Pennon takes flight

There's quite a lot of rigamarole involved in mailing a package to Australia.

A lot of addressing & declarations & valuing to be done

but true to my word to myself [which doesn't always happen]

I actually made my preset deadline of June 1st, stood in the slow post office line yesterday

with pen, tape & details

and sent my Solace pennon off to Andamooka.

I sure hope she gets there on time.

There's also quite a tale still to tell about creating this little flag for I chose to abort my first version 

covered in buttons because I'd messed up & not followed India's specs.  But I'll leave those details

for another post when all the photos have been edited and I've pulled my thoughts together.

There were attributes of this construction process that I really loved and in the end

flag #2 became a symbolic weaving together of many things I hold dear

and much of what I consider truth.

This was not at all where I thought I was going with flag #1 .... 

this went another direction entirely.

Much more personal,

much more about transparency

where fabric like silk organza can symbolize a veil,

where a narrow strip of indigo dyed cotton from a workshop 4,000 miles away

can symbolize the importance of always moving forward toward

the edges of places,

the boundaries of emotions

or past limits I do not want to set.

All the hours stitching were a gift of time which had me looking deep into what's passed

and reflecting on a whole bunch of tomorrows.  I wasn't to know when I started

that a bit of a health fright was headed my way [all reconciled now].

What began as a peace project aimed out at the world

suddenly became the exact path I needed to find my own.

Now my little pennon is crossing a great expanse of water

carrying my words on her ragged sleeve,

hurrying [through the good graces of the postal system] to join the 

collective poem about to be written

where she'll be dyed a rich blue, hang above a beautiful red desert ...

a most grateful guest of the elements

and time.

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What do you do for love?

nourish, tend & care

keep watch & protect

bless the ground whereon I walk

make & give away what is in my heart

play, with wild abandon & great joy

nurture optimism with an eye on many fine tomorrows

This is what I do.

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Sailing towards solstice

June 21st shall be here in no time and as I continue to stitch my flag

for the Solace Project

I can't help but marvel, thinking about so many hands at work just like mine around the world

also stitching with intention - attention - welcoming participation as I do

in this collective poetry project for peace.

My personal deadline for mailing to the far off way station of Andamooka, South Australia

is the first day of June.  This is to insure that should said package decide to go for

a short walkabout in the opal fields beforehand

it will still make it on time to join the party around India's indigo vat

when dipping begins.

Many souls have long since sent their flags for a timely arrival ... those I know of

have been added under the Solace project tab up in the header.

Wonderful stories surround these makings.

:::

Spring continues her riotous dance of exuberance in my garden

but you can find me quietly at work with a needle 

under the green umbrella ...

you can't miss me, I'm the one with the collie at her feet ;>)

Till later, then ... when our flags meet under an Australian sun!

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Alchemy in the pantry

It all began 423 days ago.

I gathered together these assorted fabric scraps [once all white] and without pre-mordanting,
rolled, bundled, squeezed and cajoled them into glass jars along with pieces of metal
and handfuls of vegetation.

Following the protocol within this little gem of a book,

'stuff steep + store' by India Flint,

I began a very  LONG  and interesting canning experiment ...

not only an experiment in patience [wasn't sure I could wait this long for the reveal!]
but in the science - and art - of preserving.

What would grandma say?
Go peek at what these jars looked like when I first put them on the pantry shelf
February 4, 2014 ...
over here

This is what they looked like right before I opened them two days ago.

The liquid had long since turned almost black.  They each contained iron bits 

so that made sense, but I wondered if I'd made a mistake & added too much.

Also, two of the jars had slightly rounded lid tops ...
were the contents rotting, or worse - putrefying into some gads-awful mess?

I need not have worried. And I should certainly know by now
that India speaks true words when she repeats, "Trust the process."

I flung them on the rosebushes in the hedgerow to dry.

There's often great changes between wet and dry so the short wait

to see that happen was almost worse than the entire previous year's wait.

Here they are dried and pressed.

Front & back views of 60/40 cotton/silk blouse remnant,

bundled with rose leaves & metal bolts

with 1/4 c. aged copper/vinegar modifier added to the jar.

[above on far right]

What amazes me: true spring green leaf prints, the smokey black-on-black tones

from the string marks, and that the liquid from the jar smelled faintly of rose petals.

