The Selkie Scrunchie

I have had a fascination with the Irish folklore of the Selkie for decades. Where a seal can also turn into a human. I’ve also had a love for velvet fabric since I was young as it seems to carry a magical element like no other. The colors shift slightly with the light or a slight touch. I also have an extreme amount of long thick curly unruly hair- silk velvet scrunchies have been the only thing that has felt comfortable for wearing in my hair every day. The fabric is always hefty enough to handle the weight and the shine and texture always makes me feel a little extra special. For these pieces, I either buy the fabric in several yards or find white silk velvet garments when I can and deconstruct them. I scour and mordant the fabric, then I cut them to size, dye the strips in batches of my color choice and then sew them up on my 1963 Singer sewing machine and I hand finish the closures.