Last summer dyeing sessions produced wool and linen fabrics for Viking garb and to late Iron Age and medieval accessories. I also need lots of colorful wool yearns for future embroidery projects. It is amazing how many shades it is possible to get from plants. Greens are dyed with green plants or yellowish plant dyes and indigo.
IDyeing with indigo is messy and some of the chemicals are not exactly healthy. One dye bath will dye couple of fabrics in to dark blue and bath produces lighter shades forever. Bath and freshly dyed fabric are green. When indigo oxidizes it comes blue. Green fabric turns more and more blue.
Late Iron Age Karelian silver wire tiara.
Materials are 0,5mm sterling wire and 0,5mm sterling sheet. You need 50g of wire+ more for braided parts. Those should be done of twisted 0,3-0,4mm wires.
Brooches from Kaukola grave 6 were acanthus brooches. More than ten this kind of brooches have been found in Finland and shores of Lake Ladoga now in Russia. Last this kind of brooch was found few years a go by metal detectionist visiting Ladoga area. This brooch design is derived from Viking era animal brooches and eastern acanthus patterns. If someone is interrested in tortoise brooches (and can read Finnish or German), he or she should read Julius Ailios book Karjalaiset soikeat kupurasoljet. This nearly 100 years old book contains lots of detailed information about tortoise brooches and their decorative styles.
My brooches are sand casted of tin bronze. I will remake them lost wax method in future, since sand casted ones are not very sharp and casting has too much bubble marks.
Real acanthus brooches are huge, more than 9cm long. This big brooches would look oversized on me, so my brooches are slightly smaller. Brooch model is made of Super sculpey and pp-100 plastic padding. I did carving with Dremel and dentists drilling bits.
This kind of hard plastic brooch can be used when making sand casting molds or wax models for lost wax casting. Making wax brooch is quite easy. Press image of the brooch to wet clay and pour molten wax in. Take care that there is no air bubbles between clay and wax. Clean wax and cast it inside your casting mold material.
Iron age veil was attached with this kind of large brooch. It is sterling silver and 9cm in diameter. I am not totally pleased how it worked out, so maybe I will make another in future. Original brooch was decorated with primitive engravings, chasing and repousse. This brooch is chased. Repoussed arch gives strenght to otherwise flimsy struckture.
These bracelets are older Viking era style. Maybe one day, I will make dress of that age.
Medieval inspired gold rings.
I made these 14 carat gold rings, because I needed a narrower ring. I dont like when water stays under rings after washing hands.
First ring has pink star ruby. Ring is made of gold wire and sheet.
Second ring has sand casted ring and sheet setting. Stone is rose cut garnet.
IDyeing with indigo is messy and some of the chemicals are not exactly healthy. One dye bath will dye couple of fabrics in to dark blue and bath produces lighter shades forever. Bath and freshly dyed fabric are green. When indigo oxidizes it comes blue. Green fabric turns more and more blue.
