Dyeing Playsilks Using Summer Fruits

We dyed our own playsilk using raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, 

tomato, rhubarb and beetroot from our garden.

I was inspired by this book.
We looked at the flower that related to their first initial of their name
and I wanted to make them an elf/pixie cape of the corresponding colour.

There are boy illustrations in these books...which is great for boys to get in touch with flowers
positively without it being overtly girly.

Little Seed needed pink for Mallow...

So we set up an experiment:

I boiled the plain silk in hot water and vinegar.

We mashed up the foods and I strained them with a sieve.

Then we dipped corners and bits of the silk in different pots.

The tomato didn't work, I wouldn't bother.

The beetroot actually gave us orange!

The silk dried lighter than the image so in a few weeks we can have another go
when it fades to a very pale pink.
Any tips appreciated to achieve a darker effect!
x

Click here if you fancy winning a gorgeous snackbag


 Linking to:
beneath the rowan tree

Creative Friday at Natural Suburbia

My Autumn Swaps Have Arrived!

This is the first time I have ever done something like this.

It was really exciting!

I got these AMAZING pumpkin hats from Cheryl at Time To Craft.

In exchange for these red apple tree applique tops, with apple buttons, and hair bands to match.

Her packages arrived with this beautiful wrapping.
Check out the lovely tree and toadstool printed paper. Luscious.

I swapped these 3 green tree applique tops for..

These GORGEOUS knitted gnomes...

and this FANTASTIC knitted doll from the fabulous
Wild Faerie Caps mama.
This photo is poor quality as Big Seed played with it all evening...he gave birth to them within 2 minutes!
He treated them all like his babies...so sweet.

Here they are in a sling!

Thank you lovely ladies...such beautiful crafts!
The boys and I love them all!

x

Table Pictures and Giant Rubbings

I taped down paper on the kitchen table and asked Big Seed to sit on it.

This was so novel he enjoyed drawing like this.

So we started to draw together in collaboration.

He would add to something I started and vice versa.

It's really strange to do something you haven't done since you were so small yourself;

I mean when was the last time you did giant scribbles?

Good for the soul for sure.

Then I thought of an extension;

In the time it took Big Seed to run upstairs for something...

I covered the table in flat objects.

I taped down coins, lolly sticks, cards, and glue spreaders.

Then I put some more paper on top and told him it was a treasure hunt with crayons.

What joyous squeals of delight and laughter at finding silly things.

Simple bliss.

x

Exciting Observational Drawing

I don't know about you but my memories of observational drawing

were sitting at a desk staring at a vase.

This wouldn't do for us!

We were off to the bird sanctuary to see and feed some birds...

and do the odd drawing of course!

Big Seed and Fairycake holding hands to the entrance.

Bliss.

They watched some swans and ducks from a window

and made some lovely crayon drawings.

Here is Big Seed throwing bird seed at them.

This is my favourite picture of today.

You can't tell what it is?

Well it's a large group of flamingos obviously !

Note to self... must get outside more with the crayons,

so simple.