Eucalyptus dyed wrap and hat

I'm finally ready to reveal the wrap and hat I made for the exhibition at the Rocks Gallery. The wrap was made first with white wool on silk. Once again I embedded the clasp. The pod shapes were set in the dyeing. There were two different leaf dyes, complements of some windfall at my son's soccer game. The orange printed leaf shapes were some Cinerea leaves. There is also added some dyed and printed organza silk stitched on. Some mother of peal buttons are a final feature.




The hat was made from dyed fleece. Some of the many shades of beige I started with and then some that I managed to dye a bit darker later. Printed and dyed Silk was felted in with fleece. The whole hat was dyed in a pot of leaves that seemed to have more of an orangey colour. When wool felt was laid on these leaves in the dye pot the orange transfer was really strong but the dye itself never went to that strong a colour. (Something I will discuss with India when I go to her workshop in May. YAY!) Not shown in this picture is some more silk fabric stitched on as I had to send in my description before I made the piece and had said it would be there. I ended up putting it on in the train to town yesterday! I love the way people try not to look at what you are doing but they are obviously facinated. The bold will just come up and ask.
My sincere thanks to another gorgeous friend E. for modelling .

Bit fond of this one

This one was made when le husband came home with a box full of curtain rings. Hmmm I think. Looks kinda handy. Must be some thing I can do with these. Sooooo
Compliments again to the lovely friend N.

Leaf hat

I made this hat to test out the pattern for a hat I'm making for an exhibition soon. I needed something green for a challenge on the felting forum I'm part of so Green it was.

On beautiful models

I'm very lucky to have gorgeous friends to model for me. This wrap looks 100 times better on her don't you think?

Eucalypt dyeing is tricky.

These are the latest in my dyeing endeavors. I seem to get the most amazing colour on silk. Rich chocolate browns But the wool is just the many shades of beige! Each of these samples , both silk and wool were dyed together. I added some copper pipe as mordant but I'm going to have to up the mordant stakes I think to get much of a response on wool.




Some lovely leaf prints from a prunus are encouraging.

Felted glam bag

A little bag for a night out on the town.

New felted neckie

So here's a new thing. I thought each one could have a little different felt object off it. I quite like the stitching here and there as a contrast. Born of necessity at first but interesting in the end.

Felt Balls

I do like the look of a new batch of felt balls all bunched up together, waiting for new homes.

I love colour.

This nuno felted wrap is a real celebration of colour. I worked from a drawing for this wrap. Unusual for me I normally just let the wrap tell me where to go as I lay out the colour. It still did not end up as the drawing but instead found it's own life. My trusty model was on hand to display. He's such a good boy.

Eucalypt dyeing

I was walking down the street and noticed the new concrete was all stained from the gum tree above. Remembering India Flint had said this was a likely sign that this was a good leaf for colour I picked up some leaves, went home and soaked them. Once soaked I boiled them up with some silk and got the most amazing black/charcoal dye.


Next I put the same leaves, the ones I had just put through the dye bath, in some paj silk and wraped the bundle.


I steamed said bundle for a few hours and then agonizingly waited till the next morning. I unwrapped like it was a christmas present and voila!



Then I got all excited and started to wonder what other colours I could find around my place. I got these wonderful oranges from the lichens growing on the tree out the front.

A new wrap

First choose your silk and dye it with sumptuous colours



Lay out your chosen fleece on top



Add your decorations and begin to felt.



Once finished stretch and dry

Another Goldsworthy

This is a light fitting I made inspired by, you guessed it, Andy Goldsworthy. I can't seem to stop hanging things of it. It's so handy.

Australia's Tragedy

As you may know Australia has been hit by the most terrible fires recently with great loss of life and property. The suffering of these communities will continue for years to come. If you would like to help here is a link to the Red Cross.

http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm

Same but different

So this is the latest bag made from the same pattern as the last one. The spiral ended up on the other side. It was easier to do this time though it is time consuming. The silk seems to really embed itself. I may be doing to much rubbing to start with I don't know. I'd like to see more of the lustre of the fabric. Started back to the teaching a couple of weeks ago so it has kept me busy and away from the studio. Need to get back into my rhythm.

Thrill seeker

I sometimes wonder what my 8 year old son will choose for thrills as a teenager. This is what he wanted to do this weekend. He wanted to go off higher but I said NO!

Spirals

Someone said I was using alot of spirals lately. For those who know me you will know that the spiral and I have been connected for a long time. The teapot was from my potting days over 8 years ago. The windows are from my new studio. The dry stone wall is my latest endeavor It will also be a spiral in shape as the flat part on top will be paved with the spiral continuing into the paving, never having done drystone walling before it is all a bit hit and miss but should look good in the end. I can't show you the extensions on my house but that is all based on a spiral too. The spiral, you could say, is an integral part of my life.