Sunny at the moment, so I've spent a little time in the garden this afternoon...... so no heatwave for July, and who knows about August... I do know that it will be a busy month with trips planned and artwork to complete.....

Thank you for all your comments here. Especially, thank you to you for reading and for messages re: Nevering, my new poetry blog. I don't have comments enabled there, as it really is a 'fluid notebook' but it is nice to know others are interested. I'm 'just writing' and will write more soon x

dye studio tuesday - part five & new work

For my fifth and final (for now) dye studio tuesday I thought I would show you what I am making and working on..... how I'm transforming the dyed fabrics and wools into something else..... I'll also share a little more about Madder.... and my side-project: making natural plant inks....

The doll ornaments... I call them 'yesterdays'..... we did some brain-storming in this house, I have fantastic 'studio assistants' that always offer good ideas and advice, pick me up when I can't seem to find my way, help me calm the stitches when they need to feel less tense..... These small to tiny doll ornaments are inspired by vintage sepia photographs and my fascination with making dolls that can be held in the palm of your hand....

This tiny 'yesterday' is dressed in madder and lady's mantle, with a lovely vintage bead giving a little blue contrast.... so sweet and tiny indeed....


I hope you enjoy the many natural dye colours used and how they work so well together..... I'm using colours I know and love, colours I know will not fade overnight, carefully dyed and so nice to know that many of these colours came from my own garden.... will be lovely for a while to come.....

and so, the excitement of making more 'yesterdays' is with me, as I share these few and think of future yesterdays yet to stitch.....:) Watch this space for when and where there may be a selection available......


madder..... each time I use this root I find a slightly different shade.... the possibilities are endless.... here I have cotton fabrics and wool tops, all dyed in a slightly different way. I've experimented with the madder roots kindly sent to me by Carolyn, and more finely chopped madder from a dye supplier.... interesting to see the different, all beautiful, results... To get really deep shades you need to cook up quite a lot of madder..... The big thing to avoid is boiling. Unless you want brown shades. I've managed to get pinker shades on cotton by only simmering the madder for a while and then pouring the hot liquid over mordanted cotton..... You can't really pour hot liquid over wool as it will felt, so this method is only good for vegetable fibres... I'm also experimenting with spinning flax to make linen twine/yarn and have been soaking it in madder to make a lovely warm shade.....

Madder is a versatile dye plant and the dye liquid can be used for more than just colouring textiles..... Use the colour to make lovely washes of warm sepia tones, particularly nice with pencil drawings and over handwriting....

I'm right now working on 'formulating' (now that sounds so technical, but it is rather) some natural colour, scented inks.... Dreaming Inks..... I shall share more with you very soon, I'm excited about these and am currently testing and mixing and writing......

thank you for sharing with me during these past several weeks of dye talk. I hope this has all been of some help and interest. To finish I'd like to offer a short reading list of books that I have found informative and inspiring.....

The Craft of Natural Dyeing by Jenny Dean..... infact any book by Jenny is going to be helpful, knowledgeable and worth buying...

A Dyer's Garden: from plant to pot by Rita Buchanan

Natural Dyeing by Jackie Crook - a lovely book, with great photography

mosaic monday

1. blackbird on blue art quilt, 2. sunday evening, rain again, 3. Tiny Painting, 4. red room, 5. The Silent Moment ( thinking), 6. Untitled, 7. bird in hand skectch, 8. "Mystic Squirrel", 9. Doll, 10. The World Is Full Of Stitches, 11. stitches inside, 12. lured, 13. Angry Ishi, 14. Pavens Døtre finale\The popes daughters, 15. 2, 16. Untitled, 17. Untitled, 18. the delphic oracle/ Orakel von Delphi, 19. On my wall today, 20. Untitled, 21. forest spirit, 22. festevil, 23. ., 24. Untitled, 25. 70%, 26. Untitled, 27. OAW - Blazing Color, 28. nettle-leaved mullein, 29. A bird in the pocket, 30. I Have A Plan!, 31. Tiny house, 32. 蝶々タイ, 33. Zine and Button Badges Pack, 34. she had so many devices, 35. box, 36. img022

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Happy Monday, many thanks to the artists and photographers featured here for sharing their work via my Flickr contacts...... I've just glanced out the window to see large raindrops hanging from rose leaves and a very grey sky..... We seem to be experiencing a lull in Summer here, oh dear..... but never a dull moment here, really, with plenty to keep us happy and busy.....

