The indigo workshop last Saturday was absolutely brilliant.     The vat was warm and delicious.   Students dyed yards of cloth.  I promised to take photos, oops to busy having fun, and I am a little cross with myself!

Will and Ben arrived late afternoon.  Later after tidying up, we enjoyed supper on the balcony.   So nice to sit outside on a summer's evening.

Up early to drive to Portland Bill.   Will was taking part in the 10k race.   With temps up to 24c and the course involving hills I had nothing but admiration for all the runners.

ready for the off

After the race we stopped off at Chesil beach for an ice cream, then back home for a roast  chicken dinner.   Crazy choice given the weather!   Ben provided the new potatoes and sugar snap peas he planted in our vegetable plot.     Of course, we had to watch the gentlemen's final at Wimbledon.   Great cheers on his win.

I revived the indigo vat.   Time to introduce Ben the wonders of dyeing his own t shirts.

First he had to do a magic dance

first dip - a great deal of concentration going on here

 second dip

Will and Ben at the reveal

that was great fun, and lovely to watch Ben's face

when the t shirt was opened out

suspect the Procion dyes will be out for his next visit

decisions, decisions - what to wear?

I've been taking it easy this week, enjoying the warmth,  tending to the garden,  a little shibori on cloth to be dyed with ferrous sulphate (rust), and some to be given the Black K salt treatment tomorrow.       Then may be more shibori under the sun, it's such perfect indigo weather, must take advantage of it!

creaking

After the flurry of workshops hither and thither, won't you know it, the back is complaining.
So I have been taking it a little easy this past week.    

There was the Shisha workshop here last Saturday, under the new amazing conservatory roof, which as promised, made the room cooler under the hot sun. 

   Rabari mirrorwork 

Rabari mirror work, so colourful and beautifully stitched

Coffee with my friend Jenny, then a wander around Wimborne.   I understand walking is good for your back, probably when it is not 'out'!    Helping to stick labels on envelopes for CQG newsletter with Barbara, Hilary and Fran.   In between, quilting and surface stitching the kurta quilt, whilst resting my back.     The end is in sight, inasmuch as most of the pieced top is stitched.

Last day of 'term' with my friends at Walford Mill tomorrow.   I will set up my indigo vat,

ready for dyeing after our yummy lunch.    The sun is going to shine and it will be warm, with no rain forecast.

On Friday a date with the chiropractor to scrunch me back into shape.   It's not much fun having one leg slightly shorter than the other, especially if you are vertically challenged!

Saturday it will be even warmer, and possibly very HOT.   How wonderful is that?  The Indigo workshop in the garden should be magnificent!   I'll take lots of photos.

So a creaky start and a getting better week, in every sense of the word.

Indigo blues

Way back at the end of January, when it was very, very cold, these little

indigo seedlings were doing their very best to survive and grow in our

unheated conservatory.    It was too cold for me to venture out there.

I managed to save indigo seeds to plant this Spring.  Far too wet to even consider planting

the seeds.   They are now in my freezer with the hope that next year conditions will improve.

 However..............

this brave little indigo plant, along with three others, has come through the winter, growing 
slowly, but surely.   Perhaps I have produced a strain of hardy indigo plants!

Dyers Chamomile, grown from seed last year, is a lovely splash of yellow.

The first indigo workshop of the 'summer' with the ladies of North Dorset Embroiderers' Guild was a challenge!    Having watched the weather forecasts for the week, it went from

hot and humid to white cloud, rain, with temperature of 14c.  Not ideal to say the least.

Lots of stitching and tying during the morning, then the vat was set up under the gazebo, ready to go after lunch.    The bucket was enclosed in a black bin bag and insulated with newspapers.  Please, this is the end of June!    

We braved the wind and rain, dipped and dyed.  Beautiful blues despite the weather.

No photos!!!    So, well done everyone for sticking with it.

Goodness, a clear night sky to view the Super moon!

Ahhh!  An indigo blue sky

eco printing

I've been reading India Flint's two books on eco dyeing, dipping in over the past two years or so, drooling over the wonderful colours obtained from plants, and dyed using sustainable earth friendly methods.    Never quite had the courage to 'just do it'.

Another fabulous blog Threadborne  has two posts on using irises for eco printing.   I was inspired to have a go.    My friend Hilary supplied a bag of purple flag iris, so no time to lose.

iris 'juice' on paper  

bundle preparation

the bundle

the steamer, plus eucalyptus bark and leaves soaking to release the dye

the reveal 

the dark bits come from 'found' metal washers and a nail -  the bark and eucalyptus 

were gathered on wanderings in Greece and India - there's bits of tea light metal, 

plus other leaves, and flowers from the garden.

Conclusion, and things learnt.    The iris were going 'soft' hence the Monet dreamy colours;  one brown iris which was freshly picked, gave a better impression, as did a rose leaf.   Next time, yes, there will be one, I shall use stronger string to hold the bundle tighter and maybe steam a little longer.   Not bad for a first attempt!

a bit of this and a bit of that

Another busy week.

Last Saturday the Procion dyeing workshop.   It was steamy hot, producing very vibrant colours.    Some very interesting bundles of dyed cloth produced.   A lovely day all round.

After spending the morning on shibori pieces,  the afternoon was spent tray dyeing and
various methods of producing patterns by folding and tying.

the good old hippy swirl - always impresses!

flag folding with rubber band resist

and the splat cloth using left over dyes

I think I can see a herbaceous border in there!

I took the opportunity of topping up my threads, this time with greens and blues, and a couple of oranges.

 I also dyed up some thread for a special order.   Taking the colour from a 'one off' spool I did some colour mixing and came up with a very good match.   The heat was brilliant for dyeing, instead of a mid plumb I ended up with a rich Yummy Plummy, much nicer!    Sold and gone to a good home!

Meanwhile, in the garden flag irises were beginning to open.    Purple and yellow we thought.   Surprise, surprise

chocolate brown,  yellow and cream - good enough to eat

On Monday a workshop with a local group on Indian Applique.    The lovely ladies worked hard producing samples of various methods which will, hopefully(!) be put together as a finished piece.   I love seeing students interpretations of a technique and taking things further.   I think we all learn a lot on such a day.

This weekend I have to dismantle my shelves, and their contents, in the conservatory in readiness for a new roof being fitted on Monday.  A good chance to go through the boxes and pots for a bit of a clear out.   That's going to be fun!   

Next Saturday a trip to North Dorset to take an Indigo workshop.   Sun dances all round.  I think it is going to be hot.  Hope so!

glorious days 

at evening time the honeysuckle fills the air with perfume

amazingly this African daisy survived the winter weather

five doves talking - another name for aquilegia

I plan to spend most of the day in the garden, just pottering.  Maybe some stitching under

the sun.  Bliss.

bloomin' Spring

more green

raindrops on Alchemellia mollis

and now for the May Journal Quilt - direct from the sewing machine

Bloomin' Spring

Mono printed fabrics on an old sheet, painted papers, little stamps made for 

printed daises and buttercups, and, of course, a garden label fashioned from  

the tea light.  Lots of free machine stitching, and one or two French knots.    

It's been ages since my  sewing machine has had such a workout.

Next little task is to clear up my working area!   So much paper, threads, bits of

fabric - you get the picture!   Oh yes, mustn't forget to clean and oil my trusty

sewing machine.   Perhaps it also deserves a new needle!