Amazing What You Can Do...

... but you have to try.  Just thinking about it, won't do it, though a certain amount of thinking time is definitely desirable.  On Thursday, I wrote a post about the beginnings of a fascinator; you can read it here.  On Friday, I did what I said I would, and put more stitch onto the petals.  Today, though, I assembled what I think will be the final shape, though it's difficult to tell.  The photograph above is undeniably abysmal, but is the best I can do at the moment, partly because the fascinator doesn't have a base yet, so has to be held up, and partly because Robin is in bed with manflu (again...), and isn't around to take the photograph. 

The close up, above, is a bit better, and gives you an idea of what the additional stitch on the petals looks like.  I'm fairly happy with this piece, though I want to add some more of those beige feathers round the edges.  And then, it will just need to be added to its base.  I love doing this kind of thing, it's frivolous and fun... and will be a big part of Myrtle and Rose's output, to boot.

Collaboration...

is a wonderful thing.  How do you like this wee clutch bag?  I made the fancy fabric, my friend and collaborator Clare Hedgeshttp://www.traditionalpassementerie.co.uk/ made the bag (that's her, in her best cycling gear, modelling the bag).  Collaboration means that we do the bits we like best, and are good at.  We each play to our strengths...and that can only be good.  And the rule of synergy says that 1+1=3; in other words, our combined strengths are more, together, than they are as individual makers.  More of that lovely development I was talking about yesterday...http://artmixter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/glitz-and-glamour.html.  And given that there are three of us in this equation, with Jill Arnold also in the mix, I wonder what 1+1+1 equals... six, I think... Hmmm...

Of course, synergy applies in all sorts of situations.  Online, I'm hoping that synergy will work in a BIG way for my new blog, Spunbond Sensations!  I planned the blog as a being interactive; so 1+1+lots.... must equal Even More....  Please do have a look, and don't be afraid to contribute.  I'm looking for questions for Wondering Wednesday, and for images for Photo Friday.... please do get in touch.  And of course, if you're looking for a clutch bag, you know where to come!

Glitz and Glamour...

are much underrated, as I'm discovering as I learn to work with feathers, furbelows and frills...  This is a prototype silk paper and feather flower for a fascinator.  I love its exuberance.  I'm also grateful for having done a few floristry classes; there is a lot of similarities between hat making and floristry, when it comes down to it. and learning how to wire things properly has been a real bonus.  Now, I have to put this lot to one side, and contemplate it for a while... where will I add the beads (for there will be beads...)?  Are the colours appropriate?  Does the silk paper require more stitch (yes, probably).  Is the construction method right (no, not yet, but I know what to do about it).

Am I having fun?  Hell, yes!  And developing skills in one area, means that you automatically improve in all the others...competence is like a net; improve your handling of one type of material, and the whole of the net will shift, improving your handling of others, too...  And it encourages you to be open to  new things.  Go on, you know you want to try something new... what's stopping you?

Sample Stitching

I've been a bit of a tart when it comes to thread, mixing and matching to suit myself.  A bit like a child in a sweetshop, I've bought a bit of this lovely lemon, a bit of that tantalising turquoise... ignoring the brand, except where I've had problems; one problem means no more thread from that manufacturer.  It isn't very forgiving, perhaps, but I don't want the hassle of complaining, too much time and effort.  I'd rather buy from manufacturers who won't give me problems.  But there's been so much fanfare about Aurifil over the last wee while, that I thought I ought to try it when I saw it for sale on Sunday at Chilford.  There wasn't a huge selection, as we were at show end, rather than show beginning, so none of my beloved variegated threads, but I did buy three spools...the three spools in the picture above, to be precise...  I couldn't resist the purple, and the other two seemed interesting, so that was that.  It was only when I got them home that I realised they don't really go with anything I'm working on at the moment...right colours, wrong shades.  An object lesson in thread buying, really. 

So I looked out a piece of very vintage linen which I had dyed, and started trying out the threads on that.  I had bought the heaviest of the threads available; I'm not a traditional quilter by any means (actually, I'm not a quilter at all, except in that I have a tendency to work in layers...more of that in another post, maybe).  I draw with my threads, and I like them to contrast well with what's on the cloth, and to be distinctive.  The thicker the better, really.  And here's what I made of them. 

Really, all I wanted to do was a bit of mark making, but as I made some circles to start with, echoing the circles on the cloth, I found myself looking at a cairn.  I was really impressed by the thread; no problems whatsoever with machine embroidery, even where things started getting denser.  In fact, there are four layers of stitch on the cairn area, as I tried to make up for only having three colours.  I wanted a shadow effect, but the purple by itself was too strong, so layers of the other colours were added to break it up.  It's not the best piece I've ever made in my life (it'll probably end up in the bin...), but it really did serve its purpose.  Now, of course, all that remains is to get more Aurifil...  watch this space.  I think it'll be ideal for the stitched photographs, just the right weight.

Bertha Gets Busy...

