Creative Concoctions

It's my first week of summer break from my job at the Middle school. Because my kids are still in school, I thought it would be the perfect week to catch up on my projects. One unfinished project involved left-over dyes that had been sitting in the fridge for weeks after a YW tie-dye project. I had determined to put them to use on some originally white t-shirts that had become more greyish tan, having been through a few too many mud baths. This project was actually to be a sort of experiment, to see if the shirts could be resurrected to new life with dye. So my two youngest daughters (6 and 12) and I set to work to make 10 new shirts out of old ones. I found 6 old, white 100% cotton shirts at home, and I found 4 plain, white, 100% cotton, kids' shirts at D.I. for $1 each!

For those of you who ever want to attempt tie-dye, I will show you how we did it. The first thing you need to know is that 100% cotton fiber is key for the dye to take well. Remember that. You can dye any article of clothing or sheets or fabric, but the colors stay best on fabric that contains 100% cotton. The next thing you need to know is that dye stains EVERYTHING it touches. So, if you do NOT want blue hands, wear rubber gloves! And if you don't want your table or deck pink and green, lay down plastic with newspapers on top to absorb the excess dye. One year we did this on a table on the grass, and somehow the dye got on the grass, then onto kids' feet... we had a purple-footed Isaac for weeks! I learned from that to make sure I have plenty of newspaper under the work surface to soak up the dye so that I can just throw it in the trash when we are done. This time, instead of a table, we just used newspaper on top of the grass. It worked fine. No plastic needed. And we had no purple feet, either, because I was more careful about where the dye went.

There are many different dyes to choose from, but I have found the best success with fiber reactive Dharma Dyes, which are sold at dharmatrading.com . follow the link for tie-dye and building your own tie-dye kit. There are so many colors to choose from, but remember that the primary colors for dye are Bright Yellow, Fuscia, and Turquoise. This means that you can make other colors by mixing these dyes. Years ago, I purchased the chemicals, 10 different colors of dyes, and the squeeze bottles to dye 37 shirts for a family reunion. I am still using those same dyes--50 shirts later! They come in powder form and it takes a while to mix them because you have to measure and add some chemicals. I learned the techniques from Dharma Trading Company. They have a wealth of information and were kind enough to answer my emails and give me personal feedback and instruction for my first big project. (I think they could tell I was a little stressed and needed some extra TLC.) Here are their instructions.

To begin, mix the dyes the night before. This takes a while, especially if you have several different colors, so give yourself an hour or two. It is good to prepare them ahead so you don't feel rushed. Just store them in a refrigerator or other cool place until you are ready to use them. Basically, the mix consists of water, the dye--according to proportions specified on the label, water-softener chemical (if you have hard water, which I do), and Urea--which is a dissolving agent and helps the fabric stay wet longer while you apply the dyes. You actually dissolve 1 Tablespoon Urea and 1 Tablespoon water softener in 1 cup of warm water first, then add the dye. Most dyes require 2 teaspoons per cup of water, but some require 4 or more teaspoons per cup to get the right hue. Always check the label. Another chemical you will need to use is soda ash. You will mix the soda ash in warm water just before you apply the dyes and you will soak the shirts in that "bath" for a few minutes before applying the dye. Soda ash is a mild alkaline that is a key to "fastening" or holding the dyes to the cellular fibers in the shirt, making brilliant, non-fading colors.

Now to begin preparing the shirts, first check the techniques for the design you want... or just start tying and let the end result be a surprise. My favorite designs are the "sunburst," in which the colors radiate in circles out from the center, and the "spiral," where the center of the shirt seems to spin. To tie a sunburst, you grab the spot you want to be the center of the design and pull it up, securing it with a rubber band or yarn. Then you continue wrapping the shirt into one long snake. You can make a different color of sunburst on the back if you separate the layers and pull both directions out and then scrunch and tie the middle. Otherwise, you will just have the same sunburst design on front and back. You will be applying dyes in stripes from one end to the other. I prefer using yarn for this design because I can just scrunch the shirt and wrap the yarn around it quickly from top to bottom, and the dye seeps through the yarn.

The spiral design requires a flat surface and a twist, and rubber-bands. You will put your fingers on the shirt where you want the middle of the spiral to be and then twist in one direction until the shirt is in a small circle around your fingers. Then secure this shape with rubber-bands. You will be applying the dye in pie-shaped sections, on the front and back of that circle, to get the spiral design right. For these shirts, I used the primary colors, Yellow, Fuscia, and Turquoise, and some Bright Green. You can see from these pictures how the scrunched up, saturated in dye blob turns magically into a striped spiral t-shirt.
Make sure you wear rubber gloves when applying the dye and have newspaper directly under your working space. It is very helpful to have the squeeze bottles for applying the dyes. I try to cover all the surface I can see with dye because there usually ends up being more white spaces than I expect because of all the creases in the shirt. Sometimes I even squeeze dye between the creases to get it nice and deep in the folds of the shirt.

As soon as you have "fixed" or applied the dye, you need to put the shirt in a plastic bag to let the dyes settle in overnight. I used plastic grocery bags and just tied them up and put them in a bucket in case any dye leaked out. You could also use ziploc bags. It is best to let the shirts sit in the bags for 24 hours in order to "set" the dye.

