Dyeing naturally

No photos on this blog.  I have run out of room and am trying to fix the problem without having to pay for more space.  You will have to be patient, or check my facebook page.   Sorry!

I have had another very varied week this.

We went to the Eumundi market with a young friend and bought a wonderful squirrel puppet.  The dogs were fairly uninterested (though Maisie did consider trying to disembowel it, thinking it was one of her toys that she manages to destoy in 10 minutes, no matter how tough they are), but the Bridie, the cat really had fun. She stalked it, boxed it and bit it. Can't wait to try it on the grandkids!  I have also been wondering about how hard such puppets are to make.  I used to make teddy bears.  And, when I was about 12, I made a puppet and performed with it in a puppet show on Trinidad tv.  Surely, furry puppets aren't that different?  More research is needed.

I continued to have fun dyeing  this week, in spite of problems I have had fixing my indigo dyes.  ( The fabric has run blue, even after using salt and vinegar, so I am going to try ironing it, then washing again with the salt and vinegar.  I really don't want to sweat, stand in the rain, or spill water on myself while wearing one of the shirts and end up looking like a druid or a pict.  I have already managed to dye my face blue through splashes and my fingernails are very unattractive after my gloves split).

I have experimenting with using a lot of natural dyes.

 The first was leopard tree  pods (Caesalpinia ferrea) which I boiled with alum, and achieved a lovely grey dye.  Then, I printed on the fabric, sprinkled the printed fabric with turmeric, boiled it again,  and liked  effect.  I think I will use it to bind my quilt.

I also boiled metal, alum and gum leaves, then wrapped gum leaves, red cabbage leaves, onion skills, trees from an unknown tree in the backyard and sprinkles of turmeric in some fabric.  When I opened it all up, I was stoked to discover an incredible pattern with a clear print of purple leaves. It's the best effect I have had yet! I think the purplish pattern is off the backyard tree, but I am not sure, so I need to :
a) work out what the tree is
b) try using the leaves again to see if I can get the same effect.

Then, at the BIA this week, we experimented with henna, turmeric and the leopard pods.  The brews look so....... disgusting.  The henna, especially looked like a mixture of cow diahorrea and dog vomit, mixed with vindaloo curry.  My fabrics are still steeping in the brews, so you'll have to wait for the results - if any- on the fabrics.

We also experimented with screen printing with printing paste and then dyeing the dried and ironed results.  Since these too need to steep, it will be a while before I discover how successful we have been.

I  have done a few more t-shirts and a scarf using a black synthetic dye.  These are stewing away in a plastic bag so I have another surprise coming.

I am quite pleased with the way my fish have turned out, but they are not finished yet.  I need to put on a few more coats of varnish to be totally happy.

I am experimenting with ideas for coasters and placemats using some of my old fabric prints.  they are really very promising

As well as crafts, I have been continuing my disappointing adventures with purveyors of "fine" meals.   In spite of repeated emails assuring me that they are going to deal with my complaint about La Porchetta's service, nothing has happened. In addition, my darling husband took me to Kingsley's for dinner to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.  I must say we were both rather disappointed at the standard of service and the food, considering the reputation and the prices.  We were outside, and being a windy night, and there being very little in the way of wind breaks, we were being blown about a lot.  Thank God it wasn't raining.  You don't get the sort of professional service, the smart attire, and the little extra special things like tasters and palate cleansers at Kingsley's that I have found in the "nicer " restaurants.  In addition, they had run out of oranges for the campari and soda.  The very nice waitress was unfamiliar with the new menu and forgot the bread until after the shared entree.  There were two of us but there were three slices of fairly ordinary bread and butter.  The steamed mussels with ginger and shallots were far too salty and slightly overcooked. The soft-shelled crab was fairly tasteless and seemed as if it was coated in stale sawdust.  It was only later that I realised it was coconut.  The Asian salad it came with was okay, but not wonderful.   I think the chef  could take  lessons from some of the cheap Vietnamese restaurant chefs.  The green beans and almonds were a success and the chips that Bob had with his wagyu steak were okay.  He said the wagyu steak was good, but not as good as the Japanese beef he had.  The seared scallops and speck were tasty and cooked well, but the carrot puree was uninspired and didn't really do it any favours.  The desserts didn't really inspire us either: brownies, vanilla brulee, banana parfait, pannacotta, brandy pudding, passionfruit cheesecake or cheeses?  Is that really boring or are we just spoiled?  I hate feeling I could cook something better at home when I am at a restaurant!  We passed.  I also hate when they keep asking you how you enjoyed the meal.  I always say it was great, even if it wasn't because I don't want to have the rest of my meal sabotaged and because I am frightened of a public conflict.  Why do waitresses ask your opinion?  If I am impressed, I always say so and thank the chef.  If I don't, I say nothing and never go back.  Soliciting praise just means you never get the truth.