...with a bit of help from me.  I'm starting to work towards an exhibition called 'Blossoming'; it's no surprise, then, that I'm making flower images.  This one is being printed out on canvas on Big Bertha, my Epson 7880.  At 24 inches, this is the widest I can print to, with no limit to the length.  This means that I can work reasonably big, but also generate a lot of small images simultaneously.  The ink is eye wateringly expensive, and as you can see, there are ten cartridges to replace...fortunately, they don't all run out at the same time.  I'm contemplating offering a printing service for textile artists; please email me if you are in the UK/Europe and might be interested, so that I can see if there is any demand. 

Up until now, Bertha has lived at the Gallery in Dereham; now, though, she lives at home with me.  It's good to be able to work when I feel like it, though she does take up rather a lot of room.  I think it's worth it, though.  Not being limited to A4 is great.  Every home should have one!

Buttons...

are wonderful things, so I thought I would show you some more of my collection.  These are chocolate brown Art Deco glass buttons (or that is what they were sold as...they certainly have an Art Deco look about them).  One of them is slightly chipped, but the rest are fine.  I love the way they curve and catch the light.  Delicious.  Almost tempting me to use them...but not quite. They are the only coloured glass in my collection, and were the most expensive.  The collection, such as it is, is still in its infancy, and I've been lucky enough to find inexpensive examples.  It's not about the money, though... you won't find me on Antiques Roadshow any time soon!

And thanks to Lizzie for recommending a book on buttons; I immediately ordered it, and it came yesterday.  Looking forward to learning more about buttons in general, and some of mine in particular. 

Health and Safety...

is everybody's favourite whipping boy.  Extensive European legislation has meant lots of work for lots of people.  I'm here to say, though, that you can't legislate against stupidity.  I stuck my arm in a Burco boiler and got it scalded for my trouble.  What was I thinking???  Not a lot, clearly.  I've been working a lot with boiling water, over the past week or so.  I've been acid dyeing and felting, both of which mean really hot water.  We forget how dangerous that is...until we have to stand in  front of the sink for an hour, repeatedly soaking one's arm in cold water.

I haven't had many injuries relating to textiles; however, the one rule I never break is wearing a mask when working with dry dye powder.  After working with dyes for three or so months, I was diagnosed with asthma.  I was using Dylon dyes, and it doesn't say to wear a mask.  I think it should.

Meanwhile, I have a basin full of  cold water next to my chair, which I can dip my arm in if and when it hurts.  Which at the moment is every five minutes or so... wish it would go away...  And was it worth it?  Won't know til I rinse out, wash and dry the cloth.  Let's hope so.  Meanwhile, off to Google scalds...

Living Vintage...

...that's me, apparently.  I went to a vintage fair today with a couple of friends.  Held in a large church hall, it looked for all the world like the worlds' most expensive jumble sale.  There was the occasional gem...like a Frank Usher top, far too small for me but incredibly beautiful; if Robin had a Proper Job, I would have bought it...would love to collect beautiful clothes... sigh.  Mostly, though, it was stuff that was masquerading as vintage like a Primark top which could only have been a year or two old.  It does, however, make you realise that you are getting older... particularly when you recognise the clothes you used to wear, never mind those of your mother or your grandmother.  Etsy defines vintage as anything older than 20 years, which covers a multitude of sins. 

Vintage is really fashionable; everybody does it.  I find myself looking to earlier times for inspiration for Myrtle and Rose, things that are gentle, feminine, flattering, flowing.  I'm still not convinced by the vogue for using vintage imagery in art, though.  It has become ubiquitous, a whole Somerset Studio type style, using rubber stamps and copyright free imagery.  It started, I think, at least in part, because people were worried about copyright issues, and felt it was much better to take images from the past, that were out of copyright, rather than risk being pursued for breach of copyright from living artists.  It's a pity, I think, that people use this type of image instead of being inspired by their own work.  I think it shows a vast lack of confidence in our own abilities.

I guess I'm musing about this because I'm doing something I said I never would (yes, again...); using vintage inspirations.  But they are exactly that.  I'm not copying vintage clothes or hats or bags, just looking back at a gentler, less complicated time and making work that is mine, but with a different feel to it.  Not sure if I'm making any sense, here, but I dare say that's not unusual.  I'm happy to use vintage fabrics when I can find them; they dye better than contemporary fabrics, and are often of better quality.  In addition, they have a feeling of story behind them.  Interesting to repurpose them, to give them the amount of usage they were made for, albeit in a different way to what was originally intended. 

If I ever work out what my relationship to/with vintage is, I'll let you know.  Meanwhile, I'd love to hear what you think about this phenomenon... will it run and run?  I chatted to one of the stall holders, a woman around my own age (most of the stall holders were in their twenties, interestingly enough, which perhaps explains why so much of what was on offer did not seem to be vintage at all...).  She said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find vintage clothing and jewellery, and it is becoming increasingly expensive, because it has become so fashionable.  But, she said, it won't go on for ever.  When it stops, prices will drop and things will flood back onto the market.    I'm tempted to think that it is one fashion that won't go away; the market for nostalgia is unlimited.  What do you think?

