Thursday, September 27, 2007
Where does inspiration come from?
Progress!
Here is where my dye powders are stored (I'll need a stepstool!)
Here is where my tools are - right over the work table!
And this is where all my craft books are stored
I finally feel like I can get some work done without having to shift everything around each time I start a project.... yaaaaay!
Getting my act together...
Here are some 'before' shots... well, really 'in progress' shots, since the shelves were just installed, and I didn't have the foresight to take pix before I moved things out.
This shelf is in the far corner of the room, and has room underneath for rollaway drawer storage units.
This shelf fits nicely over my work table, so I can store supplies there I will be using more often than others.
This shelf is next to my sewing machine and adjacent to my worktable, so it will be handy for storing 'How to' books, sewing books, sewing supplies, etc. I will post more pix when I have done the magic conversion from chaos to order...
It's never too late...
In this example, I created a screen of the owl, printed a blank shirt, colored the owl with thickened dyes, then waxed over the image. I then used Low Water Immersion to dye the background.
Below is a design where I used a stamp to apply dishwasher gel with bleach to a pre-dyed shirt.
In this example, I traced a design on an undyed shirt, waxed over the design, dyed the background using LWI, washed the shirt, re-soaked in soda ash, then painted the sunburst with thickened dyes.
Here is another example where I traced a design on an undyed shirt, waxed over, used LWI to dye the background, washed, then painted the image with thickened dyes.
I feel like I have reached a turning point in my creative life... not the first time this has happened, but it's been awhile! I will post more pictures as I continue my new adventure...
Class pictures
1)Decomposition screen print. I pulled several prints off the screen before it began to disolve. Here are the first 4.
2) Flour paste screen that I then overdyed with a light dye wash
3) Detail of the flour paste screen printed on a monoprint. This is the actual print direction - the one above was reversed when I uploaded the picture.
Creative Endeavors
In addition, I am working with some new color combinations for fall, and have had one success that I hope to use again:
This piece has 8 colors: Camel, Rust Orange, Charcoal, Turquoise; for complementary colors, I used Chocolate Brown, Rust Brown, Black, and Periwinkle. I did other pieces using this mix, but the designs did not come out as well. I also want to come up with some color combinations that will include Dark Green and Burgundy for winter. More to come...
New Year, New projects
I am also working on a series of purses and totes using hand-dyed fabric. I have completed a large tote, a pocketbook, a smaller tote, and have 2 more in the works. I really like how this one came out:
The fabric was dyed using an accordion fold which was held in place with wooden clothes pins. The dyes(chocolate brown, rust brown and black) were then applied randomly on both sides. I love the markings!I also plan to work on a variety of throw pillow covers later this year. I have been mulling over these 2 projects for at least a year or so, and finally got up the nerve to try them. Can't wait to see what my restless brain thinks up next! Later...
Creative Ramblings
My, how time flies...
We added a new cat to our menagerie who I absoloutely adore, so I need to find time daily to bond with Bubba, as well as spend time with my other two, Tink and Double, or jealousy rears it's ugly head. Nothing nastier than a jealous cat!Well, after all is said and done, I still have a life that I can't really complain about. Others I know have a lot more they are dealing with than I do. Health problems, financial woes, car troubles, legal battles - you name it, I probably know someone who is dealing with it. So if the worst thing I have to complain about is a stupid website problem, I need to shut up and count my blessings!More later...