Completing a Few Projects

Surprise,surprise, I have just realised I have completed three projects recently. Two are bookbinding, one weaving. The weaving is interesting because it ended up different from my expectations. This is the first piece woven on the Schacht. It is a good bit of weaving even if I say it. This is because of the Schacht. I cannot make a single shaft error which is all too easy with a table loom and the Louet Kombo was never very sturdy. Anyway, having decided on the weft as a brown Shetland and merino, I wove 2.5 meters. I have left enough warp to tie on a new one (see below). No errors to correct!! just a few ends to cut off or sew in. But then I decided to wash it in the washing machine. Now normally I wash by hand but my sister thought I should try the machine. It shrunk 20% in both width and length but the fabric is very nice for a jacket - I doubt if it will fray!

This is me trying to make a more interesting photo than usual for a finished length of fabric.
I have decided to try this again with a single colour warp. I have found 600 gms of lilac yarn, cashmere and cotton, which is the right grist. This was clearly dyed by me as my records say it was white when bought. I will use the same weft as I have 650 gms of that left. And I should get 4.5 meters out of it which will make a jacket. I have a bare two meters of the finished length and it is now rather narrow at 22 inches but I could cut pockets and collar from the current length if there is a shortage on this second one. The next length will be washed by hand!!

The other two projects completed are books.
The first is to be entered in the bookbinders show in August. It is a set book about North Norfolk coastal villages. Cover designed and made by me.

The second one is me practising making a miniature book though mine is technically not a miniature. That has to be less than three inches and mine is a smidgeon over as you can see from the ruler..

Jerry progresses in vigour if not in manners. He has a shoe fetish and has stolen a visitor's shoes and taken them into the garden. He also nearly managed to 'escape' out the front door but was deftly caught by a delivery man.

Living with Jerry

This is not going to be a paean of praise or a collection of 'interesting things he has done' but a dissertation on how different reality is. I had expected that things like weaving and bookbinding would take a back seat for a few months but not so. I have accomplished far more than I would usually do. And I have worked out why . I save up jobs that have to be finished once started for when he is asleep. He does quite a bit of that so when he drops off,I start work, making phone calls, doing difficult bits of bookbinding, and so on. Weaving is easy and can be done when he is awake. Apart from occasion episode with the Schacht treadles. An object weighing 4kgs on the end of a treadle is enough to depress it, which is not helpful.

By careful planning, Dorothy and I am managing to continue doing things. Yesterday she spent the day at a quilting course, today I go printmaking so life has not changed that much. And in another two weeks, he will go with Tom to the dog sitter when we want to go to Wisley or a London exhibition. 

Getting better at macro photography

Six weeks ago, I bought a macro lens because the camera on macro setting was useless. I produced some good stuff but failed at true close ups. So when I saw WEX Video was offering a half day course I jumped at it. Mind you WEX is in White Chapel (Very East London) and the course started at 0930. It did mean leaving the house at 0630 and getting back at 1545. But it was a good course and I came home and practised on the auriculas.

Apart from some very informative teaching, we got to try out on stick insects, geekos and a very small frog.

A Little Progress

I have finished binding a Victorian printing of a text on fossils. The pages were so old, they were brown and brittle. I decided to trim the book down as far as I could and it ended up okay as I have cut away all the brown and brittle bits. And I created a cover based on one of the plates of fossils plus a bit of Photoshopping printed on canvas.

Next I am going to start on miniature books. I have always liked them , well since I saw an exhibition in the Scottish NationalLibrary. So I am doing one from scratch, folding and splitting the paper and sewing up the spine. It will form part of the MAKING exhibition of photos. I have nearly reached the end for my year studying photograph and the last assignment is to organise an exhibition, albeit a virtual one. But I have organised a real one to be held at the National Needlework Archive. The exhibition is about people making things, so furniture, felt bowls, quilts and so on for ten makers. I will be the bookbinder but the rest have been very kind and said yes when asked. It has been a steep learning curve, because each is an A1 poster and the format must be identical through out. So just to show here is one of lacemaking by Kath Harris.

The Garden

The new incumbent takes up a lot of time but I have been getting through a bit of gardening. And taking photos.

Peonies eight inches across. A bit opulent, not to say vulgar.

And these auriculas are quite refined.

The New Kid on the Block

Allow me to introduce Jerry (short for Jeremiah) who is a pedigree Boston Terrier and is 13 weeks old and is going to/has already disrupted the household. Highly intelligent (of course). He had never met grass before and was very cautious but tested it out and found the garden to his liking. And more surprising, he had never met stairs before and was very cautious about the garden steps, and just avoided them - for an hour or two. Then clambered up, jumped down, decided this could be fun and jumped up and down several times in succession. But I must admit he is missing his mum and brothers and cried himself to sleep. As he is doing it in my bedroom, I hope he doesn't do it all night.

I am worried about we are going to manage for the next few months. He cannot be left for long if at all when he is so little.

Yes I agree, I am crackers.