MADE SOME PROGRESS

 While the weather was nice, I spent lots of time experimenting with dyeing, and botanical printing outside in my dye tent.  I started to panic when I realized that The Maye River Gallery's new space would be opening earlier than anticipated and that I need stock!  

Just in time, the weather shifted to very hot so I didn't feel guilty at all being inside and finishing and creating new work. 

What next?  I've had this super beautiful embroidered Indian Dupatta for several years waiting for the right time and project.  I purchased it on eBay as 100% pure silk but to my disappointment when I did the burn test, it was polyester but I like a challenge and it was so pretty that I forged ahead anyway to Nuno felt it - no easy task to get those wool fibers to migrate through the fabric but it did turn out better than ever and very puckery!  A simple jacket with the perfect blush merino wool and Uzbek silk for the lining.

I had a large piece of botanical printed wool that I wanted to make a cocoon jacket with - I didn't want to cut into the lovely print too much and spent some time searching for just the right pattern - I read that Issy Miyake had one published by Vogue some time ago but I couldn't find it and if I had, probably couldn't afford it anyway!  I did manage to find and sew one and added some luscious silk velvet in a lovely aqua green along the neck edge.  It bothered me though because it looked so old-fashioned - much like those cloaks in the 1920s and wasn't satisfied with it so off to the drawing board again and this time, the result is shorter and much more modern and wearable.

There was another botanical print using eucalyptus in yellows and orange that I had made into a duster, again something didn't please me.  Adding an organza Nuno felted collar was just what it needed.

And of course, the silk yardage that was discharged and overdyed before we moved had been sitting waiting for its turn.  I also dyed some smaller pieces in the same colorway but experimented with different designs and again, I didn't want to cut this lovely pattern too much so I decided to Nuno felt it using the experimental offcuts as the lining. It is the perfect vest/jacket that shows the best of the design and has a lovely puckery texture.

There have been a few other projects as well - this was a green and pink vest that I designed last year, but I thought it would be more suitable to wear with casual clothes if it were dipped in indigo.

Love it!

Then there is this window pane scarf that is such fun!

A LONG POST!

Google tells me that there are several problems with my Blog, but honestly, I don't quite understand - they tell me that the font is too small but I usually choose medium.  Anyway so much to cover that this will be long.

Anyway, since it has been a while since I posted, it's a good record to post on here so I thought I'd post a few pictures of what I've been up to lately.  

I'm sort of in a dither because our new location of The Maye River Gallery is going to open in September in a beautiful new location on the same Calhoun Street but down a bit closer to the river across from the Montessori school, and during the nice weather I confess I wanted to be outside and spent a bit of time experimenting and doing botanic printing.

At the same time, I was asked to help with a project for our Savannah Fiber Guild's 50th Anniversary celebrations so have been collaborating on that as well.  It is going to be such a special catered party that we are all excited about and everyone is putting in so much effort for it to be a success.  I'll post more about that as we go along but my part is creating a flower display - felted, stitched and other ideas that are going to be beautifully displayed on a botanically printed swag using a large moveable frame

  Since we moved, my new dye space is in a tent and it has taken quite a bit of time for me to get organized because there are no shelves but I think I'm finally able to find things fairly quickly.  I enjoy natural dyeing as well as synthetic dyeing and as you can imagine there is a lot that is needed - a myriad of dyes - chemicals, measuring devices, scale, pots (lots of them) including an electric turkey roaster, and a fish poacher that sits on 2 electric plates.  Additionally, there are lots of wrapping rods and fabric to use for blankets (covering botanical prints to steam).  I read a great tip on my FB group to use a large toolbox on a propane stove for larger pieces and my husband fit a way for me to load the pole for steaming - I have tried it and it really works well (my husband had to modify it so the steam wouldn't burn me) but have yet to try really large pieces.  It will be given a test when I print the large piece for our guild's party in November.  The weather will have cooled down by then.

One of the things I had neglected to do earlier was make up some synthetic dye and dye a small piece to identify the exact color on the lid - this is only the beginning but it's an amazing help since I can see the shade without testing each one - there are so many shades of just blues!

Now I need to get felting so that I will have enough supply for our new gallery!  Before we moved, I had dyed a piece of silk that I fell in love with and had made a couple of smaller companion pieces in the same colorway.  I didn't know what I'd do with them so kept them to just look at it until I decided.  I wanted something that would work without cutting into the design too much.  I love the challenge of using all of the cutoffs and I did just that by using them for the edges of sleeves, lapels and front.  The companion pieces were used for the lining and, of course, I needed to add more in the appropriate colors.  I posted these pictures a while back on FB but didn't include the lining which is quite interesting.

Lining - silk organza, habotai, silk fiber and cotton.

Another piece of hand-dyed silk was created into a windowpane scarf

Alas, there is so much more, but that will have to wait for another day!