Two in one week

This is the first time in ages that I have written two posts in one week, but the mood is on me.  Typically for those of you for whom a public holiday is precious time-off work, the weather is chilly and dull, but I have been creating a bit of rainbow to cheer you up.  Here is my first attempt at using Procion MX dyes. I was using a low immersion method by placing the fabric and dye in a plastic bag. It is a fairly straightforward process, but it does require a certain amount of forward planning and organisation, which does not come naturally to an impulsive creator like myself.  I was going to photograph my progress but I didn't want to stop the process especially as it involves wearing rubber gloves, perhaps next time.  I am sure many of you have used these dyes before and have got a routine off pat, but I had the kitchen layed out like a science lab, and Mr T had strict instructions not to interrupt. I thought I had thought of everything - plastic 'glasses' for mixing the dye in, plastic teaspoons for measuring the dye powder, zip-lock bags for the damp fabric, mixed solutions of salt and soda ash. All started well until I tried getting a teaspoon into the small size jars of powder I had bought! I needed one teaspoon of powder to 250ml of water.  Luckily I had bought a set of measuring scoops and the half-teaspoon size just fitted in the jar. I also decided that 100ml of each colour was plenty for the amount of fabric I was dyeing. 

I do have to declare the experiment a success and I now have six rainbow-hued pieces of  Egyptian cotton.

I also wound skeins of cotton and silk to dye - here you can see the silk, but I swear I had wound off six skeins. Procion dye is not supposed to be so well suited to silk, but these threads took up the colour beautifully.  I only left them in the solution for an hour, but the cotton was left overnight. Below is a piece of cotton muslin and a couple of skeins of crochet cotton I coloured with the left-over dye

All of this is new to me, so pleased excuse my excitement.

Using Procion dye is so much easier than having to boil up a pot of Dylon on the stove.  That takes me back to college days when friends who were studying creative embroidery would be boiling up mixtures of threads in catering sized tin cans on the baby Burco in the students' kitchen.

Rinsing was a bit of a chore - the purple mix seemed to take forever to rinse out, and there was still some surplus colour even after I had used up a reservoir of water, so a daren't use the washing machine in case the colours cross-contaminated, which meant a long time standing at the kitchen sink.  I may have mixed the colour up a bit strong, if anyone has some tips, I would be pleased to hear.  There are plenty of demos on the net, but each one is slightly different.  I have three different shades of red, yellow and blue to try next.

Back to paper with three double spreads in my sketchbook exploring 3D. 

Thank you for your lovely comments - they are very encouraging and make me feel happy in continuing to share my learning progress with you. 

I do hope you are enjoying your Easter weekend,

Jill

April

 I am spending less time than usual at my computer at the moment due to outside influences so I have only managed quick looks of other people's postings.   I am trying to prioritise my course and doing practical things rather than 'blogging' when time is limited.  It may be that everything is just taking me a little bit longer these days, but I just don't seem to have the time. However,  I have managed to finish my March calendar page and put together one for April.  

My April page  was influenced by Lesley's photograph of the snake's head fritillaries in her garden, which made me go searching for my postcard of Charles Rennie Macintosh's watercolour.

I decided to make a couple of further studies for future reference as I think they could lend themselves to a bit of stitching.

Although I do try to do some work outside of my course, it is occupying my creative flow.

Below are a few pages developing ideas. 

The first set influenced by the photos I took of Wardown Museum in Luton,

chimney stacks and ridge tiles

Those below are from my collection of favourite objects 

When I started this blog I subtitled it as chronicles of my learning journey, and the last year certainly has been that. I have built up quite a resource of sketchbook ideas and hopefully, if you stick with me, I will be able to share some completed textile work before too long.  I am off to Art Van Go in the next couple of days for supplies of Procion Dye, which I have not used before.  Before long I will actually be applying needle to fabric and starting to interpret some of my ideas into stitch. But I am trying not to jump too far ahead of myself. 

Have a good week

Jill

Time marches on.

I cannot believe it has been two weeks since my last post but there it is - I am another two weeks older.  I had a really great time at the Contemporary Textile Fair at Teddington - it was great to see such a variety of work of astounding quality - I did not buy much, a couple of multi-ribbon necklaces which will be great with scoop necked jumpers as I feel the cold round my neck, and a fat quarter of hand dyed and discharged cotton.
However on Thursday I went to the NEC to the Sewing for Pleasure/Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch/Hobby Crafts show.  Joanne, Jan and I decided we would go by train from Milton Keynes, and by buying bargain train tickets on-line it only cost us £10 return straight to Birmingham International Train Station.  It was quite an adventure for us, as none of us had been there by train before.  I did have to get up at 6.30 which is unheard of for me. I had to practice going to bed early for a few days as we are usually night owls here. But it did mean  I was ready for the clocks going back last night.  The show was terrific with lots of familiar names about.  I did take my little point and shoot camera, but I completely forgot about it until I was too tired to walk round again.  However this Victorian quilt was on display near the restaurant where we were about to have our umpteenth cuppa.  It reminded me of one that had been on Antiques Road Show very recently (it wasn't the same one). I just love the details.