Dyeing...

is one of my favourite occupations.  I have only to do it to wonder why I do anything else, if truth be told.  Up until recently, I stuck to Procions, but working with Evolon, which has nylon in it, made me experiment with acid dyes.  The thought of steaming or simmering on a stove top just didn't appeal.  Err...it does now.  The wool tops here have been dyed using acid dyes in a pot on a heat plate in my studio.  My friend Moira, who lives next door, had bought some undyed tops at a car boot sale (it never happens to me...).  She wanted to learn how to dye them, and kindly swapped me some wool for some silk tops, which we also dyed.  I'm in a purple phase, as is she, but we both liked the looks of the scarlet when we made it up, hence the bright red wool.  The other clump of wool is really a lilac colour, though it reads in this photograph as grey.  Either way, I like it a lot.   I'm looking forward to felting with these tops, and the other, darker tops I dyed later this afternoon. 

I've never really liked working with flat colour, and most of the pre dyed tops you buy are exactly that, flat colour.  These have a certain amount of variety (mostly because of the total lack of stirring, as heat and agitation and water equals felt, not dyed tops...).  I also dyed some silk cloth; the image below is of some silk organza, dyed lilac/pink/turquoise using Procion, this time, and some darker lilac/turquoise/green cloth, which needed more turquoise in it for me, so I overdyed it.  You can possibly see that the darker cloth is a much heavier silk satin, with a wonderful sheen.

Silk will allow itself to be dyed using either type of dye, and you can, of course, use a procion like an acid dye, with vinegar instead of soda ash.  Those in favour of using acid dyes say that the colour is superior.  I'm not sure that that is the case, but I dyed some cloth in an acid bath today, and liked the results. 
It's wonderful, being able to try things out, take a risk or two, learn something different.  It's what I love about art making.  There are no limits.

Button Up....

I mentioned that I am starting to collect old glass buttons.  Here is a selection of the buttons I have found so far, along with a dead fly that somehow got caught in among them; didn't notice until I'd uploaded the photograph...

I did buy these with the intention of using them, but I find them so lovely that I just can't bring myself to do it.  I love the variations in shape, pattern and design.  They really are delicious!  I don't know enough about them yet to be able to tell you anything about them.. but I'm planning to do some serious learning.  I've never really collected anything before, but once the work situation has been resolved, I intend to go Buy A Book.  Meanwhile, a click on the image should enlarge it, so you can have a closer look.

ps No, I don't collect fabric.  I like fabric, I use fabric, but no matter how much I like it, it either gets used, sold, or given away.   Ditto with contemporary buttons...unless I find some interesting glass ones, of course...

Fascinated By Feathers.

They are just so incredibly beautiful.  The colours, the sheen, the variations, the texture and that incredible softness.  These are natural colours, no dyeing involved here, though some dyed feathers are really interesting.  Because we are working on making accessories with hand dyed cloth, I thought I might like to dye feathers, too.  It looks really very simple, a combination of acid dyes and alcohol, as feathers may not be boiled, too delicate.  I'm wondering if that combination would work on cloth and fibres, too...much less steam in the studio... 

These particular feathers are ideal for fascinators, and I'm designing one around them right now.  The dark areas in this photo read as dark brown or black; they are, in fact, a beautiful green.  Subtly beautiful; Mother Nature really knows what she's about, doesn't she?

The Economics of Dyeing.

In a recent post, I asked you for feedback about pricing hand dyes.  Louise said, "I think you're wrong to try to compete pricewise with commercial fabrics. You should instead educate ppl about the individual nature of hand dyed fabrics and quality of fabrics you use so you can get a decent return on your investment in materials, time and expertise. Otherwise you might as wrap them up with a bow (because you're giving them away and not honouring your own work). Just my opinion."

Thanks, Louise. You are absolutely right, in many ways.  However, it does depend what you think the cost of commercial fabric actually is.  Dyers in the UK are working at a disadvantage compared to dyers in the US; our raw materials cost us significantly more here.  Mind you, commercial fabric for quilting, much of it imported from the US, can cost up to £15 a metre; that's $23.50 at time of writing.  E-Quilter puts the price of a yard of Hoffman Batik at $11.50, less than half.  A typical quilt shop price for a similar batik (I checked) would be £13 or just over $20 per metre.  There's a statement to make your eyes water.... 

Most quilt shops in the UK offer Fat Quarters at about £3.  That's the price I also charge for my simple low immersion dyed cloth, like this piece here.

 I'm not disrespecting my work; I'm setting the price at what the market will stand.  I'm about to make a sweeping statement here, and I'd love to be corrected, but I believe that the average UK quilter doesn't value hand dyes above commercial cloth.  Explaining that it's unique, unrepeatable, complex, takes a lot of time and effort to do, just doesn't seem to cut the mustard.  People here buy on price.  Which is why I don't think I'm likely to sell much cloth that requires more than one process, no matter how lovely I think it is.  I've put a couple of Fat Quarters up on Etsy of double dyed fabric, like the piece at the top of the post.  I'm charging £4, just to see if anyone will buy.  I should probably be charging upwards of £5, but I doubt if anyone would pay that in the UK (or anywhere, come to that)

Despite rises in the price of cloth, I've not been able to raise my prices since I started doing this.  I have, of course, got much better at it, and therefore faster, so my time costs are probably lower.  Actually typing this, I'm beginning to wonder why I bother, to be truthful.  I have no intention of stopping; I just think that I'll stop trying to sell it, and dye for specific projects.  That may sound defeatist, but at the end of the day, I have to make what sells.  If it doesn't sell, I can't buy more fabric or dye, and on it goes.  In a recession, it becomes harder and harder to make money as an artist or craftsperson.  I love being able to inspire people; I would love it even more if someone bought some of the inspirational fabric or work from time to time....

