hello September

Of mist and mellow fruit fullness - we have mist, or rather the remains of smoke from a landfill site about four miles away.   Can't open windows 'cos the smell is awful!

The last two weeks of August were a combination of getting out and about,  enjoying the weather, sitting on very comfortable new sofas and finally giving the kitchen a good tidy, a scrub down and discovering the joy of clean cupboards.    So all spic and span, feeling very virtuous.  Decorating materials put away.

the Kurta quilt is on the wall

The last of Art Festival children's tie dye workshop on Friday.   I was swamped, didn't really have time to totally unpack.      At the end of the day I worked out that over two sessions I sent out into the world eighty seven fabulous t-shirts and with their happy makers.    Hoping I might receive photos of the finished t-shirts eventually.   With no fear. or preconceived ideas, there were fabulous colours combinations.     

print from dyed t-shirt on cardboard - love it!

On Saturday I did absolutely nothing, that is after I cleared all the dye pots and brushes and put all the workshop paraphernalia away.   

On Sunday we spent a very pleasant day at the end of Bournemouth pier, watching the Air Festival.   Posh fish and chips for lunch.  As we were high up and some of the planes were flying low, the pilots were visible as they whizzed by.     Blue skies and 20c, who could ask for more!

looking over towards Shell Bay - Poole Bay was full of boats of every description.

the fabulous Red Arrows

The Lancaster, it's huge!

thoughts of my father-in-law who was a Lancaster pilot, aged 23

Whilst I was dealing with the mini dyers on Friday, Keith took Ben to the

 Air Show.  First stop, the Birds of Prey area.    Here he is asking the Barn 

Owl to look at the camera

annual outing

Summer Blast at Walford Mill ( walfordmillcrafts.co.uk).  A fabulous range of workshops for children, and I get to take the dyeing workshop.

first I upgraded some patterns

bulls eye

                                                               accordion pleats

swirl

it was chaotic and colourful fun 

In the morning there were nine eager students.  T-shirts and squares of fabric were bound, tied and pleated ready to be dyed using  dozens of elastic bands and handfuls of chickpeas

The afternoon I set up a small indigo vat.   A different pace to this workshop.     Eight students this time who spent an hour preparing their t shirts and fabric.   Then the magic of the indigo vat was revelled.    The enthusiasm was amazing.   I explained how to use the vat.    They listened, and then just splashed away!  Rivulets of indigo, bubbles in the vat.

There was also lots of smiles and laughter plus a very impressive line of blue cloth.

A little bit of the washing line.   The t-shirts have been bound using large stones gathered from round and about.    I can tell you that the shapes emerged were wonderful    The now blue stones were returned from whence they came.

Sadly no other pics - too involved in dipping and dyeing.    I have to thank Jazz my very able assistant, and the children who were marvellous.   Maybe some of they are wearing their master pieces today!

Hey ho

hey ho, it's off to work I go

the ingredients for a tie dye workshop which took place at the Arts Week for children in a local community centre.    Sixty five t shirts left home, twelve returned.  Guess you could say it was a a busy day!      i was so pleased when my friend Brenda turned up, unexpectedly,  to give me a hand.     We worked hard with our little students, and were

rewarded with the delight on their faces when dyeing and going off with their t shirts all wrapped up, ready to be rinsed tomorrow morning - if they can wait that long!

  

I am going to leave the clearing up of buckets, pots, sponge brushes etc until tomorrow.

Right now, I need to put my feet up and enjoy a nice cup of tea

Time to play

Brushing up ahead of the workshop here on Saturday, I dusted off my paints and
silk screens, made up a gelatine plate ready to just play.

Two pieces made a couple of years ago

Ancient Story


A smal journal quilt.   The background is printed
with a gelatine plate.   The dark figures printed
with a silk screen which had a layer of flour and
water paste applied and then scratched into
before printing

Spirals

Another silk screen with flour 
and water paste.
















just playing - flour and water paste

mono printing

taking a line for a walk

mono print leaf

gelatine plate printing

two friends have birthdays this week

these prints have made 

a couple of nice cards

The  workshop took place at the weekend and it was great fun.   The plan worked well.

