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?
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