Rethinking old sayings
My American Aunt, Rose (born in Ireland but she lived her adult life in the US as a religious sister and kids’ teacher) used to have a phrase about nice things. They were ‘for special occasions and bonfire nights’. I suspect it was from a time when folk had one good outfit in their wardrobe but it’s a phrase that has stuck with me and, while the saying sounds fun, it has led to me not letting go of beauty, storing them up in boxes or in the wardrobes for that ‘special occasion’ to come along. As I get older I have come to realise that every day I get to be on this beautiful earth is a special occasion and so it is time to get out the glad rags and let loose! I am finally applying this simple principle to my fibre stash; so in this post I want to talk about some of those gorgeous samples that I made during the various dyeing workshops I have taken over the past nine months. I wrote about them in my last three posts and you can find them all here if you would like to catch up with them. Adventures in colour Part 1; Adventures in colour Part 2; Dyeing to Eat.
I have to confess, it took a while for me to brave using the results of the workshops – the special occasions and bonfire nights phrase was stuck in my head and I was afraid I might ruin the samples (silly!). In the end, I decided to simplify things and just play. I started with a little weaving. Some time ago I bought a small loom, nothing fancy, it cost less than €13.00. It’s from Sostrene Grene, it’s a great shop for reasonably priced bits and pieces and it now is online. Their website is here
Here is a photo of my little loom. It’s great for playing as I watch TV:
As I did not have specialist thread and as this was just a play, I set the warp up using cotton thread. Then I got to work, using some of the fibre and yarn which I dyed during the natural dyeing workshop last November. I also used a cotton yarn for the background of the piece. Here is a photo of some of the hand dyed fibre:
Here is the result of my first play:
Next, I decided to use some of the yarn which I dyed during the Procion dye workshop. At this stage I had purchased proper warp thread and I decided to use a metal hoop for my base. I used a small nylon ring within the hoop and I set this off centre when I was setting up the warp. Again here are some photos of the fibre and thread used. I love the vibrancy of these colours!
And here is the result. I plan to add nylon fishing line to this and hang it as a mobile.
Next, it was finally time to be a little brave and use one of my favourite fibre samples. This is merino wool which was randomly dyed in the dye pot. I loved the result as it reminded me of photos taken of deep space by Hubble. Here are two photos of the fibre sample I made.
I felt I might ruin the effect if I didn’t felt it carefully. So my layout had to be simple. In the end I decided to make a cowl with it. The sample length was 60cm and it was quite thick so I divided the fibre lengthways into two equal bundles being careful to keep the colours intact. I took the two bundles and stretched both out very thinly width wise, again being careful to maintain the colours. As the fibres were going to run in one direction I decided to use the nuno technique to stabilise the piece. I used margillan silk for this purpose (measurement length of sample x 2 by the width of the stretched fibre).
Then I cut a resist which was the same length as the sample. I wrapped the silk around the resist as it was to form the base of the cowl. I wet this to keep it in place (margillan is so light it has a habit of wandering!). Then I carefully laid the fibre on top of the silk. (Tip: the start and end of each of the two lengths of fibre were not placed at the edge of the resist to avoid any possibility of creating a ridge). I wet the piece down, rubbed and started rolling. (lots of rolls to encourage the fibre to go through the silk). Once this was done I started fulling the piece. Here are some photos of the process:
And here are photos of the finished piece. I am pleased with how the colours have kept their integrity and it has not become a muddy mess! All set for the cooler weather.
Next, I took some silk fibre which has been dyed in the same pot. Here is a photo of the fibre:
This time I set it onto a black background. I was so pleased that it adhered well to the fibre but the black did not destroy the colours. This was probably helped by the fact that I did not fully felt the piece as I intended to frame it so I knew I could stop my process whenever I found it aesthetically pleasing. There’s lots of texture in it which I am pleased about. The black background definitely reminded me of deep space! Once rinsed and dry, I set to work doing some free motion embroidery. Lots of little stars. I then added some silver seed beads for a little starry sparkle. What do you think?
