbyclothhouse.co.uk/
Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 4
A short blog this week as ending one section
Darker
After washing and drying this is the result. Though it is definitely Darker is definitely is not Black
Torn Edging
On careful Inspection I find that some of the Edging is Torn.
Repaired
I have now Repaired the Torn section. However I would like you to look at the three photographs above. These were taken in the same room with the same phone but the shades are completely different.
You would think that this was from three different skirts. Also though I did my best to Dye the Skirts evenly on the second photograph you can clearly see a difference.
Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 3
Now to start the actual Dying
Bath Dye
I have filled the bath with 6 Litres of Water and added the Dye to the Bath.
Immerse Skirt
I place the Skirt into the Water. I ensure that the whole Skirt is Immersed. I Stir it for 15 minutes then leave it to soak. I leave it for several hours Stirring every 45 minutes.
Empty Water
After I am satisfied that it is Dyed as much as it is possible to get I Empty the Bath of Water. By the look of it I am going to have to do a lot of Cleaning before putting the next lot of Water in.
Third Wash
I have already Washed the Skirt 3 times. The Dye is still pouring out. I am going to have to keep Rinsing and Repeating.
Giving Up
That is it. I have lost count of how many times I have Rinsed this Skirt. It has taken me all day and my Back is Giving Up. I have decided to try getting the rest out by Washing Machine.
Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 2
Gloves on and ready to go.
Salt
Dying can be a pain. The one thing I remember from doing it years ago was that you needed Salt. I generally use rock or sea Salt and a grinder but I was sure that I had some in the cupboard somewhere.
Cooking Salt
I wasn’t sure how much Salt I needed or how much I had in so I picked up some more. The Salt and the Gloves I picked up before I even had bought the Dye.
Jug for Salt.
A problem I had was that I do not have a proper Measure at the moment. This means that I am going to have to Measure old school using a Pyrex Jug with weights on.
250 Grams of Salt
Ah ok I have seriously over bought on the Salt front. I only needed 250g. Never mind as Salt does not go off and it will come in handy if we get a bad winter and I have to Salt the path.
Dye Crystals
I put the Salt aside for a moment. Making sure that I am wearing my Marigold Gloves are fully pulled up and covering my arms I am now opening the Dye Packet and tipping out the Dye Crystals.
Dye Mixed
I add 500 Millilitres of Warm Water and Mix the Dye ready for the next stage. This is where it is going to start getting Messy.
Dying Dilemma 2025 Part 1
In the past few months I have been trying to improve my health by starting Belly Dancing. It hasn’t been a great success due to a series of accidents that has prevented me from attending. However I intend to persevere.
Looks Black
I have a few bits and pieces of Belly Dancing attire that I brought back from holiday. However I need the bigger pieces as well as the accessories.
Rather than immediately spending a fortune I thought i would see if I could make something. I had a Black Skirt that looks the right sort at the back of the wardrobe.
True Blue
Okay a small problem. Although it looked Black in the bedroom in better light its True Colour is a Dark Blue I needed to change the Colour to match a Top I had.
Dylon Black Dye
With shops like Wilko shutting and the major supermarkets not stocking any I had a real job to find any Dye at all. I finally came across some in a Fabric Shop.
Dylon Instructions
Bad news. Although I have got some Dye it is a Handwash rather than a Machine Dying Kit.
Long Marigolds
One thing I was positive about is that it is going to be extremely messy. Therefore I have taken the sensible approach and bought some Extra Long Marigold Gloves.
