The End of Another School Year

It's always an interesting time/ very busy, particularily in March, hence the reason why I've found time to update this blog now.  We did felt yardages using secondary structures like lace, webbing, etc as a base for the wool, and that finished up that course.  Our first part of printing and design on fabric was completed, and I have to say I was surprised to find in myself a sudden and huge interest for using natural dyes.  I did not buy any new material besides cotton canvas, instead choosing to reuse old bed sheets (white or beige), overdying them and printing my designs on top.

-It should be said here that there is a strong bias for using natural materials and dyes in this school.  There's nothing wrong with this, and it is an environmentally conscious thing to do.  I however, am more inclined to 'use up' or 'reuse' materials that would otherwise be thrown away.  Once made it can't be undone- so to speak.-

Textile history went along with an essay on the use of textiles in armor, something I will be exploring next year.  Ah, and weaving- I finished two orange/green scarves of cotton, and a macrame hanging from fabric scraps I'd had leftover from the year.  I didn't give that course much of a chance to like it, and I found that once the initial set up of the loom was finished I was actually pretty fast as weaving.  So next year I will try and make more of a yardage type of woven fabric, and get more out of the course than I did.

The year end show was a success, lots of people coming in and taking a look around.  The sale was less so I think, though a lot of pottery sold.  I think it's safe to say a lot of students were more interested in sales outside of the school, such as the many summer fairs that are approaching, and other previous plans.  But I ended up selling one of my woven scarves, a vest, and potentially a felt scarf (if it all works out by the end of this week).  It was a good experiment on pricing and what people are looking for.   

on theatre work and extra projects

Volunteered to help out the capitol theatre in the costumes for the upcoming opera that opens March 8! So far I have cut out many tiny leaves of various fabrics, and assembled a few simple tunics that had to be sent off to be dyed. It is called Khaos, and is entirely produced by local staff and talent (something I learned was very rare).

Extra projects resulted in the recent week break off school- I made these interesting apron/pant garments, in the process of finishing some imitation corsets, a small backpack bag, and sewing another cosplay. And of course, as always, a ton of reading to do. Nice mix of earth spirituality, sewing/textiles, and gender. Still haven't finished some books... should really do that before I go back to school in September.

the end of the month

And the end of felting- I made a small rug [one side has a spiral (orange, green background) other side is a mix of purples, blues, and reds] and a larger one that is as long as a bed (and about as wide if the bed is a single) that is a mix of dark green/brown for a background with symbols of bright orange over top. And it has 13 orange tassels made of jute on each end. It is very warm, even when just lying on top.

We are in the process of preparing for our final felt crit on March 13, where we will present our final project: yardage. A lot of thin felt, sometimes using a secondary structure such as lace or mesh to support the wool. I am planning on making a cloak out of a couple of pieces I made, still pondering that one.

Thursday we begin the first part of surface design, that won't be finished until next year- and next year will be amazing, I am sure of it. For one thing, I will have a full course load, and there will be no chance of repeat courses like drawing and design to have to try and get out of. There is only about 6 weeks of school left! Amazing how the time goes once December is over.

What else...weaving has been slowly explaining itself to me, though I'm still not impressed very much by the whole process/result. I think I will have to do a 3D weaving project for my final piece, just to try and find a way to put my own interests into it so that I have more drive to do the course work. Going to try the first project though, two scarves- I have my warp threads all wound into a chain, got to wait for a loom to be free to put it on... if I can remember all the steps in doing that! We will see what happens.

Weaving: the brand new class

An interesting past two weeks/ we have continued felt, where the entire class made a large rug. We felted it in about two or three hours, then drew a name for someone to take it home with them. A neat concept, though I winced at the amount of wool that was used. I just really want to get started on my own rug, it's going to be probably five feet long, and three feet wide or so. Something to lie down on ^_^

Weaving is the new one- a lot of information in that course, and it's only been two classes! A bit overwhelming, but I know we'll all get it eventually. Last class we set up the looms using the thread we'd wound into what's called a 'warp chain' the class before. I did the winding for part of the rainbow threads, I had red, orange, yellow, and green... and someone else had green, purple, and blue.

There's some homework starting to gather, but it's nothing compared to the end of last term. I'm still waiting for the workload to kick in ^_^ Should be an exciting second part of the year.

School show and sale was a success! I only had two pieces in the exhibition, the striped felt hat/hood I did earlier and the backpack gourd/pocket strap object. Everyone had very nice work.

In the next semester I'll take more design courses, and also textile history, felting pt.2, pattern construction/design, and weaving. I think it ends in April, but I haven't decided what to do with myself after that. Have to wait and see!

decided some photos were in order here...

1- printing with natural dyes/ this one is a print using madder (madder root, in tannin form), on a wash from pomegranate

2- the indigo dye vat for natural blue. has to be closely maintained to ensure it stays healthy- it even has a designated caretaker!

3- colour run of natural dyes on cotton

4- collages in design class

5- final project in progress (remember the backpack gourd?)


Classes are going really well, and a lot of other things have been happening outside of them too. I got some really great library books: Japanese houses and patterns, interior design for small spaces, origami, etc. I signed up to volunteer at the spca here in town (only a short walk from my work), I got a couple of extra shifts this week at work, I went to the transgender day of remembrance a short while ago, my aunt's birthday was held last weekend. So much to do still!

Height of it all though was playing with the cats on tuesday past, during lunch hour. There are two big cat rooms that you can go in and just sit with them, and you can also take cats out of their cages (the ones who aren't in the rooms). There were five kittens, four black ones in one section and a tiny white/patch one in another- and they ran all over the place!

Ahem, back to art: The school show at the end of the semester is also approaching fast, and I'm really striving to get my final piece (#5) finished for the exhibition. I'm also putting in my major felt project (striped hat) and maybe some other felt things. I would love to have something for the sale, but I don't think it's going to happen until the end of the year, if the option is available then as well. Too busy making other things for some very special and well- missed people ^_^

Dye class: we are painting with natural dyes, both in a paste and in a watered down version for washes and such. So far we've painted on silk and cotton. And we've used indigo! The only natural blue dye besides woad (I think though that woad is less of a nice blue) in the world.

Fabric construction/Pattern design: we made flaps, joined pieces of fabric together all fancy with linings, made cut out shapes that were fully lined on the inside edges, and fully lined inside out shapes.

Design: mask making, a flat one and a 3d one... I made the first one so far out of wooden beads woven together. not sure what to do yet about the next one, but I am sure to think of something.

And other than that, the major project full size prototype was completed, though now I'm trying to make the real thing. I'm using old wool jackets and cotton material for the whole thing, and I am currently trying to give the gourd backpack some stability by using interfacing.