This week I'll be writing more on natural dyes, tomorrow.....

I'm working a little-at-a-time on new stitched work....

I've found myself spinning yarn lately, it seems that the spinning (with a spindle) helps to unlock the ongoing problem-pain I have in my left shoulder, perhaps undoing the tension that I get in there... so more spinning.... it's a sociable thing, you can sit and chat and share. Working on my sewing machine requires me to get very into my own zone.... which I enjoy too....

I'm going to post something new over at nevering very soon....

Have a good week and thanks always for your comments x

various pictures..... central sketch is oil pastels on calico....

Many thanks for all your kind and thoughtful comments this week. I hope you enjoy an inspired, sunny Weekend x

hermits and angels

tiny hermit - a brooch...... a new piece for my 'mystics and dreamers' collection.... I'm a-little-at-a-time working on new stitches and ideas are coming to life..... I've had a long fascination with hermits, not just early Christian but hermits of different faiths and traditions... just the very idea of choosing a way of life that is about solitariness.... living apart and in silence and the reasons why..... I've always lived with people around me though I do enjoy my own space and quiet.....

You may see my Etsy shop is 'on vacation' right now as I really do need to concentrate on both new work and Summer holidays.... My hope is to have a selection of new pieces ready for my shop in the latter part of August, so far I have Wednesday 19th August pencilled on my calendar and will keep you updated...

green angel, forever and ever.... one of my big obsessions is angels.... and again not the Christmas card variety alone, but all kinds of all traditions and how they vary, the psychology and folktales of angels..... angels angels angels..... I wrote a poetry collection back in the late 90's called 'Orbital Angel' and it won a competition and got published as a pamphlet.

Working, relaxing, enjoying time with my children, doing gardening things, laundry, drinking tea, photographing flowers, reading, writing, dyeing........ will share more soon x

nevering - new poetry notebook

In 2006 I had a poetry blog 'nevering'...... I kept this online poetry notebook for several months. Never intending to share 'complete' poems, this was a space for free writing and creating remixes.... writing and then using the first piece of writing to create something else, remixing words, reinventing phrases, adding to the mix. I enjoyed nevering for those months that I needed it and had the time and was not distracted by other things....

I've thought about re-starting nevering, but have decided I want to keep that 2006 blog as-is, it is a slightly dusty relic of the past but then again not.... I see themes very relevant to me now and hear my voice still.... but is is very 2006, in many ways....

So, I've decided to start afresh with nevering II...... the 2009 nevering can be found here. There's also a handy link over there on the left....I've only just begun. Remember this is a notebook, it's raw and tender and does not offer completeness. The whole point of this is that a poem written in nevering is never finished, perhaps....

I will let you know here when I post there.

I'm hoping very much that this new notebook will be of interest to others, but it is mostly for my own writing, an experiment to get me writing more apart from anything else. I'll be adding links to other poetry and writing blogs.

dye studio tuesday - part four

This week I'm sharing here results of logwood and madder dyeing..... and at the end of this post is a seasonal calendar for the natural dyer.....

Firstly, results.... I've been experimenting with logwood dye, as talked about in last week's post. Folding, tying in buttons, creasing fabric and then putting both mordanted fabric and dye solution in a jar, leaving for several days... The weather has cooled here, quite significantly, and I can see the difference in my results but the logwood still gives a pleasing result if left for about five days or so.... I particularly like the folded strip.... it's simple enough to just fold the wet fabric and put it in the jar, the results being fascinating, something like ghostly piano keys...



Madder gave pleasing results after several days.... one jar had a weaker solution of madder than the other and the experiment here was to see if the weaker would 'catch up' with the stronger, over time..... well if the weather had been a lot warmer possibly there may have been more of a difference but as it is they gave the predicted result, and I like these shades and mottled effects.... if you are looking for smooth, solid colour then don't dye in a jar! But I like gentle mottling and the possibilities of using tie, stitch, resist and so on, creating unique pieces....