I'd love to hear what you think about this topic.  What is it about hand dyes that makes them difficult to sell?  If you want to see more detail shots of the fabric at the top of the post, you can see them here

Buttons..And More Buttons...

I went into a charity shop recently, and asked if they had a button box.  Err...yes, sort of, they said, we've got a button bag.  It was donated last week.  Err...do you know what kind of button you are looking for... they said, humphing this bag up onto the counter.

I grinned... and asked how much for the lot.  £3, they said.  Money well spent, I thought.

I love buttons, and have begun to collect antique glass ones.  The collection is tiny at present, but I'm working on it!  Not a glass button in sight in this little lot, just lots of them!  So I've been gradually sorting them out, and had spent a couple of evenings doing so, until I realised that a. the boxes I was using were just too small and b. artificial light makes it really difficult to distinguish between colours, and the black were mixed with the blue... sigh.  There are buttons with shanks, buttons with holes, buttons with neither.  There is the occasional boot button, which I suspect may be Victorian.  There are plastic buttons, wooden buttons, fabric covered buttons and even a few tortoiseshell buttons.  Lots of black, brown and white, but also some yellow, pink, blue, green and even some purple.  Some fab Sixties buttons (I think; I'll need to get Jill to have a look).  Buttons that remind me of my gran.  A lot of individual buttons, the spares from particular outfits, but often maybe as many as six of some of the nicer ones. Yummy.  Now, though, having got them all arranged by colour, I want to USE them... so all I have to do now is Think Something Up.  A bag and a hair clip of some kind, I think... mmm...

Snapping Up A Storm.

I'm taking lots of photographs at the present.  Most of them are to put onto Etsy, either in the Artmixter shop, or the new project, Myrtle and Rose.  I've been learning a lot about how to take an interesting photograph.  I've also been finding things out about the things I've been making.  I'm exploring the design of hats, fascinators, hair slides.  I've even been wearing the odd one, though I have to say, I'm not really sure that they suit me...to be honest, I think I'm just too old to wear some of them at least.  Frilly little ribbon clips just don't do it on a fifty-something... sigh.  They do, however, look fab on a twenty-something...especially one who looks as good as my friend Gemma Samson Munday, who blogs as Norfolk Homemade Mum.  Doesn't she look wonderful in these photographs?

The top fascinator is made from a felt rose, with wonderful orange feathers.  The second is made from black satin ribbon with more, slightly different orange feathers (well, if you're going to do it, you might as well wear this season's colours...) .  The last one is cute, I hope... a brown ribbon bow on a comb, with some yellow ribbon beneath it, and a yellow gingham button on the top.  Great fun!  Now to make more felt...

Not all my fascinators are this frivilous...or this colour!  I just love orange!

Spunbond Sensations Is Here!

well, more correctly, it's here.  I've thought for a while that it was time for a blog 'about' spun bonded fabrics like Lutradur, Evolon and the new Zeelon, so, given I've written books about two of the three, I thought I'd start one!   I think there are far too many people around with Lutradur in a cupboard because they don't really know where to start.  I'd like to change that.  Hence Spunbond Sensations.  I've said over there that it is a bit like an interactive book; you ask the questions, I do my best to answer them.  And I hope to have interviews with other artists who use these materials, including some of the artists featured in the Exquisite Evolon book...not that I've actually talked to them about it, yet...oops!  But I do think it'll be interesting to see what they are up to now, and how their use of Evolon has changed in the intervening period.   If you are an artist using any of the spunbonded fabrics, and would like to be interviewed for the new blog, drop me an email or leave a comment here.  I'm also looking for images to use on Photo Friday, and you don't have to be a 'name' to have your work featured here... just let me know and we'll talk.

It feels great to be back to some semblance of normality.  Depression puts a fog on your brain, which activity helps to lift (I talked about that here).  I know that it is lifting because blogging has once more become a challenge, and exciting, instead of something I felt guilty about because I couldn't bring myself to do it.  The same with Etsy; I'm about to list the quilted photograph you see above, with optimism rather than pessimism.  I hope someone will fall in love with it, and buy it, which is a big difference in attitude from, 'it's not worth it, nobody likes my work enough to buy it...'.  And so on, 

When I started the business, several years ago, I considered myself recovered from depression.  I was wrong.  I am recovering from depression...but it still limits me to a significant extent, if I'm honest.  What it doesn't do,t hough, is stop me from doing things completely.  It just makes them harder to do than it might be for most people.  That, of course, is the definition of disability.  And I believe it helps to embrace it, rather than try to either evade or outright reject it.  This is who I am, and I am proud of what I have achieved so far.  Let's see how much further I can go...

ps if you are reading this in a month's time or more, and want to visit the Spunbond blog, make sure you read the introduction to the blog; it'll help you understand what's going on!

