We had a lovely break at Ty Cariad and the sun shone for a couple of days so we tackled the garden. Someone had taken the gardening tools, so it now looks like it's been savaged with a knife and fork, but it'll grow back. Luckily we're both fans of the 'relaxed' look in a garden. I did some painting and some sewing; I will post some of it later in the week when I've had chance to unpack.

On arrival back in Cardiff, I found that my madder jar had evaporated away from the beeswax layer and had started to go mouldy. I decided to investigate; it's been two weeks after all. It was smellier than the water in an old vase of flowers, but with peg on nose I unwrapped my parcels of flowers and leaves and washed away the detritus. I'm rather pleased with my first attempt, and will also post the results  up later in the week.

So for now, I leave you with some pebbles in crochet cradles on a painted shore.

Just a few more jars for the road!

We're off to Ty Cariad for a few days. Toby and I rarely get to go away together these days, so it's a treat. The hardest part about going to the cottage is deciding what to take. I want to sew and I want to paint, and I want to take my studio with me!

I've not posted about the eco dying I've been doing, as I'm still very mid process. However, here are a few steps along the way:

I found a wonderful old aluminium pot, that fits perfectly on the wok ring on my cooker. I filled this with and alum and washing soda mordant and immersed some of my stash of old linens, cottons, lace and also some silk in different weights and weaves.

I simmered it for an hour, then let it cool overnight. The following day it was spun and hung in a cool dark spot until dry, then immersed in a mixture of Ph neutral water and soya milk for another overnight soak. When spun and hung again, it was ready to dye.

I've experimented with natural dyes on wool fibres in the past, but am now playing with plant fibres and silk prints after reading India Flint's amazing book on eco-colour. It's a great read, with stunning photographs and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is into natural dye processes.

Anyway, back to the dye pot. Whilst I continued to mordant the cloth in batches, I played with eucalyptus (which doesn't need a mordant on silk). I boiled up the leaves in a large stainless steel pot. Then I scrunched and bundled up the samples of cloth; some had the eucalyptus leaves laid out on them before wrapping them up and binding. Then I put them in a jar and I've left it on the sunny shelf in my studio for a few weeks. I did seal the jar with beeswax, but the liquid has oozed up and out of the jar; maybe it's fermenting.
I can hardly contain myself whilst I wait for the leaves to make prints on the cloth, and I can unpack the jar to see if it's worked!

I bought a piece of art recently. Actually, though there are many artists who's work I admire, I never buy art because I can't afford to. Such a shame that the work we love will only be available to most of us online, or if we're lucky enough to be able to get to an exhibition and see it in the flesh. So, the work I bought was from Kirsty Hall, who's website, blog and link to go watch her chickens is both inspiring and amusing. I'm a fan! Kirsty has made a series of her work affordable. Entitled 'Let Me Send You A Secret' you pay £15 for an envelope with a drawing on it, and a small piece of art inside. You don't get to see it first, but you can tell her what you like........and voila! She makes you something, dedicates it to you, and then pops it in the post! Lovely.

So this morning, I stumble downstairs when I hear Dandy barking, to find that Toby has arrived home from Florida, and my secret letter has arrived. Two lovely surprises in one hit!

And here it will sit for a while, on the inspiration ledge above my desk, so I can glance at it when my eyes need a break from the monitor.

I'm inexplicably drawn to pink at the moment. Though I've often used it in colour schemes for interiors, it's a colour I don't often use in my art work. That may have to change because it catches my eye all the time.
I've been inspired by Heike Gerbig's work with natural dyes, and India Flint's eco-printing recently, so am planning to go to Ty Cariad for the week to play with mordants and such things as alum, avocados, flowers, and leaves. I will post my results on my return!