quickie on batik

For my dearest CA and anyone else who is interested...

The tjaps are for batik. They are Indonesian. Here's a little blurb (one of the better ones I found) on how batik is made, using tjaps and by using the hand drawing tool, a tjanting.

Basically the tjap is a big copper stamp. The tjap is dipped into hot wax and then stamped onto fabric. The wax resists further applications of dye. Traditionally each round of wax was followed by a dip into a pot of dye, but there are also some who paint dye into areas. I just bought a book on amazon that detailed the history of Batik very well. It's got a very long history, and a lot of the motifs were specialized in their use and meaning. I don't think that's as true anymore since batik is no longer used in quite the same way. 

I've looked online at real traditional batik, and there is still beautiful work being done. The hand drawn motifs are exquisite. I like the tjaps for their quick and easy use. I'm not so good with the little tjanting tool. I can do quick lines but nothing intricate. Though it's lots of fun.

My latest pieces had the tjap stamping as well as painted on wax, done with a Japanese brush. It was fun to do and something I plan to explore further. 

tjaps!

A couple of weeks ago I tried to order several tjaps from Dharma. I did not get them. It's like a giant lottery. If you place an order for them and you're the first one to claim it, you get it, otherwise you don't. All 3 of the ones I wanted sold.

This really upset me, as I jumped on it fast and didn't hear for a couple of weeks that I'd missed them (my fault, turns out there was a voicemail 2 days later telling me they'd been out of them...hey, I never check voicemail unless it's Will or a name I recognize!).

So I was determined to get some. I really really like working with wax. I have some gutta that I've messed around with, but it's just not my favorite and I don't enjoy it as much as the wax. And when you're creating you must enjoy your process!

A long google search turned up very little, except for a single store in GA that had no pictures of available tjaps. Just an "add me to your list" email. So I did, not expecting much. I then went on to a place out of the UK that had a few, and from there I bought one Koi tjap. Hopefully it will arrive soon.

But surprisingly, I got an email earlier this week from the store in GA with pictures attached of tjaps they had in stock! Some had sold, but they had a lot, and I was sent probably 30 pictures, maybe more.

And good prices, too!

Well, I could not resist. I splurged. Big time. I bought ...... 15!!!!

Oh, but they are soooooo beautiful. They came yesterday. Here's a couple of pictures of some. I've only opened 2 of the 3 boxes I got, so there are a few more to see. Some were damaged, so I got really great prices on them, but I think for the way I work (lots of overlapping to create texture and a vague sense of the motif), they will be just fine!

This last one was heavily damaged. The handle had fallen off! But for $30 I had to have it, figuring I could fix it somehow.

Pretty lovely, yes? I will be working with these soon. I just spent the past week with the wax pots on (I have 2, one wide one for tjaps and the other a fondue shaped one easier for paintbrushes) and the silk dyes. I messed around and had a great time. I have a few pictures, but the best pieces I just rinsed out this morning and don't have pictures of. So these are my so-so ones. Just working on technique here, but the latest ones I really did improve over these.

In these pictures they haven't been steamed, so imagine the colors even more vivid. That's what happens with the French silk dyes, they improve after steaming. And of course, the wax hasn't been removed in these pictures.

And these final 2 are on organza. They came out really cool. I love using the tjap on the organza (second picture is of the tjap)

This one is sooo beautiful since the steaming. I will take another pic, when I do the ones I rinsed this morning. 

Now my challenge is to figure out how to sculpt them. I have some ideas I've been working on, but now I'm just going to jump in and experiment with these to see how it goes.

Oh! I forgot!

I meant to post this last week, but with the pergola drama (I have pictures, if you're really interested in seeing how badly something can be manufactured), I forgot.

The best part of my trip was making a new friend! 

This is Leila. She's from Canada. I can't really spell it, but it's  Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

If I look terrible in this photo it's because I had the headache that day, so I was a bit out of it. I'd like to think I don't always look quite so out of it!

I don't have many other photos. I think that from this evening on I was just so busy having a good time  and doing a lot of shopping (a lot, my box of fabric just arrived, and there's a lot of it!!!!) that I didn't stop to take photos.

some work and some whining (or wine-ing)

I spent the past week in contemplation. 

First, the pergola nightmare. I will say only that the manufacturer, 

after making us wait 6 weeks for all the needed parts, is so bad about making the cuts fit (if your cuts are up to 1/2" off that is very bad) that we couldn't put the entire pergola together and now it sits, swaying, yes, swaying, in every little breeze, then you're a crappy manufacturer! And so we have to take it down, ask Costco for a refund (good luck to us!) and find someone to build us a whole new one (oooohhh so much more $$$$). 

Big SIGH.

