School’s over and time to get to work… Posted 3 new designs to SOCIETY 6 – they are really from sketches I had already done and hadn’t posted yet but it makes me feel as though I’ve started…
3 new designs
More Sketching
Been off on my eco dyeing binge and need to get back to sketching—so since it’s spring, here are some spring sketches! Feeling rusty with my watercolors…
Getting back to sketching
More Dyeing
More dyeing with rust and tea. I’m especially interested in how this technique works on older fabrics, including those which are already printed. The patterns of the rust bits act as a unifying element.
Different existing fabrics
Second dyeing tests
This is my second test of dyeing with teabags and rusty bits – here the bits were gears and I tried it for a shorter time on both cotton fabric and a bit of old lace. This time there was mainly neutral grays and blacks – no browns like the first go.
Dyeing test.
This time I tied the bundles with some white hand spun wool and let that get dyed as well. Just a small amount but I knit it up and love the kitten soft color I got!
quick sketching
Picked up a new small sketchbook and decided to try for regular sketches – won’t say daily but that’s the idea. They are to have a textured background with a quick drawing done with a dip pen and no preliminary sketching etc – sort of with out lifting the pen from the paper but not quite. So each session I will do several drawings and prepare several backgrounds for the next time.
First go
Shoveling snow.
Sounds doable but then I discovered I had to have an operation and that put things on hold. But that’s over and done with so I’m back at it. The above drawings are the first 4, done the end of January. This is turning out to be very fun as I’m not sure what the result will be – just do it and on to the next one.
Dyeing Test
Been reading about eco dyeing and using found materials and thought I’d give it a go. Years ago I did a lot of natural dyeing of fleece for hand spinning but not on fabric and not just for the wonder of the results. I did a little bit about a year ago in a workshop by Elizabeth (Beth) McTear of Honest Alchemy but it was a large group and Beth had set up the dye pots etc for us.
Two—maybe three weeks ago I put strong tea, rusty nails and a scrap of cloth I found inside an old pot holder I was throwing out, in a glass jar and set it aside. Today I took it out.
Dyeing test.
Above is the result—and I love it. Haven’t been so excited about a bit of old cloth in a while. Gonna’ do more!
