A few weeks ago I received a lovely present.This sweet bag was made for me by Chrissie over at Niminy Fingers. She had used some small pieces of hand dyed fabric I'd sent her ages ago along with her own brand of inspiration. Now I know I'm meant to use it but I have left it hanging on the hook on my dining room door ever since hoping that some inspiration will rub off on me, especially at the moment as I feel very restless and unsettled.
I have long been a member of my local Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers and , at our meeting last week, we discussed the stand we are taking at Wonderwool Wales this year. This annual event was set up to promote wool and natural fibres in Wales and takes place in early April at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells. We talked about making items to sell but it has been decreed this year that everything must be only natural fibres that have been woven, spun or dyed by ourselves. A percentage of sales received will go back to our Guild but the rest is ours to keep. It's not something I normally get involved with as I seem to have an inbred resistance to selling anything that I make, but I looked at Chrissie's bag the next morning and thought...... what if I use the rest of those dyed fabric samples and make small bags for maybe sock knitting projects and the like? I asked Chrissie if I could pinch her idea and she said 'go for it' so I've made 7 bags so far all using 100% cotton that I resist dyed with indigo and iron a couple of summers ago. I have lots of dyed fabric samples however and might make some zipped up purses as well.
I decided the show was also a good opportunity to go through my stuff and sell lots of fibres that I no longer use as I do not spin or felt with the same enthusiasm as I used to. I found a box of undyed silk chiffon scarves so I dyed them yesterday afternoon with their base colour and intend to overdye and resist them, finally screen printing them with discharge paste. They are a work in progress and a photo of brightly coloured silk scarves drying on my washing line is not that exciting but I will show the finished results when I have completed them. I also found a large bag of silk carrier rod waste which can be used by spinners or felters, so I decided to dye the lot of them and then batch them up into small packs for sale.
They are in their 'wet' state here but have subsequently dried and have a beautiful sheen to them. You can't beat silk for a bit of luxury.
I aim to make a dent in the stash of fibres and fabrics that I have and try and raise money for Breast Cancer Care at Wonderwool. It is a year this week that I lost my wonderful Mum to this dreadful disease and that probably explains why I feel so restless at the moment. I know it will pass and cracking on with something has helped.I'm also hoping that Chrissie, Cathy and I will soon get a new project off the ground soon. For those of you who said you wanted to join in next time we're thinking of something small and bite sized like a postcard swap. If you still want to join us please let us know. In the meantime, the dye pot calls.....
12 comments:
Lovely things you have there Lesley. I hadn't realised it was the anniversary of your Mum's death already but now I know my thoughts are with you. It's difficult I know when the various anniversaries, birthdays etc come round. Good luck with your sales and if I were there I'd snap up some of your products for sure! I'd love to join in your project if you think my stuff might be of sufficiently high quality - I know that you all do some lovely work to judge by the things you showed after your last one.
Hope that with the passing of the anniversary your restlessness will also fade. It might be the time of year too though as I can't seem to settle to anything at the moment either!!
Jane x
Still keen to join in he project, Lesley. Hope I can come up to everyone else's inventive creations. Wondering if I can get to Wonderwool this year - it's not that far for me, I'm sure your stall will do well.
Lesley your bags are simply gorgeous, I love the fabrics and I think they would make smashing zipped bags too. The carrier have come out brilliantly, haven't they? Good luck with the sales.
Looking forward to gathering a clan together for a postcard swap - what larks!!
Count me in! :O))))))))!
Great bags Lesley, and having read this post I realise that I know so very little about dying fabrics........... what is silk carrier rod waste? I am with Jane in as much as February is a very unsettling month, it just needs getting through. Thinking of you...
I think February is definitely a low month, and the world wide news is not helping. As it is only a year since you lost your mum, you must be feeling your loss keenly. But you have the best idea - doing something to keep yourself occupied, you don't want to forget, but move forward carrying her memory in a positive way. What a good idea to use your unused treasures - it looks as if you are being very creative.
Love the bags, Chrissie's and yours and can't wait to see the scarves. And I am definitely still in for the new project!
Lesley, your fabrics are beautiful! I fell in love with them and with Chrissie's work over at Niminy Fingers.
Best of luck with your participation and sales at the Wonderwool Wales fair; it sounds like a great occasion and opportunity to do good... As for your mother's one year anniversary I offer you all my sympathy and understanding. It has been 26 months since my mama's passing and not a day has gone by without thinking of her. I have reached the conclusion that this immense sadness caused by her absence is one more of her gifts to me; she was the best and that's why there is so much love and so much pain associated with her departure...
with my warmest thoughts and xoxox
So sad to realise the anniversary of your mother's death... mine passed away 9 years ago just before Christmas, and it still hurts. I think it always will. The loss becomes manageable but never disappears completely.
Beautiful dying, in another sense! I am very envious! Good luck with the show - I hope you have an enthusiastic response and raise lots of money.
Sara x
Hi Lesley, Lovely bags -- each and every one! Beautiful printing and wonderful photos. And your collagraph prints from your previous post are beautiful, too! Thank you for raising funds for breast cancer care. Best....
Lesley the bags are beautiful and then the photos of the coloured silk are just ravishing. I hope the sales go really welll.
I hope you continue to make and find your way through this anniversary and the days that follow - mothers leave sucha big hole. Take care.
Lesley, thanks for the comment re book night - enjoy. Thanks also for the Martin Dorey tip on the previous post - had a lovely evening watching 3 back to back last week! You have some great ideas here - love the bags. I think I'll have to stand back and watch with awe and wonder at what you all make in your postcard swap. Time won't permit me to commit to anything else at the moment. Thinking of you as you pass through this difficult week.
Hey Leslie, there is no escape! Decided to follow you to participate in a little gentle armchair stalking. It's Alex from the drawing course. No wonder you are feeling so restless what a rubbish anniversary to have to endure - hang in there chicken, art is therapy. Kim sends her love. Your work is lovely and prolific. Clever you. Cheers.
Post a Comment