After a few days or worry over that, I decided to let it go 

and move on to things that made me happy. A blog post I read somewhere recently prompted me to take a second look at a book I recently received and had tossed aside (it was a preorder, so you never know exactly what you're getting).

"Inspired to Quilt" by Melanie Testa. 

Yes, I will admit that at first I tossed it aside as I told myself, huh, you can do all of that already. But she had a different approach to layering images and blocks of color that I'm glad I went back to investigate.

A day or so of sketching I came up with a little drawing which I layered with tracing paper drawings to get this:

It doesn't look like much, and I had to think long and hard about whether or not I'd go through with the design as is, or even follow her recommended techniques. But I've decided to really make it my own and instead of doing it monoprinted with dye as Melanie suggests, I will be working my layers with painted silk and just a bit or monoprinting. We'll see how this turns out, but I do think that this process works better for me with these adaptations, and in the end that's how you take a "technique" and make it your own. 

Experiment experiment experiment. And have a glass of wine to let go of those tensions and frustrations. Helps me every time.

Cheers!

(this was taken last year after I got the new machine, today if you saw me with my glass of wine I'd be wearing a tank top and shorts since it's actually 100 degrees!!! I am having some wine, though, as it's been a challenging week. LOL)

Stencils in class

Here are some more pictures from my class at the SDA conference. First are a couple of examples of stencils the teacher cut. These are beautiful in person and yield lovely results.

These were my favorites

And here is a piece of her work with one of her stencils sitting on top. This was a beautiful piece of silk, and quite large, several yards.

This picture is of Akemi showing us how to apply the final coat of rice paste, which is the background color. In  this technique you're working from front to back, so you have to keep track in your head of what you want to be on top, as that is the first to go onto the fabric. Its confusing to say, but once you do it, it seems more sensible. The paste acts as a resist to what comes after, which is why it's covering the entire piece at this point. The pattern below is still preserved.

This is a picture of one of mine in progress. This one turned out the best, so I won't bother to post the hideous failures!

And finished!

Just a few to start with

Turns out I only took 52 pictures. I'm so not a picture person. There are zero pictures of anyone or anything in my home. Not A Single One. So it's no wonder that when i go out that i don't bother to take pictures. I'm not good at it and the photo only barely reminds me of the experience. I'd rather just remember it and leave it at that. My bad pictures just make me feel sad that I didn't do a better job of capturing the moment.

I know, if I did it more i'd be better. But I'm so busy with the rest of my life i don't have time to add photography to my list of things I must try/do/work on. 

Anyways...here's a few shots of my class in progress. I took Katazome...rice paste resist. We did the Nassen technique, which is colored rice paste. It was fun! And once you get the hang of applying that sticky stuff, it's not too difficult. Getting to be good at it will take time and work, but it's a fun process.

Rice flour and bran being mixed with water into a dough

Same dough being shaped into doughnuts, and then placed into a cloth wrap.

Cloth bag full of doughnuts being put into a steamer. I think it steamed for 25 minutes.

After steaming the doughnuts have melted back into dough. It's removed from the cloth wrap

And stirred 100 times. Then it's ready to be mixed with dyes. We used acid dyes for silk. The teacher, Akemi told us that MX doesn't work, even for cottons, and to use direct dyes instead, but I think I will experiment with that. 

The last thing I need is to buy another series of dyes...not that it didn't stop me from buying acid dyes this past week. LOL

Here it is, ready for the dyes to be added. At this point you measure out just a portion of the paste and add just about 1 tsp of dye that's been mixed with hot water. She had a cool thing for us to use, an electric tea kettle. Then you can add boiling water to the dyes anywhere (acid dyes need that for mixing up). I'm going to get one so i can do this process in the laundry room.

Tomorrow I'll post some pictures of her stencils and you can see the very elementary ones I did. 

I'm back!

But I'm still catching up.

The SDA conference and workshops were great! I had so much fun and I made new friends. Yay!

Since getting home I've been busy here...cleaning, groceries, laundry. And then yesterday I downloaded a new toy. Corel Painter 11. Awesome. Will wants me to make the artwork for an app he's going to build. The app was my idea, so it needs to look the way I envisioned. The good news is that he said I can take all summer to learn the software and to create the art.

What is "app"? App store. From Apple. On iphones and itouch. He already has quite a few apps and they sell well. If you're interested, they can be seen here:

http://www.exactmagic.com/products/iphone/index.html

Messing around with the Painter software is too much fun! But I need to do some real work, too, so I will have to limit my time each day with the software, otherwise all of June will fly by and I'll miss it!

I feel so behind already!!!

I will try to get some pictures up this afternoon (though I didn't take many...too busy enjoying myself to remember to take it out of my bag)

SDA!!!

I am so excited! Tomorrow I leave for the SDA event in Kansas City!

