So... Let's make a shirt.

Having always liked the needle and thread it was only a matter of time before I decided to dye some fabric and make a shirt.

My search on the internet for double knit cotton led me once again to Dhrama Trading and when it arrived I was a little disappointed . The fabric was a bit hard and lumpy and was more of a winter weight of cotton not at all the light weight I was hoping for to wear on hot summer days here in Virginia. Anyway, after scouring it and preparing it for dyes, I began to accept the fabric and chose a rather repetitive large tjap for the design. Needing more than 2 colors, I decided to use the white as one color and a lavender for the second. The fabric was going to be more than a yard so I decided not to frame it up but just resist while it was on the table.

With cotton, one uses procion dyes and with this piece I planned on doing a vat dye bath after the wax was laid on the material. I submerged the fabric and let it sit in the dye for about 20 minutes then removed it and laid it on a rack in a plastic box where it was to stay until the next day or two.

At this point, the wax needed to be removed, but this time not with an iron. I filled up my big pot with hot water and some soap and set it on high on my outside burner. I carefully put the fabric in the pot and allowed it to get hot but not boil. After the wax melted from the cotton, the wax came to the surface and when cooled and could be pulled off to remove my ready for washing fabric.

It seems with cotton, one spends much more time with their washer and dryer than about anywhere else.

At this point, I needed to design a shirt pattern and sew it up. After taking my measurements I drew up my pattern and cut out the fabric. I chose a dirndl sleeve as those shirts require almost no sewing and they feel good without a set in sleeve. I think that the shirt turned out well, but the pattern of the fabric could have been a little smaller if I were to be a bit critical. Anyway, my first attempt and prototype batik shirt.

That about wraps this adventure up.

Glad you stopped by and give me a beep as you pass by.

Waves as she watches you leave down the long drive.

When the muses dance.

Elephants and palm trees

It is always nice when the muses decide to play their flutes in one’s life. I am sure there are muses of all things, but when they dance in your studio it can be fun.

 



Dragonflies - first attempt

  It was early into my silks that I started using wax as a resist and it grew into part of the process. I wanted a crisper edge without using a gutta type resist so after some searching I discovered TJAPS and knew immediately  that these tools  would fit right in. (I will talk about the history of Tjanps and Tjantlings in another blog.)

Tjaps I used in these pieces

That led to the research on batiks and yes, I am now dabbling in batik. Also included with batik are some shibori techniques that one might call advanced tie dye. It is a lot of fun—but some do require much preparation. Well, like I always say where am I going that I need to get there so fast? Smiles. It has taken some time as in all things to catch on to the technique needed to gain the result one is looking for.  I think my new work demonstrates a bit of achievement and I look forward to see where this leads me in my work.  I do believe it would be much easier if I started out with a round wheel, but for one reason or another I generally start with square and chip off the edges in many exercises to learn the new road. Perhaps that is the part I like best. Shrugs.

One black turtle

With this new toy also comes new fabrics to play with. Cotton and rayon will be included in the fabrics that I will use along with silks. That offers me an opportunity to dabble at the sewing machine and to make a few wearables. Along with these fabrics comes a new dye (Procion MX) that I will talk about in an upcoming blog. There are a lot of new steps, making it seem very much like old times in the glaze room.

Peonies and butterflies

Hope you enjoyed the short stay...

Waves and winks as she watches you drive by

and calls out-

Hope you had a good time- Stop by again.

For me it is the studio!

To some it is all about the hair, the white teeth, the shoes or whatever floats one's boat. For me it is the studio. Perhaps, if I were to be honest, I would say the desire for creating the perfect studio must go back to the days of fort building, tree house living and arranging secret spots in a loft or attic space. Thereafter, that is where I would find myself dreaming of castles and paintbrushes, wheels and crowns. The lastest studio is "the garret" and perhaps will be the last great workspace and hideout for me. Well, perhaps not the last but certainly the perfect one for me now.

As an addition here, I find it necessary to tell a little story. I will try to keep it brief, verbose that I am.