Preparing the flour and water screens first to allow them to dry.   Gelatine printing up to lunch time, and a bit beyond.   Time to put them back into the 'fridge before they returned to liquid.  We finished off with some mono printing.   A truly wobbly, and messy day.

Hello!

Yes, we did come back from Naxos, just in case you were wondering!  Six 
glorious days of blue skies, a golden sun, and the warm turquoise sea.

The first couple of days found us asleep on any flat surface, day or night.
So good to get away and relax.

We hired a car to explore the island, up and over Mount Zas (fabulous name),
traveling the east and west coast.  

the countryside verges are all dried seed heads

and herbs which give off a very evocative smell

up in the mountains thyme is still growing in

the cooler air   beehives are scattered about

how I love Greek honey

as ever, the deconstructing boat

a donkey saddle

windmils  the old and the new

We came back refreshed, and brought the sun with us.  However, it didn't take 

long to slip back into the crazy mad world. Lots to catch up with. Family matters, 

visitors, blah de blah.    

Two day back and I had a lovely day at Walford Mill.  Two workshops with children.   

Dyeing t shirts and squares of fabric

in the morning it was Procion dyes

the afternoon devoted to indigo

it was a perfect summer day

early morning walk

Mother's Day was celebrated on Tuesday as Nic, Will and little Ben were staying 
with us.  A big bunch of lilies, now open and smelling gorgeous. A trip on Sandbanks 
Ferry to Studland.   It was autumn cold.  A brief walk on the beach before lunch at The Banks Arms where we warmed ourselves by the open fire.  


Today dawned sun shiny bright so down to Sandbanks early, only a few dog walkers at 8.00am.   The sun was deliciously warm.   

piles of shells

flowers for Mother's Day

On Monday I took a workshop at Hansons Fabrics  in Sturminster

Newton.   The Dorset countryside looked just gorgeous, decked

 out in the colours of Spring.

There were ten lovely students, who all managed to get a good 

way on the embroidery, learnt to stitch shisha mirrors with my

failsafe way so they don't fall out!   They left with instructions on

 finishing and making up the Book Bag.   Radka has completed

her bag and it looks great.  You can see it here.

Dandelions

shibori dandelions from my sample book

Gilli of http://textilecottagestudio.blogspot.com  has posted pix showing the wonderful
shibori pieces she created at Saturday's workshop.   All those little bundles that left the
house now revealed.   You might like to take a look.


Thank you Gilli.

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!

something different

seed heads

Yesterday I took a workshop with a local embroidery group.    The subject, fused
applique with free machine embroidery and hand stitching.   The piece is only
5 x 5", mounted on a stretched canvas.   Just enough to get the idea.   By the end
of the day everyone had finished the 'mechanical' bit, with just the hand stitching
to finish.


I loved the gathering of work at the end.   All had their maker's individual drawing
marks.   A good day, and such a change from my usual Indian inspired hand stitching!

A "Parson's Egg" week

e.g. good in parts

Last Saturday found me on Brownsea Island, Poole.

Now owned by the National Trust, it was the birth place

of the Scout Movement - Baden Powell set up the first

camp on the Island. A beautiful tranquil place, no

cars allowed, home of red squirrels - all busy gathering

their nuts, so to speak. Delightful.

Cottages on the foreshore - what a great place for a studio.

I was invited over to take a dyeing class as part of an

Embroidery Workshop. Location The Girl Guides summer

house - so quiet and inspiring, especially as students were

encouraged to take nature as their theme.

Samples drying on hedges

Cloth dyed in autumnal/island colours

The view from the house - dappled sunlight, looking

towards Poole Harbour.

I had been invited by Betty (Ruffell) who organised the

weekend. I think I surprised her on my arrival in

complete walking kit, boots, walking pole, and

racksack, jeans, big jumper etc. My norrnal attire

for workshops is churridar (trousers) and a kurta!

We had a great time. When it came to make my

way to the ferry my back said 'no'. Consequence,

last week not a lot got done until a visit to my

Chiropractor on Friday.

Enter the 'elephant in the room'. Velvet for dyeing.

Getting a good way into this now - dyed lengths for

scarves piling up. A few more metres to go.

Must take advantage of reasonable weather today

and tomorrow before the rains come. Wednesday

should see me at the sewing machine, all being well!