I've also dyed some lovely alpaca yarn in logwood..... I made the 'classic' mistake though! I tied the small skeins too tightly and so when I got the yarn out of the dye bath I realised my error, and snipped off the cotton ties and tied them more loosely and put the skeins back in the pot.... see I can make simple errors..... I am actually really pleased I did too, because after dyeing the yarn for a second time I got a better shade..... The mordanting process is a little different for wool and other animal fibres.... I used alum and cream of tartar to mordant the yarn here. For 150grams of yarn I added a teaspoon of alum and half of cream of tartar....

the logwood dyed yarn - drying....

Logwood is a dye that may fade over time, so any fabric or yarn dyed with logwood is best kept away from direct sunlight. Having said that, I came across some wool felt that I had dyed about seven years ago the other day.... at least that long ago, and it has faded but only very slightly...... So the yarn I will probably knit into a scarf. The fabrics I will use for various textiles projects... I think the folded piece may stay 'as is', or adapted into a wall hanging.....

I'm the kind of person who likes to work with the seasons and follow a calendar.... though always open to new possibilities, of course.... So I've put together a very 'open' list of natural dyes for the months of the year. Of course this is very personal to your own geography and preferences... This is a calendar for someone like myself who might try a plant or two each month... The dried stuffs for the times when the garden is quiet..... Of course solar dyeing in jars is not a possibility all year round, unless you live in a very warm climate or adapt the process by putting jars in the airing cupboard, for example..... just give each dye batch plenty of time and experiment.....

January: madder (dried root) ..... brightness for the duller days

February: herbal tea bags.... try different kinds from 'regular' to the exotic, camomile giving a good yellow of course...... makes the kitchen smell nice

March: onion skins.... or if this is too familiar and you don't want yellows.... try some of the dried woods such as logwood (purples), brazilwood (pinks), cutch (browns)

April: nettles... if the weather is mild the nettles will be coming through but this is good! the fresh growth can give great yellows and greenish shades

May: Lady's Mantle.... shades vary....yellows and tans

June: Violas...... try the ice-cube method (see part one)... also around midsummer try St. John's Wort.

July: herb garden favourites such as oregano..... pink and tan shades, also basil, sage and rosemary.

August: Summer berries... try anything fresh and surplus.... may not be lightfast but could be interesting

September: Dahlia flowers can give lovely apricot and tan shades....

October: blackberries.... give paler purplish and blue shades...

November: fallen autumn leaves, acorns, twigs... cook it all up and see what happens...

December: ivy leaves and berries give minty greens....

If you have any other suggestions appropriate for the months/seasons, do let me know.... thanks

mosaic monday

1. Ex-voto 24 Lina Cavalieri, 2. time creates patterns, 3. making paper dolls..., 4. Untitled, 5. Untitled, 6. #445, 7. dandelions blowing away, 8. 2, 9. Untitled, 10. Non c’è fretta., 11. Abstract Art, 12. endsheet, 13. STORY MOTEL @ OWL AND LION GALLERY, 14. Anger, 15. Chekhov died aged 44, 16. matchboxes, 17. Altar, 18. Borage, 19. Work in progress, 20. Untitled, 21. angel jill, 22. TEMOR ES, 23. winter studio, 24. hollow, 25. birch bark, watercolor, 26. notabooks, 27. Some more............., 28. Untitled, 29. regret, 30. liberty and a holey stone, 31. secret garden, 32. Birdie, 33. grey gardens, 34. Untitled, 35. portraits, 36. noises of people playing

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

A happy Sunny Monday to you..... many thanks to the artists and photographers featured here for sharing their work via my Flickr contacts.....

A busy day for me, so I am uploading early in the morning with my cup of coffee and a to-do list....

This week I'll be writing part four of my natural dyes series - tomorrow infact....

I'm working on existing and new projects .... hope to share more soon...

This week there will be no shop update - infact these next few days are your last chance to purchase something before I take a few weeks shop holiday starting Wednesday afternoon.... So if you have seen something now is the time:) I'll still be around, just taking a break from the actual offering of items whilst I focus on new work - and school holidays....!

Many thanks and have a creative, insightful, happy week.... more soon x

gothic

Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547... is a book in my collection, a book from an excellent exhibition at the V&A... I remember visiting, I remember it vividly because I was in my element, each exhibit and work of art so fascinating.... this time period and its art appeals to me, in many ways. Well, today I got this book from a stack of books that I hoard and love, opened it up and what did I find.... that painting on the right. I think it might be from the time of the Gothic exhibition, 2003...

