Silk Cord

I've had some fun dyeing silk cord.  I definitely think this is a nice addition to my collections and future work.  This is for a custom dye job, neutrals and then played with bright colors. I tried some variegated dyes too.  The differences are the colors used, but also Procion Fiber Reactive and Acid dyes. The fiber reactive dyes are definitely softer colors.

Our 40th year together...celebrating on the solstice.

40 years...can't believe we are so grey!

New Studio Porch and Green Cotton Plants

When we put up the studio the plan was to have a porch out front.  This is being build and looking good.  I can't wait to bring my loom and spinning wheel outside!  We also keep trying to make garden on the mountain....it's not the most rewarding adventure.  But we have cotton seed growing!  This is green cotton see from Phreadie Davis in Albuquerque.  It's the long green staple I like spinning best.

Well...we know it's strong!  He's cutting back the tree limbs

Lichen Dyeing

At the Noggles home in Indiana, Sarah and I scraped lichen off the oat trees and I've let them soak in an ammonia bath for several weeks to get the color to leach out of them.  The ball of yarn is much darker and brighter in person.  I'll wait another month or more before dyeing some yarn.  

Sewing with Kimono Silk

The Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta was so great this year! Part of it that I was able to take credit cards...everyone uses plastic any more!  I am so pleased and thank everyone who supported my little cottage industry...The Weaver's Cottage/Chamomile Connection did great!  Staying with my friend Carry, an avid and wonderful seamstress, tends to get me motivated to sew and try new things.  So, purchasing a pattern from Encore I began the vest and feel it was rather successful.  I have a few more embellishments to add and can post that later.  Here is the vest!

Ikat Kimono Silk Fabric 

The yoke is a lovely rust colored kimono scrap that has textural lines and the back is a soft silk from Thailand a lighter rust with flower designs.  It is fully lined with the "silk" from Cambodia that turned out not to be silk...but a lovely soft grey lining (the purple washed out in the washer even on cold and with vinegar!) So, it is actually reversible if I want.

Primitive Pottery Workshop

Antonia gave a primitive pottery workshop this past month that was very successful.  It really got Will and I excited about working with clay again.  One of the pots I made was from some of the local clay we dug and it fired beautifully. Antonia helped me understand what qualities I was looking for in dug clay and had me wet it overnight then wedge it and form a bowl.  I used a small glass ball for the mold and the clay was about 1/4" thick throughout.  Dried it all day, wetting the rim until it was time to go dig the pit for firing!  The lighter bowl was formed over a soccer ball (thanks to Ty) and the bowl retained the honey comb pattern from the ball.  I decided to leave that and work with the design.  It was hard to bring myself to paint the bowl with the yucca paint brush I'd made using slip...but finally did and and I'm so glad I did!  The pattern is rather uneven, but I promise I will get more steady as time goes on.  This brings a totally new respect for the ancient pottery shards we find around us here from the Mimbres Indians.  Their work is perfect!

A new friend Ryan, a CDT hiker, happened to come on the pit firing day and enjoyed our little community gathering and helped dig the pit and gather wood.  All it all it was a great experience.

Needless to say this has gotten me going with clay and needing a place for the kick wheel, Will has gotten busy with my studio porch.  We'll have the wheel protected but out under the porch to work.  And I found a little kiln!!!  I'm not going to be able to do too much pit firing, it's a lot of intense work!

Local Clay 

Soccer Ball molded bowl with yucca brush painting 

Fire cloud from the pit firing shows the rust from the iron in the flagstone we lined the sides of the pit with 

Will's hand shows the size of the bowl