Getting Technical, or The Art Of Dyeing.

I said I would revisit some of the dyeing terms I used yesterday.  If you haven't tried dyeing before, you might be thinking of the immersion style of dyeing, when you put dye into a lot of water, and then stick your fabric in, swish it around regularly and hey presto!  the fabric is another colour.  That works really well for single colours, but what if you want to have more than one colour in a cloth?  Clearly, pouring three colours into a bucket of water is going to produce...well... mud, probably.  A grey, or a brown.  You have no way of keeping the colours separate.  And of that desire, low immersion was born.  You use a lot less water, and introduce the colours carefully to the cloth, so that you get the kind of results that you saw yesterday, and in the cloth pictured above.  I'd like to say that there's a lot more to it than that, but, other than getting the chemistry right (ie, adding the soda ash at the right time), that's really all there is to it.  The dye travels around the cloth, mixing as it choses, with a little white cloth left in places where the dye hasn't quite managed to reach.

Taking low immersion cloth out of the container it has been dyed in is always thrilling.  You never really know what you have created, until it is out of there, rinsed and washed.  You do get some wonderful surprises, and the occasional shock.  The good thing, though, is that no matter how unhappy you are with a piece of cloth, you can always overdye it to create something you are happier with.  It is a very forgiving medium.

But what if you want to make patterns in your dyed cloth?  There are lots of ways of doing that, of course, but the one I mentioned yesterday is discharge dyeing.  That involves taking a piece of dyed cloth and removing dye from it, usually with bleach.  You then neutralise the bleach and admire the results.  The images here are of brown cotton sateen cloth that has been discharge dyed using bleach.  I wanted to have a really organic, natural look, so the marks are fairly random.  In the piece, the result is really impressive; however, cloth like this is always really interesting cut into strips and then reassembled. Think of the look of a traditional block using fabric like this... really unusual.

So there you are, yesterday's technical terms, explained.  Any questions?

The Only Thing Better Than A Piece Of Fabric...

...is a lot of fabric...

...and the knowledge that you have yet more fabric to play with. I just took delivery of some silk organza, to add to the silk velvet I already have.  Guess who's going to be dyeing shortly?  I spent much of the weekend cutting and ironing fat quarters, some for the gallery (the image above was taken there...the FQs are sitting on one of my bed quilts, which Judy has appropriated to cover a large chest.  It was one of the first quilts I ever made, long before I learned to dye. I sleep under it in the summer, so Judy better find something else to cover the chest by July!

I'm mulling about whether or not to start selling more complex hand dyes.  The ones you see above are low water immersion, but I have just cut up some discharge dyed fabric, which takes a bit more work than a simple low immersion piece.  I try to keep prices as low as possible; at the moment, a simple FQ costs £3, which is directly comparable with commercial fabric, and I use the best quality fabric I can find, which is usually a higher thread count than most commercial prints.  I don't know whether people will pay more for more complex fabrics, but I'm going to try them out on Etsy this week.  If you're wondering what all the fuss is about, I'll show you some of the fabric tomorrow (haven't photographed it yet!).  And I'll talk you through the technical stuff, if you are wondering what I mean by low immersion (which has nothing to do with a bucket on the floor instead of the table...).

I'd be grateful for any feedback you have about buying handdyes, and their price...

Moving Things Around...

is a good way of seeing them with fresh eyes.  This textile piece has been sitting in the conservatory, but at such a height, and with so many other things, that it was difficult to actually look at.  Now, here it is on a clear wall, and it can be seen for itself.  To good effect, I hope!  I forget what I called this piece, which is alarming.  Usually titles stick with me, but clearly I must have got the title for this one wrong.   I'm tempted to call it 'Palely Loitering', not entirely sure why; probably something to do with the abstract figure to the right of centre.  We'll  see if that one sticks.

I like this piece, partly because it has a lot of movement in it. As part of the tidying up process, I looked through a couple of large sketchbooks and found these images in one of them, along with several black and white versions.  I realised that the feeling of movement in the textile piece is mirrored by these earlier sketches.  Interestingly, though, I find myself wanting to use them in a very different way, now, as works in their own right, and I'll doubtless ruminate about that until it's clear in my head, just as I must have done, unconsciously, with the sketches.

I've been ruminating on the other blog about not getting things done; this has been moved because I'm making a space for Big Bertha, my large scale printer, in the conservatory.  Mainly, I'm doing that because I'm about to go on a dyeing and felting frenzy, and steam and damp are not good for the printer.  But it does also mean that I might actually be able to sit in the conservatory, once I've finally finished tidying it up.  It is probably my favourite room in the house, simply because of the amount of light in it.  Of course, all that glass means that it's very warm in summer and cooler than I like in winter.  At the moment, though, I'm ironing hand dyes, and the coolness is very welcome.  More of the handdyes later...

