Acid Dyeing

I taught acid dyeing on Sunday. Had real trouble getting everything into my little Bmax. I have a master list called Tutor Takes but that was for a Saab estate or a Mondeo ditto. And the Bmax is not like them! So shortcuts were taken. No extra kettle for example. Everyone had a good time and lots of dyeing was done. Even I produced something useful.

Hanging skeins out to dry - on anything handy.

A dyed skein for me

The lampas has been finished and washed etc as well. I have managed to clean the studio and the bookbinders room. It is too hot to work upstairs after lunch and so I have been tidying up downstairs as well. No point in trying to garden between 1000 and 1800 hours! Well that is my excuse anyway. We tried a new pub which is by the canal. Out in the garden, lovely food and a shandy based on 6X! And some good photos of the meadow flowers by the canal.

I think this is an orchid.

Lino cuts and paper

A lot has happened in the last week. Apart from sordid activities like weaving and tidying up, I went lino cutting and returned home with armfuls of prints.

A small selection. The next day we went to Art in Action and I bought a linocut, a cardigan and a whole lot of cards. Also some Turkish marbled paper.

I bought four sheets at a fraction of the cost in this country.
Art in Action was great. we saw all sorts of demos including one on glass blowing,
And today I ran the every-two-years class on acid dyeing. Everyone produced a lot of dyed yarn etc, which we hung up outside to dry.

I produced two skeins myself (Well you might as well do something for yourself)

BicesterVillage

On Saturday I went to the Flower Show at Hampton Court by train. Four separate trains! and changing at places like Weybridgee, Virginia Water and Surbiton!! The treat was that on the way back we took a ferry down the Thames from Hampton Court to the station. Shades of Hanry VIII.
It was very hot but the flowers were lovely.

On Sunday I went to Bicester Village with my daughters, Ruth and Anne, where a good time was had by all although the credit cards probably did not feel well at the end. Bicester Village is an outlet place but the shops are high class, Prada, Dolce and Gambana. I bought a jacket in Versace!!!!! Not that I need a jacket but I had to take it home.

Ruth and Anne seem to be into shoes.

Ruth thinking about it.

Winkle pickers are back. I got married in a pair of these only they had 3 inch stiletto heels. I still have them after 55 years. They were white satin.

Anne bought these as well.

At the end going home. It looks as though Ruth has not bought much but it was a coat from Burberry and Anne was carrying  some parcels for Ruth.

Lampas again

The usual busy week but I have managed to meet all the deadlines - and weave some 12 shaft lampas.

The warp is 12/2 cotton and the weft (pinkish) is an odd skein of thick silk dyed by me. A very pleasing piece of dyeing and it goes well in the lampas. I am not sure what this length will be as I am not at all sure how much warp I have on this loom.

Last week we (Dorothy and I) made up the acid dyes (25 different colours) for the class next Sunday. Since then I have been checking out the 'Tutor brings' list and collecting tools from everywhere. This culminated this afternoon in taking three steamers to be PAT tested which is needed when you use some one else's premises. Everything is hunky-dory but I think I may have a problem getting it all into the car! And I need to wind a couple warp to demonstrate with.

This weekend will be exciting. Saturday I am off to The Royal Horticultural Society's big Show at Hampton Court Palace (Yes Henry's place) and on Sunday I meet up with the female side of the family in Bicester Village which is an outlet venue for the posh shops. I actually bought a fleece from Christian Dior there not to mention a dressing gown from Missoni! These days the place is dominated by Chinese tourists.

Miffedness Rules.

I have been running around a lot lately. Thursday was lino cut day and I printed more colour versions. Friday I spent at the Society of Bookbinders at their Seminars. You get 4 per day each lasting 1.5 hours and you get a full demo complete with blown up pictures from a video camera. They were all useful to me, especially the one about making boxes. I have a new (to me) copy of Alice in Wonderland which is so beautiful it needs a box to live in. I also bought a leather skin (red) and a book to bind.

Saturday was Guild day. Enough said. I came home with a long list of things to be done. Sunday I read a thriller most of the day - having had enough. Monday I did lots of things. Tuesday I drove to Malvern and back. I went round to my old house and identified plants for the new owners. Then talked to a friend for several hours, then attended a Committee meeting and came home a little miffed.

It took me till this morning to work out why. Basically I have done nothing on textiles for a long time. So I decided that I would do an hour of weaving every morning first thing in the morning and I did. Since then it has been the usual round of answering emails  and sorting out paperwork. Why is this so much worse than in Malvern? I could spend 4 to 6 hours in weaving and all the paperwork  was up to date. So what is different in Reading? Answers on a postcard please.

Jade

It should have been Jade. Anyone who is British and into textiles will know what am I referring to. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN JADE

Still at Leamington Spa

One of my printed Lino cuts. There are all sorts of colour variations.

Walking by the Grand Union canal.

By the canal. American Pillar rose.