Scraps of two cotton shirts each bundled with dry purple Norway maple leaves

and metal bits - nails & screws - with additional leaves packed around the edge of the glass.

The jar was then filled with leftover - very stinky - lobster mushroom dye bath.

[jar above in middle]

What amazes me: although the jar lid was "puffed up" there was nothing growing inside ...

no bacteria, algae etc. and the smell of lobsters had almost completely disappeared,

replaced by an earthy scent; the cuff, which took color like a sponge.

I've left my favorite jar for last ... although in my earlier post I forgot about

this linen hankie entirely because I stuffed it down the side of the jar

at the last minute as there was plenty of room left

next to the ripped up linen shirt jacket.

[jar above on left]

As for my favorite - the jacket piece - iron bolts

went into the jar bottom, then the cloth was bundled

with purple-black violas, madrone bark & 4 rusty landscape pegs.

Taking a precious cue from the book, I sprinkled a teaspoon of fireplace ash

into the mix.

What amazes me: navy blues from the violas, strong distinct graphics, heavy

saturation of color.  This is a very dense linen that was not pre-mordanted and I venture

to say with a great deal of certainty that I would not have been able to

achieve this result with a one hour boil-up and a bundle opening 3 days later ...

Alchemy in the pantry.  I am smitten.

: : :

There's a wealth of jars awaiting their openings over in India's virtual pantry ...
see everyone's experiments there
Click on 'The pantry' to view the collection.

So, WHO is next?
I'm so excited for the reveals!

Have been kicking myself that I didn't experiment with whole items of clothing
for although the wait was definitely worth it, the 'time price' we pay is quite hefty
and may as well yield more of a product than a torn sleeve & a color swatch, wouldn't you say.

Ah well.  Live & learn.  All valuable, all good.

But ... I'm off soon to find some large pickle jars!

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Jade Dog's spring bead challenge

Whatever came over me, I'm not quite sure ...

participate in a bead challenge at the start of spring when the

tasks outside are too numerous to list?

oy vey.

I must be crazy.

It's just that when I saw this bead kit, I couldn't help myself

... such an organic feel, earthy tones, seed pods,
with a beautiful balance of textures that set my mind

right down a new path of inspiration.

I couldn't say no to that - that doesn't happen all that often -

that
is inspiration worth listening to.

Besides, I was already a big fan of Jade Dog Beads.
Cool stuff from a real swell gal.

~ 2015 Spring Bead Challenge, Kit #5 ~

Each kit has basically the same ingredients with only slight variations in color and

detailing marks on the large cab [at bottom].

The ingredients:

wood disc bead

vintage aluminum ring blank

polymer cab (50mm x 34mm)

radraksha beads

sea urchin spikes

strand of pellet beads

bag of size 8 transparent picasso finish glass seed beads

I think I should elaborate ... I won't be making jewelry.

[That ring is soon to become  not  a ring]

There may be cloth involved ... there may be embroidery.

Because there are no limitations on what we can create, ANYTHING beaded is fair game.

The only rules: we must use ALL the beads in the kit

and we must be finished by April 20th.

But we can add whatever we want to the kit stash

and  anything beaded  goes, including 3-D.

oh boy.

There are a few kits left ... anyone want to join in the challenge with me?

You can view them over on Etsy

and also find The Jade Dog on Facebook ... more info over there, too.

Darcy [the owner] is super speedy with answers if you have questions.

: : :

for those not swept up with bead madness
- or maybe even if you are -

I offer you this video rush

:: Danny Macaskill: The Ridge ::

Isle of Skye

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Madder madness

or - what  NOT  to do if you desire true red.

Dye day in the middle of winter ... what else could we expect?

We were not precise.  We did not follow protocol.

Fortune might favor prepared minds but when it came to trying this new dye source
our minds were  not  [prepared, that is] ... which actually seemed ok at the time.
Our main objective was just to play,

see what happened if we flew by the seat of our pants ...

Spelled out, to see what happened

if ... we didn't carefully weigh the correct amount of madder powder

if ... we didn't pre-mordant our cloth

if ... we didn't check the water pH

if ... we didn't use a thermometer to check dye bath temperatures while cooking.

Although the bath never did come to a boil [big no-no],

with a list like the above it's a wonder we achieved any pleasing color at all.