Next, a quick update on my more recent dyeing exploits. I attended wedding recently and I needed a cover up which would tie in with my dress. I did not have time to felt a piece but I knew that I had some light wool fabric which would be perfect if dyed. Previous samples from the Mexican dyeing course I attended confirmed that I could achieve the colour I wanted from avocados. I prepared my fabric (scoured and used an alum mordant) ate the avocados and then I dyed the fabric. I threw in a little prepared merino and silk fibres too to see what might happen. Once dyed, I hemmed the wool shawl. I am delighted with the result. This is one piece that will not be kept for ‘special occasions and bonfire nights’. Here is the result:
Then I decided to use the merino and the silks which were dyed in the same pot to make a flower. The colour achieved was a lot lighter but I am pleased with the result of the experiment:
Finally, every year, there is a local collaboration between two of our neighbours a farmer and a food producer (we live in a rural area). They grow a field of sunflowers which members of the public are invited to pick and make a donation either online or through their honesty box to the local hospice charity. It is always a popular event. I picked some sunflowers this week and they are now looking gorgeous in my sun room. I took off the bottom leaves from the plants before placing them in water. I decided it might be fun to see if I could extract dye from them. I also made a little pigment. Unfortunately, the photos do not fully do justice to the beautiful green tones I achieved from the dye, but I thought I would share them anyway:
I know I am not alone in my need to behave like a squirrel and hoard my treasured items. I am so pleased that I have taken a tiny percentage of my mine and transformed them into something else which in my view are aesthetically more pleasing.
Now it’s time for you to share. Are you a hoarder too? If so, what do you hoard and do you ever think about transforming some of your stash?
Happy creating,
Helene x
16 thoughts on “Rethinking old sayings”
Your results are beautiful! I agree with your philosophy. I had been saving special wool and silk fibers, and then during a move, most of them got lost. That taught me use things more freely.
I’d heard that phrase ‘special occasions and bonfire nights’, on a bbc miniseries, Larkrise to Candleford. People saved certain outfits and decorations…but not for some unknown, hoped for special moment, as we do. Bonfire nights happened every year, for example at the festival celebrating the year’s harvest. And the other special occasions were, funerals, baptisms, and other celebrations. In other words, they had regular festival dates and other yearly events when those special items were used. And to keep them looking new, they set those items aside to be used only on those ‘special occasions and bonfire nights’ which were sure to happen each and every year. Kinda like our Sunday best clothes. I find the idea very appealing, even exciting because it helps us look forward to what will surely come. But hoarding for a hoped for special occasion that may or may not come…that can lead to cumbersome piles.
Thank you for your kind comment about my creations. 🙂
I am really excited that you have heard the saying before. I tried googling it and got nowhere. It makes sense the more I think of it. My grandmother was born around 1870 and would have come from a rural community in Co. Tipperary (Ireland). Aunt Rose was one of many children she and my grandfather had with my mother being the youngest (b. 1921). So she would have grown up on that saying.
How awful to lose the special wools and silks. Thank you for passing on a valuable lesson. One of the big challenges (for me anyway) is that I find huge stashes overwhelming, and yet I don’t want to give anything away as all the pieces evoke memories. I think it’s time to stop buying and start using!
Helene x
A lot of people ‘of a certain age’ have grown up with the idea of keeping things for best – and it’s easy to understand why.
We’ve both been guilty of thinking in that way with stuff in our stash too but we hope we’ve managed to overcome it (mostly) now.
By ‘letting go’ you have a beautiful cowl and a stunning mixed media picture that looks just as you’d imagine deep space to be.
Your circular weaving piece will be fascinating to look at as it moves slowly around on its wire.
The gorgeous flower is perfect for a shawl that will keep you warm physically and mentally as you enjoy wearing it.
Wow – you really got your money’s worth from that vase of sunflowers!
Thanks Lyn and Annie,
I agree with what you say here but I think I will have to rein myself in a bit and stop adding to the stash at this stage!
Thank you for all your kind comments . It is great to be able to move the bits out of the studio and onto (in most cases) my person.
The sunflowers were fantastic! They were a total experiment and the amount of different tones I extracted from the various flowers and the leaves were really exciting. There is a difference gained from each. I was too late to photograph the results for this post as the pigment from the yellow sunflowers is not ready for the journal yet but I might include it in the next post if I can get the camera to behave and photograph the colours accurately.
Helene x
Wow Helene. Make felt while the sun shines indeed! I like the bottle and glass at the top of the photo, just the thing. The cowl is gorgeous, and I love the way the shadow of the colour appears through the silk. Just the thing to keep you warm in the winter and still look chic.
I love your Hubble image, though I didn’t remember seeing any of the pictures before. I’ve just got out of the rabbit hole admiring them. I can see where you got your inspiration for the picture from. Wonderful.
