Almost On the Road Again

A wonderful two days of indigo dyeing in Chichester.   

Weather perfect. A mad scientist afternoon making

iron water to enhance the blue and potassium 

permangnate for colour stripping.  No photos, too

busy doing!   

Detail of Blue Moon Quilt - recycled, renewed.

Gathered 'found' white fabrics - dyed, wax resist

and over dyed.

Two days to go before setting up the exhibition in

Bridport.   Ten quilts to hang, new and 'golden

oldies'.   A few Journal Quilts on stretched 

canvas frames and velvet scarves.  All ready 

to go, except there is one more baton needed.  

I never seem to have just the right ones, probably 

because I have recycled the longer ones.  

That's us!

Reasons to be cheerful

Babs came along to the workshop on Saturday 

bearing gifts.  Some pipes for pole wrapping, a

delicious home grown cucumber, and this.....

a dactura (Angel trumpet) grown from seed.   

This made me very happy.  I have tried over the

years to grow dactura without success.  Today

it is very humid and I swear I could see

it opening.

Jasmine winds through the wisteria on the balcony rail.

On warm evenings we eat here and the scent reminds

me of India.

A big lilly flower.  Beautiful scent. The stem is

 about a metre high with six flower heads.  

 The hover flies are loving it.

Finally, me and Mr. Ben. 

Now to pack for a two day Indigo workshop with

Chichester Quilters tomorrow.  It's going to be 

great.  Perfect weather for dipping the blues.

Temporarily blocked

Not a lot of stitching going on here.   Summer dyeing

workshops going well, indigo workshops next month.

But right now, getting to grips with the Raw Talent 

Exhibition going on 'tour' to the far end of the county.

Tomorrow the world?!!!  Set up date in eleven days.

In theory it is just a case of gathering everything 

together again, sounds simple doesn't it?  

Lists, and lists of lists. Up and down ladders

hanging quilts and pictures.   The Paper Cinema

comes to town again, in all it's quirkiness.

Meet and greet on Saturday 7th September.

2 - 4, wine and nibbles.   An open invitation to

attend if you are anywhere near Bridport Arts

Centre, Bridport, Dorset.  If you do, say hello!

The show goes on until 11 September.   

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

but now, not grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.   As I uploaded my

 pix a telephone call resolved the matter. 

 A couple of months ago I took a workshop in 

The Twilight Zone, teaching teachers at 

a local school.   The Accounts Department

of the County Council declared me as not

self employed and would deduct tax.

Hackles raised, two phone calls later, after

stating my case, I won!  Hurrah, not only

for me but all those other artists who

take workshops in schools.  I love 

working with children, but the hoops

we have to go through, unbelievable.

So, to calm my mind I dyed some threads.

Now drying outside in a gale.

Then, to clean my hands, I made a felted soap

and some felt balls

Calm and peace restored.

Are you sitting comfortably?

Summer Saturday workshops start this weekend.   

New chairs needed - tick.  They are wood and fold

flat for storage, perfect.   Cushions needed.

We were once a quilt

Keith was more than a little surprised when he found

me chopping up a quilt.   It was made last century

and has spent most of it's life on a shelf.   Now it is

reborn into four cushions.  I like them very much.

From the stash

First attempts at deconstructed screen printing.

Lots of lessons learnt.  Thickened dyes on cotton

fabric result in paler colours.   Over dyed, not

good.  Over dyed again, better.  Thermofax

screen prints - black and gold.  Result - ok'sh.

detail

So, this fabric has found it's time (and there's more!).

Although it is cotton it proved too difficult to quilt.

To many processes I guess, and two layers of

textile paint didn't help.   Nice cushions though.

Moon Flowers

Summer School - brilliant.  Good company, too much 

food and the multimedia workshop has filled my brain.

I shall revisit my notes and samples at the end of

week - meanwhile, my June Journal quilt.

Moon Flowers

Indigo patterned with batik.  Brush

marks, thin squiggles, thick lines.

My batik lines end with a blob,

In my mind I think crazy flowers.

Lots of free machine stitching. 

detail

Santorini

A wonderful break.  Back refreshed, especially 

as we had to endure an extra day on the beach.  

Tuesday, it seems, is the day chosen by Greek 

workers to go on strike.  No complaints, 

beach life is good.

Plenty of these.  Note atmospheric storm clouds.

And, yes, we did have rain!

Yummy

Nice textures 

So, washing and repacking done, I'm off to 

Summer School tomorrow for the whole weekend.  

 A bit of a workout for the brain I am thinking.