I remember of course that during this time I painted a series of gouache paintings in this style, with geometric shapes, with trees and ladders featuring quite often in otherwise quite abstract compositions...

Meanwhile, I've made a tentative start on some new stitched work, just warming up I suppose.. and this weekend I hope to read my Gothic book again and enjoy mentally walking around that exhibition once more.....




I hope you have a very good weekend x

mystics & dreamers

As I've mentioned... my new, 'in-the-works' collection has the working title 'mystics and dreamers'..... Here, above, is a tiny little 'dreamer doll'..... inspired by those other dolls I made several years ago... I'll be making more and have ideas aplenty...... so for now this is all I am going to show you...

as tempted as I am to show here everything little stitch in progress, I am going to try and be a little more restrained:) and I will share new work when it is completed and so on.... but I must learn to be patient and not to worry.....

Meanwhile, the chemise-type garment I made for my 'Saint Summer' poem has been dyed in logwood and here it is drying on the line...... The dye process took a few days and the chemise has been washed thoroughly to remove any excess dye.... Now to allow it to dry and then the rather intense experience to come.... stitching the poem and getting it all just so.....



I've new drawings in my shop to see... and just to let you know the shop will be having a few weeks holiday from the middle of next week.....

more soon x

new work

A selection of new pencil drawings..... these original portrait drawings will be in my shop later today..... I'll share here two of the five.... I can't say which is my favourite, I am biased.... actually I'm pretty pleased with these as a set and I think they work well individually too.......
my blue house....

my rabbit.....

It is a fact, I do like drawing portraits of girls and other figures holding something, telling a story..... I've noted over recent times that I tend to draw single figures when I am drawing on paper but when I am stitching-drawing I often put together a group..... just something I've observed over time.... but in my new stitch work - expect to see more single figures (holding things quite possibly!)...

My new Autumn collection has a working title 'mystics and dreamers' and so far I have plenty of ideas and more research and reading and sketching planned..... I'll be stitching poems, making new 'vintage faces' dolls (see my post from last Friday) and stitching new intricate embroidery works.... I'll be previewing some items here as I like to share the process of making, but there are some things I want to keep a surprise...... the new dolls - I am very excited about putting together a really lively group of tiny doll ornaments and have ideas for how this might look, so I won't be giving too much away about that until it is done!

Auction for Autism - please visit my dear friend Margie's blog Resurrection Fern to read more about her silent auction to raise money for Autism research.... Margie is generously auctioning one of the 'poetry stones' she made (using a snippet of my stitched handwriting).

Thank you kindly for all your comments. I'm glad to know so many people are finding the natural dyes of interest. I'm pleased indeed..... more soon x

dye studio tuesday - part three

Well, would you Adam and Eve it..... to update you on the St John's Wort dye (as discussed last week), that rather indifferent yellow dye slowly turned in the jar, despite the cool days, and became richer, giving this final result, a cinnamon orange-brown and quite a beautiful colour too..... so yea of little faith etc....:)

Welcome to week three of my dye studio tuesday... I am sharing my own personal experience of several years experience with natural dyes.... my shiny disclaimer here is that I write from the perspective of an artist/ craftsperson who is interested in experimenting and finding her own way to achieve results. Whilst of course I have read extensively, I am no qualified chemist or dye technician...

This week's subtitle is 'going deeper'...... I've so far shared here experience of dyeing with garden plants, both flowers and leaves. So now I want to talk a bit about getting richer colours and how to go about this.... As you experiment with plants from your garden and wayside, it soon becomes apparent that most obtainable colours are yellow to green to brown, with a few hints of blue, and mostly all are quite gentle. This is fine and good, but there are times when perhaps you want a darker, deeper hue..... There are two dyestuffs that I like to use for darker, richer colours: logwood gives purples to almost blacks, with shades of grey and lilac also possible..... Madder will offer shades of brick red to paler apricot and the possibility of redder and paler shades also....

Both of these dyes are well-known and have been used in many ways over time.... Logwood is the heartwood of a South American tree. The wood is processed into either chips or extract. I only use the chips as these give results and are easier, and really there's no need to use something that is ever-more processed.... Of course this means the dyestuff is coming from a place further afield that my own back garden... I balance this use of an 'exotic' with using mostly homegrown whenever else possible.... Logwood is a messy dye and stains things very easily, but the results are lovely and varied, and I recommend you give this one a try if you like darker colours. I use a simple method to dye with logwood. It does require a mordant, and I use alum. You can see the results here of dyeing cotton fabrics - the paler shade is on fabric that was not mordanted, the darker is fabric mordanted with alum..... dyed together, but you can see what a remarkable difference the mordant makes in this case....


