African Trees

Above is the first African Tree still on the loom. I scuttled to finish it because I wanted to ask Dorothy's advice about it while she is her and also discuss how to mount it. So when we had discussed it, I added some branches.

And this is it finished but not mounted. The colours are not accurate - taken in the dining room late at night and the light there is an odd colour. I have two more to do and have prepared the tracings. But today is to be devoted to printing/stencilling as I want to complete some silk fabric to bind a book for the Society of Bookbinding. Dorothy has brought all her stencills and stamps with her and we spent some time yesterday sorting out what might be useful. I do not have enough material to make mistakes with! Only enough to make two covers. So I made a mask the size of the complete cover, photographed it, cropped the photo and printed several copies to play with. Now all I have to do is clean up the studio before we start. Dorothy has things to do as well so it will be a fun day.

I put 11 metres of sage green 90/2 silk on the Megado months ago and have got out of it
- samples of donsu for the Fine Threads Group - about 40
- a couple of metres of copper/green fabric to make a waistcoat
- samples of donsu (different from the first lot) to send to the Japanese Textile Study Group
- a length using turned four colour doubleweave with a 30/2 silk weft to be used for the book cover
- yards and yards in silk noil weft for Convergence using the same draft
- another couple of yards for I know not what

Not at all bad for a 32 shaft straight draw.

Yesterday we both went to Dudley to an MTF meeting. Dorothy took some of her quilts and ended up in another room chatting to an avid quilter. On the way home we diverted to Wolverhampton (five minutes from Dudley) and I drove a new car home. So now a silver Mondeo is sitting on the forecourt - 27 days after swamping the Saab.

The other piece of news is that my entry for yardage at Convergence has been accepted. I was suprised. I thought it was not in-your-face enough. Cally Booker has also had hers accepted. So great rejoicing in the family.