fini

I'm so glad I waited to do part two until this morning. The paler colors you see here were just hatched out from the group that went into the dyes this morning - a very tempered hand at the color helm was necessary. 

And for once, I got a set of greys that I like - MX Gunmetal and a tad of mystery mud to warm it.

Keep in mind that these colors will all  be stepped back a bit once they are washed and dried. For tonight, I'm just going to let them pickle.In the lower right corner are three or four damask table wipers.

August dyefest - day one

It was much hotter out on the deck than I expected and I was delighted when a brief thunder storm passed over and cooled the proceedings  down just a bit.

My personal thermostat seems to be broken these days. I overheat like an old Ford and cannot be cooled down quickly or easily.  I had to call an early halt but will pick up where I left off tomorrow.


I'm planning on a more subtle group of colors this time out. The dyestock that I'm using was mixed two months ago and has not been stored under optimal conditions and so, hopefully, will give the paler colors I hoping for.

All the cloth I'm working with is vintage - tender as Jude would say - and feels like it wants a gentler color touch than I'm used to dishing out. Some color whispering is underway.

I bought a heavily starched and ironed damask tablecloth at a yard sale this morning.
A little yellowed around the edges, it was tied tight in a bundle with jute and weighed several pounds. When I got it home and unfurled it for washing it was four by ten feet!

my soul restored

I got in the pool today for the first time in too long and found my legs were weak for walking against the water..step one in my patented pool cleaning process..get it whirling.  Must get back into form.

The pollywogs got on just fine without me peaking over the back edge down onto their busy little worlds.


I found the missing soda ash and got the cloth in to soak for the dye days to come. When the sun gets down behind the trees - when the light is not so severe, I will mix colors that I have been daydreaming about.
 

Dinner is prepped for later and I finally sat down with the sewing basket to get some stitching in. I am loving each of these elements and they are starting to reach out to one another in unplanned ways.

more here...

making ready for color

 This is from a previous dyefest earlier this year.

 After looking over the piles of white cloth in the studio - I feel a dyefest coming on. Preparations today=color tomorrow and Sunday.
There are color promises to keep.

Home again from NY

Not a speck of fiber to report on unless you count picking up one damask tablecloth at a local thrift shop. All the shops I had planned on visiting were closed for the summer! I spent the week visiting with Mom in the nursing home and Pop at Casa Useted. Both my sisters had grandchildren visiting too.
Four generations under one roof!

We had Bryan's first birthday party (one of three I think). I was not able to get one single shot of him that was not blurred - a champion wiggler!










That  same day Pop got acquainted with Amy's French Bulldog, Junior.  He was perfectly happy to take a ride with Pop on the scooter. A good time was had by all.