Blogging, In General

I often receive comments about the fact that my blog is published quite frequently despite the fact that it is called 'Diana's Occasional Blog'. I must confess I was somewhat nervous about this whole blogging thing when I started, and I wasn't too sure whether I would have enough stuff to blog about. Many blogs seem to 'die' before they really get started so my title was somewhat of a safety net. I have now been blogging for over a year and I really enjoy it! My fears about not having enough content have not been founded and I am delighted that people find my blog of interest.

Here are some thoughts on blogging and why I do it (in no particular order):

I enjoy writing.
Having been involved in textile tutoring (to adults) for 27 years, I am programmed to share my experiences.
I now seem to be doing alot more experimenting with techniques. It is very easy to think 'I must try that sometime...' and of course it usually doesn't happen. My blog gives me an incentive and a focus to try new things, and then report on the outcomes.
I enjoy reading other people's blogs, and being part of a community through a shared interest.

So there you are... I intend to be around for awhile yet!

Another find at the Saturday market. A microwave muffin tray, costing NZ$2, ideal for mixing small dye amounts. The dye doesn't seem to stain it, but I think pigments will. So, dyes only please......

Getting there in my 12 series... detail from number eight; four more to do.

75 days until my exhibition

Testing, testing

Okay. I've done it! Here is my first attempt with my BIG screen. This is an exercise in process rather than content. My intentions are to use this screen for printing lengths of fabric, and for one-off art pieces.

The screen is propped up with blocks so that the mesh is not touching the printing table underneath. I have mixed some black Procion MX dye with water, and then painted the circles on to the mesh, and left it to dry.

The dry screen resting on soda ash soaked calico (muslin) and the corners secured with clamps.

Clear sodium alginate resting in long side well. It is usual to screen from the short ends with a squeegee that reaches across the width and I may evenually obtain one of these.

Here I am about to do a second run with the squeegee. The sodium alginate does get contaminated with the colours painted on to the screen and I save this in a container labelled as such. This can be used as a basis for mixing a coloured sodium alginate at a later date, the amount of contamination doesn't seem to affect the new colour - it can often improve it! I could of course have screened this piece with a coloured sodium alginate but it is a only test piece.

All done! Washing the dye residue off the screen with garden hose on high pressure.

The printed calico (muslin) batching to set the dyes.

Close up of printing. The sodium alginate shows up as wet on the undyed fabric. Camera flash light reflexing off lower centre circle.

And here is the outcome, washed and ironed. Certainly not inspirational but the 'doing' was the intent here.

78 days to my exhibition

New Silk Screen

I have a new toy! (Actually that should read tool). I have always enjoyed working with a silk screen and have a collection of various sizes, mostly small scale. Some are blanks, and others have photosensitive images or drawing fluid/screen filler images on the mesh. Recently I decided I needed a BIG one and placed an order for this from a local textile printing supplier. Last week it arrived and I must confess I had a moment of anxiety at the reality of the size. Since then I have sealed the wood with polyurethane, scoured the mesh, and taped the outer edges of the mesh. I have made the taped sides a bit wider than is normal so that if I wish to use the screen sideways I can use these as the printing wells (I live on my own and this may be the easier way for me to work). Although the screen is now ready for use I have purchased two draw handles to be placed halfway down each side to give secure lift (builder son is to fix these for me). The inside screen measurements are 118cm x 65cm / 46" x 25.5" and this allows me to print a full fabric width of 114cm / 45". I have now to start working through the processes of using it.

Here is my new screen resting against my car (note number plate; UPPFAB stands for Uppity Fabrics and smaller letters read Hand-dyed Fabrics), and a garage work chair. As this is a large screen and the mesh is drum tight, the long wooden sides have bowed slightly. This is not a problem as I have made sure the side tapes are straight.

And yes, here is another piece (seventh) completed in my series of 12. Detail only. I am very pleased with this one.

80 days until my exhibition (I forgot to include this in my previous blog!)

Potato Masher

I have had a quick go at working with the rather strange potato masher purchased from a basket of old second hand kitchen tools the other week. My first impression was 'this will be good' but actually I found it rather disappointing. Then I squiggled it in the printing pigment and started to make some mono-prints.... aahhh, much better!

The potato masher inked with some black pigment.

Using the masher in formal patterns. Somewhat boring.....

Over-lapping prints.

Now this is better! The masher squiggled in the pigment and mono-printed.

Another mono-print.

Double mono-print, black, then red.

And another piece in my 12 series. Detail only. Have completed two this week so am feeling good....

Serendipity

I am a fan of serendipity. The other day I was printing from a sheet of glass on to a masked off area of cloth. As I examined the result I noticed that the thickened Procion MX had also printed on to the surrounding masking tape. The resulting squishy-sort-of-pattern was rather nice so I placed another piece of fabric on top of the tape and took a print. I liked the result so decided to try it again.

I covered a sheet of glass (edges taped for safety, green) with masking tape. I prefer to use the blue tape which, although much more expensive, does a better job and may be used several times before it looses its stick. 'Ordinary' cream tape is no longer as efficient as it used to be - or am I getting older!

I painted some thickened dye on to another sheet of glass, then pressed this on to the blue taped plate above. Removing it from the plate gave this squishy look.

This second sheet of glass was then printed on to fabric. The horizontal lines evident in the print are there because of my not placing these pieces of tape correctly.

A second piece of fabric was placed on top of the blue taped sheet of glass to pick up the surplus dye. Two pieces from one!

This is my first attempt at this but I feel there are possibilities here. My taped piece of glass was easy to clean and I should be able to use it again. I now plan to try this again using strong plastic sheets which are obviously more flexible than glass.


And another piece finished in my series of 12. Detail only.

85 days to my exhibition

Printing Tools

Our local Saturday morning market has several second-hand stalls which I enjoy trawling. Last weekend there was a basket of old kitchen tools from which I purchased several items. These cost me a grand total of NZ$2. Over the next few weeks I will experiment with these and let you know what results I get. You might like to let me know if you have any other ideas I can try.

My new printing tools

I have used the tea strainer to sift dry dye powder (like dusting icing sugar on to a cake) on to the fabric, then squirted on a stock solution (this could also have been done with plain water on to a Soda Ash soaked fabric). I found the solution very uncontrollable and the dyes spread rather more than I preferred.

This time I first applied the stock solution to the fabric with more care, then sifted on the dry dye powder. This I felt has turned out better, and I prefer these colours over the first attempt.

The fourth in my series of 12 pieces, each 22cm x 31cm (9" x 12"). Detail only. Eight more to do....

87 days to my exhibition

Discharge Variations

The other day I decided to do a quick experiment with discharge paste. I used a gutta nib and dispenser to quickly draw on some previous Procion MX dyed fabric. Then I placed it outside in some welcomed winter sunlight and left it to dry. Obviously in summer this would work a lot quicker! The sunlight certainly lightened the discharged lines on the fabric.

Discharge paste dried in the sun and then the right hand side has been steam ironed followed by washing to remove the discharge paste. Left hand side has had no ironing.

Discharge paste dried in sun.

Portions only of above steam ironed. I like the subtle variations in colours which result.

While at the Surface Design Association conference we were discussing irons in a workshop and it was mentioned that a travel iron was handy to get into smaller areas unsuccessful with a normal size iron. I purchased a travel iron years ago but it was never very good for the purpose of travel - it was heavy and used up too much of my weight allowance, so it has remained behind ever since. I have now retrieved it and found it good for ironing the smaller areas in the second sample above.

My (steam) travel iron next to the normal size iron.

90 days to my exhibition