Tara Miller Designs

Dyeing Fabric with Tea

 

During nap today, I dyed some muslin with tea. It was the least messy fabric dyeing I have ever dealt with and it smelled wonderful! I based it on some instructions I googled but in the end I eyeballed it all since I didn't have tea bags and I was working with 2 + yds of lightweight muslin. Teac dying will give your fabric an aged, vintage, antique look. I am planning on using the dyed fabric to make cafe curtains with a Greek Key trim as seen in Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts (love this book!)

I started by filling my sink with roughly a gallon of hot water and to that I added 9 tbsps of loose leaf tea (Mine of Ceylon Cherry which I hoped would add a bit of red but no dice). I then waited 5-7 min for the water to darken. I added the fabric to the tea and carfeully swished my fabric around until it was wet through. I let it soak for 30 min and then came back and swish and stired some more. I left the fabric for the rest of the afternoon until it was a good dark, antique color and then drained the water. I rinsed the tea leaves off a little and placed the wet fabric in the dryer (you can hang it outside as well) to dry.  As I type my fabric is still drying and I want to wait for the light of day to see the finished resulting color. Can't wait!

Christmas Presents to me!

I received many hand made and wonderful presents for christmas this year and wanted to share them. Mom made me this kick-ass laptop case. I picked the fabric months ago and then forgot about it. It is a turquoise and orange combo. She made the handles long enough for me to carry the bag over my shoulder and added a double zipper. I love it and it fits my laptop and cord perfectly with a little extra room for notebooks and what not. 

My sister-in-law, Gretchen, was a hand made mad woman this year. She made everything she gifted and it was incredible. To name a few: lip balm, soap, snowflake oranments, AWESOME Toffee Coffee mix (my afternoon indulgance) and this beautiful plate. it is simply perfect for my sewing room and I will add a shot once it finds a home on the wall. 


 

Also, here is a sneak peak at my latest in-process sewing pattern. It is going to be big!

Post Christmas Catch-up

Here is a post I had intended to write before christmas but, like a few other things, it didn't get done. I saw this recipe in my local paper and just had to share it. I wanted to make it for christmas breakfast but that was one of the few that didn't go as planned. Sticky Buns have been a family favorite for as long as I remember. This recipe is the easiest and least time intenisve I have found and it is delicious to boot! As you can see it was a big hit at our table!

My new favorite cookies

 
At my neighborhood cookie swap, I found a very inspirational cookie that I could not stop shoveling into my mouth. However, when I recreated the recipe I found that it was in need of tweaking. The yield was too small, I prefer more salt and a little more rise. Plus I needed an excuse to use my new illustrator skills and whipped up a super cute recipe page for your christmas pleasure. I tested these out last night while babysitting a friends 3 yr old son. He approved whole-heartedly. May I present Peppermint double chocolate cookies recipe (inspired by Angie Walker's recipe)

Left-overs from dinner

Garrett and I are back to social life. We actually managed to have friend over the other night. Granted she is a pediatric nurse and he lives with her, it went off without a hitch. I even made a Bundt. She, Devon and I did our girl talk and Garrett and he played Mario cart. Just like old times.

P.s. I recommend the recipe above but I cut out 1 cup of sugar and a 1/2 cup of oil. Rave reviews!