fierce colours!

microwave dyed chiffon scarves
Originally uploaded by MadeleineS.
Well the last bunch of posts have been a bit of a catch up but what of the future?

This picture shows my latest dabblings in scarf making. Silk chiffon dyed in colours and patterns inspired by tropical reef dwellers. I've also done a batch in silk pongee but the chiffon works better. The dyeing is done on one or two scarves at a time, in a small bowl with little or no waste to pour away.  The base colour is applied all over and fixed. The damp scarf is folded in to a small bundle or tied in a knot. Contrasting spots are applied with a dropper. During the second microwaving the dyes interact and some chromatography take place as the colour spreads along the fibres.  The resulting variations are a controlled chaos of fierce blends of colour.

To see them "in the flesh", come along to Open Studios at Coburg House over the first weekend in August. As well as these scarves I'll be showing a new collections of lattice felt wraps and scarves, knitted necklaces with ceramic and felt pendants and embroidered felt brooches as well as some old favourites (cyanotype prints, mobius scarves, felt vessels etc).

After that I've got a week as a student at ECA Summer School studying Sea Arts with Fiona Hutchison.  I've attended Fiona's courses before and always found them inspiring and intriguing.

I also have a few other irons in various fires as you might imagine.  First off, Craft Reactor's second year is about to start and we're busy lining up a programme.  The Members' Showcase Exhibition is planned for mid-November this year and we meet on the last Tuesday of each month in Tea Tree Tea to share ideas and plan other crafty interventions.

Secondly and deserving of a post of its own after our first meeting next week, is the Mathematician's Shirts project - just follow that link to find out more for the moment.

Then there's this year's International Day of Felt on 1st October and Powers of Ten Day on 10th October, both of which I intend to mark in some way.  If you have an idea to share leave a comment below.

Finally, and also requiring more detail in the near future is Not A Stitch.  I've been invited to show my lace cyanotypes at this exhibition in Philadelphia next spring.  It's a a satellite exhibit of the Fiber Philadelphia 2012 Biennial. As you can see from the artists' page on the blog it promises to be an exciting and varied show.

That's all for now folks but you'll probably agree it's enough!