Growing up we most often had a sailboat. It was my dad's boat, all started about the age of 13ish or so when he made a rowboat into a somewhat small sailboat that he set forth on the great open water of second lake up in the pines of New Jersey. Dad would buy a boat and enjoy it for awhile mostly viewing it and not sailing much. "After great discussion and hesitation", he would sell the boat and pronouce to the family that there would be no more boats. About a week later, you might find Dad sitting in a chair leafing through the new edition of "Yachting" or some such magazine, showing Mom a new boat that really looked nice. And the circle goes round.

OH, where was I, oh yes the new studio.

The new studio workspace was created by opening the existing bedroom into an attic area. With a few changes here and there the new room has a window and a little storage and lots of good work space. The walls are deeply slanted and one must remember that not getting a bump on the forehead is far better than slandering the world with obscenities after a good slam on the noggin. My chart tables or paper cabinets (that were so handsomely painted by my very wonderful husband Kelley) are well suited for a nice space at the end of the room where a removable long table has been created with lights directly over head. The best part of all is the new floor. It wipes clean - I am so pleased with a proper art floor. Most all of my supplies have been put away and my old room has been made into a very nice area for sit down work, computer or visits. After an over haul of my stuff in the closet, it has been made into a proper tech center and a place for most of the papers and supplies for book making. I am so pleased.

It has been a couple of weeks since I started this post. The room is just delightful and I am so enjoying work. Work is moving forward and with so many requests, I will try to involve my friends in what I am doing.

See you soon and if not wave as you go by.

Winks and waves,

Janet

Peaches - A litte story.

The following is a short story of an adventure that I had about the age of perhaps 5 on the old flight field at Weaksville, North Carolina. We were on base and my dad at that time was flying blimps. So sit down for a bit, and let me tell you a story- it would be so much better with illustrations- perhaps later. So lets begin this little story.

PEACHES

It was going to be quite an adventure to gather up all those peaches or almost peaches. It had been just a couple of days earlier when that aroma captured my scents and carried me on a short walk to the trees laden down with blossoms, smelling so sweet that they must all turn to peaches in time.

Not having a wagon, it took me a bit of time until my long eyes noticed one down the street that at that time looked as if no one was using. It must be lonely all alone down there so why not allow it to go on an outing with me. Off I marched down the sidewalk taking the handle of that wagon and setting off for yet another adventure.

Being a rather nimble child, I pulled myself up to the branches that my out stretched arms could reach and lifted myself up. At first, I laid back and allowed myself to drift into the blossoms and take myself away to the places that my mind seemed to find such safety in. In time, I began my task of removing blossom after blossom-watching as they got caught in the air drifting back and forth until finally they lay as if asleep in my borrowed wagon. It did not take long to see the blossoms fall softly onto the ground telling me that my share had been taken.

Thus being a very proud child, I almost pranced on my way home. My bare stretched out chest leading the way home in the hot sun . From the back door my mother waved to me. When I was within ear's shot, she called to me to ask me what I was up to now.
In my spirited voice, I replied, "Look I have gathered blossoms that surely will turn into peaches."
My mother looked down at me and gently smiled kindly at me, "Oh my, they will not make peaches- they are just mimosa tree blossoms."
My heart sank but my will was not broken.

Quietly, I left pulling that over laden wagon of blossoms to a secret place that I certainly called my own. The wagon was turned on it's side allowing me to be amongst the blossoms. Deeply, I inhaled the scent and then sang sweet songs to them knowing that if really given the chance they would be peaches and I would become a princess as well.

So how did this story end? Oh you know, as I push my crown slightly back on my head.

See you around town,
Janet

A Closeup of a Brich Tree- Another Watercolor Lesson

Another week, and this week, I might say that I am almost proud of this work. It went smoothly, and each step that I did seemed to have been at the right time or close enough.

If I were to select one part that I felt the most successful with it would be the lower left hand corner. The natural white of the paper is fresh and clean and the shadow softly drops across that area.

There are of course lessons learned, but I think this week I will sit and admire my work- I will not be so lucky on my next pieces and know that there will be struggles until once again the paint and I see clearly and allow the earth's rotation to do the painting.

Peace to my friends who stop by.
See you again soon,
Janet