Much as I love the pink Valentine wreath (see previous post for photos and 'how to'), I really wanted to make one that had a more vintage feel to it. We have an excellent haberdashery shop in town, it is one of my favourite places to visit. Staff are friendly and helpful, yet allow you time to browse and think. Most important in such shops I feel, when I'm often working out at the last minute how much fabric or ribbon I might need. I don't get to visit as often as I would like to, but I know that when I do, they will always have exactly what I want in stock.
I bought over 12 metres of net, in pale pink, peach and crisp, bright white. Ideally I wanted cream or ivory, but I knew I could change the white myself once home. I also bought some ribbon and three rather lovely vintage~y looking millinery roses. I've bought them before (to use in my hair or as a corsage), and feel I ought to point them out as a Top Tip. Rather than buying a corsage from a department store or fashion chain, seek out a haberdasher and buy them there. You can usually find something with a more individual look, prettier, and far cheaper than the 'fashion' equivalent.
The photo on the right is to show the lengths of white net, after I'd dyed it. I used instant coffee to give more of a sepia hue to the net. I didn't want a very bright and new looking heart, but something softer and aged. Very simple to do. You can use either tea or coffee, just make a strong brew and lay your net in for as long or short an amount of time as you want. Leaving it longer will make the colour stronger, a short time will add just a hint of colour. I deliberately left batches in for different times, so that the overall effect would be uneven, as if aged by the passing of time.
I tend to use this method for dyeing lace and fabric, but I've also done it in the past with paper. I know that there is a love for using old newspaper, music sheets and scripts for craft projects. They aren't easy to get hold of here, so I make my own. Very cheaply too, I should add. I buy music sheets, then scrunch it up and soak it in tea (I find it tends to work best on paper), then I leave it to dry overnight. I very carefully burn a few edges, just to give it a bit of a 'almost lost it in a fire' air. This is a notebook I covered a few years ago, using my home dyed sheets of music. You can see the burn marks in the photo on the far right.
The heart shaped wreath made today isn't just for Valentine's Day. I will keep it out on display all the time as I'm really happy with it. It's not often a project turns out exactly how I envision it in my mind, so I'm doubly pleased with it. For now, it is sitting on the mirror in the bedroom, and the dye technique has given me even more ideas for my Christmas projects that I plan to start working on this week. I've had lots of compliments on the pink Valentine heart, and I'd to thank everyone who left a kind comment. If you are tempted to try making one yourself, give it a try. It's good fun and not too time consuming. :o)
