making marks

As you know when the sun shines and it's hot and humid, what else to do but set up the indigo vat!

Saturday ticked all the boxes for an indigo workshop.    Fantastic results.   Wonderful cloth on the washing line.

Everyone produced a mega amount of cloth which was stitched, tied and pole wrapped.
And then I became so excited I forgot to take photos, except these.

bound marbles with soy wax dots

soy wax design on bags

all designed by Babs

the wax pot always comes out on dyeing workshops 

soy wax is fantastic   the washout leaves the fabric with

a soft 'handle'  so much better than the traditional wax

Monday found me in Sherborne, Dorset taking another Indigo workshop with the lovely ladies of North Dorset Embroidery Guild.    A return visit.  Last year the day was perfect  unfortunately Monday was grey, a little damp but humid.

We made the most of the day working under a porch!  There was a lot of huddling around the vat, dipping and dyeing.   Good blues and bundles of cloth.  What a difference Saturday!

I have my last indigo workshop here on Saturday 22 August 

there are a couple of places available.

in lieu of indigo dyed fabric, a blue pot!

fun in the sun

This last week the sun has been shining, there has been a little rain to make the garden grow, and an occasional day without the chilling wind from the northeast!

The first of three indigo workshops takes place on Saturday, fingers crossed that the weather stays fine      in warmer climes at least you can be sure for at least nine months it's always a perfect temperature for an indigo vat.

All this reminded me of our visit to Arkola to see our block printing friends.  My camera battery died, step in the professional, Mr. R, with a spare camera.   Marvellous.

a vegetable stall on the left  on the right bullock carrying felled tree(s)

I looked left - stop the car!

an old indigo vat

sign of many years usage  the building behind is being renovated

I suspect this wonderful vat will soon disappear

meanwhile, next door

a lovely lady at her treadle sewing machine

the cupboard behind is piled up with quilts

through the centre of the village block printed fabric is drying in the sun

at our printer friends the indigo vats are ready to go

dyed cloth being resisted - that's difficult!

bandani of course

a group photo, taken by Mr. R obviously,

I'm looking happy especially after a little retail therapy followed

by chai and a delicious cake

If you are interested in one of the indigo workshops, contact me

finally, a photo that nearly got away

it's from our nine hour train trip from Bhuj to Palanpur

as mentioned in my post (26.02.15) there was never a dull moment

everyone was so friendly and very inquisitive

the seating is just one up from wooden seats 

I think this was taken very early in the morning as I am

still well wrapped up - we started our journey at 6.30am

the benches hold four people, in theory, though usually eight

are accommodated    for the family party there is always the 

luggage racks to stretch out on, never mind all the bags

and baggage

Good idea to sit on a single seat?   Forward thinking!   

more blue!

in fact quite a lot of it.     Indigo workshop at home on Saturday, and then the very last one of 2014 with the lovely ladies of Sherborne West Country Embroiderers.

The vat was set up in the lovely grounds, with two very convenient trees for the washing line.

hubble bubble

dipping and dyeing

it was the best summer ever for indigo

autumn colour, a tad early - three weeks apparently

probably brought on by the lack of rain 

everything in the garden is looking a little sad

still, we can enjoy the Indian Summer a while longer

according to the weathermen  and I am not complaining

a colourful week

The children's workshop on Tuesday was pretty full on - no pix!

a gazebo was set up outside the restaurant on lovely decking

oh dear, we moved it on to a grassy area - can you imagine the

result after dyeing t shirts, forty three in all, should you ask!

People strolled through the garden, interested in what we were

doing. As one group of children finished, another group formed.

Buddhist monks sat around relaxing. Perhaps they felt at home.

Tie dye flags and t-shirts?   Could have been McLeod Ganj.

(they were performing in a concert that evening)

Yesterday was a much more relaxing workshop.

Babs taking out ties on a muslin scarf

on the line indigo with soy wax resist

Mary's amazing clamped cloth

it's oxidising at this point

comos daisies with spots of blue

another fantastic day

after a post workshop tidy up I grabbed a slightly grubby pair of

white churidar (Indian trousers).     Fork and cotton bud pattern

over dyed potato print rings

Definitely the last indigo workshop here in 2014(!) 
is on 6 September - a couple of places available

just for the record

it is generally thought that us Brits are always talking about the weather

which is not surprising since we a get a lot of it in all it's varieties

just checking it out first thing this morning and the chart shows

a fabulous curve of sun and 26c - look no rain!

suits me just fine

indigo washing

agapanthus - a few of the twenty five flowers 

blooming lovely

blue heat

The whole country is sweltering in the heatwave, broken slightly by monsoon rains,

together with amazing thunder storms and dramatic lightening flashing across 

the sky.    In our little corner of England we managed to escape most of the 

storms, although the rain was much welcomed on our parched garden.

The gazebo made an appearance again, just in case.    Not needed after all,

just a few little showers to cool the air.    Hot and humid, perfect indigo weather.

Cloth prepared - stitched, tied, bound and clamped.    Soy wax resist.  Ready to go.

A few pix captured during a very productive day - and what blues?!!!

pole wrap with raffia - love the green 

old lace

soy wax resist - stars from the ceiling of an Egyptian tomb?

soy wax 'scribbles'

manipulated pole wrap

these are but a few of the most wonderful pieces produced on the day

and it was such fun dipping, dyeing and enjoying heat of the day, admiring 

the amazing blue cloth on the washing line - big smiles all round.

