San Rafael Valley, AZ ~~ Photo by Bill Haas

Thursday, April 9, 2009

RECYCLING THAT OLD SILK TIE

This egg was displayed at the National Park Service's Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, LA.   If you have time, patience and an old silk tie lying around, here's how you can make an heirloom Easter egg for your great grandchildren to fight over!
You will need: Raw eggs (the number depends on how ambitious you are), white vinegar, an old silk tie (cut pieces of the design large enough to wrap around each egg), needle and thread, paper towels and water.

Carefully, clean the eggs with vinegar.  Sew the silk snugly around each egg, creating a nice "carreau."  Set the eggs into a pot of cold water with paper towels cushioning the eggs and separating them one from the other.  The paper towels should keep the eggs from moving about in the pot and isolate the dyes so they don't bleed one onto the other.  Boil the eggs for about 3o minutes, then carefully lift out of the water with a spoon and allow to dry.  You can cut away the fabric when it and the egg are completely dry.

If the cooked eggs are kept refrigerated and turned weekly for TWO YEARS, the egg will crystalize and can then be displayed without refrigeration.  Voila!  Heirloom Easter Egg!!

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