~ frontispiece silk blouse #1 ~

It was January

and like a pair of hooligans with only a couple of hours to spare before the pub closes,

we went about things a bit wildly, bypassing [most of] the well-published rules ...

we prepped our dye pot mainly on a couple whims, a few educated guesses

and several generous splashes of laughter.

Obviously, this was not the recipe to follow

if the color one is after is anything akin to true royal  RED.

Dyeing with madder has a rich and ancient history and although we were intrigued,

the desire to 'wing it' won out in the end.

We were short on time and long on laissez faire.

Maiwa provided useful background info over on their site:

Madder – Rubia tinctorium, Rubia cordifolia, and Morinda citrifolia is one of the oldest dyestuffs. It is frequently used to produce turkey reds, mulberry, orange-red, terra cotta, and in combination with other dyes and dyeing procedures can yield crimson, purple, rust, browns, and near black. The primary dye component is alizarin, which is found in the roots of several plants and trees. Madder is cultivated and grows wild throughout India, South East Asia, Turkey, Europe, South China, parts of Africa, Australia and Japan. 
Madder is a complex dyestuff containing over 20 individual chemical substances. 
Alizarin is the most important because it gives the famous warm Turkey red colour. But also present in this wonderful plant is munjistin, purpurin, and a multitude of yellows and browns. Madder is dyed at 
35-100% wof [weight of fabric] for a medium depth of shade.

Our first lesson of note is contained in that last line about weight of fabric:
next time, for deeper shades, we definitely need to add more madder.
[L. brought back quite a hefty bag of powder from her recent travels
so we have plenty for another go ...]

~ silk blouse #2, no iron, bundled around copper ~

So although in principle I am not adverse to toasty apricot, salmon-pink,
or something resembling a mango chutney,
I'd like to accomplish a deep luscious red

someday ...

~ silk blouse #3, iron bits inside bundle, folded like a sandwich with native madrone ~

~ concentrated color in dry-down marks ~

After-the-fact research on this dye stuff has been fascinating, while some of the
best examples of color comparison I found online were those done on wool yarn -
which, as it happens, depends heavily on the use of mordants.

~ photo credit: Brush Creek Wool Works ~

I chanced upon this comprehensive blog post,  'Madder, in Many Ways'
over at  Sea Green and Sapphire ...
some excellent photos there showing the multitude of hues & tones that can be achieved.

Since I'm most interested in dyeing silks, my road to hoe may differ somewhat
but I won't know how much until further experimentation.

The historically acclaimed light-fast and wash-fast properties of this plant dye
certainly hold much appeal.

~ Rubia tinctorum, courtesy of Wikipedia ~

Next time we'll put ourselves in a more "scientific" frame of mind

before setting out ...

and in the meantime, if anyone stopping by here has a suggestion or two to offer,

my most appreciative ears are wide open.

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Moon watching

What a moon we've had developing the past few days ...

clear, star-filled nights make for contemplative viewing;

being out late with the dogs, a delight for stargazers like me.

A few days back, while it was waxing,

I posted this image on Instagram

"what night feels like towards the end of winter when spring is on the cusp

but wearing her icy mantle ..."

because although nights still call for two layers of warmth,

daytimes are for shirtsleeves and wide-brimmed hats already.

The full moon last night was glorious and I was extremely grateful for a kind winter

with very few dark days ... both in the weather, and in my mind.

I'd like to share today's "mindfulness poetry" originally posted on A Year of Being Here,

for the record - my record.  My winter of eleven winters here ... the first without seasonal angst.

Because it just might have something to do with acceptance.

: : :

Dear Ezra

I have to confess:

there are abstractions

I no longer go in fear of.

Take loneliness.

I've started calling it solitude.

It feels so new and improved now,

I can honestly say it soaks up time

better than a sponge soaks up water.

The other day I actually washed this poem with it.

Ez, let me tell you,

aging is a Laundromat,

and eventually you find yourself

watching what you spurned

and dreaded for years

spread out in widening gyres,

like sheets fluffed in the dryer.

Life is quite a bit cozier

when you let all the bugaboos-

you know- say, sadness and fear

crawl into bed with you.

Pace them with your breathing

and they fall asleep

fast as a couple of kids.

The other night we huddled together

staring at the moon

as it slid past my window:

big-bellied sail on a wet black sea.

~ by Eileen Moeller. Text as published in Poems of Awakening: An International Anthology of Spiritual Poetry.