Here is logwood simmering in a pan.... I used a good handful of logwood chips to dye a wide strip of fabric (and the unmordanted finer cotton)..... I put the chips into a pan, covered with water and allowed to simmer for about twenty minutes. Now many books will suggest you strain the chips from the pan and then add the fabric and continue cooking.... I don't do that exactly. I strain the chips from the dye liquid and then I put the dye liquid back in the warm pan and just leave the fabric to sit and enjoy the residue heat, without the stove heat switched on.... then I transfer the fabric and dye liquid into a jar to sit on the windowsill for at least a few days. The fabric will need several rinses because it is one of the few natural dyes that can 'rub off' later and stain your skin etc... if you don't rinse thoroughly to begin with. I usually end up rinsing four of five times and giving it a good wash..... Then I know it is ok. Logwood will stain spoons and surfaces so be careful.... But as you can see the results are intense and interesting.....

Madder - a big thank you to Carolyn of Love Stitching Red for sending me a lovely surprise: an envelope of madder roots! Of course I had to try these... I've dyed with madder several times before so it is interesting to see what results you will get this time as of course each root and each batch of dye can be different...... Again dyeing with the whole root, crushed and broken up, is prefable to using extract, in my experience...... it feels like you are really dyeing with something earthy when you can see the bits of root bobbing about in the dye liquid:).... I use a similar dye method as above..... but I will leave madder for several days or even weeks to see what deep results can be obtained.... madder will start to ferment after a few days of being in a jar....



this is the fabric after a few days ..... I hope it will get deeper and slightly redder as the time goes by..... and I'll share results next week...

Meanwhile I have been busy with a new project for my upcoming Autumn collection 'mystics and dreamers'...... I've spent today sewing a chemise in cotton, with lots of raw edges and pleats and ties..... this chemise will eventually, I hope, feature a stitched poem - a poem about Summer and the ending of Summer titled 'Saint Summer'..... and so now I am about to mordant the completed garment and then dye it with logwood..... I'll hope this works out.... of course I am interested to see how the garment dyes, what effects will I get with any creasing and folds and variations in colour......


Thanks for reading x

mosaic monday

1. Amelia's Biosphere, 2. SIAEP14, 3. Untitled, 4. shaked, 5. Assemblage, 6. Creative Clutter, 7. book of woe, 8. Bird, 9. The caged bird sings..., 10. Dance enchanted, 11. little felt cottage, 12. look ahead, 13. x marks the spot..., 14. Faith, 15. Better lighting, 16. Studio Wall | 07.12.09, 17. another work in progress....., 18. close up, 19. Moment, 20. detail, 21. Untitled, 22. The Caged Bird Sings, 23. Untitled, 24. 後藤美月, 25. the gardener, 26. Caught On The Breeze..............., 27. chant de la sirène, 28. red horse, 29. Untitled, 30. rain, 31. Untitled, 32. Untitled, 33. Untitled, 34. dadá, 35. From the Series 'Self-images' -'The Snow Queen', detail, 36. Self_July02

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

A Happy Monday to you... a sunny, rainy, can't-make-it's-mind-up sort of day.... many thanks to the artists and photographers for sharing their work via my Flickr contacts... I have a busy week ahead... I'm just starting to really get into new ideas for my NEW Autumn collection, and after a few weeks of no sewing machine and a bit of a lull in the general ideas department there's a new spark and a new sketchbook underway which is helping to get my creative spirit in focus, but not too focused because I want to be open to the possibilities.......

I'll be posting tomorrow part three of my series on natural dyes....

Wednesday I'll be updating my shop with a few new drawings etc..... meanwhile there are still copies of 'quiet lives' my latest little illustrated poetry zine available if you should be interested in a copy...