Going Away...

for a few days, to stay with my friend Terry and her menagerie (one dog, three cats, two horses and a parrot).  I'm meeting up with Mervyn from Spunart, too, to discuss a possible project surrounding spun bonded fabrics in general and lutradur and evolon in particular.  Watch this space...

Robin is, of course, holding the fort here while looking for the next job.  The cats won't be pleased, but they will, at least, get fed, watered and stroked.  He'll probably also be answering the door to the postman; I just ordered a lot of silk organza to dye, so that I can make more of these pretty little bags.  This particular one is made from a piece of hand dyed silk organa which has been felted, creating the lovely textures you can see in the photograph.  The hand made silk flowers are also made from my hand dyed organza, and it is lined in silk, also.  I'm going to be making quite a few more of these little bags with my friends Jill and Clare, for our new venture, Myrtle & Rose.

The idea behind Myrtle & Rose is to create accessories for special occasions from hand dyed fabrics, all of which are made from the same materials.  So, for a wedding, we might make one of these little bags for the flower girl, and make her a headband from the same materials, as well as shoe clips with tiny versions of the flowers.  It's always difficult to get things that match, much less are made from the same materials.  Guess how I know... I was really lucky to get my bag and fascinator from the same place, but the shoes were...challenging.

But I digress.  Actually, I'm not sure I've finished digressing... I'm having such fun making these pretty, happy little things.  It's fun.  I've been talking for ages about making happy things, and now I'm Actually Doing It, it's even better than I expected.  Just goes to show... we should stick to what we want to do, not what we think we ought to be doing.  It makes such a difference.

Learning New Skills...

takes time.  Working in three dimensions, after years of working in two, is great fun, as well as challenging.  The image shows the fruits of a couple of afternoons work...though I forgot to photograph the bag that I made from silk paper.  The rest of the time, of course, was spent tidying up.  Feathers get everywhere, unsurprisingly taking flight at the slightest breeze; so every time the door opened, whoosh!  But I am now set up to make some more silk paper, this time to make flowers with for fascinators, as well as a couple more bags, methinks. 

My favourite is the black flower, but I've always been fond of a bit of glitz... what about you, any preferences?

Brightening Up Bags...

seemed to be a good thing to do on a dark and depressing winter's day.  You know, the little cotton ones that you tuck into your handbag before you go out shopping, just in case...  I've been hand dyeing some, and they have come out really well.  I thought that I might embellish one or two, and provide the means for embellishing others in the bags themselves, and sell them as kits with full instructions.  I have something of a money focus at the moment, as Robin is still looking for work, and it's a bit scary.  I don't earn all that much (surprise, surprise...) and may have to go back to the Day Job to help with paying the bills.  Meantime, though, these little bags will go onto Etsy, with and without embellishments, along with some tshirts and other hand dyed bits and pieces. 

Meanwhile, I've started another book, a follow up to 'Finding Your Creative Focus'.  This one develops the theme of where you get your ideas from, which I talked about in the first book, and looks at creating personal imagery.  As I did with the last one, I'd like to set up an online group to work through the text; you get free tuition, I get feedback on what works...and the occasional quotation!  I'm looking for five guinea pigs...I mean, volunteers... if anyone is interested, please email me direct, thanks.

Now, hopefully, the shed will be warm enough for me to work in.  I was working with soy wax yesterday, making samples for my talk tomorrow to Kings Lynn Embroiderers' Guild, 'Waxing Lyrical'.  Hopefully, they will have dried enough for me to add the second layer of wax and colour...

Mixing It Up...

is arguably what I do best.  But even I didn't expect to make hats...or anything to do with fashion.  Though one of the few memories of my childhood I have is making 'clothes' for my sister's Cindy doll, using tissues (the only 'material' I had access to) and endlessly 'designing' clothes for badly drawn mannequins.  It's funny, the things you remember.  And of course, when Andrew was little (he'll be thirty this year, how time flies...), I made quilted waistcoats and jackets to sell, which were quite popular at the time.  Unlike my friend Sandy, though, I don't have a fashion training, so I thought no more of it.  But here I am, learning to make hats.  This is my first fascinator, nearly finished (but not quite).  I can't imagine anything more joyful to do.  On Friday, I met with my friends Jill and Clare, who are learning with me, and compared notes with them.  Jill took lots of photographs, so I'll let you see some more when I get the images.

This one is quite straightforward, really, but I'm planning to work with lutradur and evolon, silk and felt, and lots and lots of stitch, to create art to go to your head...as it were!  Watch this space!

Making Samples...

three samples of experimental cloth

for my class tomorrow, and for a talk I'm giving for the Embroiderers Guild at Kings Lynn next week.  The class focusses on experimenting with the idea of making one's own fabric, whilst the talk is called 'Waxing Lyrical'. One of the 'fabrics' in the picture is suitable for both of these; can you work out which it is?

When the guild selected 'Waxing Lyrical' as a subject for a talk, I was slightly taken aback.  Though it is on my list of workshops, it isn't often asked for.  I'm glad it was, though...I've been reminded of just how much I use wax in my work, one way or another.  It's useful stuff, in all its various forms.  No, I'm not telling you anything else.. but I promise to do a detailed blog or two on wax after the talk!

a close up of a piece of Nuno felt.