I didn’t know you could get colour out of sunflower leaves. I expect you can from the petals too. I think the results you’ve got are great.
If I were you, I’d keep those coffee filters, I’m sure they’ll come in handy sometime for a mixed media project.
Ann
Thanks a million Ann and apologies for sending you down that particular rabbit hole. Although I suspect the wonders of the photos you encountered were thrilling (and perhaps a tad inspirational!).
In answer to your comment about the sunflowers. Yes! big time! I am looking at the results here beside me. Unfortunately as I said to Lyn and Annie, the pigment was not fully prepared yet so I did not want to add the samples to the post until the full page was complete. I sampled 3 different elements during my dyeing experiment; the leaf; the orange sunflowers and the standard yellow sunflowers. I used alum as my mordant on my fibre and fabric and also in the pigment extraction. Each yielded the most beautiful tone of yellow. If I can manage to photograph it accurately for the next post, I will upload a photo.
Helene x
I’m looking forward to seeing that.
Wow, you have been busy and all your creations are wonderful. I have been trying to use up what’s in my stash for years. I rarely buy anything new and I still have piles to go through 😜
But I think using special things is so important. Using my favorite things on an everyday basis makes each day special.
Thank you Ruth and how very true and wise words. We do need to make every day special. I have a long way to go before I even make a visible dent into all the materials I have here. Not enough hours in the day lol!
Oh wow….so many beautiful outcomes Helène. First all the dyeing and then all the felting outcomes. I could happily invade your abode and ‘acquire’ your cowl, starry night would be attached and then of course your shawl, complete with flower….need I go on 🤣
As has been said by everyone….those of us of a certain age were brought up with ‘keeping for best’. I’ve read everyone’s comments and yes I agree wholeheartedly that every day should be special. I have to admit I’m on the cusp, having only recently started to think along these lines – I haven’t fully embraced it yet or should I say acted on it yet.
This is a very timely post and I will keep everyone’s wise words and your stunning achievements mindfully in my head.
Xx
Thanks so much Antje. I think I will be frisking you after your very welcome stay here (if I could work out how to get the emojis working on the laptop this would be followed by the ‘burst out laughing’ icon).
This morning I continued unravelling the thread I was playing with at our get together last night. A blue one I was working on felt different to the others and when I got to the spool (which was cardboard) I found it had a history – it was manufactured in Ireland by a company set up during the early days of the State. I have just managed to pull myself back out of that rabbit hole. It was a good bump in a day that had started a bit weirdly but it’s still a special day because I have the freedom to enjoy it.
Loved your show and tell last evening. I hope you stayed out of the naughty corner at the workshop. Enjoy your exhibition. Wish I lived closer so I could come and see the gorgeous pieces!
XXXX
You,ll have to DM me regarding the yarn’s full history. Thanks re my WIPs….need to colour the cheese tomorrow! 😜
You have been busy and such wonderful things you made. I have been trying to find and use some of the things I have been keeping for years. For me it is a fear of wasting special things, I may make in a mess of them. But I am finally trying taking the advise I gave my mom, who is 89, she was not using a cup I had given her. I asked what she was saving it for? Would she would like to be buried with it? Sounds terrible but we both laughed. I am trying really hard not to keep things to be buried with.
Your final sentence has me laughing here Ann. I was fortunate to manage a visit to Egypt back in the 80s – so now I have one of the burial chambers in my head – it should just about hold all my goodies lol.
I purchased a fabulous piece of silk from Vancouver when I visited in 2019 – like you I am afraid to use it for fear of messing it up. As the kids would say ‘get a grip mother’. I hope your mom smiles every time she drinks from the cup.
Thanks for your kind words. They took me out of a certain comfort zone, that little element of risk that I might make a mess of the materials made the results all the sweeter. Am I now a reformed maker ….mmmmmm….. a tough one to answer. I think I will have to brave many more pieces before I can claim that.
Helene x
What beautiful results, Hélène! I’m so glad you’re trying to let go of the “special occasions” mentality; I used to have it as well and am now trying very hard to, like you, remind myself that every day spent on this planet is a special one, just wear/use the thing I’ve been hiding away for “that spectacular day!”
I really love all of your artworks. The galaxy one has a special place in my heart because it reminds me of the one I made with the black felt backing 🙂
Thanks Leonor, I think we need a new use and enjoy movement (probably already exists). I am glad you like the galaxy one – I would love to see yours.
Helene x