I hope you have a very good, creatively inspired week and more soon - thanks always for your comments x

looking back - clay and dolls

Like many artists and crafts people who 'make things' I have a home full of the past..... there are things from recent times and other objects and artworks from further back..... here's just a tiny sampler.... this green cup, made in porcelain, was one of my very first attempts at firing. I had a kiln installed in an outdoor workshop and had to teach myself how to do it! I had some previous experience with clay both at college and via an evening class, but that had been a while back.... so I was reading books and learning about clay properties and oxides and firing cycles and....so on.... there is nothing like firing up a kiln for the first time and then waiting and that anxiety of not knowing if it would all explode! But, opening the kiln (once it had eventually cooled which seemed to take forever) was like Christmas and all your birthdays together.... to see my little hand-built cups and bowls, some looking better than others, the way the oxides had come to life (because I never wanted to use off-the-shelf glazes, too easy!).... I loved being a self-taught potter-in-training for that short time..... I worked in the back room of the house I lived in at the time and it got very dusty. That is something I had never really anticipated..... But the joy of working with clay and making useful little objects, that is something I will remember positively.... sadly the kiln got sold and life moved on, but I still have a small selection of what I made and there are pieces of me in clay scattered about elsewhere on family and friend's shelves.. One day, I say often, one day I will get a kiln again.... but not just at the moment....
three tiny dolls I made about six years ago.... or perhaps even further back than that come to think of it.... I am sure I am not the only person who tries to remember things by casting your mind back and thinking: now had I got one child or two? was there a baby in the house? or was I with so-and-so then, or was I having another mad few years with this going on, or whatever?!.... you get my drift..... now these tiny dolls I have had for let's say at least six years and they are each made using natural dyed fabrics! They have sat on sunny windowsills so note how the colours are still here! I can see the colours have faded ever so slightly - the doll on the right, her silky body was a little bolder to begin with but I just rescued her from a very sunny sill to take this photo.... I have to admit neglecting these a little.... and now I am thinking, shall I make a few new, for old time's sakes? I wonder if I want to do that....hmmmmmm I see them around and wonder.. I do like their size, they fit into the palm of your hand about 10-15 cm tall...

Interesting, to look back and consider.... so much more I could share and I will so..... this weekend I shall be mostly unplugged and will be offline for most Summer weekends from here on, due to things happening, house guests and family and needing to be quiet... I do need to have quiet time, I need to remember..... Thank you kindly for each and every comment, much appreciated! have a good weekend and 'see you' Monday....x

parts of me - telephones and red shoes

`'we creatures' a monoprint drawing framed and on the wall..... I recently got a small selection of monoprints framed.... I had intended to put this one in my shop, but I.... well realising it was rather heavy when framed and felt the cost of shipping would be quite high of course and so..... it seems to be on our wall.... (but if anyone is interested get in touch)... the telephone is an old 30's bakelite phone with 'Stockport' on the dial (I've never been).... it was a gift from someone who knew I had such a telephone on my 'wish list' of things to have and collect dust, someone I knew once upon a time, and one of the few things I have..... Oh that little papier mache lidded box, that is one of several I am making.... it will hold a very limited edition book of tiny paintings and writing.... more on that another time.....


me being me... with a hint of nostalgia.....


these battered red shoes, how I like them, they are from the Vegetarian shoe shop in Brighton and I have had many a happy day walking around Brighton's The Lanes.... I wear them in the garden, mostly these days, when I slip outside to check on how the clover is filling the gaps between the patio slabs.... hope your week is going well....x

working, dreaming, poetry

a bookish jug - papier mache jug with camomile flowers......

These Summer weeks, with sun one minute and rain the next, I feel as if I am slightly scattered too:).... I'm moving between work on paper, to threading a needle to stitch, writing a poem to sorting out paperwork which I must do as much as it bores me..... I know this is the time I need, the time to get inspired and to dream of new ideas because I want to create work that really sparks the imagination, ever more......

And a confession, of sorts, is that I miss my sewing machine.... Madge is currently on holiday, taking a break so that I can do these other things, but after weeks of sitting and having my foot on the pedal, it is strange not to see the machine, for it is just a tool, though also I have something of a love-hate relationship with Madge on days when the bobbins get tangled and somehow the tension is wrong.....

When I feel myself getting restless, moving from one thing to the next, I go into our little garden and see what's going on....

So today I noted my first Monarda flower.... otherwise known as bergamot (and other names), I do like these flowers...

