Good News, Bad News (Mandala)

[kateb]

Great news, I finally found what works for me mandala wise-  Silk, soak, dry, tie, dye.  My fingers are finally getting the hang of it (although my symmetry could use some work still).






The bad news? I have absolutely NO use for silk scarves! LOL. I don't wear them, and with a 2 and 5 year old boy plus a full time job, I don't have time/energy to try to sell anything.

Anyone have any cool craft ideas for large silk squares?   
Kate

[deb]

Holiday gifts, birthday gifts. I got started dyeing onesies for my friends who were having babies.

[tiedyejudy]

Wall hangings?  Also, you might be able to sell them from an online store with little time/effort involved.  Check out www.artfire.com.  They have a 'basic' membership that allows you to post up to 10 items, and it's very easy to start.  Plus, they are opening it up for the holidays to allow basic members to post unlimited items.  All you have to do is post the item, and mail it out if it sells.  If that's too much, tuck them away for a time when you might have the urge to try selling!  Great job, by the way.  They are fabulous!

Judy

[fiberartist219]

Great job!

I have a similar problem. I make more art than I sell, so I have tons of tie dye laying around the house.

[pburch]

Silk scarves make a wonderful reusable package wrap. It's much less trouble than fussing with cutting paper and taping it. Place a box diagonally on top of the scarf, then tie opposite corners over the top. Tie the second set of corners so that the knot wraps around the first one. Sometimes a bit of tape is needed to keep the inside package from showing, but often it's not needed. A 35" square scarf is big enough for a standard shirt box.

Those mandalas are beautiful.

Paula

[ktaltre]

Kate,
Your mandalas are lovely! Well done!
When you tie the dried soda soaked silk, do you use gloves or do it bare handed?
k. taltre

[Cher Rox]

Those are awesome! My favorite is the third one down...beautiful! How many star folds did it take to get that result?
Cher

[kateb]

Thanks for the replies! The gift wrapping is a great idea, and artfire looks easy to manage as well - thanks!

I don't use gloves when I tie. Actually, I don't use gloves half the time I should. Once I accepted that my hands are going to always look like the Partridge Family bus, life got a lot less complicated. ha


Cher, I was SO disappointed when I first opened that one up. The colors shifted so much, and it wasn't at all like I had planned. So I tossed it in a corner for a few days, and when I went back to it, I liked it!  The silk is SO easy to fold and get itty bitty pleats, which is why I'm using silk all the time. I just can't get anything else to fold/dye right for me.


Trying to do a bearded iris (favorite flower!) mandala next.

[Cher Rox]

Keep it coming!!!
Cher