What a busy week! Life moves at great speed when I am here in the UK there is just so much to do. Festival, open studios and teaching are all happening on this trip and I am doing my best to keep up with the schedule and trying to catch up with friends old and new as well.
Edwina and I were at the Bramble Patch in Weedon last Thursday and Friday doing an open studio. We used the time there to work on pieces for the Orientation show, do a little indigo dyeing and have a great time catching up with the visitors.
We had the wet room of the shop and created a display of our work on the walls behind the work tables. Many thanks to Ann and the Bramble girls for their hospitality and to Mettler threads, Edwina’s and my generous sponsor, for the wonderful treats we handed out to visitors.
There was loads of room to spread out and get some work done! and of course all the supplies in the shop in case we needed anything- or thought we might need something. Edwina cooked up some magic and we had an indigo pot going outside , with visitors being invited to dunk a bit of something if they wanted to give it a try. Despite being August it was a cool day and I was shivering when I pulled my hands out of the pot even with rubber gloves on.
Indigo is an amazing process the colour changes during oxidation are truly amazing, I tried to catch the various changes in colour with my camera but….this is as close as I could get.
Lots of the visitors had a go and I think we may even have a few new quilters giving indigo a try for the first time. These pieces look a bit sad in this image they are looking much better now they are washed out and ironed. I just have to figure out the details, but there is a quilt in the works.
We did have a special visitor to the open studio days- he must have crept in during the night but appeared to like indigo just as much as we do. Just a little warning if you’re squeamish you might want to skip over the next image!
I taught a one day workshop on Pen and Ink techniques on Wednesday at Ineke Berlins amazing studio Littleheath Barn. We spent the day sampling drawing techniques and exchanging ideas. I was so impressed with the work the students created they take my basic technique and add their own ideas, each students work is just as individual as they are.
That’s Jenny, Jill and Wendy gathered round to chat about their work at the end of the session, there was some lovely work created and such a productive day!
Just a few more finishing details to go on my pieces for the SiX and Friends Orientation exhibition opening next weekend and then back home to Vancouver,whew!
Back to stitching,
Bye for now, Catherine
ravensthread 
HI Catherine – I’m so impressed by your energy and ability to get so much done, including blogging!! – was going to say, ‘what are you on??’ but then rememebered you’ve already told me and I think I definitley need some! That workshop of your looks wonderful – I so wish I had had time to come … I’ll have to get you next time – what fabulous stuff your students have produced. The open studios look great too – and is that the same indigo vat thata is wending it’s merry way to Inekes for next week? – am definitly going to find a bit of fabric to dunk. Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday and please tell Edwina that we need that brownie recipe!! – Hils xx
What a wonderful shop. I dabbled in indigo last summer and plan to dye my fingers blue this week. I also tried to photograph the transformation, but by the time I had my gloves off and camera out, it was already changing. It really brings out the mad chemist in me. Have a wonderful time. I hope you get to see Laura’s baby before you head back to this side of the world. Have fun!
Lovely to see you at work last week and I think that must be the most photographed spider in the world. Really looking forward to seeing the exhibition on Saturday.