First Eco-Bundling Batch of 2013

Today I cleaned the outdoor papermaking/natural dye work area. I then cut fabric, got the hot plates and pots out, cut some flowers and wrapped some bundles. For most of what I gathered, I am trying four different variables. I want to compare the effects of the same flower on alum mordanted, copper mordanted and unmordanted cotton. I also want to see if steaming a non mordanted bundle in the presence of copper (a colander in this case) will have any effect.

 

While the bundles were steaming, I applied a first layer of latex varnish to some mold and deckle frames my husband made. I want to teach papermaking workshops, and need them in order to do that.

I left the bundles to sit in the pots to cool and set overnight. I will open them tomorrow morning and see if any magic happened! Stay tuned...

First Day of Autumn - Summer Lament

In the early days of summer it is heard to believe that it will ever end. The days are long. It is easy to get out of bed at 6 a.m. when the sun is shining and the birds are singing. Energy is endless; activity stretches on until the evening hours when the sun finally sets. The warm sun is encouraging, coaxing me to join it outside. Little by little, autumn approaches. The days get a little shorter. The temperatures begin to cool. It is hard now to get up before 7 a.m. and it is time to pack up the outdoor activity well before 7 p.m.

On the one hand I mourn the endless days of summer and all the opportunities to make paper pulp, experiment with natural dyes, tend and harvest the vegetable garden. I feel that I have run out of time and will not be able to turn all that pulp into paper. Having an outdoor studio is wonderful for so many reasons, but when it gets too cool to keep hands in cold water, I know it is time to pack up for the season.

I am very happy with the amount of time I was able to devote to natural dyeing. I still need to try modifiers on most of the dyed fabrics to see if other colors/shades can be achieved. This can be done inside, so can wait a bit. Once this is done and documented, I will be able to see how many colors were created during this time.

While I do mourn the loss of papermaking days, I look with anticipation to the indoor studio projects that have been on hold. Making books with and printing on the handmade papers, continuing and completing and beginning visual journals, using the abundance of materials in my studio to make collages and mixed media works. Formulating workshops and promoting them. So much planned to do and I know that I will just make a dent in the list! Then it will be spring again, time to plant and cook fibers in preparation for another summer of papermaking and natural dyeing.

To everything there is a season and a purpose under heaven. Thank you, dear God, for all the opportunities you provide to learn and grow and expand in knowledge and ability.