Radio active and all

 The latest in the ongoing saga of my health is summarised by an email from my grandson (father of Libby, my new Great grand daughter). `If there was a good reason to miss a visit - being radioactvve is it!` This is because I spent all yesterday at an Oxford hospital , having a brain scan. After being injected with radioactive stuff. I had to wait 3 hours before the stuff was in the right places for the scan. Nothing like as nasty as an MRI scan. It lasted 45 minutes. So now I am back home and I am going to stay in (it is raining hard) and do some lino cuts. 

But first. I have finished the Echo and Iris course, woven everything off and cleaned up the Schacht. The last bit I wove was a weft of darkblue/grey spacedyed 8/2 tencel. Just to see. Actually I rather like it and if I had tried this at the beginning, I would have done the length of fabric in that. Because I only warped up with a single width of pattern, I wove two lengths with fringes which I am going to sew together to make a runner.

Top Dark blue space dyed weft. Bottom length of fabric.

In tthe meantime, I attended Laura Thomas`s online class for the Complex Weavers. Making mood boards is not my comfort zone but I did it, and did the exercises on colour. Hmph! But, but, I had a great time with yarn wraps. Now the only time I do yarn wraps up to now has been to exstimate the sett, not for colour but I learnt a lot about what works and what does not. Next class is next Saturday. 

And I have finished the calendar artwork and got it to the printer.

And now I am off to work on lino cuts, tidy up the room first and then make a list of jobs to be done.

 

Success!!

I have spent the last week fighting the Schacht about the Echo and Iris course I signed up for. I rechecked the threading and the colour layout, (four colours in succession and repeated ad nauseam) . Still no joy. I wove a single pattern absolute *****. So there I was scratching my head and wondering if I should just abandon the whole project and then I spotted the error!!! My error. I was so taken up with following Daryl Lancaster`s instructions baout front to back warping up that I omitted to put the warp over the back beam. If you think about it, you will see that the tension will go to pot. Well since you can lift the Schacht`s back beam out easily, it was a matter of minutes to correct and get the tension correct. And after that it went very sweetly. My only excuse is that I last set up a warp last November and anyway got confused by this front to back business. One thing I did learn was that that method gives a good warp.

So after al that, I wove four samples, each of one  pattern in four different colours, See the photo below

The weft colours are from top left, clockwise, dark green, dark brown, beige, dark red. I like the dark red best and will leave a length just to show!!

I have spent a lot of time on next year`s calendar. Still more to do and I am not totally convinced by two of the photos. Must get on with though.

Warping up

I decided some weeks ago to warp up the next warp (the one for Marian Stubenitski`s course) front to back because 1) I have put the last two warps on badly 2) The threading is four different colours in the same order across the whole warp. I have never been taught the way of warping up and when I came across an e-book by Daryl Lancaster on this topic, I bought it. It is complex and I have got to the stage of the warp strapped firmly to the breast beam and it is going to be a good thing.

I have not done much on it over the last few days because the printing class has started up. Much taking of temperature, wearing of face masks etc. But I had a great time. I had cut some new blocks earlier and tried them out in the garage but I am using water based inks and Oil based inks give a better result in my opinion. My tutor agrees. So happy days. The ones printed last week are still drying but I will get them home next Friday. 

We had a visitor on Wednesday. Lollipop a Yorkshire Terrier puppy. Minute compared with our two but she and Jerry, our rather larger terrier, got on very well and stormed round the house running races and playing tug. I do not know about Lollipop afterwards but Jerry slept the rest of the day!

Back to Tomatoes

Did I say we have a glut of tomatoes? I am off now  to finish making soup  for the freezer. 

The spaced dyed fabric is off the loom and the small errors corrected. I will wash it now and put it on the dryng roller. After which I will prune the apple cordons. I did the pears yesterday and they look the better for it. Lots of domesticity about. Not least preparing for a course on Echo/Iris weaving by Marian Stubenitsky. I have bought 8/2 cotton from Halls and will be using four colours. Not sue about these, certainly not my taste but that is what we were instructed. the course by the way is with Online Guild.

LONDON DAY 4

Our last day. First took suitcases to Paddington Station and put them in the left luggage, Tube back to South Kensington. We had quite a bit of time spare before we were due at the V and A. So stopped at the first coffee stop we passed. And did we strike it lucky! It was a French bakery and their idea of patissery was French, superb eclairs and strawberry tarts. AsDorothy said, just as well we do not live in South Ken, we would be round there every morning. And it was definitely not standard prices.We eventually got into the museum and started in the Indian section. Dorothy is doing a work of embroidery based on a map of Delhi is is after material. Then into the Kimono exhibition. Well worth the whole trip. A lot of it shows Japanese originals from 16 to 18th centuries. Yuzen and shibori much in evidence. The shibori ones were spectacular but I suspect only if you know how shibori is done. There were a few obis and other bits and piece. Then there was a good section on kimonos as imported to Europe by Dutch traders. And also as the Dutch had made in India for Europe. The Indian ones used Indian chintzes. The last sections were modern and not to my taste at all. I bought the exhibition some months ago, worried that I would never get there. I intend to reread it this weekend to remind myself of all the goodies there. I recommend a visit to anyone interested in textiles though the way things are going, we will into lockdown again soon. We have a tour of English cathedrals booked for November and have had an email from thr organisers to say they are investigating whether the tour is allowed to go ahead.Coming home was just that. Dogs were delighted to see us. Garden is looking fine. Loads of tomatoes. I shall have to make soup.I will add photos later today. 

LONDON Day 3

 Today was even more peculiar. We had afternoon tea at the Ritz. Before you think I am getting ideas above my station, this was the result of a Christmas present to us both from Anne. Anyway very grand and with much amounts of food, all very nice. Sandwiches, scone with jam and cream, small cakes, large cakes and 18 sorts of tea to choose from! 

After that we staggered round to Tate Britain and toured the British art. Dorothy isgoigthrough a Turner phase and so we spend time there. After that it was going back to the hotel. We did sit in the Embankment Gardens and discuss looms. I have more or less decided to sell the Leclerc 12 shaft. And we discussed whether this was a good idea or not. Problem is I prefer to weave on a floor loom. And the Leclerc has just sat empty for sometime, at least a year. I still have the little Meyer 12 shaft to take to courses and Guild meetings.

I do have some good photos but will not be able to use them till tomorrow evening. We go to the V and A for the Kimono exhibition tomorrow, then Go home. And this was never published!

London Day 2

Exhausting but interesting day. Set off for the Zoo at nine. By way of Charing Cross and Mornington Cescent and a walk across Regents Park, we got there in plenty of time. A bit disappointing. I think they have sent a lot of animals to Whipsnade. Highlights were the butterfly house, the penguins, giraffes and zebras. A lot of walking was done along with lots of photography. I would attach a few photos but I forgot to bring thr camera to iPad adaptor. Then returned to Central London, at least Tate Modern. We had bought tickets for Andy Warhol whom I do not like. Most of the exhibits I had seen before. Nothing I saw this time made me change my mind. Oh well.

Then we retired to the Tate’s bookshop which is one of the best for Art books I know. Spent too much money. Again oh well. I have not spent much money this year. 

Sandwiched between lunch and the Tate, was a visit to Bankside Gallery. I have not been there for years and it was just  as good as ever. Michael and I used to be members and went there a few times a year. I must visit again. I should say it is mostly a print gallery.

After resting in the hotel we had another Indian meal. Good and a fraction of the cost of last night!