There's a pale light today, a cloudy day, which is actually better in some ways for taking photographs. On my list of 'wants' is a new camera because despite my current one being ok, it is no longer as current, a couple of years old and so.... but I keep on saying: let's give it six more months, because like everything....

pale summer textile cuff..... hand stitched, of course, using natural dyed cottons..... in my shop later today....


an inkjet print of a drawing from my sketchbook..... I think you may have seen it before...'lovers'... this will be in my shop later, limited edition of ten....

I'll also be adding a few more monoprint drawings to my shop.....

I'm hoping over the Summer to write, write some new poems that is... I am pleased and encouraged by the feedback I have had for my newest little sequence of poems 'quiet lives'.... but I really want to write some more now, bigger poems a certain strangeness to them... it is difficult to get into the pattern of writing after taking a break, even if it is a few weeks or so.... I need to write daily, even if I think it's pointless or muddled.... at the moment a mix of other commitments and tiredness gives me a good 'excuse' not to write... but I really would like to write so writing about writing here might just make me write more? I'll write and tell you:).....x

Meanwhile, a first draft from my notebook, diving in and sharing early stages.....

Just Now

the soft rasp of voice against wall,
the smoothing of paper as the day unfolds.
I need to get out of here,
I need to feel the wet clover.

Ah yes, I slip my hands into your shirt
and turn your collar over and over.
A flock of thin ghosts will dry your arms,
as I turn the flowers toward the light,
for this is the moment deathly pink petals
turn a simpering green,
just before the rain.

And now, now it is half-past ivy leaf
and just a faint scent of blackberry,
and not one branch of many trees
will lower the light,

for this is the thinly-veiled
always, always delighting.

(Cathy Cullis July 2009)

this is my daughter's rose 'sweet dreams'.....x

dye studio tuesday - part two

A doll I am making using natural dyed fabrics..... The background fabric here is cotton dyed with black violas (see last week's natural dye post).... I'll complete this doll so that she wears a variety of natural dyed fabrics.... Her face is pencil and stitch...

As promised last week, here's the second part of my weekly natural dyes series.... This week should be subtitled 'dyeing with leaves and the fleeting magic of St John's wort'... First of all a thank you for all your encouraging comments after last week's fast ramble. I am pleased to know many others out there have an interest in this craft.

I'm going to outline here a basic way of getting a dye from leaves. You can use this technique to dye cotton, wool tops, spun yarn, silk and linen, and probably other natural fabrics and materials too.... Be careful when dyeing wool - as you probably know some wools can felt very easily so you want to up and down heat with care and never pour boiling water over it etc... Silk also needs to be handled carefully.... I feel natural dyes are about slowing down a little and not expecting instant results but seeing what time can achieve... I can be impatient as anyone...read on....

Many different herb garden plants can be used as a dye. My favourites include: camomile, rosemary, sage, basil and oregano. Last year I grew Greek Oregano from seed and now have a couple of nice-sized plants - that would be bigger if I did not pick them for dyeing....The plant is one of the various Marjarom family. Greek Oregano is very spicy - my daughter picked a sprig - I warned her - she ate it and her tongue was 'on fire'.... It is something I use sparingly in cooking. Maybe a few leaves to add a little something extra to a pasta sauce. I'm not a keen cook, but I do like to use fresh ingredients and picking from your own garden can make the cooking a little less tiresome....

I pick fresh young shoots of the Greek Oregano and just a handful will colour a small piece of cloth or a small skein of yarn etc.... I put the plant material in a stainless steel saucepan, cover with a little water and cook, bring to a steady simmer and allow the colour to come. With this plant the dye water becomes yellowish then a deep red tone....
I will not cook the plant material for hours, just as long as it takes to get to the colour I think it should be..... Then I transfer the dye liquid, some of the plant material, into a jar, leaving space for the fabric I wish to dye. The fabric has been soaking in water and I simply push it into the jar and perhaps using a spoon or a pair of tweezers I will swirl things about a bit. Be careful when handling jars that contain hot liquid! The jar then sits on my kitchen window sill for a couple of days or more. Now the weather has cooled a little I may need to leave this 'brewing' for a day longer than the two days I would leave it if we were still having a heatwave. You can put jars into a warm airing cupboard etc... and I've had some success with this, but again you need to be patient.
So here you can see the fabric after only 12 hours or sitting in a jar overnight. Given a few days sun I expect the colour to alter.... Last time I dyed with Greek oregano the results were tan shades... but here you can see I might get a pink this time.... With this plant it can vary quite a bit. There are some that will always give similar results - onion skins perhaps are a good example of this. But other plants can offer surprises....

