Summer School - Day Three & Four

Day three and the sun continued to shine. We explored a relatively new product called cold water batik wax.  This looks a little bit like PVA glue and was able to be brushed and stamped onto cotton

Once dry, which was very quick today we painted over the top with procion dyes.

These pieces were steam fixed to both set the colour and melt the wax.

Wednesday afternoon saw everyone painting their own threads to be used in future projects with fabric paints.

Thursday was painted shibori. We used a pole wrapped technique and then applied fabric paints for some stunning results.

Everyone created so many fabulous pieces of work that a longer washing line was needed. This just doesn't show the colours achieved.

In the afternoon we explored the effects of adding fabric paint to a stitched and quilted surface.

Baby Bunting and Eco Brazilwood

As promised some photos of the tiny artists I had the pleasure of meeting last Friday (and their mums!)

To make life easier for small hands the bunting triangle shapes were drawn onto calico by mum's before the children painted them. We had patriotic red, white and blue fabric paint with extra gold and sparkles applied with glue once everything was dry.

 

Yesterday was spent at the studio and I took down this jar of Brazilwood liquid (left from the Natural Dye Day) Warming inside was a ball of 1/4" calico strips I found inside a bag of donated fabrics. It had been inside the jar for about two weeks.

 It had a little wash and was wrapped on a dryer in the sun. As it dried it turned a beautiful salmon pink with hints of purple. I love the fact that even on this the colour isn't uniform.

I have got something else bubbling up in the pan but Blogger is refusing to upload any more photos to this post. Rather than get cross (me!) my photos and I will be back soon x

Blogger has lost my photos

I'm still here. Life is pretty hectic and blogging seems to have taken a back seat!! I am going to endeavor to show you what I have been up to though! As you will see by the heading I did have photos but all but one have vanished without trace.

My mums group have been experimenting with fabric paints and stencils. They did really well as we only had very thin paper for our stencils. Last week they learnt how to do half square triangles ready for a bag.

OK, well I was going to share some natural dyeing photos next but these are the ones that have vanished. I have been using daffodils, turmeric, logwood, red cabbage and dead hyacinth  flowers. Off to ask DH if he knows what Blogger could have done to the photos. Back soon x

Delectable Dyeing Day

Yesterday I taught a dyeing workshop to a wonderful group of people at Unique Cottage Farm Studios in Spalding AND I remembered my camera.  The aim of the day was to print onto fabric, and dye a little thread to match using both procion dyes and fabric paints. They all certainly embraced their creative side and produced some fantastic results. I know its a good class when everyone has to be presuaded to leave the room for a coffee break.

This was the room at coffee break time -

We just used fabric paint in the morning to give the fabric time to dry out. It was great to see everyone so busy producing seriously gorgeous, individual and unique fabrics

Pat and Nigel totally absorbed in their printing

This is just some of the monoprinted fabric that was produced.

In the afternoon we moved onto using procion dye as a printing medium which had been thickened. We also dyed threads, doesn't this bundle of crochet cotton look fab.

At the end of the day when all was clean we had a mini show and tell with the fabric painted fabric. I hope that I will have some photos sent to me of the dyed fabrics. All the fabrics printed with dyes go home wrapped in plastic ready for rinsing after 24 hours.

As I was packing up, the sky caught my eye, the colours were so much sharper than the photo shows - I think I had it on the wrong setting.

I want to end by saying Julie hope your ankle is feeling much better, we missed you today.

By the way, is anyone else having problems with Blogger? It has taken me nearly 90 minutes to load these photos. Each time I want to put another on I have to log out and back in again so frustrating when time is limited.

Completed Bag

They say pictures speak a thousand words so I'll let mine do the talking. This is the bag I have made for  my 3D assessed item for my City & Guilds Diploma which is finally completed. All fabrics were printed using fabric paint before being pieced and embellished.

Back view

 I love this image with the contrast of the monoprinted, pieced cotton against the trees in the background.

You might have noticed a little update going on with my website and blog, let me know what you think...