Next Saturday it's a Procion dyeing day.   Same effects, but in colour!

Looks like the heatwave will linger longer, which means the dye should

produce really strong colours, that's not to say you can't do pale!

There are a couple of places left.   If you are interested, contact me.

high summer

slowing down, not rushing

enjoying warm (hot) days

picking courgettes and beans

then eating them for supper

at last Saturday's workshop on Indian Stitching we looked at

banjara stitching

kantha stitching

Indian mirror work

and little samplers were started

which might look like this

I've read The Chemistry of Tears by Peter Carey - strangely wonderful

next up,  Rumi The Fire of Love by Nahal Tajadod, the story of the great Sufi poet

 and creator of the whiling dervish    I am transported to 13th century Arabia 

today I revived my two week old indigo vat    it's not often in that this 

can be done 'outside' without the aid of a heater of some kind

another indigo workshop this weekend - forecast hot and humid, perfect

now to water the garden and harvest a handful of beans

happy day

The first indigo workshop on Saturday turned out, rather like the weather, brilliantly.    We were lucky to be on the edge of the thunder storms, so it was hot and humid after lunch, perfect for good indigo blues.    The gazebo was dusted down, just in case of rain.    We all reminisced about the last indigo workshop of 2013.    It poured with rain, but it was warm.   We huddled and dipped under the shelter of the gazebo.   Shrieks of laughter as the wind lifted the top to give us all an involuntary shower.    I should add 'a sense of humour and to expect the unexpected' to the Needs List.

a small bucket vat taken at a children's workshop last year

It was not until everyone went home I realised I didn't take any photos, and there were some lovely pieces hanging around the garden.      Deborah has kindly sent a photo of

indigo pieces on the washing line.

Deb's piece is the large pole wrapped cloth in the middle.   Well over a metre long and

wrapped around an industrial/office water bottle, quite an achievement!    A bit too big for a bucket though and I was reminded of my big bin vat, which was just as well. Pole wraps seemed to be the order of the day.

as I finished tidying up there were one or two big spots of rain

and  this splendid cloud formation heralded a downpour    it didn't last too long 

just enough water the garden and later dry enough to have supper outside

domestic stitching

The Indian bedspreads were taken to the cleaners, a little grubby and I didn't fancy the idea of washing and ironing the pair of them (290 x 290cm).   They came back sparkling white and have been sitting around for a week.

Yesterday was making the curtains day.    Fortunately I have two large workshop tables which made the task easier.

measuring and cutting first

measure twice, cut once - what was left after adjusting

the length  - enough for four cushions I think

Amazingly, although it is hand stitched applique I found

I could match the pattern (almost) perfectly.   I marvel at the 

skill of the makers, not only is the design pattern perfect, it must
have taken a great deal of time to complete each bedspread

the curtains were hung in the afternoon

creating a cool feeling in the lounge this morning

when outside it very bright and very hot!

this afternoon perfect for another indigo vat

the leftover joined hems 

three dips to go for a rich indigo blue

blue day

It's a glorious day,   Blue skies, 20c and all in all a perfect day for the Blues.

Emptied the remains of last year's indigo cloth from the basket to try out a new recipe.
I usually use sodium hydrosulphite.   Lots of students are really not keen on the smell, I like it!   So with some Spectralite on the shelf I made up my vat with that.  Success.

Another good reason is that Spectralite is easier to obtain than hydros.

A rack full of over dyed indigo.   Love the richness of the dark blue with the 

contrast of what was white, now mid blue and zinging against the dark.

All sorts of shapes and sizes, and patterns.   A quilt in the making to

stitch in the sun.

The block printing workshop on Saturday was brilliant and such fun.

We cut potatoes, fun foam, tried various found objects, and raided the 

garden for greenery suitable for printing.

For once the camera was to hand.   I took one photograph, after which

the camera hid itself.    So here is very clever Babs working away and

producing fabulous prints.

wish I had pix of the other students work

wonderful prints all round

note to self - put camera in a safe place!

Hmm, the vat is still happy, perhaps another dip or two.

It's good to be dyeing indigo under a warm sky again,

never mind the fact that I have a blue hand due to 

a hole in one glove.  A small price to pay

Here comes the rain

or, another day under the gazebo

Marvellous, a week of fine and warm weather.   What happens on Saturday?  Not only

did the temperatures drop, lashings of rain started to fall just as we were about to use the indigo vat.

the vats are sitting in black bin bags, insulated with newspapers

lots of blue cloth achieved despite the weather

just after this shot was taken the wind got under the gazebo.   I was well

and truly soaked as the puddle of rain landed on my back.   In good company

though, it happened to most of us, and we could still see the funny side

Today it is glorious.........grrrrrrrrrr.   Hoping it will stay that way.  At the end of the week I am taking two Summer workshops for children at Walford Mill.   Dyeing t shirts - Procion in the morning and indigo in the afternoon.

The end of indigo workshops for this year.    The first and last in stormy weather, the ones in the middle were perfect.    May be next year I should offer 'pop up' indigo workshops when I know the weather will be just right.   I wonder how that would work?

I found some cloth I had dye painted and discharged a few years back.   It never did work.
So, with the batik pot to hand I did this

wavy lines and spots

after a few dips in the indigo vat it now looks like this

better than before   if nothing else it will make a good backing cloth

a little pile of indigo pieces

it is raining the garden is loving it

no more dyeing for a week or so

we've off to Cornwall for a break