Organisation, that's the thing, apparently

January is always a good month for hunkering down and doing absolutely nothing.
Outside cold and grey, hard to motivate myself.  However, lots of paperwork tucked
away.   Workshop paperwork all done, tick.   Accounts, yawn, and tax paid - big tick.

a massive yarn dyeing session - the last of

the balls yet to be wound on to spools

preparing cloth for the indigo vat 

whilst listening to the radio

Room given a good clean out and sort. A good month after all.

Next week we are heading East - guess where - for two weeks

of warmth and inspiration.   On my return I shall grapple with

setting up a website, which will include a new look store.

March is the start of a busy summer, and the first indigo

vat of the season.    Hurrah.

A winter beach walk

Blue sky days, but oh so cold.    We took a walk along Sandbanks Beach.

Plenty of dog walkers, and mad wind surfers.   The sea was boiling, the

wind coming from the south east, whipping up the sand.    Very invigorating.

An hour was enough.  Back home to warm up with a bowl of winter

warmer lentil soup, and curl up with some stitching.

warming thoughts

It's grey and cold out there today, so what better than to think of warmer days.

I have put together my Summer Workshop program

and I notice that this paper, a yummy piece salvaged from a dyeing/batik 

workshop, even talks about holidays in the sun

last year I met lots of lovely people who were interested in taking

workshops.    I have names and e mail addresses, but in the way

of things, not all those . @ coms and cos have worked out.

So, if you are reading this and haven't received the list, contact

me.   On the other hand, if I haven't met you yet, I'll be happy

to send you a copy!

Shades of red and leftovers.   The results of Dyeing Day One

Drying on a radiator with the cold winter sun casting shadows

Some lovely reds from coral to brick, then the fun of mixing remaining 

dyeinto subtle, and not so subtle, colours

Today I have a selection of blues to rinse out, and more yarn for the dye pots.

Atishooooooo

Best laid plans of last week had to go on hold.    The Big Sneeze heralded a 
horrible cold.  Just had to go with it.   Caught up on my reading, even watched 
some rubbish films on  the box - how ill do you have to be?!!


As a little light therapy a rolled some spools for dyed yarns.   Mindless, but at
least I was doing something useful.

How wonderful when you suddenly feel better, even enough to tackle taking the Christmas decorations down, plus industrial cleaning.   Shock horror, so many cobwebs, did spiders invade my house for the festive season?


Today I spent dyeing yarn.  Outside grey skies, inside an explosion of colour.

Happy New Year

Goodness, it's January 5th already.   High time to get back into the studio.

Our flight in the silver bird on Christmas Eve took us to Singapore.   Will invited us 

to join him over Christmas.  He was working, Senior First Officer on the flight crew.  

How could we say 'no'?!!   

It was hot and humid, lovely.    Singapore is amazingly clean and well organised, 

even with the one hour tropical rainfall in the afternoon.  

   the seeds made themselves tidy in this drain cover

an artificial Christmas tree

along side lush greenery

it had to be done - a Gin Sling at Raffles, then walking

through the discarded peanut shells on the floor

the city at night - all very Blade Runner

and a special treat - did they know I was coming?

exhibition of Indian Textiles for Export to the East 1400-1900

block printing from Gujarat - drawn and painted,

resist and mordant dyed cloth from the Coromandel Coast

And so, after three days the silver bird flew us home in time

for New Year's celebrations.  Nic, Will and little Ben joined us.

Much eating, laughing and playing games, plus walks on

the beach, well wrapped up.   Building sandcastles and

making dams.  Back home for a warming soup.