It was interesting to compare it with this piece of contemporary work by Susan Chapman.  All of this endeared me further to working with textiles myself.

I also took the opportunity to spend a bit  on supplies.  So I bought some silk thread from Oliver Twists for dyeing and a few reels of coloured thread from their bargain basket.  I also got some bundles of sari ribbon and thread plus a lovely mixture of fancy threads from Stef Francis. I also got a bundle of pieces of Egyptian cotton, which I washed ready for dyeing - it is hanging on the line behind the threads. (Which are just there for show)

I also bought some 'Hot Spots' and foil from Kim Thittichai and loved Jenny Langley's work - thank goodness for the internet and the show guide to help remind me what I saw.

My feet held out well, but this weekend my back is giving me a great deal of trouble, so this is being written in short bursts, interrupted with walks round the garden and 10 minutes or so of ironing, which is fine

The garden is crying out for some maintenance and the lawn needs cutting, but it will just have to wait. However the containers of bulbs I planted up in the autumn were well worth it. These little botanic tulips are a beautiful intense pink.

Lastly, at the show they had a display of costumes from Downton Abbey.

These looked as wonderful in real life as they do on the screen and in no way looked like 'props', but authentic period outfits.  The costume designers used altered antique garments and vintage textiles and trimmings where possible.

My favourite had to be Lady Sybil's harem pants in beautiful shades of georgette over turquoise silk.

Hopefully I will get around to posting some more of my work before too long.

Do have a good week and I shall aim to visit your blog too.

Jill

It's my *****day

It's my *****day and I have the first head cold I've had all winter. Not that it has curtailed any grand celebrations, but we have postponed going out for lunch as I don't think I will taste a thing. I love this sentiment that was on a card from my oldest friend - we met at Infant's School - although we rarely see each other these days.

You may be older than you've ever been before, but remember,

You are younger than you will ever be again.

Thanks, Avril.

I'm not one for great celebrations, unless of course it is a 'biggy',  and I may have mentioned before that it is my father's 90th, nephew's 18th and (toy boy)husband's 60th all in May - I will probably mention it again, so I am more that happy to have a quiet day. Tomorrow I am going to The Textile Fair at the Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington.  For once I haven't got to drive as my friends are picking me up, so that will be a treat.  I went to the same show about three years ago with another friend, when we went by train.  What a day - not only were the local trains stopping short of St Pancras due to work on the line, but there was

a big rugby match at Twickenham - I seem to remember it took us over three hours to get home, but it was a good show.

I have been getting on with my Creative Quiltmaking, the first modules are mainly concerned with sketchbook work and generating designs - a skill I want to develop myself, however I am looking forward to starting to work on fabrics later.  Meanwhile I have some sketchbook pages to share with you.

I was supposed to go to the local museum to do some sketching of artefacts, but typically on the day I went, it was closed (note to self - do more research before leaving the house).  But it was not problem as I had my camera and took some more photographs and made sketches of one of my favourite local buildings which I have photographed before.

This Victorian house, which now houses the local museum, has the most wonderful features at roof level.

There is an amazing variety of mock Tudor chimney stacks, decorative ridge tiles, finials and just look at that lightning conductor - thanks to a zoom lens.

One of the heads and fancy tiles that decorate the porch.

What about this fellow?

As you can see, there could be a life's work based on it.  

But here are my sketchbook offerings.

There is more to come, but I need to give my cold infested head a break.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

Jill

Busy doing Nothing

I'm afraid that this is just a flying visit to show that I hadn't forgotten the change in the month.

I'm sorry to say I have nothing of creative interest to report at the moment, but I do seem to have been busy this week.  Managed to put together a page for March in my new journal - my fifth! I have taken a patchwork theme. I'm afraid the artwork is not very impressive or inspiring, but I'm sure it will look very different at the end of the month.  I haven't even had much time for reading!

I am trying to drop in and see what you are all doing, but apologies for not adding any comments. I'm flying off again now - see you soon and have a great weekend.

Jill

My head in the clouds...