In case I sound like the bitch customer from hell of all the time, I love getting spoiled with icecreams at Caffe E Gelato Milany in Hamilton.  And following the advice of a friend, I went to Sugar n' Spice cafe in Adelaide street.  They have a big range of teas, but I had coffee first.  I am not a coffee expert, but I enjoyed it.  We tried some  rather good biscuits, I think they are called "whoopies", and voted the chocolate one the best. Very filling! The thing I like best about this cafe was that we sat and chatted for 2 hours, and they didn't make us feel uncomfortable.  In fact, when my companion asked, they refilled her pot of tea with fresh hot water without a blink or a charge.  Service, a nice atmosphere and nice food.  Is it that hard?

Indigo maniac

The newspapers  tell me that life is dreadful, and like everybody, I have my share of dips and troughs in life, so, true to my new philosophy of escapism that I have developed lately, I have been burying myself in my art this week.  And what a productive week it has been.  The onset of high humidity and the first of the rainy season onslaughts hasn't even stopped me.......and you know how I hate humidity!

Last week, I experimented with shibori techniques, using needle and thread to gather fabric, rubber bands, and clamps of clothes pegs and paper clips.  As a result of this experience, let me state right now that using a needle and thread is not for me, and I loathe the technique.  It looks great when other people do it, but I get frustrated at how long it takes,  and undoing the stitching is hell to do without ripping the fabric.  Plus, when I do it, I leave little needle holes all over the  fabric!  And, my results don't seem worth the effort.  Arrgggh!  I like instant, easy results.  So, from now on, I'll stick to clamping and rubber bands.

These four t-shirts, using a mixture of the three techniques,  were dyed using the same commercial dyes I used on the silk scarves I showed you in the last blog.  They are so hippy, bright and happy that I love them.  They remind me of my adolescence, when real hippies felt they were really changing the world.

I have quite a few unfinished  works on the go.  There is the knitting - of course! I have finished my tree quilt and now have to bind and back it.   I have 2 pots bubbling away on the stove now.  One is full of metal and gumleaves and alum.  I hope to use this mix to make a dyeing brew to create the colour I want for the quilt binding.  The second pot has some pods from the leopard plant in the next-door garden and some gum leaves.  I hope to get a nice grey dye from that pot.  We'll see.  Natural dyeing is very unpredictable.  I am also working on some stuffed fish, made from some shibori fabric I dyed which reminds me of  the koi carp I saw in Japan.  Right now, I am giving them shape and definition using variegated embroidery thread.   I haven't decided how to do the eyes yet.  Paint?  Embroidery?  Fabric?  Hmmmm. When they are finished, I think that I will varnish them  so they resist dirt and grime.  I have to get some more t-shirts and fabric to clamp for the dyeing in next weeks class too!

My two cohorts, Miranda and Elizabeth came over during the week to experiment with making scented coasters.  Members of the BIA are running a Christmas stall outside GOMA, and cd covers featuring art work will be on sale there.  Unfortunately, we spent a lot of our time drinking champagne, eating smoked salmon and salad, and  these beautiful little concoctions Bob made for us:

However, we also got some coasters made.  Miranda kindly supplied cinnamon oil and cinnamon which we mixed together to scent the coasters.  We made pockets to hold the mixture out of muslin, then put a layer of wadding, and then a casing out of fabric.  Miranda used some of her sun-dyed fabric, which made me want to try the technique again.  The rice, kitchen paraphenelia, bubble wrap and leaves really create great, interesting patterns.  Her first effort was a triumph with an overlapping envelop back so the insert could easily be removed for washing.  She wasn't as keen on her second but I liked it.  My effort wasn't as successful as I used white calico, and the cinnamon powder ket seeping out in aromatic clouds and dusting the room - which smelled very nice!  I gave up on the insert and pocket backs and made these, which don't smell but don't stain either:

We discovered that they do not fit into the cd cases!  Never mind!  We can still use them!

