Nostalgic silliness

[altivo]

So I was dyeing that silk necktie this morning, and the dye bath was still dark when I finished, indicating that I had used nowhere near all the dye. Rather than waste it all, I scrounged around looking for some wool yarn or something that I could use in that color (dark forest green.) Came up empty handed.

Then a light bulb went on in my horsie-head. A quick search through a drawer found me the white t-shirt that had a couple of mud stains on it. Very faint, coffee-colored blotches from being kissed by a horse with mud on her face. Several washings later, they are still visible. I grabbed a sack of those little rubber bands you use when braiding manes, and went to work. When the t-shirt was in adequate bondage, I soaked it in warm water, squeezed it out, and eased it into the dye. I was afraid the rubber bands weren't tight enough when I saw how well the dye was penetrating the fabric, but... it worked!

Shirt is now in the washer to get the last of the dye out. A genuine 60s throwback, and I don't remember when the last time was that I had a tie-dyed t-shirt. Probably at least 30 years ago. It looks good too. The design turned out pretty much as I planned it. ;p

(Oh, and the mud stains are now invisible. Unless maybe you put it in black light, but I don't have one of those any more.)

Comments

[corelog.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, you still know how to get your groove on... :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

As in The Emperor's New Groove maybe. Except if I were turned into a llama the way Cuzco was, I might not want to go back.

[hgryphon.livejournal.com]

Nah, just pull out the bell bottoms, pop on some shades, eat some granola, and casually put up two fingers to show your disdain for war. ;)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I still eat granola occasionally. I've never worn sunglasses (don't like them at all.) All my bell bottoms wore out long ago, and the "peace sign" has gone back to meaning "V for victory" which would presumably apply to Iraq, so I wouldn't be caught doing that.

[zenicurean.livejournal.com]

Why, here I am, with a t-shirt or two I could've dyed a long time ago... and it's literally never occurred to me that I could do it.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Ah, but will you do it now that it HAS occurred to you? That's the real question.

[zenicurean.livejournal.com]

If I won't try it, I know I'll regret it.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

Now that you have a tie-dye shirt, you have to get a new black light. Either that or a lava lamp.

*flashes peace sign*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Actually, we have a lava lamp. It still works, slowly. One of the originals. Gary gave it to his great aunt as a gift way back when. His grandmother inherited it, and then his mom, who gave it back to him when she was cleaning out a lot of junk. It's in the guest bathroom for use as a night light when we actually have guests.

[hgryphon.livejournal.com]

But if you're going retro, you should go all the way! Get that blacklight. We have several here.

What pattern did you go for? I took a seminar on how to band up a shirt to get specific patterns once, but that was a while ago...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I should take a photo. Concentric circles radiating from over the heart, and echoing up the back a little as if they ran right down through my crotch and back up my rear. That's a little complex to set up, but it worked. I just didn't carry it quite as far as I should have on the back, but that's OK, no one would get it anyway.

[doc-moreau.livejournal.com]

Oh! you should (or rather, i humbly request that you) post a pic of your shirt later :D I love tie-dyes. And green!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'll see what I can do. I plan to wear it this morning.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Do you have a microbus/Kombi ? :D

Grab some thin steel framed round spectacles wrap a thick bandanna around your head and get down and groovy man ;)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I do not have and never owned a microbus. Nor have I ever cared for head coverings of any sort other than my own hair, but that is long.

As for the spectacles, I've worn nothing but steel rims since that era. Only one pair ever qualified as "granny glasses" though (the proper period term) and they were rectangular rather than round. That style is back in vogue here these days, and my mate has a pair with little round lenses like Ben Franklin might have worn, but I prefer better peripheral vision. ;p

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Why not go for contacts :)

They were great for vision but my eyes couldn't get used to them, plus one of them fell out while I was driving so that stopped it for me/.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I do have contacts for fursuiting. They're a little too much fuss and bother for me to use them all the time though. I guess I'm not vain enough to think it matters.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

They were great for driving, because I had full vision with nothing blocked by glasses frames. But after one fell out well that kind of put the kaibosh on that. And as you say if you wake up at night and need to see something its not like you just whack your contacts in.