 Meanwhile, felt making is on the agenda for tomorrow's class; the above is a piece of Nuno felt.  I love working with wool tops; it's like drawing and painting with fibres.  And the textures are amazing. 

I'm planning to run this set of classes as an online course; I know, everyone seems to be doing them now, but I think it's my turn now .  We're going to cover felt making, silk paper making, lutradur lace and bondaweb fabric, over a period of eight weeks, in sets of two.  The first week, we'll make the cloth itself; the second, we'll make a specific project using the cloth we made.  I know what it's like to have lots of samples kicking around in your workspace; we'll get these into use as quickly as we can!  Watch this space for more details... leave me a  comment if you are interested.

Isn't This Amazing...

...a shot of the new Gallery.  This is the gallery space in the Memorial Hall at Dereham, which has been created from an alleyway next to the original building.  It is truly gorgeous, an ideal space for showing art.  The archway at the end is an original feature; the building is full of them, all carefully and lovingly restored.  Now, it leads through into the workshop space, which is flooded with natural light...windows everywhere.  I'm looking forward to teaching there.  I'm doing something new, for me, at least.  I thought I'd put together a set of classes about making your own cloth to use in your textile work.  Not weaving, I'm afraid, though we might work our way up to a little bit of weaving later on in the classes.  I thought, instead, we'd start with felt making and silk paper making.  One week we'll make the fabric itself, the second, a project using the fabric you made.  The classes will be held each Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm... email me if you want more information, or contact Judy at the Gallery for info about this or any other class.  This is a wonderful resource for artists and craftspeople, not just in the Dereham area, but throughout Breckland and beyond.

The front part of the gallery is home to a wonderful community quilt.  Next time I'm in, I'll take a photograph so that you can see it.  Meanwhile...enjoy the view!

The Happy Shop

sounds like a fairy story, but really, it should be the name of The Wishing Tree, my friend Olivia's shop in Long Stratton.  I went there for the first time, yesterday, had a cup of coffee and showed Olivia some of my work.  And I'm happy to say she liked it enough to keep some of it to show in the shop, so I'm a happy woman!   That's her in the picture, in one of the comfy chairs, surrounded by some of her stock.

So why the title?  Well, if shops had several names, like cats, then the happy shop would be ideal for The Wishing Tree.  It is awash with colour and texture, from the wooden fair trade zebras and giraffes, through the silly signs, to the lovely jewellery and unusual cards.  Look for yourself; they have an on line service (just click on the link in the previous paragraph).  I particularly liked a lovely, happy Buddha in the spirit section, and some of the wonderful wall art.  And did I mention the cute soft toys?   But yes, I have to admit that in particular, I loved the coffee shop.  No, I didn't try the cake, but it did look amazing... the coffee was great, and the comfy seats really comfy.  It struck me as the kind of place you could go and write, or knit, on your own, and know that nobody would bother you (that's important to the depressives among us...).  The staff were friendly and warm, and said that the cozy (their word) atmosphere of the place was really important to them.  The cake is home made, and one of the staff is an artist in her own right, making much of the jewellery the shop sells.  And for the Celts among us...the crack was good.

You could argue that I'm biased.  Well, yes...a bit.  But it was really a pleasure to go and talk to knowledgeable, friendly people about my own passions, art and cake! And I was genuinely bowled over by the shop.   I had a really lovely time, and I hope I'll be supplying the Wishing Tree with my own brand of art for a long time to come....  The photo, by the way, is of Olivia herself, in one of those comfy chairs, looking far too thin for a woman who owns a coffee shop... sigh...  So if you do go in, and if you're in Norfolk, you really should...tell them I sent you!  I'm going back sooner rather than later, because they have just opened a new vintage section in the shop, and I didn't get to see what they were putting in there... but whatever it is, it'll be good.  I suspect the fabulous clock you can see above Olivia's head will be in there, it's definitely vintage inspired, and if I had a room large enough, I would have bought it on the spot.  And yes, Gemma, if you're reading, you can come too...we'll call it a field trip!

Focus, Focus, Focus

a detail from a stitched photograph printed on canvas and machine stitched.

...seems to be what I've been lacking for a while.  I realised that when someone on Facebook asked the inevitable question...'and what is your keyword for the year'.  Last year, I didn't have one...too busy thinking about my health.  This year, focus is exactly what I need. 

So...what am I going to focus on, exactly?  Firstly, much more work with Bertha the large scale Epson printer.  I've got a fair amount of images printed off,. but I need to work with them now.  Secondly, I want to make a lot more felt and generally learn more about creating my own fabric, both alone and with a weaver.  Thirdly, I want to make hats and other excitements, like corsages and fascinators.  Fourthly...I want to write some more about lutradur and evolon, as well as the new non woven that has recently appeared in the Spunart stable, Zeelon.  And the book on landscapes that I'm writing with friend and fellow artist Jill Arnold.  And I think that's more than enough! 