And so it is with St John's Wort.... This is a native plant that grows wild on wasteland and has been in gardens for many years... It is an old herb with a wide variety of uses and has some history as a dye plant. Reading around, I noted it was possible to get red shades from flowers. The plant is a large shrubby perennial with bright yellow flowers. I've never really sought it out, but last Friday when the heatwave peaked, I was standing in my sister's front garden chatting with my sister and I suddenly realised I was standing right next to a large flowering St John's Wort, or at least I was sure it might be, though my sister told me someone had told her it was a weed and she should pull it out - though she liked it so she was keeping it there. I went home with a large sprig to 'test'. And yes it was late in the evening when I might have been sat on the sofa enjoying a glass of wine but instead was in the kitchen wtih a few flowers in a pan, hoping to see red....

Well at first nothing much happened and I was going to opt for that glass of wine.... I gave the flowers a poke and turned to do something else for a moment. I turned back to the pan and there it was, this lovely deep red colour. I dyed a piece of fabric and a tiny skein of yarn with this. Then I cooked up the leaves I had - noting the leaves were quite yellowed - and again I got a lovely reddish colour. I used this to dye another piece of fabric, with alum mordant.

So, I was quite pleased! My sister promised more plant material, no problem, I made her a little ornament with some of the fabric.... By Sunday the weather had cooled down and I noted the flowers were not so vivid, they had lost their reddish centres and the leaves were green...... and when I tried to make a dye this second time I got an indifferent yellow..oh dear not so impressed... What happened? Well the plant 'peaks' at around St John's day June 24th, and probably certain chemicals become active when the plant is in very warm conditions.... So you see, results can vary....

This has been another ramble but I hope of interest to you. More natural dye talk next week.

mosaic monday

1. the days when I didn't think, 2. One, 3. 狐狸今天你愉快吗, 4. sleeping stones in the forest, 5. excuse us, 6. melon sorbet yoyo necklace, 7. Miss Franklin and Miss Hardy 'tea' every Thursday...secretly, 8. Shaky, 9. Altered Moleskine journal - The Star-Money, 10. no Jardim da Estrela***, 11. EZ handspun snail hat along, 12. we never argue, 13. Untitled, 14. Virgencita, 15. home, 16. Untitled, 17. Call Me Uncle, 18. Untitled, 19. CellMark 25 years exhibition Design Museum Gothenburg Sweden, 20. Beasley, 21. sketch, 22. window, 23. in the making, 24. Yummy cupcake, 25. P1020567, 26. breaking, 27. printing "Kelp Tower", 28. Quilted Canopy // Amanda Made, 29. cores de verão, 30. I think this is a hydrangea, 31. royal walk, 32. prints on fabric, 33. Fria, 34. sidewalk closed, 35. jack and nora together against the world, 36. LA OTRA VERSIÓN DE ARIADNA

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

A happy Monday to you and thanks to the artists and photographers featured here for sharing their work via my Flickr contacts.... Sorry for my quiet weekend of no blog posts, it was a weekend of carnivals, orphaned doves, garden plants, dyeing with St John's Wort (more about dyes on Tuesday - that's tomorrow!), eating ice-cream, hand stitches, music, family and a slow cool-down.....

Today is a rainy, cooler start - much welcome... I must get on with some paperwork but am finding anything else but to do! I am working on some new drawings on papier mache, a doll design, hand stitch work and more......This week I'll be updating my shop with a variety of items, on Wednesday.... I hope you have a positive and creative start to the week x

Parts of me...... my neck.... wearing a little pendant I hand-stitched for myself, using natural dyed fabrics, a ravioli-style pendant to wear on my silver chain.... the blackberries that have gently invaded the back of our garden are now just flowering and making fruit... I'll always associate blackberry blossoms with Cecily M. Barker's flower fairies, books that I loved so much as a child, so quaint and pretty.... and my feet, not so pretty but they help me get about.. I have small feet for my height and they are rather swollen in the heat.... the heatwave here continues, which is great for the dye jars in my kitchen and I'll be sharing some interesting results next week....

meanwhile, my new book 'quiet lives' has been selling in my shop, thank you, and I will be adding new drawings every so often too..... I'm working on some more ideas with my natural dyed fabrics..... I hope you are having a good week x