Update

Oh dear what a bad blogger I have been!  Well at least I now have something to show you.  My sewing space is finally finished.  I have had a sewing table made for my sewing machine and embellisher.

The piece de resistance, however, is my mobile worktable.  I can store it away in my sewing room when we have visitors and the downstairs space is in use.  Or I can wheel it out and rotary cut or do whatever.  It is the same height as my kitchen bench and on big castors - it is easy to move about.  I have 24 spaces for baskets of 'stuff' - fabric, tools, you know - stuff.

I am in heaven!  Now that  I have my space sorted, I can concentrate on making things.  As the weather is warming up, I dedcided to get out the dye stuff again.  I tried breakdown printing earlier in the year, and was somewhat underwhelmed.  I decided to give it another go.  I think I had the thickened dye not thick enough.  I am much happier with this blue piece.  It needs more to turn it into something, but is a good start - I do like the organic look.

Here it is on the design wall (at last, I have a design wall again - I didn't realise how much I missed having one until I had it back again!).  There are some other pieces of fabric that I have dyed/painted over the past few days, being auditioned with some commercially produced stuff.

Well that is a start to my resuming blogging.  I have lots of other stuff to show, and a story to tell about restocking my dye supplies.  But right now, I am hungry, so am going to take a lunch break. 

Playday update

So, I got out my stuff and started playing - first up, the gelatine plate. The instructions said, use a disposable foil pan, but I didn't have one the right size, so I used a glass dish.  Only trouble is, getting the damn thing out!  I ended up with a crack, but that is okay, as Rayna says they always crack eventually anyway, and it just adds more texture, so if it is okay with Rayna, its okay with me.

I printed with some gum leaves - and, oh look, just like Rayna, I got some stray threads in there - its okay, it just adds to the texture!

The gelatine plate does feel lovely and squiggy under your hands - I put it in the fridge so will haul it out again and play some more today. 

Play" was  definitely the theme of the day - I haven't had access to my stuff for  so long that I forgot what I had.  These foam letters were from a kids craft store - cheap as chips, and fun - I think I got them with a

view to craft projects with the grandchildren in the future, but decided to give them a go myself.

I also had a play with some lovely Indian wood blocks I got a while back from the equally lovely Fiona Wright. 

I am lucky to have a great space for playing with messy stuff like paints and dyes.  As a late amendment to the house plans, we decided to add a laundry tub to the garage, which is quite spacious.  I also kept my old, upright clunker of a washing machine for rinsing out dyed fabrics.  I have a flash new front loader in my laundry, but I knew I didn't want to be dyeing anywhere inside the house as it is inherently messy and no matter how careful I am, I get splodges and splashes - and anyway, being careful all the time is at odds with the notion of just 'playing'.  So, I can splodge away to my heart's content out here.

I

I wasted a lot of time yesterday looking for my black textile ink, which I knew I had some of - right at the end of the day, I found not one, but two tubs of it, so I can get back to playing today with some of the things I didn't get to yesterday.  All I need now is someone to play with!!

Which reminds me - Gay, when I switched email addresses, not all my address book copied over, so I don't have your address, nor can I access your old emails anymore,so pls email me!

And finally, some more photos from around town taken on my bike ride yesterday.

The inner workings of said bridge - it does in fact open, although very infrequently.