How to Dye Fabric and some GREAT designs

I don't know if you realise this but as well as loving to stitch very large reproduction samplers I also love stitching little things.  Now I love freebies for this but I also love designs made by my friend Nathalie which she sells on Etsy as PDF files which I really love because there is no postage to be paid.  I HATE paying postage.

I also wanted to know how to dye fabric.  I have loads of fabric but not always the color I want so... What do you do?  You ask your friend which is exactly what I did.  You see my friend Nathalie dyes her own fabric too and I generally love the colors she gets.  Here are some of her charts that I just HAD to buy because I loved them so much.  Nathalie's shop is called The Blue Attic:

Tiny Birds were Singing
and the price of this PDF
is £9.64

Constant Friend PDF
and the price of this is
£5.16 

Needle Roll PDF
and the price of this is
£8.66

ABC Rabbit PDF
And the price of this beauty is
£6.88

Now courtesy of Nathalie who actually lives in France and no the USA here is how she colors her fabric (I copied this off of an email she sent me via Etsy and I also have her permission to share this with you):

Linen and staining !!!!

I buy white linen (32 count)
I stitch my patterns
then I sew (pillow / pouch or else)
then I iron
then the staining moment !!!lol

Well dear !!!!! I buy walnut crystals here

www.etsy.com/listing/8587404/1-oz-walnut-ink-crystals-for-aging-and?ref=...

then I prepare 3 jars of a mixture !!!

1st step:
Mix 1 teaspoon of crystals with 1/2 cup of hot water

Divide this first mixture in 3 jars

1/3 : it is your first jar with the darkest mixture
1/3: add some water to get a "medium" dark mixture
1/3 : add more water than in the second one to have a lighter mixture

Always start with the lighter mixture
(I use a large brush to stain my stitchery)
then use the medium mixture to darken some zone
and only use the darkest mixture with caution, just to add some spots but not everywhere ....

I then put my stitchery in the micro wave oven for 40 seconds to 60 seconds.
If I am not satisfied with the color, I use the brush again with the medium mixture.
I put it again in the oven.
I let the stitchery dry completely and then I iron it

If you don't want any creases, do not wring your stitchery while staining it ...

Nathalie has so many beautiful things in her shop to stitch please go and have a look at them.  The initial few things are more expensive because they are stitched and ready to go so please don't be put off.  Her shop again is The Blue Attic and in case this link just shows you the UK site and you want to go to her Etsy store in your own country try this link The Blue Attic and her name on Etsy is nathaliepoppy.  Have a lovely weekend and please leave me a comment so I know you've been here.

Hope you enjoyed this.
Hugs
Patti xxx