Making a Peplos - Part 2

Hello again.  So here's where we are. The peplos is done.  Well, wearable, anyway.

While trying to decide what to do about dyeing this thing, I decided it would just be easier to use a contrasting threat.  I used a dark neutral of some sort to give some contrast to the whipstitch.

Whipstitching it all together.

Stitching all done. Fabric laid flat.

Next up, the dye.  After more research and google searches than I care to admit, I decided to dye this baby with turmeric.  My reasons being, 1- it's easily obtained; 2- it isn't ridiculously expensive; 3- it's easy to use; 4- it does not require a mordant; 5- I did a test swatch. It was super easily and very pretty. 6- it is food safe, so I can do this job in a cooking pot. Obtaining a dye pot and mordant pot is proving tricky, or at least highly inconvenient, at this time. Sure, it's probably not authentic to the period I'm recreating here, but the pros far outweigh the cons in this case.

Super easy and super vibrant test swatch

I tossed all the turmeric I had left in a large pot, added a mess of water and brought it to a boil. I wet the fabric in water, wrung it out and worked it into the dye water. A few minutes simmer and I let it sit overnight, just as I did to the test swatch.

The bits poking out the top came out lighter than the rest.
I should have weighed down the fabric. Lesson learned.

I rinsed it out probably 6-8 times before the water stopped running yellow and hung it up to dry.

Ta-Da!

Now, yes, I know it won't last forever. It isn't light fast. I don't care.  It will last long enough and when the time comes, I will hopefully know more, have more toys at my disposal, and I will be able to dye over whatever's left of this run.  My biggest concern right now is whether or not the yellow will make me look jaundiced.