Procrastination
So for some reason, I just really didn't want to work on the floral polonaise's petticoat today. So instead, I procrastinated - first, by dyeing 5 of my ostrich feathers (the ones I bought in that ebay lot of 55 over a month ago) with koolaid. They turned out the perfect shade, though they're unfortunately not quite as fluffy anymore. Does anyone have any tips for keeping them fluffy while dyeing?
My dyeing steps, in case anyone is interested (I'll try to remember to take before and after pictures later)
1. Soak feather for app. 1-2 mins in baking pan with water, dishsoap, and a little bit of vinegar.
2. Transfer feather to large glass baking pan 1/2 full with hot water, plus app 1/2 cup of vinegar, and 1 packet of koolaid. Leave feather in dye until it reaches the shade you want. (I had feathers which had already been dyed lilac, and I wanted to get them a pale pinky red, so I put them in strawberry koolaid for 30 sec-1 min)
3. Scoop your hand under the feather while taking out of dye, so that the feathers don't all clump to the stem. Then blowdry on medium heat on high setting. This works best if you have both hands to hold and move the feather, so prop your blowdryer up on something (I used the top of the microwave). As you are drying the feather, make sure to separate all the individual strands of the feather. When the roots of each strand get dry enough, start gently running your fingers repeatedly up and down the stem in order to fluff the feather. Make sure to keep turning the feather in different directions so it dries evenly.
For my second means of procrastination, I watched Marie Antoinette with my mom (who had somehow never seen it), and worked on my quilted petticoat! I know, it's been a long time since I did anything with that. I almost definitely won't finish it by Costume College, unfortunately, but I suppose there's always next year. I'm going to try to work on it whenever I watch a movie, so maybe it will come along faster than I expect.
Oh, and I guess as even more procrastination, I organized the majority of my findings and buttons. Until I ran out of organizational space. Whoops!
My dyeing steps, in case anyone is interested (I'll try to remember to take before and after pictures later)
1. Soak feather for app. 1-2 mins in baking pan with water, dishsoap, and a little bit of vinegar.
2. Transfer feather to large glass baking pan 1/2 full with hot water, plus app 1/2 cup of vinegar, and 1 packet of koolaid. Leave feather in dye until it reaches the shade you want. (I had feathers which had already been dyed lilac, and I wanted to get them a pale pinky red, so I put them in strawberry koolaid for 30 sec-1 min)
3. Scoop your hand under the feather while taking out of dye, so that the feathers don't all clump to the stem. Then blowdry on medium heat on high setting. This works best if you have both hands to hold and move the feather, so prop your blowdryer up on something (I used the top of the microwave). As you are drying the feather, make sure to separate all the individual strands of the feather. When the roots of each strand get dry enough, start gently running your fingers repeatedly up and down the stem in order to fluff the feather. Make sure to keep turning the feather in different directions so it dries evenly.
For my second means of procrastination, I watched Marie Antoinette with my mom (who had somehow never seen it), and worked on my quilted petticoat! I know, it's been a long time since I did anything with that. I almost definitely won't finish it by Costume College, unfortunately, but I suppose there's always next year. I'm going to try to work on it whenever I watch a movie, so maybe it will come along faster than I expect.
Oh, and I guess as even more procrastination, I organized the majority of my findings and buttons. Until I ran out of organizational space. Whoops!