stitching

'tis the season of the year and next week Christmas lunch with my chums at The Mill.   We all bring a plate of food and end up with a table full of delicious dishes.

It was decided that this year we would all make a 'postcard'.   Found my 

sewing machine,  gathered materials and this is the result.

painted tissutex, block printing, free machine stitching 

and sequins - suitably festive I think!

Now I must turn my thoughts to the three Journal Quilts

that need to be finished by the end of the month.

just doing

Spent a lovely day with my friend Jenny

 painting papers

enjoying a delicious lunch

and driving home on a beautiful

autumn afternoon

contented cows  happy sheep

and  happy me      thank you Jenny

Good timing

On Saturday I took an indigo workshop in my garden.     All week I checked
the weather forecast.   It went through all the usual combinations we are
experiencing this summer.   From hot, humid, heavy and light rain showers.


Would I have to cancel;  erect the gazebo for the vat, and provide umbrellas
to get to the clothes line?   No!   The sun shone, and we had such fun.  Indeed,
it was just great being outside, never mind the excuse of indigo dyeing.


I am home alone for a couple of days, relishing the chance to stitch, and grab
a bite to eat when I am hungry.   What a treat!


Today I dug out painted papers, doodled on the machine, added a dab or two of
paint, and hand stitched to finish.

That was fun.  It's been ages since I have had time to play.

The indigo plants are very thirsty so I guess the rain is

welcomed by them, although to really grow well more

sun and warmth is required.   Still, nature usually

catches up.   Who knows, we might have a really

hot July.  Today is it pouring down again.

A light bulb moment

Yes, you can fix Procion dyes on paper.  Thinking about it, rather 

than just diving in in the heat of the moment, it became somewhat

obvious.  Soda ash.    I'm pleased about this discovery, now those

old dyes can be used, fixed, pasted on paper without bleeding.

I placed paper on plastic, wetted it with soda ash solution, then 

dripped dyes.  Left over night to dye, the next problem was how

to wash out.   Answer, place on tray, hold the tray diagionally,

pour water over paper until it runs clear.  I then put a little

Synthrapol in water water to wash over paper.  May be this

last bit is not necessary?!!   Anyway, it's worked for me.

Surfacing

Since my last blog it has been a case of concentrating on the 

task to hand, escaping into my workroom and just getting on. 

On Saturday a workshop in Brockenhurst, great day, no photos,

too busy teaching.   However, the drive through the New

Forest was beautiful.   The trees in their new coats of green,

yellow gorse, or as we say in Dorset, furzey, New Forest

ponies and Highland cattle ( which were a bit of a surprise).

Didn't manage to take photos of these either, but in the

middle of Brockenhurst loads of donkeys!

Two long indigo quilts done,  still a lot of hand stitching to be

done on the third.  

 

My plan might be working.  We are promised 'summer' for

a few days which is great - this afternoon will find me

out there stitching in the sun.

Indigo vat tomorrow to dye some muslin and velvet.

  

Not all blue.   

For an absolute change of pace - painted papers

needed for the exhibition.   Do you know, I think

acrylic paints are even messier than dye.