First Attempt with Natural Dye

  

Pomegranates are used extensively in India and the Middle East to obtain rich yellows, oranges and browns when dying textiles.  Here some rinds are soaking overnight.  I then strained and boiled the water in an aluminum pot for 45 minutes--I didn't have any alum mordant lying around and apparently the metal of the pot (copper or tin are used to create other colors) can do the trick. This was supposed to make yellow dye.

The results were interesting. On the left is wool, which is the easiest natural fiber to dye--this was white when I started. Cotton takes natural dye with difficulty and the lace in the middle, which is cotton, only got a slight distressed look.  There are two other types of lace that appear a little darker but the dying wasn't very successful on them either. On the far right is silk, which as an animal fiber takes natural dyes well. It went from almost white to champagne.

All in all, if I do this again, I'll have to invest in more paraphenalia for better results!

Meet Henry Murger

Ever wonder who started the concept of a profession where it is seen as normal, even obligatory, to suffer/ be deprived of basic necessities/ and even to starve--all to fit society’s view of who you are? 

 Poverty stricken Vincent Van Gogh's simple digs

 Henri Murger, drawing from his experience as a struggling writer living in an attic in 1840’s Paris came up with what was to become one of the most pervasive themes of all time—the starving artist. Later made into the iconic opera La Bohème, it has been the basis of Rent and Moulin Rouge as well as various versions of La Vie de Bohème, the original work by Murger.

 

So the next time you mention that you’re an artist and someone says “oh, a starving artist”, practically thinking they’re complimenting you—don’t hate them, just blame Murger!

Pillow Love and Adding to the Fabric Collection

Lately I've been embroidering and making fiber collages on some pillows I've made using "new" condition vintage handkerchiefs. They're fun and airy and have a really summery feel-- there are more in the works and they'll go in the new Etsy shop which I will be opening sometime over the next month or so. Details soon to come! There's a 20% off sale in my shop now, 'til June 7.

Black corduroy, fringed linen, crewel upholstery fabric, brushed cotton, polished cotton, 

vintage eyelet pettticoat

 Beat up Battenburg lace tablecloth--the stuff of dreams!

Must take advantage of yard sales before it gets too hot around here to even venture outdoors after 10 am. My daughter picked out some great Motown and jazz records at one, and I scored all the sewing goodness including fabrics and trims above at another for $1!! Makes up for the overpriced local estate sale/auction companies who will remain nameless here.

Hope your thrifting adventures have been wonderful this weekend. Check out Her Library Adventures for more inspiration!

Witty Picasso

In April I had a chance to see the huge Picasso retrospective at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. There was a lot to look at--I avoided museum burnout by concentrating on the found object assemblages. There were only a dozen or so. We were lucky to have guest passes, so I didn't feel obliged to look 3x at everything to justify the high cost of admission.

There was a narrow room set up as a photo gallery. Unfortunately it was so crowded (on a Monday yet) that we didn't spend much time there, but seeing photos of old Pablo hanging around in his nautical t-shirt doing South of France things gave me a little boost.

 Here he is with his good friend Jean Cocteau. From left to right: Pablo Picasso, his son Paulo, Jean Cocteau, Georges Braque and Françoise Gilot, in front of Picasso’s studio, Vallauris, 1953

The Picasso quotes scattered around the museum were a nice touch. Here are a few of my favorites---  

Give me a museum and I'll fill it.

My mother said to me, "If you become a soldier you'll be a general; if you become a monk you'll end up as the Pope." Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso. 

When I haven't any blue I use red. 

It is a well-known fact that we see the faults in other's works more readily than we do in our own.

Unless your work gives you trouble, it is no good.   

A View into the Studio

A little hello just so you know I'm still around! I've been finishing up lots of things in my studio and just generally getting organized. As trumpeted on this blog for the last several months. I'm starting to be a believer in publicizing one's intentions, since I'm actually getting more done.

Coming up soon, a new Etsy shop or two with a gradual phase out of my current shop. Notecards and digital prints... Summer and hot weather... My daughter's college graduation!

Always Learning

 This week I've been listening to the  Creative Souls Telesummit recordings. It's for people (like me) who have a hard time making choices because they have so many interests and passions. The topic is getting clarity and focusing on what you want to do creatively--I found the last two recordings the most helpful. Next week they're going to talk about making a plan of action, then the third week is how to turn your creative fire into financial flow (eff yeah, money!!). You can listen to these recordings for free, up to 48 hours afterwards. Can't go wrong with that.

One of the things I learned about is a technique that's been around for awhile--EFT or Emotional Freedom Therapy. It involves tapping on 8 acupressure points along energy meridians when you are faced with a blockage and helps move energy around to get some much needed clarity. There are lots of places online you can find videos and charts--it seems pretty simple to do and if you're at all attuned to meditation or yoga, it uses the same principles of moving chi, or life energy, around the body.

Happy Earth Day

Baby pink azalea

 Dogwood

 Lily-of-the-Valley

Wisteria climbing up a tree

Thank you, Earth for the wonderful life you let us have here at your expense. We are grateful you spared all the beautiful trees in our garden, as well as our home, from the EF3 tornado that came within a half mile of us while we were away last weekend. Happy Earth Day!