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Pleased to announce ... India Flint returns to Lopez Island

Workshop plans have been afoot for some time now

with a pre-assembled cast of characters awaiting the sewing tables and cauldrons ...

but as life does, it got in the way for two

and now there are spaces in this September's gathering,

 perhaps for you?

~  TWO SPACES AVAILABLE  ~

'the wayfinder's wander jacket'

with India Flint

September 23 ~ 25, 2015

Lopez Island, WA, USA

~ Patsy's Garden Shed Studio, Lopez Island & sweet Isla, having a wander ~

**** UPDATE 2/24 **** CLASS FULL, thank you to all who enquired!

Enjoy three days with India on lovely Lopez Island, sharing stories and stitching

a beautiful bundle-dyed hand-sewn multi-pocketed and hooded jacket

using fabrics gleaned from pre-used garments

and embellished with silk and wool scraps.

The magic of the Salish Sea, the use of scrap metals

along with a wide array of bio-regional dye sources

~ windfallen leaves, weeds, & bounty from local gardens ~

will influence the dye outcomes.

Nourishing gluten-free vegetarian lunches will be provided each day

including delicious soups made by India ...

who is a deft & creative hand around a kitchen cauldron as well ! 

For all the particulars, or to answer any questions,

please send a private message via this email link:

Christi's  EMAIL 

[please, serious enquiries only]

Note:  This is a  rural   location involving multiple
[sometimes complicated]
means of transport.
~  think slow  ~

❖ to read about India's workshop on Lopez in 2013 click here  ❖

website  ❖  indiaflint.com

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Back from the hairdresser

A few weeks ago I wrote  this post  about yearning for a fresh *new* look for this blog,

but never did I imagine ending up with a complete and total makeover ...

haircut, styling, manicure, facial, makeup ... the whole kit & caboodle.

Early on, after trying to tweak and twist and colorize a new template into 

anything that might resemble the word appealing, I realized 

I was just no good at blog design at all and there was no handbook available to help me - 

at least, not one I could decipher.

Sometimes it can be very good to speak up online ...

After apologizing for the mess I was making and confessing my angst

in the Comments section of  this post,  in came an incredibly kind and generous response:

"Extending my hand ... should you wish to take it. xo"

Enter miz Jen

~ photographer unknown, 1940s beauty school lesson ~

who, as it turns out, is a very skilled & excellent teacher in all things web-based.

We "met" years ago in an online photography course but I have only known her

 as an artist and had no idea the extent of her  other skills

as a former Web Design and Marketing maestro.

Well, I grabbed onto that hand and held on tight through this entire wild ride !

~ photographer unknown, hairdryer from the 1920s ~

It's really her fault that I became totally  undone  re-done for she encouraged me

to take a peek at the freebie templates available for Blogger these days ...

just to get design ideas ... and oh my, what a slippery slope was that.

She did warn me that it was gonna make my head spin ...

~ photo by JUCO for Fashion Rogue ~

I saw lots of styles that just weren't me.

And I had lots of separation anxiety about leaving my old, comfy blog space.

My new spot needed to feel welcoming, kinda relaxed ...

~ photographer unknown, open-air beauty salon, Cannes, France 1958 ~

but not too far out there.

~ outdoor hairdressing, Finchley Road, London 1961, photographer unknown ~

Most of all, I wanted it to remain welcoming for all my special friends.

~ boy & dachshund 1920, photographer unknown ~

Never in a million years would I have imagined a day coming when html 

no longer felt like an insurmountable foreign language.

It has been worth the headaches.

I sure hope all of you will feel it was worth the wait.

Heartfelt thanks for your patience and all the feedback you left earlier

as a guide.

Please explore a bit.  Old stuff is in new places.  There are pages up top 

containing a whole bunch of links & swell places to visit ...

my blogroll has moved up there, along with a direct link to my Instagram gallery.

As always, I'd love to hear from you in Comments.

~ Ladies at the Hairdressers, photo by Philip Townsend, London 1960s ~

To my awesomely patient, clear, concise, helpful & fabulous hand-holding teacher ...

Jen,  CHEERS to you, gal.

Couldn't have done it without ya.

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'scuse the mess around here

~ vintage salon, photographer unknown ~

There's more to it than I thought.

Ain't so easy getting a complete re-do !

Thank you for your patience while I'm sorting out the technicalities.

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