By the way, I sent these little paper pieces through as my cd contribution:

 

 

Then, I rediscovered the joys of indigo dyeing.  Like a coven of witches (and one warlock)  we gathered round the brewing pot as it worked its magic:

 

We discovered that the second brew really turned green and had stronger results.  Either way, it is like watching magic happening to see the dipped material transform to a wonderful blue as it is exposed to the air.  I was bouncing round the place with excitement and kept finding more and more things to dye.  As we dyed, we discovered that the crispest results with a strong contrast between the dyed and undyed sections came from white cotton.  Silk, especially silk chiffon, appears to absorb the colour more so the patterns are more subtle.  Skin, by the way dyes beautifully too!  As you know, I am very messy when I work.  Soap and water worked on the flecks on my arms, and vegetable oil had, I thought, cleaned my face.  However, that night, as I cleaned up, I discovered that my make-up removing cloth was blue!  My nails today are still all blue due to the gloves breaking and seem impossible to clean, no matter what I use, though the best results seem to come from face wipes.

 

These pictures show the fabrics drying in the sun.  I can't wait to wash mine out in salt and cold water and wear my new shirt and t-shirts!

 

 

 

Well, my pot is cooling down, so it is time to wrap up my cloth full of leaves and boil it. I'll talk to you in the next blog.  But, before I go, while I am talking about art in the kitchen, these are the highlights of our meals this week:

 

Steamed mussels and fresh tomato and basil sauce.

 

Aussie style Jamaican patties and salad.

Bob and Pat's excellent road trip.

Back in Brisbane, instead of settling down and relaxing, Bob and I conceived the stupid idea of driving down to Melbourne to trade in our old car and driving the new one back.  About 4000 kilometres in 4 days!  Hmmmmm.  Everyone told us how stupid we were, so we discussed it ..........and did it, against my better judgement.  It isn't that I don't like road trips,  I do!  We took a 9 week road trip round  Iberia, a 4 day road trip up to Bundaberg with the dogs,  countless road trip holidays with the kids.  I want to do a long, slow road trip round Victoria, checking out all the little towns.  The problem for me was that we had a target:  no relaxation or stopping to view interesting sights, no finding the best food and accommodation for our budget - just get there and back as quickly as possible.  Arrrgh.  Bob on the other hand, thought it would be fun.

So, we set out at 6 am on Saturday morning.  We were sharing the driving so needed something to interest us during the " relax" times.  I armed myself with t- shirts, rubber bands, thread and needles to prepare for some shibori/ tie dyeing on Wednesday.  I also brought some knitting I am slowly working on.  Bob brought his iPad and phone so he could contact work.  We also had the radio and
some talking books.

The drive proved to be taken at a time when eastern Australia is looking its best.  The morning light gave a beautiful, yellow, pink silver hue to the landscape.

The floods earlier in the year meant the countryside was green and lush, the rivers and dams full, the crops lush.  The spring season meant  the wildflowers were blooming, the gums were sprouting rosy tips of new growth, and there was a lot of birdlife around - galahs, corollas, wood duck, black duck, rosellas, cockatoos, finches, wrens, ravens, magpies, emus, egrets, herons....... All the way down the highway, the huge crops of hay were ripening in the sun or being reaped.  Many towns had nesting boxes nailed to trees along the roadside to encourage birds to nest.  Compared to my road trip in the sixties and the seventies, when farmers used to shoot eagles and hang them on fences as trophies or warnings, and DDT was devastating the raptor population, we saw lots of hawks, eagles and falcons.  This is the Australia I adore.

Unfortunately, there were so many road- kill corpses on the road side too.  I suppose the ravens and crows seemed to be enjoying them, and I didn't really mind the amount of dead foxes we saw, but it was dismaying to see the high number of magpies, wallabies and kangaroos lying dead on the roadside.  It is a wonder that there are so many native animals left!  The other thing that really disturbed me disturbed me was the lack of parrot flocks.  Again, when I used the same road in the sixties and seventies, we used to drive through flocks of so many galahs that the sky seemed pink.  Alas, no more.

