Saturday, August 11, 2012

Mixed Feelings


So this is the silk bundle
that I opened this afternoon.
You can see the silk ribbon (that I used for wrapping)
hanging down just right of center.
As I recall, I was in a hurry three weeks ago
when I prepared this bundle.
Charlie & his folks were about to arrive for the weekend,
and I was in the midst of preparing 
many dishes for my husband's birthday celebration.

I wrapped the above silk around a fallen tree branch that I found in the yard,
sandwiching in a few Nandina leaves
that were scattered on the pool patio.
The dye bath consisted of 
avocado peels,
an avocado seed,
corn shucks and silks,
(the dregs from salad preps)
and vinegar.

I was hoping for some serendipity.
Lesson learned: think, don't hope!
I've had some great results 
very early on in this eco dyeing/printing experience,
so I can't be too disappointed in this little bump in the road.

There are some good marks:


and the silk ribbon dyed well:


I may do some ruching with the ribbon,
or I may overdye this piece of silk.
Nevertheless, it was a good experience, 
and a valuable lesson learned.

Tomorrow I'm heading to this little guy's house to spend a few days.


Charlie's styling with his new backpack -
ready to go to camp!
We all will be leaving in a couple of weeks,
 spending our vacation on Squam Lake,
just kickin' back and listenin' to the loons.

More about that later!

peace!





7 comments:

Jeannie said...

The ribbon is beautiful and I like the cloth. I am really drawn to the lines from the ribbon. Charlie is growing by leaps and bounds! He is so cute. I envy your trip to Squam Lake. I am so over the heat and sitting by(in) a lake sounds so relaxing and pleasant. Have fun with Sir Charles!

Rayna said...

Well, things just have minds of their own, don't they!
That little Charlie is too cute -- and I can't believe how big he is. Gorgeous kid! Have fun.

Cate Rose said...

Charlie is growing up SO fast. He seems so much older now than the last photo you uploaded. Re: your dyeing, there will be less exciting pieces. You can simply overdye it. I did find that having a rigid support inside the bundle helped tremendously with the compression of plant material and fabric. You'll have to analyze your better prints, if you haven't already, to figure out what worked best.

alexa said...

I really like the subtlety of this ... and look forward to seeing what you do with it. That's a sweet photo - at this age, the backpacks always seem huge compared to their little bodies!

Barbara said...

Judy I think the silk has a very soft look. Is it tones of gray? That is what I am getting on my screen. It reminds me of the ruffled tanks that are so popular right now.

I echo what everyone else has said...Charlie is so grown up! In my mind he is still so very small. You will all have such a wonderful time on vacation.

Peace!

Peggy said...

Judy, I like the outcome, it has some lovely markings. A darling little guy you have there. Good times ahead! xo

Carol said...

I rather like this fabric too. I think there must be a lot to learn in this process but I know you will have a ball on the way and with your usual aplomb you will do it with grace and style.
Charlie really is gorgeous. And getting so tall!
Hugs to the boys xox