Category — Dyeing

There, it’s out. I was great at blogging regularly … a long time ago. Remember Tribe? Apparently, it still exists, but like many regulars back in the day, we got tired of getting jerked around and hightailed it out of there to find more functional pastures.

Then Facebook happened. Need I say more? Everybody’s on Facebook; your grandmother’s on FB, I bet. I spend a lot of time in solitary working at my craft, but a world of like-minded company is at my fingertips there whenever I need just a little reminder that the world hasn’t stopped. Facebook has been wonderful for me to connect with others from far and wide with similar creative afflictions. The quick and dirty status update is just the right kind of micro-blogging for me. At a quick glance, I can see what everybody in my new tribe has been up to. Neat. I didn’t know there were some many of you!

So what the heck have I been up to? Well, it’s the busy belly dance season, don’t you know. I think most of you know that I also have a day job. I wish I had a clone, but … I don’t. I think we all wish we had one, so I don’t feel special. It just is. I could cut down on sleep, but … no; that’s not for me.

I have been distracting myself once in a while. Distraction more often than not still involves more dye, but the end result doesn’t have to be a veil.

It may involve trying to find the perfect black gutta. Gutta that will wash out easily — I can’t stand the look or feel of gutta that’s been left onto silk –, yet leave a neat black dyed line after it’s set and washed. A quick dooddle on a scrap of silk might look like this :

I know what you’re thinking. Eeeww; what the heck is that?! It’s my first attempt at black gutta, so please forgive my lack of elegant technique. It’s not so bad when you throw in a little colour.

Yes, I know it’s bleeding through in a few places. Disastrous if it’s a good piece, but not so much if the intent was purely experimental. I managed to cover most of it up with the next colours, and the border (no pictures of that, sorry) is black which hides an infinity of sins.

Pretty cool, if somewhat demented. I think I like it!

Anybody remember the veil from one post down, Am I Blue ? I’ve been hacking it up to pieces, all with the intention of preserving it. The back story on that is that there are parts of this veil that deserve to be presented as art. A piece of fabric can be magnificent, but chances are its reception in the art world wouldn’t be a success. You need to frame it — not just physically — but also put it into the standard gallery context. That means mounting it somehow.

My first attempt : gallery canvas pre-made frame, padded with cotton batting, silk wrapped around the lot.  Undecided on the results.

Is that an ugly light switch or what? I left it in there for effect : The Beauty & The Beast. Not a great picture, but if I spent my time taking the best picture I could, I wouldn’t have time to blog right now.

Experiment 2 : Dorland’s wax medium. I got my hands on a small jar of this a couple of weeks ago and have been itching to spread it on something. First, mounted the silk directly onto canvas board with iron-on fusible. You have no idea how this stuff simplifies the process! (I’m going to document this process properly someday; promise) I just wish my silk had been a bit thicker, or my fusible a lot lighter because it melted right through the surface. Praise be, Teflon pressing sheets, or else I might not have been able to peel it off the iron. Here it is, in process, silk fused to thin canvasboard, one coat of Dorland’s brushed on lightly with a soft brush. I already like it. The silk gets darker and the details more apparent, just like when it is still wet.

I can work with that. Adding another coat of wax, melting it in smooth and dropping it into the recessed frame just to see what it might look like finished made me happy. When it’s cured — whenever that is — I’m going to buff it with a soft cloth to a satiny finish.

Yum, yum; yes, I’m liking it indeed. More bits of silk and framing experiments to come.

Yes, I am. Frenzied, that is. If I’ve been a bad, quiet blogger, that’s why. It’s not just because it’s the middle of a very long winter that takes its toll on my energy levels either.

Twice a year I go through this. Dye every piece of silk I possibly can so my local dancers can get their pick of the crop. Try out new things, pull out some old but loved techniques. Run the gamut of every colour scheme possibly imaginable. By the time I hang every thing on the rack ready to go, I’ve bewildered myself with the available selection.

Last weekend, I had an attack of the oranges. Orange makes me happy. It’s not a colour that people first think of, but when you see it splayed out in an interesting combination on a fine piece of silk it can be more than a little glorious. In costuming, it goes through phases; a couple of years ago I spent 3 months solid dyeing nothing but custom veils that were orange based. I didn’t like orange for a long while after that. I do very little custom work now so I don’t get caught stuck inside the box. The whims of fashion can be creativity killers.

So yes, I love orange, and I love mandalas too though I haven’t made very many veils in this technique for a long while it seems. I only made a couple so far, but damn … I’m good at it! I needed a reminder it seems. Somebody on eBay started selling mandala veils and the like a few years back for a disgraceful pitance, so that pushed my interest away from this technique. A shame really. There should be more of these beauties gracing the stage. Done well, they look like stained glass rose windows; quite stunning really.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, if you’re wondering why the blog nor the for sale page are being updated right now with the new pieces : it’s because I’m busy making and hording. For those of you in the region, do please come and see me Sunday, February 22nd at the Ottawa Dancer’s Bazaar. There’s lots of other vendors and artisans too presenting their wares for your sparkly shopping delight. Just follow the “events” link in the navigation bar for the where and when details.

Up for your consideration is this simple little beauty, but a woman must have a little girlish fun sometimes!

I shouldn’t say it’s that simple; just you try keeping all that red dye from staining the rest of the background. Not as easy as it looks. At least this time, the background is pink, not white. There was a lesson to be learned in there somewhere during my first attempt. It turned out well, but was a hair-pulling experience.

And why may you ask this I dye this? I am SO NOT a pastel person. In fact everything else I dyed yesterday is totally electric. I suppose I did so because it needed to be done and … because I can!

So where is the rest of the new stuff? I’m hording the new stuff off-line for my local peeps till the end of February. At least, that’s what I’m trying to do.

My Funny Valentine is for sale now. See the for sale page.

I brunched, I napped, I procrastinated and I made this instead of whatever I should have.

I don’t think this one is going anywhere out of my sight any time soon. I don’t feel so bad about not having worked my butt off instead.

Single silk veil in search of dark gothic beauty?

in search of fiery redhead?

These are the last of the 5 momme. I thought it would never end; unless I find another stash I didn’t know I had, this is it.

I know this is subjective, but both these would be on my most wanted list.

The for sale page is now up to date for the new year!