R/Co. Project AW10:Dye It Blue.

For a very long time the idea of dying my own fabrics and making patterns with dye has been dancing around up in the ol' noggin. Well I have finally tried my hand at making a basic fabric another color.

I decided that it might be a little easier to control my dye mess if I did so in a few 20 gal plastic bins.

I have always wanted to experiment with natural dye and dye stuffs but I do not have any indigo on hand so I hit up the local fabric shop and obtained a jug of rit dye.I followed the instructions for the first bit, warm water, some salt, the jug of dye and a few pounds of cloth, agitate for 30-60 min and all that. As the deadline I have set is looming way to close I really should not be experimenting with anything but stay focused on getting this here project completed. What fun is that? Well I just let it go after about 15 min of swishing around. So a few days ago I built a nice stencil for a stab at a bandanna pattern. I have been wanting to see if I used melted wax if it will act as a resist on the fabric when dying. It might be a really interesting bandanna for sure, if it works.

Well it did not work quite the way I hoped but I would never have known if I did not try.
(still want to do a bandanna that does not use screen printing, so have to go back to the drawing board on that) Since that did not work I have been planning to do an all over dot pattern on a woven fabric that will one day will become a button down shirt. Well my wax idea placed over a stencil was a miss so I just started dropping the wax at random all over the fabric and chucked her into the dye bath to see what would happen....

All and all it is not perfect, not that perfect is what I am going for, ya know a little streaky and splotchy. I am stoked to have finally given the wax and dye idea a go even if it did not work out. A few more pieces of raw material for the final goods are ready with lest than two weeks left to build it all. Not too sure how much will get built in the end but I am really enjoying the ride.....

Now go wreck some of your own ideas...

Cheers.

Clip N' Sinch & Keep a Floute.

Just pushing along with the current project. Above are a few of the most recent purchases that will be transformed into a few ideas that have been flouting around for a while now. More once complete.


Speaking of flouting, this past weekend hit a random junk shop and spotted this fine sailing jacket that is fully lined with foam to help keep you above the water if you happen to go overboard. Just trying to keep my own head above water with all that is going on.
Keep on swim'n...

Cheers.

R/Co. Project AW10:Boil n' Snip.

As the days are rushing by way to quickly I am busy trying to make the most of the short amount of time between getting home from the 9-5, eating dinner, getting the boys ready for bed and putting them down, clean up dinner, help straiten up boy ravaged house and then getting to bed myself sometime in the early morning of the next day. In that ever smaller space before I need to hit the hay i have been building and working on the project. The other night I started boiling up a big ol pot of black tea...
to dump in some fabric and make it just that much better.

Also have been snip'n away at the large manila cardstock, or oak tag, busting out a few more patterns and updates.
All and all I am way behind where I want to be in regards to timeline but still just plug'n along. I am flying in my foto buddy in the beginning of April to shoot the goods so I hope I have something for him to shoot...At least I have some of the materials I need to build the goods, that is a start.
I love it! More later.

Cheers.

Random Shots.

Some of what is out in the garage....

Cheers.

R/Co. Project AW10:Chop n' Pound.

The sound of hammering has been filling the chilly early spring nights here in the REDCROW garage in the Great Pacific Northwest. I am working on a few ideas that I have been wanting to try for some time now. One is for a print that involves a pattern, some hole punches, and a hammer. This is to build the stencil. Then some fabric, wax and fabric dye to make the print.


Not sure if it is going to actually work. But the stencil has been pounded out and the dye has been purchased. So now to get dirty and see how it goes....

Also been using the hammer on some old nails that I have been meaning to use. It is not easy to pound out a round shape on 1/4" thick steel, with a regular hammer.
Make'n due with what I got.

The chop of the fabric shears have been mixing in with the pounding to cut up the latest obtained fabrics. So all in all things are happening. Oh, and I will be 31 on the 22nd day of this month of March. How about you, what are you building? Remember a little here and a little there and somehow it all comes together.... I guess.

Cheers.

R/Co. Project AW10:Building Blocks.

Have started work on a... well, let's call it an old project, but new.

A little peek at the inspo. boards that are driving the feel of the project.lots of marking and cutting taking place this week.And like always, more to come soon.

For a more detailed look at what is inspiring me just keep an eye on the weekenders post ups, it has become my go to visual link list.

Go make something.

Cheers.

Re-Listen: Stray Cats

Three guys a guitar, stand up bass, and a drummer who stands.
One of the best Band logo's around, or at least top 5 for sure.
Have a swinging hot weekend!

Cheers.

Stacked.

Been rummaging through some old images I shot. It was home. 9 years is a long time....