Dyeing to be Perfect

Suzanne and I are both enamoured with the idea of using hand-dyed organic fibers, and I'm completely excited about doing our own dyeing.  My first two batches came out uneven and speckly, but I soon figured out the chemistry and perfected my technique.  It turns out that it's critical to wash the fabric first with a high quality professional textile detergent, and timing the fixing process with the right temperature is also key. 

Anyhow, this last batch I dyed included the colors, "Sand Dune" and "Cayenne Red."  The first color is a gorgeous pale mushroom grey, while the red is definitely chili pepper!  And I'm so happy that the color came out uniform and perfectly saturated. This fiber is organic Oeko-Tex 100 certified merino wool jersy knit.  It is super soft to the touch, and warm to wear.

Onward!  I can't wait to see these turned into garments!

Little Lap Jacket

 

Another one of our designs is this little lapped jacket, which is reminiscent of a Nepalese style of jacket.  This one was made from a sweater that we felted and re-cut into our pattern.  We serged it together and trimmed it with a cotton knit in a fun stripe.  I just love the way it turned out, and the weight of the wool is perfect for those chilly fall days.  We plan to make this style for adults as well, but as yet we have not found a good source for thicker wool to acheive this weight.  We may have to cut up multiple sweaters and have more of a colorblocked look.  We'll see....

The jacket pictured is available now in our Artfire shop; it's one of a kind, so when it's gone it's gone for good.  Of course we will make more of these with the same pattern, but because we're up-cycling wool, no two are alike.

A Little Funnel Neck

I'm so excited to reveal to you one of Mercy Me's newest designs: a funnel neck sweatshirt!  This one is sized for a child, but we plan to offer the same style for adults as well.   This design is very kid friendly because it's easy to get on and off, but at the same time I think it offers a touch of sophistication that appeals to adults, too.  The neck can be worn down or buttoned up, depending on the weather and your mood.

The sweatshirt pictured  is made from cotton knit, but we plan to make this out of organic wool and other yummy fabrics.  Stay tuned!

It feels great to have our designs coming along, although I'm impatient for lots of inventory!  To help with this feeling, we recently purchased an industrial Singer Serger from the '4o's, and it's beautiful!!  And talk about fast; the thing is finished sewing before our fingers can move the fabric.  Suzanne has pretty much mastered the thing, while I remain terrified of it.  For now, I'll stick with the home serger...




Industrial Singer Serger from the 1940's