more cloth and dye

The cloth is growing slowly,partially because it,s almost too hot to stitch and partially because i'm still looking for a charity shop to plunder for used fabrics-seem to be in short supply in Sydney.In the meantime,i'm dyeing using the tried and tested India Flint method of bundling,see above.The samples were both created using local leaves and rust liquid from rusty nails found in my future son in laws ancestral garage.The purple came from a bush in the park which no one can identify which isn't very useful and i intend to add felt to the fabric when the heat calms down a bit.Then the whole can be added to my cloth when i return.Off to celebrate the end of the first decade now! 

sketchbook pages and the start of a new cloth.

This is the Botanic gardens page from my Sydney journal,which is,surprisingly,now full.I made the book before leaving France and have had to make another from the carrier bags I have collected so far in my shopping trips.

I have already started to fill the pages and the unexpected pockets which can be semi-secret-really appeals to me!

This is the back-old French cloth and running stitch.

This is the front,with two pieces of the wedding dress stitched in and ready to dye much later.Hopefully the whole thing will tell a story which we can read much later and enjoy.More pieces have already been added,more after Christmas.

the summer solstice

What can I say? The longest day is approaching,I am stitching a little on my white cloth whilst making a wedding dress.Missing the deepest snow for a century but loving the heat here,though not sure city life is for me-much prefer this beach life.Sketching every day and already filled one handmade book-no responsibilities and lots of time to read my new Kindle.Some work images later. 

R &R on the big red island(quote iIndia Flint )

May be boring for those who live with palms on a day to day basis,but very inspiring for us cold climate  dwellers.This one in the Botanic Gardens,Sydney.

This one is asking to be a piece of felt, but I couldn't bring fibre through quarantine at the airport,so it has to wait till i go on a trip to Annangrove ,to a farm where i can indulge myself with home grown Merino,at half the UK price-very excited about that.Also looking forward to checking out the local flora for dyeing

old chemise

This is an old chemise I bought at a flea market in France last year and it has been sitting waiting to be stitched for a while now It has so much history on it,I'm almost afraid to put needle  and thread to cloth for fear of interrupting the garment's peace.Once,it belonged to A..B then A.S.Did she get married I wonder?

Sorry about the bad photos,the light is poor today.

The butterfly effect

the butterfly effect is a project which aims to create a butterfly for every child who died in the Holocaust.I've just made one in felt-not quite finished but will put a picture up tomorrow hopefully.Follow this link to find out more

.http://twodressesstudio.blogspot.com/2010/08/butterfly-effect-open-is-calling-you.html

Long link, but worth a look.

printing at Llantrisant

Had another lovely weekend teaching at Llantrisant with a felt group, who all worked really hard and did a wide variety of printing with Thermofax screens,using natural dye extracts.It's always a joy to see other people using the same basic methods,yet coming up with such different results.

Loved these little chickens.

I love this but I can't turn it round the right way-sorry!

This lovely sample is Mandy's,who organised the weekend in the lovely Model  House craft centre,where the facilities were excellent.I'm sure she will do wonderful things with all her printing when time allows.

Pat's trees with woad and rust worked well and will go on to be developed into a final piece for her exhibition later in the year. 

I love the 'drawn' feel of Claire's images on muslin.All together a very happy weekend and thank you Pat for the hospitality.