a recent trip to Seattle allowed me to have a little stitching time, something that seems to elude me when i am home at work with all the other things there are to do around here. but in anticipation of the short trip i prepared a couple of things i could work on should i be fortunate to get the chance. i did, and was able to stitch up one makiage piece on a fine lightweight cotton. something someone sent my way that was no longer of use to them. a lovely piece of fabric.
here is the piece in progress- shot next to some lovely hosta leaves at maggie’s house. we don’t grow these in socal-probably too hot and dry i expect-and they were just magnificent.
it is now confirmed and i can now announce some exciting news- the formation of a second Silk Study Tour to Japan in may of 2011! details are in the works and the tour itinerary and costs will be available in PDF form around June 1st. i was in Seattle to work out details and meet with our Japanese coordinator. we had a planning session at maggie’s-
(i started a facebook page for the tour which i will add to soon. feel free to visit it and “like” it if you want to see regular updates in your feed.)
while i was there we practiced degumming silk cocoons and making silk mawata. mawata is a japanese term meaning “spread out”. each mawata consists of a number of degummed silk cocoons stretched over a frame. these mawata can then be used in various ways- for spinning silk yarns, creating silk paper, felting and stitching projects. maggie is teaching a class at the Houston show on how to do this and we were practicing what we learned in Japan last year on the silk study tour. see the complete list of silk experience classes here.
so today i unpacked and got back to where i left off and started pulling up threads on my stitched makiage piece. it is approximately 1/2 yard of 45″ cotton. pulling up the gathering threads is always a little anxiety ridden-one broken thread and poof! fortunately the shibori gods were on my side (plus a little experience and patience) and this is what i was left with-
several dips into the natural indigo vat-
here you can see the piece while it is oxidizing-note the greenish color
the exciting part is releasing the fabric from the stitches to see the result- hopefully without cutting any holes in the fabric. i managed to get past this pitfall as well resulting in this:
the whole cloth drying-
just a reminder, i am giving an indigo workshop May 28 & 29. there’s still a spot available if you are tempted…
That whole process simply amazes me – thread, cloth & indigo, then VOILA! Truly amazing!!
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Is that gorgeous or what??????!!!!!! If I was near you, I would definitely come take a class on indigo dying ~ so beautiful to my eye!
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i would be very tempted if i didn’t have to swim the ocean to get there. beautiful work, i love the squares and circles together…k.
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incredible! the whole process is amazing and the results…oh my gosh!! Your talents at work.
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Thanks so much for sharing all those steps! So beautiful…
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glorious, look at that. i would take that workshop if i could. really.
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hmmm….wonder what an online indigo video class might look like….
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now there’s a concept!
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Please please please do an online indigo dying workshop… I’m on the East coast – no ocean between us just miles and miles of miles and miles- I would love to learn how to do this- I played with some indigo dying for Jude’s class, and was enchanted with the process- but I want moons!
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I second Mary’s request for an online class, being another east-coaster. I would KILL to go to Japan — for some reason have wanted to go since I was 12, but that will have to wait until after two college experiences are behind us.
In the meantime, I feel that I must have some moons… will look to order on sidebar.
Also, because I have been working in a gold,red, tawny, green palette, I am wondering if you ever make moons (suns?) in a hot color?
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That piece is just amazingly beautiful. Yes, I would like to be in the loop on that online indigo dyeing class too!
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this piece is incredible glennis. And your Japanese tour and classes sound wonderful.
xt
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