What we did have a lot of was semi-trailers and, even worse, wide-load vehicles, which drove at 40 kilometres an hour and were almost impossible to pass.  Bah!  Why don't they use the railways any more?

We stopped for a beautiful coffee and cake combination ( gluten free, to boot!) in the pretty little garden of a cafe which featured old Hollywood memorabilia and an antique shop.  Was it Coonabarabran?  And later, very unmemorable wrap in Moree.

To stave off the boredom, we listened to Bill Bryson's amusingly witty "Notes from a Small Island"  and collected wierd place names.  Poison Waterholes Creek, Tongaboo, Gronggrong, the Shire of Bland, Wunghu, Talligaroopna, Bogan.  Wish we had time to find out the backgrounds of all these places.

But, we finally made it to West Wyalong, where we did our usual trick of finding the worst, saddest and most ageing motel to stay in.  This is the trouble with being so tired that you just take the first place you see.  We were so tired, we stopped at the first eatery we came to and had a traditional Aussie Chinese dinner before collapsing into bed.  

The town appeared to have very little to offer in the way of breakfast fare, so we drove on to Narrandera and had a very pleasant breakfast:

Once we entered the Riverina, the dominant crop was rice.  It looks very weird and out of place here, after seeing it grown in Japan and Vietnam.  The fields are huge- you could fit an entire town in one of them.  And the water is all irrigated.  Not sure I think this a good idea for the soil.  Also, it strikes you how much monoculture there is in Australia.  This may be economically efficient but it seems very unnatural.  Doesn't this type of farming require enormous amounts of fertilizer, irrigation and pesticides?  Plus, on a purely sentimental note, it is pretty unattractive as it seems to involve cutting down every tree in sight and planting right up to the edge of the farmhouse in a lot of cases.  I might be wrong.  After all, I am city bred.  I must talk to my country friends.

Victoria looks so familiar and beautiful at this time of year.  Roses everywhere and the bright yellow green of the introduced trees contrasting with the grey green of the native gums.  And home reminded me why I love the seasons.   The garden in my old house needs a good pruning after the roses flower, but it is still lovely.

We only managed to catch up with a few members of our extended family, then it was back home with our new car.  We stopped for lunch in Albury, and the only thing we could find at 2.30 was very sad looking bagels.   We made the mistake of trying to get lunch at La Porchetta.  A waitress who obviously was looking forward to her afternoon off and was not keen on customer service appeared to be trying to talk us out of ordering, or encouraging us to eat quickly so we took off and had noodles.  Another uninspiring meal.

 We got so excited trying out all its new features in the car that we missed our turn off and ended up doing a tour of rural NSW.  Very interesting, but added time to the trip.  We stopped for a break at Culcairn and discovered this mural .  The artist saw us photographing it and yelled out proudly that it was his work.

When we finally stopped at Forbes, we again got the  dud motel - should have guessed when he greeted us in a filthy "wife beater".   It was $40 dearer than the previous one, yet beside the railway crossing and the highway intersection. We really must develop a better system for picking motels or learn to walk out when they look bad.  Dinner at the pub and then encounters with lots of mole crickets in the car park. 

The next day, we again missed a turn off and ended coming back via Toowoomba.  Only listening to Ruth Rendell's "The Veiled One" kept us sane.

Brisbane was greeting the rainy season when we got back.  The jacarandas are growing leaves and the poinsiannas have broken out.  I was really glad to get out of a car and bget backed to dyeing and  sewing. 

I managed to get a lot of work done at home on the quilt I am making. (Photos to come) I've also started some of the designs for the cd covers I am making for the BIA market in Southbank. (Photos to come).  Plus,  I am using some of the tie-dyed fabrics I have made to make fish mobiles.  (Photos to come).  Plus, the t shirts I dyed turned out well . (Photos to come).  At the BIA, I dyed some silk scarves and was really pleased with the results:

I also liked the cotton I dyed for quilting.  Think I'll try that folding technique again.

 PS:

On the whole, our food experiences in rural NSW were pretty uninspiring.  Why do people think it is hard to cook good, quick meals cheaply?  Here are some of our efforts since we have been home:

 

Prawn, snow pea and mushroom curry, mango chutney and brown rice).

Bento box of grilled vegetables and marinated beef, snow peas and pickled ginger and inari.
 


This blog seems to be turning into a food and travel blog, not an art one!