That cuts out a lot of things, potentially, though I don't really know how the work will develop.  There's no mention of mixed media, here, but that doesn't mean  it won't appear.  No mention of teaching, though I will be teaching this year, mainly in the areas I have mentioned above.  I said focus, and I meant it...but that doesn't mean I can't be tempted into other areas if it's related to my major themes this year.  I suspect that this is, in fact, the core of my work for the next few years.  

And now that's settled, time to get on with it...  And watch this space for a few changes to the blog, by the way.  New year, new template, perhaps?  So what is your focus for the year?  Let's see what everyone is doing!

New Beginnings?

I post every year on the first of January; it's the anniversary of my beginning to blog. Usually I wax lyrical about the good things that have happened over the year, and the excitements to follow. This year, though, I don't really know what to say. Last year was possibly the worst we have lived through in 32 years of marriage. I have been ill for most of that time, and pretty much unable to work (and today, a combination of a cold and a grumpy tummy has me beginning the new year with more of the same...). I made things to sell for Christmas...but didn't allow for the demon depression, which bit me with a vengeance at the end of November and hasn't quite let go, yet. Still haven't made the Christmas cards I designed, and as for the decorations... oh well, there's always next year.

Robin is now officially out of work, and actively job hunting across the country, so everything is up in the air (anyone need a good FD?). We hope to be able to stay where we are; we love it dearly, and have made some wonderful friends. I have ideas for new directions, and a development on an existing direction, including learning millinery with my friends Clare and Jill (watch this space, or one very like it, for more detail...). I usually start each new year with a bounce; this year, it's more of a whimper, but I'm holding on in there. If you are in a similar position, know that you are not alone, and it's okay to feel less than positive about the new year. What isn't allowed, though, is to give up. The bad feelings will pass...they always do... opportunities will arise again....they always do... It helps if you can believe in yourself...or at least, in bits of yourself. The new year will doubtless not be perfect; that's fortunate, because neither are we. Just make sure you look after yourself...and I'll do the same, and we'll keep each other company, one day at a time. I feel better already...and it isn't just the cold remedy....

Thank you to everyone who has kept the faith with me and this blog over a truly awful year... I've said it before, but normal service is about to be resumed...like now. I'm planning for this blog to be a record of my rise out of the depths, and into renewed creativity and action. And if I can do it, so can you. I hope you'll keep me company... and I hope I'll help you to move into creativity and action, whether or not you feel you need it!

Sparkly Bits...

are to be found all over my dining room table, and, if I am honest, on the dining room floor, too. I'm taking part in a couple of art/craft events over the next few weeks, and I'm making tiny flower arrangements, just for the fun of it, and to add a little glitz to my stand. The image shows four of them; three are in little metal buckets, complete with handles, whilst the third is a similar structure, but in pink glass. I shall be popping a few onto Etsy, too.

I've pretty much had the week off; my niece has been visiting. We shopped til we dropped (fortunately, nothing broke!), we talked lots and one of us did some computer programming whilst the other made chutney. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to tell me who did what... A week has not been long enough, it never is... but she is in her final year at St Andrews University, and had to go back to continue her studies.

I'm contemplating a change of direction in my work (yes, another one...), and facing a major upheaval in my personal life, so if I have been somewhat elusive this week, that's what it's about. That, and looking after Hopalong... my lovely husband injured his knee last weekend, and is on crutches; back to hospital on Tuesday. Tomorrow, though, I go out with Clare, my passementerie friend, to do some research on a joint venture, of which more another time.

Chutney...

is wonderful stuff. I've just made about 10lbs of it, banana and banana and apple. One of them caught on the bottom of the pan, though, and tastes more of burnt sugar at the present time. With a kick, of course... it's quite spicy.

I was thinking that usually when you cook, you taste as you go along. With chutney, though, you can't really do that. It takes up to six months for flavours to develop. You just don't know what you're going to get. In a way, it's like making a scrap quilt over a long period of time. You may not see the overall effect for ages...and then, suddenly, it is there, as you hoped it would be. Both activities take patience, an eye for the longer term, perseverance.

The image is of an autumn leaf, printed on Bertha, my large scale epson, and then stitched into.
It seemed more appropriate than a shot of my chutney in the pan, somehow...

Autumn Leaves

are so incredibly beautiful. This tree outside my living room window simply changed colour in a day. Now, of course, after some strong winds, there are more of them on the ground than on the branches, but they still look amazing. I have a selection of autumnal fat quarters just begging to come out to play at this lovely season, perhaps my favourite of all. But I'm still resolutely making things for Christmas, and ignoring their siren call.

I do, however, have to go and get some batting... maybe tomorrow. I have a quilt to make for the International Quilt Challenge, Through The Window. I have completely ignored my earlier ideas, which no doubt will be called up for duty later, to make a piece that it entirely suitable for this time of year, with Hallowe'en/Samhain just passed and Guy Fawkes looming. I'll let you ponder that one... it doesn't involve orange, though.

Meanwhile, back to the grindstone. Stuffing lavender bags and finishing off festive table arrangements, not to mention adding a little more wool to the lovely pale green scarf I felted yesterday... it's all go!