My Indigo Dyeing weekend
The story is quite funny really. As you know I have been testing the Birkin Jeans, which call for stretch denim. There is all manner of denim available in shops and on the internet but I could not find what … Continued
The Fabric of India at the Victoria and Albert Museum
If you like fabric – woven, embroidered, block printed, dyed; silk, cotton, wool; ancient, Victorian or modern; made into clothes, shawls, wall hangings, carpets or tents; if you love colour and India – this is a marvellous exhibition which I … Continued
A little bit of hand painted fabric
I tried to buy 2m of white habotai from Simply Fabrics for £5 a metre. But they only had a little bit left – just over 1m. So I took it – it was very cheap. Last night I decided … Continued
Getting the knives out
Finally I finished my knives dress. You made many helpful suggestions. I should have followed them. Especially Mrs Mole’s one of putting four darts into this dress. I didn’t take her advice. I did use red bias binding, which I … Continued
Using my knife print fabric
Last term I printed a piece of cloth with a knife print. I have written about this before. On top of a light grey background I over-printed with small knives lino blocks, using navy, darker grey and a little bit … Continued
Inspiration from ancient Egyptians
After nearly a year since we went to Seville, we managed to squeeze in a week on the River Nile. Egypt is more or less devoid of tourists, which makes it very sad. It has the most amazing places to … Continued
Lino printing on a summer T shirt
Some of my all time favourite T-shirts come from Primark. Made in Romania or Poland these cotton with Lycra T-shirts are a tight fit (which I like), wash and wash without shrinkage or piling. Normally £2-£3 each, they come in … Continued
A gift for the Principal of the Mary Ward Centre
My opposites project came to an end. I made four lino prints based on the words on posters I came across at the Mary Ward Centre. I used machine embroidery to create colour on the design. I added a little hand … Continued
Using silk paints on an existing garment
I bought a nice pair of silk trousers in the Topshop sale. They were a good fit, cheap, made out of heavy silk, but the colour – a slightly pink cream – was not very nice. I thought I could … Continued
Sonia Delaunay at Tate Modern
I went to see the Sonia Delaunay exhibition. It was super, and if you are in London do go. Delaunay (1885-1979) was an amazing abstract painter who worked with colour in a new and very exciting way. She also applied … Continued