I've not a lot to show and tell this week. I've finished the first module on my Creative Quiltmaking course but I don't think the next one will be completed so quickly. However I have been trying a few things out in anticipation and here are a couple of spreads in my A2 book in which I am recording progress in all things textile, and an A5 book in which I am recording colour notes, trying to build up a resource of colour schemes that I see in magazines etc.

I have been working on a motif from an old key which as been with me a long time.  I made a couple of printing blocks from foam sheet stuck onto scraps of mount board using photo-mount spray. They are fairly robust and will work well with acrylic paint. I used Stazon ink for thy key print.

But mainly I have been spending time reading this week two stories at once, which is very unusual for me. The first is Stephen Kelman's Pigeon English.

Not only was Stephen Kelman in my husband's tutor group when he taught on the Marsh Farm estate in Luton, he also taught Stephen's wife.  There are some nice references to the local area although the story is set in London.  We contacted Stephen to offer him congratulations when he was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and had a lovely reply to our e mail.  It is a humorous but poignant tale which has had me laughing out loud. But before I finished reading it, this arrived ...

We had watched the TV series on Sky Atlantic and I was totally captivated by it and had to have the book.  The series started again last Friday, so if you have Sky A - I highly recommend it.  We cannot find anyone else who watched it.  The minute I picked it up I had to start reading.  It is set in Australia between the 40's and 60's and is about two families, the Lambs and the Pickles sharing a house on Cloud Street, but it is so much more.  Time Out magazine says "Imagine Neighbours being taken over by the writing team of John Steinbeck and Gabriel Garcia Marquez and you'll be getting close to the heart of this tale."

The language is lyrical, hilarious and earthy, every character loveable, there is a river is running through  the pages and there is the house which holds them all together.  I hope I've made you want to read it. I'm off now to do a bit of reading myself, but which one will it be?

Have a good week

Jill

What I've been doing...

I usually manage to write a blog once a week, but it seems ages since I last posted.  In fact it hasn't been that long, but I have been busy.  Last weekend was a real treat when I went to Art Van Go on Saturday to see the exhibition put on by the Spectrum textile group.  Not only did I see some very high class work, eat rather delicious cakes and drink tea from pretty cups, I was able to chat to Gina.  I also met Gill of Vintage Rock Chick and Jane from Things to Make and Do.  It was especially good to meet Jane as we exchanged postcards as part of out Postman's Knock project last year.  You can see photos of the exhibition on Gina's and Gill's blogs. After a pleasant Sunday I was pole-axed on Monday with a violent headache, mainly down to sinus problems, but I seem to have spent most of this week half asleep. I have been raking around for things to share with you. 

 
These are colour exercises for my course

 

This book arrived on Tuesday so I was able to sit and have a lovely read between naps.

It is "Breaking the Rules of Watercolour" by Shirley Trevena.  There are lots of examples of her work on the web and even a couple of short videos of her talking about her techniques.

Laura Kemshall is a fan of hers and recommended her work to me.

I haven't done much this week bit I did unearth these two drawings which I must have done over fifteen years ago. They are on A2 size paper and I must say I especially like the tope one.  I had completely forgotten about it.

The second one is a sketch done of poppies which grew in my garden at the time, but have long since disappeared.

Finally I will share with you this old book I found in Letchworth some months ago. 

 I bought it to have a go at an altered book.  It is in very bad condition, but it is old.

The cover is marbled paper with a leather spine.

The spine is broken, the paper brittle and badly foxed.

However it is just seven years shy of being 200 years old.

It is Volume IV of Boswell's Life of Dr Johnson.

I have been pondering what to do with it, and what theme to take.  As I bought it from a book dealers very cheaply, I know it is not worth much, but I haven't been able to bring myself to start altering it.

I stalled for longer when I found that Doctor Johnson and his friends visited Lord Bute's garden at Luton Hoo.

Although here Dr J seems to be unimpressed with the gardens, overleaf he is quoted as saying,

"This is one of the places I do not regret having come to see. It is a very stately place, indeed; in the house magnificence is not sacrificed to convenience, nor convenience to magnificence"

I wonder if the hotel management which now runs the house has this as their motto. 

After their visit DR J's party dined and drank his Majesty's health at an inn, in the village of Luton, as it was the King's birthday!

So what shall I do with the book?  I still haven't made up my mind, but if I keep reading it, it is going to fall to bits!

I have another busy week ahead.  On Thursday I am giving a short talk to my U3A Natural History group on Bumble Bees.  I'm no expert, but I hope I can keep my group entertained for 30 minutes or so.  The BBCT have provided me with a Powerpoint presentation so that has given me a good start.

Wish me luck.

Have a great weekend

Jill