Well, pooh! So much for THAT bargain.

[gurdymonkey]

I noticed that when I wore the blue linen kosode koshimaki'd around my waist for taiko at GWW, my perspiration produced some blue streaks on the white linen kosode under it. That's easily fixed with some dye remover. However, the blue linen kosode went into the machine alone after pre-treating with Shout where I glopped some yellow mustard on it. It is now a pinkish lavender, which means the vinegar that usually sets the same dye nicely on silk did nothing. To add insult to injury, the mustard stains have gone babyshit green and are still visible. I suppose I can take the collar off, turn it and re-attach so the stains are on the inside. And I can pair it with the rose shibori kosode or the purple dan gawari one, but damn, that's disappointing.

Lest you, O My Reader, think, "There she goes again, doing things the hard way," I have just printed the West Kingdom Populace Hinomaru on iron-on transfer sheets to make tent rope markers with.

Comments

[bovil.livejournal.com]

It is now a pinkish lavender, which means the vinegar that usually sets the same dye nicely on silk did nothing.

So it's too late now, but in the future don't use an acid-set dye on linen. Those are really designed for animal protein fiber.

(ETA, sorry, I didn't remember that the linen was blue when you got it.)

Alkaline-set (fixed with soda ash) fiber reactive dyes like Procion (not Procion MX) are designed for vegetable fiber and should give you much better results on linen. You may even be able to over-dye the kosode with fiber reactive dye to get it close to the color you had.

(ETA, try washing samples in oxy-clean and soda ash, but as separate processes. The oxy-clean will prevent dye from redepositing on other items and may fix the dye. If it was dyed with a fiber-reactive dye, the soda ash will fix it.)

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Thanks, darlin'. Have you used Dylon on cotton and if so, how was it?

[bovil.livejournal.com]

The chemistry for dyeing nylon is similar to that to dye silk, I use acid dyes to dye nylon and feathers. Therefore, I would use Procion (soda ash) dyes for cotton instead of dylon.

[crimsongriffin.livejournal.com]

Genius idea for the west populace badge!

[aureellia.livejournal.com]

Oh dear god woman!

Are you sure you don't want to go flat out indigo? Maybe it is a modernism, but it seems we had so much blue.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

I'll probably run it through the machine one more time with some dye remover and start from scratch.

[aureellia.livejournal.com]

Is there a reason why my feeling is that strong blue is vitally important? Is it a modernism?

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Not at all. They had it. They used it in a variety of saturations from light to dark and they overdyed with it to produce other colors. There's a mannequin in the Kyoto Costume Museum in a Heian summer ensemble that reads almost black on the monitor and is described as blue.
http://www.iz2.or.jp/english/fukusyoku/wayou/9.htm

[aureellia.livejournal.com]

I would look hot in that. Thank you for the expertise.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Yeah, baby!

[aureellia.livejournal.com]

How many layers is that?

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

It's a summer ensemble, so it's only four garments, total. White kosode (think chemise) and nagabakama (trousers). Green hitoe (unlined middle robe), indigo hitoe-no-kinu (unlined over-robe). Some of the summer silks would have been very stiff, open weaves (such as sha or ro) that stand away from the body.

One of the late summer ensembles is described as a lavender/blue-green worn over blue green. I have this pale teal, almost transparent synthetic kimono silk that would work for the over robe....

[aureellia.livejournal.com]

Don't be silly. What yardage do I need in each color? Let me sift through my things. I have a stash of pre-1960s Japanese fabric. There might be one little bit we can use.

We have been talking about this for a while. Can we start here with a few versatile pieces?

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

http://wodefordhall.com/heian.htm has approximate measurements for the robes, say another 3 to 4 yards for the nagabakama.

http://fibers.destinyslobster.com/Japanese/Clothes/japmakewomenshakama.htm has instructions on how to make those.

[aureellia.livejournal.com]

OH no. I am not doing this alone. I need a monkey.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

I can help. Construction is mostly straight lines and I can coach you through collar attachment, which is where most people get a little confused.