A Day To Dye For

 Today's activity was a toss-up between quilt stitching and dyeing but being a gorgeous spring day, the latter won. Even though the main action is around my kitchen stove, there's a lot that's outdoorsy about dyeing; swanning about the garden picking plant material, wrapping the bundles on the veranda table, rinsing and hanging the results on the line...and today I just couldn't resist!

I had some pre-hemmed habutai silk scarfs ready to go for months and I took the opportunity to use up some small quantities of dye left over from previous sessions. The scarfs wilt down to almost nothing and so can be dyed in just a cupful or so (I try to waste nothing!) Each scarf required over dyeing, some went in and out of the bath three or four times before the desired effect was reached. Patience and persistence paid off!

I then took advantage of the last rays of the late afternoon to capture some images.....

This one is my favourite 

The wrapping string creates interesting effects.

These three were first dyed in turmeric.

All together now!

A Change In Direction

The new design is sewn together like a cushion cover and needs no edge binding.

Detail of the eco print. Looks a bit like wheat!

The finished product in test photo shoot!

There is a lot to be said for taking time with design development. I learned this at college, but now that I'm working on my own it takes all my discipline not to simply think of an idea and do it! I had done an amount of sampling with quilt designs and made decisions on materials, techniques and finishes etc. I then launched into what I hoped would be the beginnings of an inventory of finished quilts.

It wasn't until three were completed that I realised my innovative idea of finishing them by folding the edges inward and blanket stitching through the layers was not viable. They looked fabulous before washing, but that binding just didn't stand up to the machine. (It's part of my self imposed design brief that the quilts should be suitable for every day use and hardy enough to withstand machine washing, secured in a pillow case or other fabric bag) 

So back to the drawing board I went and came up with a design that looks more professional and will actually be quicker to make in the long run. A few other tweaks happened along the way (namely the coloured wool stitching) giving the new design quite a different look to the earlier versions. I'll post images of those later.

The experience hammers home to me the importance of design development, how it can't be rushed, and to go with the flow when the design takes a new direction.

Quilted Scarf

Here are some images of a recent project. The National Wool Museum in Geelong, Victoria is currently holding its annual Scarf Festival, and I have entered for the first time this year with a quilted silk scarf hand dyed using natural dye processes. I love that I can use plant material and other bits and pieces found around my home, and  perform my experiments in my very own kitchen without fear of poisoning my family with toxic fumes. I also love that although certain plants will generally produce  particular colours, the results are never 100% predictable so there's always an element of surprise when finally unwrapping the bundles!

My scarf will be on display at the Scarf Festival at the National Wool Museum until 25 August 2013.

Dye bath of loquat leaves.

Print materials collected from my garden.

Print materials are arranged on the silk fabric...

... then tightly wrapped around my trusty rusty funnel. The rusted metal reacts with the fabric to create interesting effects.

The bundle is added to the dye bath along with the scarf back. 

Back and front pieces drying on the line.

Bamboo batting was sandwiched between the layers.

Silk yarn was used to stitch the layers into a quilt.

The finished scarf!

My Spring Wedding

Candles and flowers. Love!

The ceremony back-drop.

The happy couple!

Instead of wedding cake, espresso/chocolate jellies.

Partying into the wee hours.....

  I think the moment my home was at it's most beautiful was last September when we held our wedding in our living room. It was the eve of the Spring Equinox and although I don't slavishly follow such events, it was a great excuse to (vaguely) theme the occasion and use nothing but flowers and candles to decorate the room. This included the invitations which were simply an image of spring blossoms layered and edited in photoshop. I also created a perfumed experience for our guests as they stepped into our jasmine lined entrance, and the lady guests departed with a scented candle wrapped in hand crocheted trim.
Our  existing "succulent" green walls and balcony fairy lights provided the perfect back-drop for our simple evening ceremony followed by supper and dessert party that continued well into the early hours of Sunday morning!
Thanks to Stephanie Newbold  and Pete Bell for the gorgeous images.

Swan

This piece followed the "Paper Stole" in the sculptural, "non-wearable couture" theme, but got me back to my roots in fabric and experimental quilting. All the fabrics are recycled, some retrieved from the stash I inherited from my great-grandmother who's surname was Swan (this in some way informed the shape and lines of the piece which are...well, swan-like and also provided a fitting title)

The skirt frame is manipulated chicken wire. It was rather satisfying getting my hands dirty in the shed with pliers and wire cutters!

Then came the endless task of creating hundreds of quilted circles in various fabrics, each individually embellished with lines of stitching. Then cutting them out carefully. Then assembling the circles to create the skirt overlay, placing them deliberately to appear random (it's harder than you think!)

The circle motif was repeated in crocheted wire and attached to the overlay and the frame, linking the two elements.

The aim of the piece was to explore the idea of repetition. Combining circular quilted pieces with circular crochet pieces on the continuous hexagons of the chicken wire, I feel I have succeeded

..... but boy, was it repetitive!

On display at the Tinning Street Gallery.

Back view.

Paper Project

Paper Stole

Details

My exploration of experimental textiles has led me to a variety of media (outside the predictable fabric and fibres)including wood, metal, wire, plastic (shopping bags)and paper.

This piece was created from recycled vintage sewing patterns glued onto a wire frame.It is the first of a series of works inspired by high-end couture and was exhibited in "Fashion As Art" at the Brunswick Street Gallery.

I like the ambiguity;is it wearable/is it not? Are they petals/feathers/scales? The almost translucent paper is light and flutters as it moves, yet the printed lines and notions add a graphic strength I hadn't anticipated in the design process.

Love it when that happens!

What's in a Name?

My childhood storybook.

The end......my inspiration!

Thankfully, I kept the book all these years (I read it to my two kids and could never bring myself to part with it!) but hadn't given it any thought until recently.You may be wondering about the title of this blog. It's named after a story book from my childhood written by Audrey and Harvey Hirsch and exquisitely illustrated by Tim and Greg Hildebrandt. It follows the story of an elf struggling to find a home for the winter. Just when all seems lost, his forest animal friends gather together to build a home for Tandy.

We were on a family road trip when my 7 year old step-daughter started the game "What's your ultimate......?" When it was "What's your ultimate bedroom?" the only image I could conjure up was the one at the end of this story. Isn't it amazing how the brain can store stuff you haven't recalled in years?!

Anyway I got home, found the book again and looking at the pictures couldn't help thinking how they align with the essence of what this blog is about - bringing elements of the natural world into my textile work and my home....And the message of a community working together for the greater good is universal and enduring.

So "A Home For Tandy" it had to be!(I hope you're enjoying it so far..)