I couldn’t resist (get it!?) a re-release of this fabulously fun espadrilles kit! You might remember it from last year but here it is again…The Clay Resist & Indigo Dyed Espadrilles Kit!
I worked in collaboration with the lovely Julie from The Love of Colour and she created this wonderful textile experience that results in beautiful espadrille shoes.
The reason I am so extra smitten is that I had so much fun making my own pair. I was incredibly excited to find Prepared To Dye organic cotton and hemp blend fabric in white! It makes the whole process so much easier and eco-friendly. The prepared to dye fabric doesn’t require pre-washing and it takes the dye so beautifully.
For my shoes, I decided to have fun and free-form a swooping design using a wide foam brush. After the clay resist dried, I dipped it in indigo 5 times and got this great blue color. I am thrilled with the result and had so much fun using my designed fabric to create espadrilles. It’s going to be so fun to wear these this summer. The easy, organic, worn look of my espadrilles is going to fit right in at the beach!
You can grab a kit here, in the shop. It comes with the organic white fabric, salmon colored lining, all of the essential clay resist and indigo vat ingredients, Julie’s fabulous instructions as well as all the essential espadrille items like the shoe soles, needles and so much more.
Message me on Etsy if you are interested in grabbing an extra bit of the white canvas. The kit comes with plenty of Indigo. You will absolutely be able to do additional dyeing!
The Clay Resist and Indigo Dyed Espadrilles Kit also comes with a constellation stencil in case you prefer a more structured design. The stencil allows you to create a pre-determined design that also makes a fabulous pair of shoes. You can see the results below. You can also see the difference between dipping it in the dye a few times (for a lovely light blue) and multiple times (for a deep blue).
Of course, the possibilities for creativity are endless when working with clay resist. That is definitely what appeals to me about using this technique to create one-of-a-kind handmade shoes.
It’s also fascinating that the clay resist doesn’t wash away with indigo dyeing (as it would with other dyes), which is why it’s possible to create these beautiful espadrilles to begin with.
Grab your kit here and add this fun project to your spring list! Check out my Instagram as well, I’m posting a video about my creation process this week!
JULIE SINDEN
is a textile artist and educator living in Toronto, Canada. After 15 years of making her popular line of felted wool winter hats and accessories, she began a second business, called The Love of Colour. A celebration of colour, textiles and especially natural dyes, The Love of Colour draws on Julie’s twenty years of studying natural dyes, and more than ten years teaching. The line includes a small range of our favourite plant dyes, as well as ever popular beginner kits, which contain the pre-measured ingredients and comprehensive instructions to try a specific technique for the first time.
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