Studio cleanup

 

Valiant effort yesterday. I can even see the navy blue carpet and most of the work table. 

The trouble started when I open the closet and took out the river basket. The intention was to empty my little project bag into the river basket, but both were already overflowing. So I start started weeding both out putting a good portion of each into the basket that I pick Fat Baggies from.

Then I got crazy.

 I made up a bunch of scrap bags each with two random skeins of Dirty Thread. Each mystery bag is $35 including postage in the US. Email me.

All that heavy weight linen I have, acres of it? None of it went into the scrap basket because it's not hand stitch friendly. Even after dyeing. I tested two squares and just gave up hand hemming them into kitchen towels. 

It takes the dye well. Would make good tote bags. But the plan is to break out that heavy duty Singer 99k and make a big deck sail. After the trees that loom over the pool are gone next week, it will hopefully give us some shade. I won't waste dye on it. 

storm season

 Tropical storm Claudette will be on us soon. A week of clouds and rain, some heavy they say. The plants and wildlife around here are grateful. 

From the stitching chair, there was a brief splash of sun before the cloud cover solidified.  I held this piece of cotton up to the light and did my best to capture what my eye was seeing.

Some times there are pieces that you cannot cut, use, give away, or sell. This is one. 

I was folding and putting away all the cloth that's come of the latest dye sessions. Taking some time to make some order here in the studio and life in general. 

The store will be closed for a summer vacation. 

Writing and family stuff taking precedence for a while. One thing I've learned, cloth and thread are patient.

 

Things got 💙plum💙 out of hand on the dye deck yesterday. 

I remembered the unpredictable fun of discharging freshly dyed cloth. The great Put & Take.

Tomorrow is shipping day so if you ordered recently, some of this will be in the bag.

Meanwhile, Charlie has mastered the art of dragonfly taming. They love him.

Drifting through time

 

Killing time is a hideous expression. I've always thought about not having enough time. And the people who ran out of time when they thought they had more. 

 There was a bit of waiting for time to pass today, but I can't bear the thought of time passing without something coming of it -  something being done, made, created.

I've been sick for a solid week with an ornery cold that wanders between my head and chest depending on nothing. I have been cranky and anxious. But walking around stoned all day on a string of the most luxurious, cinematic dreams

compensating for the day-long sigh heaving.

While waiting for the medicine to kick in this morning, I mixed colors because it was easier than making coffee. Had two satisfactory appointments with contractors before 10. Landscaping and gutters scored. 

Transformed more  of that vintage cloth on the deck while waiting until it was time for my Covid test. Watched parts of that old movie waiting for the results (negative) and the dye to strike (positive). What else is there so easy to discover these days? And for free.

Just finished committing this latest piece to a canvas, every stroke telling me that I've made a mistake, but I know better. I also know what I'm procrastinating about, of course.

abundance

Another 30 pound box of vintage cloth arrived yesterday. Our mail lady (who might weigh a hundred pounds) was grateful that Colin met her up at the street. It was pouring rain. He had all he could do to hold the package and an umbrella.

I used to think I had a pretty sharp eye when it came to cloth. Silly me. I spent too much time with my nose in the air only consorting with fine vintage damasks. 

I have little to no experience with what might be called "common" cloth. The everyday stuff that people used to make their own clothes and household linens with back before store-bought was anyone's first option. 

The yellow is an almost lawn weight, yarn dyed cotton. The yard I have is pristine and I'm told there is a rainbow and yards still to be had because I told my source "no colors". I'm so glad he didn't listen. I may go back into the Fling business, this cloth is so nice.

The creamy cloth at the bottom is so intriguing. My first impression was a silk noil, but not as nubby and more tightly woven. Loomed at only 28" wide, it's a service weight linen, possibly flax. I left the picture large, so zoom in and tell me what you think. I have maybe fifty yards of this cloth. I'm going to do a burn test later, just to see what I can learn. Then dye a square of it. See how it likes color. 

It's heavy enough that I can see people using it whole as a base. I'm thinking flags, banners, even waxed floor cloths. 

Meanwhile, almost all of the cloth in the previous post has gone into the scrap basket and is available. It's been some time since the basket has hosted such a vibrant and varied batch of cloth. Nothing takes dye like vintage fabrics.