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ExTex 6th Weekend - 2nd day, transfer printing with disperse dyes.

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A lovely print by Jo . A few days later - I was going to continue this sooner but preparations for the photo shoot next week and my teaching this weekend at Foredown Tower just sucked time away - plus I have a new distraction . . .  My ExTex students produced some fabulous prints on our disperse dye/transfer print day. If you are not sure how to create these prints there is a chapter in Hot Textiles (Colouring your fabric) that will help.  The three prints below show some experiments with cutting and printing. A simple print showing how translucent the prints are. This print was created by printing with two different paper bags, first one, then the other. The six prints below show how using resists such as grasses and feathers can create very beautiful and simple effects. You can then turn over the resist (which is covered in dye) and then take a print from that.. Torn strips of dye painted paper over printed.

ExTex 6th weekend - colouring fabric - 13th and 14th October

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The 6th weekend of my ExTex course experimentaltextiles.com was dedicated to colouring both natural and synthetic fabrics and threads. I think it is important to be able dye your own fabrics if at all possible, it is one thing that can help make your work different. Saturday saw us dyeing natural fabrics in plastic bags with procion dyes. This is such an easy process for smallish amounts of fabric and it is always interesting to see which type of fabric comes out darkest and brightest. We were dyeing cotton, viscose and silk.   Some of the 'stashes'   As Shaun travels up from Plymouth and stays in a hotel Saturday night she wasn't able to take her dyeing home to rinse out like everyone else -so she did it Sunday morning - and for a change it wasn't raining so she could dry them in the sun.     Heidi started to layer up some of her dyed fabrics and tried a little hand stitch - very sensitive, quit lovely. After mixing up the dyes and

A fun weekend ahead!

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  This will be a quickie - This weekend will see me teaching my ExTex group at The Old Needle Works in Redditch, we will be procion dyeing on Saturday and on Sunday we will transfer printing . We should be in for a colourful time. The cake is made - all I need to do is sort out my kit and load the car . . . . x Worthing Embroiderers Guild are holding a workshop with Jill Flower  jillflower.com on Thursday October 18th and there are a few spaces left - The workshop is from 10 - 4 and is £20. Jill will showing you how to make her fabulous brooches. If you are interested please email Linda Hoddy lmhoddy@aol.com 

A day out . .

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  A close up of the rust eating into a beam on some winching gear.  I had a day out yesterday and I took my 'big' camera with me. I am increasingly using my mobile phone's camera for convenience but there is nothing like holding a proper SLR in your hands and taking time to compose the shot. It has been quite a while since I took time out just to enjoy looking . . . Living in Brighton I have the luxury of two piers - the Palace Pier and the West Pier. The Palace Pier is still in operation and is full of gift shops, candy floss and a fun fair with lots of rides. The poor old West Pier is slowly falling into the sea. The West Pier is a photographers paradise with all the wonderful shapes of the exposed metal work. . . So it was with great interest that I explored the seafront at Eastbourne and the pier.     Two of the beautiful copper locks on the folding bandstand doors.     The amazing steel work that supports the pier. (I took loads of these)    

Getting to know your sewing machine - and other things!

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  The insides of my very old and very lovely Bernina 707.   I took a day off today to do a 'Getting to know your sewing machine' workshop at Foredown Tower with Sara Cook. I have always wanted to do this course, but never quite found the time. Like many of you I have been stitching for more years than I care to mention, in fact since I was eighteen - so a VERY long time. I have never taken the time to learn how to service my machine and get to know all the working parts. I have five much more modern sewing machines but this one is my favourite and consequently gets a lot of abuse - no I don't shout at it!!!! It was very satisfying to take the machine apart and oil the appropriate parts. I never knew I had an oscillating shuttle - how exciting?? I couldn't believe how much fluff and stuff was in my machine - I'm surprised it could work at all. I must admit I was pleased I had my old Bernina when I saw all the modern plastic machines. The old metal mach