weekend festivities

So far the only thing I've accomplished this weekend is adding a bottom sleeve to the banner I made for the chili cook off.  No I'm wondering why I went to so much trouble (the lettering was hand drafted and painted) but used such poor quality cloth. It must have been the largest continuous expanse of fabric that I had on hand (or could buy locally). After this year I think I'm going to back it with something more durable just to keep it from falling apart.

more crap

I've been torturing the same four squares of cheap cotton for two days now. So far, I'm wondering why. It's become a test of wills but there's another day of vacation tomorrow....

more dyepainting

the scene of the crime

and the perpetrators hand. she wore gloves to no avail.

results from yesterday (tepid to boring)

One of the things I like about dyeing cloth is that you get several chances to have your way with it via over dyeing, discharging or painting it. Problem number one is usually knowing what the heck you were looking for in the first place. It is very easy to lose sight of the goal when you are caught up in (or stumbling through) process.

 I've always struggled with choosing between different extremes with everything - with the middle ground always boring me to tears as a place to be avoided. Here we have middle ground 1 & 2 . Back to the burning dye deck

and thanks this morning to Nancy Natale for reminding me about Joan Mitchell.

something different for friday

gratuitous cat graphic

It's 'doo deciding where to spend the day chilling.

It's going to be another blazing day today so I decided to take advantage of getting up with the chickens (who work in construction and leave while it's still dark) and seize on the dreams of archipelagos that filled my night.

I've been wearing earplugs in an effort to quell tinnitus and I think my brain hears the sound of my own heartbeat and blood rushing and thinks it's the surf breaking somewhere close by.

I'm starting with hot soy wax..the cloth is not presoaked with soda ash so some areas will take the dye less fiercely than others where I've mixed dye and SA,  something I rarely do.

There are two owls out there in the trees and I swear they are singing "Who are you, who who, who who?" 

dye+soda ash applied directly to the cloth and wax. those discs are rounds of clear glass intended to act as a resist to the next step but I have my doubts. I should have stuck them down with more was but I ran out.

last step, bring on the ocean via a spray bottle filled with dye and soda ash solution.

Cleanup is going to be hell but I'm just going to let this one dry completely before I even try to move it.  There are three more panels all about 5'x5' -  but I've got the whole weekend ahead to expand on this path.