It is odd, the way that things come together in our lives, is it not?
Last Monday evening I was woebegone at the thought pf patchwork quilting. Today I am enthused and excited. Not only that but I am able to state that this blog is diversifying at this point and will be adding fabric to fibre.
What happened? See this post at Fairhand, regarding Shibori and Indigo Dyeing and the PS3 Water ATC Swap.
Since I wrote that post I have been busy thinking; developing my ideas and doing some shopping. My ideas are still vague – for I have no idea what I am capable of until I try this out. At this stage I can say that I am working up ideas to create blue and white patterned cotton fabrics for cutting up to piece a small quilt with. I have 3 metres of white cotton fabric coming – plus a beginner’s indigo dyeing kit from Fibrecrafts. That’s for the Shibori. I think I’d like to do an organic piece, a wall hanging or cushion cover size. I hope to quilt random shapes as directed by the print pattern that I achieve.
But while I was at Fibrecrafts I recalled something else I have been wanting to try – cyanotype printing. Again, I bought the beginner’s kit. I envision fabric cyanotypes using found treasures from the beach – feathers, seaweed, shells etc.
Perhaps I could piece alternate squares of each type of fabric. My original idea was to flat dye some of the cotton to alternate the Shibori with. I guess a lot depends on how successful I feel that I have been with these techniques…
…and/or others 🙂
Others? Well, I was so close to getting free delivery that I kept on spending (I had a little windfall recently) and I finally bought some marbling materials. I have long wanted to marble paper for my various papercraft activities – but I can of course marble on fabric too. I made sure that I got several tones of blue ink (I just got the cheapest ones to experiment with), and also added a metallic pewter grey shade (rather pricier, so only one shade of that range) which I have an idea might be useful leavening.
Then I succumbed to the Silk Papermaking beginner’s kit as well (but it seems that I forgot to order the Natural Dyeing kit.)
That should keep me gainfully occupied all winter!
Also on the shopping front last night (led astray by SpinningGill) I committed to the quilting idea and bought a rotary cutter, some quilting needles, and Imperial graph paper. The Craft Club is funding most of that as group supplies. The rotary cutter is mine. Gill got one too, and we ordered a third as club supplies. I need an A2 or larger cutting mat as well, I think.
Now I need a way of marrying these new pursuits to the old ones and creating something involving fibre/yarn/fabric/dyeing/printing. Assuming I ever get the hang of a needle, that is!
On the knitting front – nothing happening. Mr L came home and we reacquainted ourselves, caught up on our sleep, then spent much of yesterday and today making paper logs for our winter fires. The Sanday Spinners don’t seem to be having a stall at the Farmers’ Market tomorrow and I don’t feel ready to mount my own stall so I think I shall not be selling tomorrow (I’d likely make a loss.) I’ll probably keep building up stock for the Xmas Fair. I’m feeling tired and nerve-jangled and not at all like sitting behind a table being bright and friendly… and away from my husband again.
Right! Coffee now (well-earned after making another half dozen fire bricks) then some Amazon shopping (I need technique books) and a quick tidy of the utility room in readiness for marbling and dyeing activities. Making these paper log brick things has fired me up to finally get around to paper-making. I need to protect my bags of shredded paper that I have been hoarding – prevent ‘im indoors from hijacking it for the paper log maker! I’m going to start with shredded waste paper but I hope to move up to seaweed and rhubarb skins and other fibres once I have the basic technique under my belt – then he can have all the waste paper that he wants for the fire 😉