After that, it is time to rinse. Put on your rubber gloves again, take a shirt out of the bag, and hold it under cold, running water. You will likely splash dyes around, so you may want to use a utility sink or a hose outside. As the water is running over the shirt, untie it, and continue to rinse until the water runs clear. Then you will toss your shirt(s) into your washing machine, add a special dye-free, bleach-free detergent, such as Mela-Power (from Melaleuca.com) or the textile detergent that Dharma Trading Company sells, and run the washer on warm/cold. When the wash cycle is done, hang the shirts up to dry. After that, you can wash these shirts with any load and they will NOT bleed, so you won't have to worry about pink socks--at least with these shirts. :) And rest assured that if your little one winds up in a rain storm with one of these tie-dyed shirts on, his back won't turn blue! :) That makes for happy Moms.

If you have any questions, please comment below or email me @ wendeelu@gmail.com I would be happy to help you through your next project.

I was especially pleased with the outcome of my experiment to "resurrect" some dirty shirts. You be the judge:

Spring has sprung in Trenton!

Come visit our garden

I just love tulips! They make a great analogy for the seasons of life. Considering that they spend all winter hibernating under ground, storing essential energy for their imminent enunciation come Spring, I am always amazed at the splendor of their arrival. I celebrate tulips with gratitude for the wonderful splatter of God's love that has arrived in my garden to greet me and to inspire me to press forward. The color and texture of these bold flowers please my eye and soften my heart, preparing me for challenges that may lay ahead for me.

Some days, when I feel dormant, or bold, I consider myself a tulip.
That's the flower I would likely be...
if I were a flower.

This is the spot in my garden that Mrs. Pig and her lovely piglets came to visit. It used to be covered in strawberry plants. But, alas, my neighbors were so kind as to cultivate the soil for me, looking for grubs to eat, and woops, overturned dozens of strawberries. :( After finding a better place for my strawberries, (they needed more sun anyway and pigs can't reach them in the 3 foot high grow box) I rearranged this garden to protect it a little better from Mrs. Pig and her clan. Notice how I strategically placed the children's bench and the rocks to guard the openings to the garden. Hopefully, if those neighbors visit again, they will not find that garden so inviting, because I couldn't resist planting some Vinca, Dahlia, and Bachelor's Buttons in place of the strawberries, alongside the already flourishing Columbine, Rhubarb, and Bleeding Heart. Oh, my heart rejoices in the sight of that lovely spot of ground! I am so pleased how well it is turning out, thanks to the April and May showers we have experienced this year.

Little Purple Pansies... growing in the corner of the garden
I think this is their 5th year of re-emerging!Here you can see my herb garden.

It is full of Chives! As well as Garlic, and Sage, some Thyme, Mint, and St. John's Wort. I also have Spinach, Peas, and Lettuce growing in this grow box. And yes, in the far east end are my strawberries--which are doing quite well considering their earlier predicament.

Of course the most important crop we are growing is children!
They have a place in our garden as well.
And they bring us the greatest joy!
Because of our children, there will always be dandelions in our garden.
However, through the eyes of children, even dandelions have great beauty and function!

The Maine thing is to keep the main thing the main thing

You know you are missed when you are given dandelion decorations upon your return! :)
This is the Welcome Home I got from my daughters after a week long solo trip to Maine to visit my sister and her family. I think my family missed me... They said they did. My friends commented that this was the best use of dandelions they have ever seen. I agree! The plants in the background are the seedlings we planted last month that my kids kept alive while I was gone. :)

I had a great trip! My sister and I painted 2 rooms, went to 4 baseball games, shuttled kids to and from school and practices, went on several walks, played games, made plans, and we even visited the beach... twice!

My sister and I at Ogunquit Beach in Maine April 29, 2011
Ahhhh! That salty air and the sand between my toes does something wonderful to my senses!

What an adorable family!
I had a great time getting to know each of them better!

I have to mention here that finding an affordable plane ticket was nothing short of a miracle. I acknowledge the Lord's hand in making it possible for me to enjoy this experience. I will forever be thankful for the opportunity I had to share a week of my sister's life in her beautiful corner of the universe. I learned so much from her and her family and truly enjoyed the time I was able to spend with them. On the day of my departure, we even made time to go to the Boston Temple, and afterward visited Walden Pond before heading to the Logan Airport in Boston, where my luggage received a thorough investigation before being allowed through the security gate! (I'm just glad it wasn't me getting the extra scan and "pat-down." And I learned to packed my underwear more discreetly.)

En route to Houston, our pilot skirted the storms in the mid-west and flew over some amazing cloud formations. I couldn't resist trying to capture a few. This black cloud looked just like a ship cutting through sea foam.

At home, in Trenton, life carried on as usual--minus the Mom. My family has become so independent, I was actually worried most that they would never miss me while I was gone. (Then what purpose would I have when I returned and discovered they really didn't need me?) I suspect there was a party the first couple days... But on the third day out, I was informed that my youngest son declared, "There are no good cookers when Mom is gone!" Well, at least their stomachs missed me!

Actually, when I walked in the house upon my arrival home, it was very apparent that the Mom had been gone for a while. I don't know if anyone noticed that there were no more clean towels and or that the dust and clutter were collecting on the family room floor, but I came home to a world of purpose: which includes caring for my five beautiful children and my good husband. After a week long break from my regular chores, I'm ready to roll my sleeves up again... Bring on the dishes, the laundry,... and the dandelions!