After talking to the lovely ladies down in Hastings, and receiving a book as a birthday present just on the very topic, I set out today to do a little dyeing.
I started with a pan of hot water, which I brought to the boil before adding a metric tonne of coffee (I didn't measure it and got a little carried away). At the same time, I had a smaller pot which I filled with loose leaf herbal tea and boiling water.
I had absolutely no idea how any of it was going to turn out, which was so exciting! It reminded me of doing science experiments, or making "potions" as a child out of leaves and flowers in the garden. I lived a very sheltered childhood.
Raided the cloth drawer for a bunch of old rags, and cut up a few bits of plain fabric to go in too.
Adding the fabric to the bubbling pot felt so wrong, like I was going to pull it out and have it covered in dinner or something.
But in they went.
To continue with the theme of experimentation, I did a little ad-hoc tye-dyeing with some thick cotton thread I had lying around. I was excited to see if the thread kept all the dye out completely, or if it would make any difference at all.
Added another thorough coating of ground coffee because I wanted there to be darker splodges on areas, which worked out very well actually.
After a good half hour's boiling, I laid the fabric out on tin-foil covered baking trays and baked in the oven. I really regretted not rinsing the tea leaves off this piece first, because they became encrusted on and had to be washed and baked again.
The Aga is full of fabric and covered in fabric, just the way it should be!
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