Spring! Yes its here!!!!

We are having a great Easter holiday.  DS and I have been away for a few days (more later) and today we have been enjoying being at home with beautiful weather

DH was dressed for scruffy jobs and burning the last of the winters dead branches (at last the pile has gone!)

Boys playing as boys do

And flowers for Frieda her exhibition is now ON! 
Can’t wait to go and see it.

Her tulips and cherry blossom aren’t out yet so I am sending some more of mine up and left a bit into Scotland.

Another tulip photo here

Even the humblest flowers are beautiful

I even wore some in my hair.

Shoes

Seen on

http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/2011/04/for-good-meausre.html

Can you imagine the pain of wearing these!

 

Flowers are finally starting to bloom in the garden….

Hoping the cherry blossom will be out in full bloom for my birthday (two weeks away - and I am determined to celebrate, unlike DH who sulked in March!)

The Cult of Beauty

I’ll be there at the V&A soon.
My perfect exhibition?  I think so, all the painters, patterns and colours I love.

Thought for the day…

…never buy a cheap vacuum cleaner (and never give away the spare)

The studio spring clean is on hold whilst I dust myself down!

Yes, more dust out than in, gave the spare to the charity shop last week. You’ve got to laugh (and sneeze)!

Goddesses in Durham

Great group to teach, great Goddesses produced, all with their own personalities.

Back to tradition

 

Sometimes I love to head back to traditional embroidery.

I have a soft spot for bullion knot roses and lazy daisy daises.
Possibly influenced by spring returning here. 

My Vintage Goddess.

And there is the Liberty Goddess finished, remember I spent 100hours + beading her?  I have never cut out anything so carefully in my life!

One untidy studio.  Its chaos in there.

Farm pictures

Here is the alternative Blip photo.  It was hard to choose.

Here’s the one I chose.

And some sheep – of course.  Not much happening with the lambs today.

Goddess workshop

Just a note to let you all know that I am teaching a workshop on Goddesses – either the 3D version or the A4 hangings (possibly both in the same class as they have a lot in common)

.

The workshop is being hosted by the Region 15E Quilters Guild.

12th November 2011, Stannington, Northumberland.

If you are interested please email Liz at

lvillalobs@btinternet.com

I am also giving a talk on Goddesses on the 15th October, also for the QG and also at Stannington.  

Visitors are always welcome.

Berwick upon Tweed

Is a fascinating town with a wonderful (if rather violent) history.

I have always wanted to walk the town walls (only one of two or three surviving complete medieval town walls in Europe).  Today I was early for the hairdressers and took the opportunity to talk a quick stroll on a small section.

Georgian town houses front directly onto the walls, though sadly, most have their shutters closed and are empty.

I saw this building (below) and wondered what it had been used for – must investigate.

The Old Custom House, sadly all shut and closed.

View along the walls

 

And again in B&W

And then with a texture file to add some….erm…. texture!
This is also my Blip of the day.

The view across the River Tweed

From the car park – look at the roof tops, its not a distortion created by the camera.

I must get to know Berwick better – today I’ve seen a glimpse of a hidden side of what can be, in some places, quite a “run down” town.  Today I saw some beautiful Georgian buildings and must learn more of the history of the place.

Where did March go?

With the days now firmly counting down to the exhibition I keep asking myself that question. 
Have been disappointed today to find that although I have sent off details of the exhibition dates they have not been printed in either a group or national magazine that I had hoped would publish these details.  Letting people know about the exhibition is perhaps one of the hardest things to achieve.

So with March over here are the Photos (almost) A Day from the month. 

I really must try to get a photo every day.  I am pulled between wanting good photos and getting a photograph every single day.

Not always easy when your head is down in the studio or you are rushing to football practise or cooking dinner and outside is foggy, grey and miserable.

Though April is now here and the sun is shinning and there is even the hint of warmth in that sun.

My spirits soar.

Photos can be seen at http://ne71-2011.blogspot.com/ or http://www.blipfoto.com/NE71

Gardening

That sums up yesterday.  Garden clearing, mowing lawn……

I quote from my Blip Journal;
_______________

Spent the day in the garden clearing up, but it was too cold to be out there! Surely one should not have to wear a fleece and gilet to work in a spring garden?

I'm reading my book from Barter Books ("Northumberland in the C16th" a 1921 reprint of a 1897 original) and I quote
"....described as "very cold, hard, and barren for the winter (1569)"
Nothing much changed since 1569 then.
_______________

Actually nothing much changed for the spring either yet…
….where’s my vest?

Logwood

I haven’t had chance to iron and photo the logwood samples yet but here are some more photos and some info.

I dyed in two ways

1. In a large cookpot on the stove
2. In rusty roasting trays in the simmering oven.

I buy Logwood extract (an powder) from George Weil who say
”It comes from the Logwood Tree (Haematoxylum campechianum) from Central America and was much sought after in the 17th century.  Achieve shades of purple-grey/black with this powdered logwood“. 
Well I haven't ever got black, but purples certainly!

More info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haematoxylum_campechianum

First of all I make sure all the fabric is “prepared for dyeing”, either washed at home or purchased from Whaleys.

I soak the fabric in Alum (a mordant to make the colour “stick”) before dyeing.  In the large cookpot I dissolve about 4 tablespoons.  Don’t ask me how large the pot it.  Large. 

(Important note here – when I dye with Procion I measure everything, when I use natural dyes I like to play and just let it happen). 

So the fabric soaks in alum water for about 30 mins.  I have made sure the alum is completely dissolved and the water about boiling level then I switch off the gas.

Results from the pot below;

I drain the fabric from the alum water but don’t rinse it or let it dry. I make up the logwood dye in the cookpot I bring it to the boil and then turn it off.

Then I put the some fabric into the roasting tins – mainly the smaller pieces and I do think about how they are crumpled and laid out.  Then I pour the dissolved logwood over, cover with kitchen foil and bake in the oven (60 degrees C) for a few hours.  Switch off the oven and leave overnight.

(Note – the roasting tins are old and rusty.  I’ve had these two out all winter in all weathers.  The rust is important to deepen the colour).

Some fabric goes back into the cook pot plus the dye and is covered and boiled for about 30 mins then the heat turned off and left to cool. 

This is how one roasting tin looked – can you see the “gold”?  Never seen this before.  It washed off but I wonder what caused it.

After washing at 30 degrees (this is for wall pieces so I’m not bothered about removing every single dye molecule) I tumble dry and now have a pile to iron……watch this space.

Safety note – all utensils, pots and such only used for dyeing, wear a mask…. wash hands…. etc etc etc….