That tree still has red leaves! And all around Spring is happening. There are wondeful clumps of daffodils and all manner of spring bulbs.
This has been a busy and productive week, in spite of the fact that it was shortened by my arriving back from Darwin on Monday.
The studio has had some wonderful alterations. There are now wide benched to use the table looms on. One of these provides the most beautiful place to work in as it is positioned in front of a huge window which looks out on a magnificent flowering pink tree. New storage shelving has also been installed in the back room. Everyone is very excited with the improvements.
Some of the Saturday class weaving with tables looms on the new benches under the window.
From the point of view of “work”, the circles have had their initial dyeing in argyle apple and are currently pulled up awaiting the next stage.
I am also in the process of weaving on another warp which is following the same theme as the circles, but is much more loom controlled doubleweave. It is being woven at a much faster rate than the circles. Thank heavens for that!
I have had more fun “playing”. The bark from the eucalyptus tree which had been boiled and left to sit while I went to Darwin, has been used for the second layer of dyeing on commercial fabric. This fabric had been dyed using argyle apple with the extended mordant process. This time around, I remordanted using the overnight process. I’m sure that there is little difference in the amount of dye that is taken up. It now waits for another process; mmmm I wonder what that’ll be. All I do know is that I want to do another layer of dye to add to the complexity of the piece and as well as that, as much as the dye pattern is currently interesting, I’m not all that keen on brown.
While I was dyeing this I also put a couple of bookmarks in the dyebath. I pole wrapped them around a broomstick. I had carefully selected the end that was pink and used it for wrapping. I hoped that the dye would transfer from the broom so that the fabric against the wood would take up that colour while the natural dye would colour the outside. It happened as planned with quite an interesting pattern. It is a little difficult to see the pattern as the colours are very similar in tone.
Saturday saw an informal gathering of where both groups, the Saturday and Tuesday groups, were invited to afternoon tea followed by a showing of the Peter Collingwood DVD. It was a lovely afternoon. Some of the ladies had brought along the most scrumptious food which we had on the veranda before going inside to watch the DVD. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
The gardens are so exceptionally beautiful. The magnolias are just starting to open. I am so fortunate that the weather is warmer than usual so I am getting the spring colour before I leave. I am still complaining though that I didn’t get snow!
And a postscript to the week: I was invited to the most scrumptious afternoon tea. The afternoon tea was an event, but what was really exciting was that I saw my first wombat in the wild as we were driving home at dusk!