SDA... Surface Design Association, in case you weren't familiar with it. I am taking a class starting on Sunday. It's called katagami, but that refers to the cut stencil. It's a Japanese technique of stencil cutting, and pulling resist (rice paste) through the stencil and then doing further dye techniques. This class will cover adding dye to the rice paste, which has another name for the technique (Katazome is what it's called using the stencil, when the paste is uncolored), I think. There's so many names for the work that is traditionally done in Japan on textiles. Bound resists is a whole 'nother thing!

So in the past 2 weeks, instead of working on Tien (who I will finish this summer, and may submit to the Pacific Int. Quilt Fest...due in August), I have been making some clothes to take. I want to look nice as most of the things I wear here at home are ancient (as in some are ratty tshirts Will had in high school...they get really soft when they're that old, but this also makes them very holey. lol).

There will also be dinner and lunch events at the conference so I needed things for that, as well as if I plan to go out to dinner in the evening I need not look like a slob!

Here's what I've made:

1 smock (no picture, I packed it already...but it's huge and should keep me covered!)

6 skirts (5 of which are a pattern I took off of a skirt I bought years ago. It's cute and flattering on me and easy to sew, requires just 1 yard of knit):

feathers!

leftover scrap fabric, cut into a tube and elastic added at waist (well, hip, I don't wear anything at my waist...I'm too shortwaisted and anything sitting at my hips makes me feel dumpy and dowdy)

 20 mintue skirt!

green with stamping

red with silkscreen and overdyed hem

purple with silkscreens and overdyed hem

blue with large hand carved stamp and overdyed hem

plain brown (I did this one first and wasn't sure I had time to fancy it up)

Then  I made 2 tops. Same fabric print, but 2 colorways, purchased last year from fabric.com. This pattern is highly reviewed/loved on patternreview.com. It's a Simplicity. I read some of the reviews and made some changes before even cutting it out. I lengthened the body, added to the sleeve hem, took in the neckline a bit, shortened the neckband a lot and transfered out a neck dart (to prevent gaping) to the sideseam. I also took in the waist because I'm really curvy and the pattern didn't look like it would fit snugly, which I hate. I want it to fit and not look sloppy!

purple

green

Then I made 2 jackets. The first one (it's a vogue pattern) I wasn't too happy with the fit. Just a little too small in the bust, despite being a loose fit. I had to go back and make a full bust adjustment. Here's the first version...cute, but I'm not taking it:

dyed purple linen with stenciling and contrast piping

And the second one, with a full bust adjustment (patterns are made for B cup, and I'm about a C, but definitely more than B, also because I lift weights I've changed the shape of my lat muscles so I'm bigger around than I used to be and this also requires more room, and more than just a back adjustment, I've found.

denim, contrast binding with some silkscreen (not too visible here as it's black paint on the dark denim, meant to be subtle)

That's it! I could try to make another top this afternoon, but I want to pack and relax instead. I think I'll have enough between these things and some pants, shorts and new cheap t's I bought at Old Navy last week.

I'm taking my camera and new mini laptop (it's red, Will got it for me last month for my b-day...it's totally adorable!!). I plan to take pictures and post here to the blog while I'm gone. So check back for updates on Monday (that should give me enough time to get some pictures!)

Dear Anonymous

Screw you. I don't know if the same anonymous is coming here and offering all sorts of (un)helpful advice and criticism and judgement about me, but please don't. Or at least have the respect for me to sign your name so I know who you are.

I am not self sabotaging. That is the most stupid thing I've ever heard of. And I'm sure you're so damn perfect yourself that you finish every project and never have any self criticism. Because that is what I put down in this blog...my issues, my problems, my self criticism. And maybe when I'm doing fine, too!!!!

I'm an ultra-perfectionist. When I don't meet my own standards it's not self sabotage, it's not meeting the standards I've set for myself. And I haven't finished the quilt yet, and maybe I will next month, and you know what... I'm fine with that because I'm the one sitting here who knows that there are some problems here that will make it so I don't meet my standards, and therefore I am choosing not show the quilt!

I don't think it's going to happen!

I've been working towards getting this done so I can try to get it into IQF in Houston. But I have been having a huge technical problem that I can't overcome because of the design of the quilt. I'm also fighting off a terrible migraine and I've lost a lot of time waiting for it to get better, but it's not.  I'm trying to work but it's really terribly painful to do so right now, to keep looking down or to keep my body in the position necessary to move the quilt around.

The dragon itself is nearly 1/4" thicker and above the surface of the quilt. This means that as I've been trying to go around it the quilt can't be manipulated enough to be folded and pushed around the needle. The same thickness is also an impediment to getting the presser foot to move evenly around the area near the dragon. 

The quilting I've done so far looks bad. It's acceptable to hang on my wall, I'm fine with less than perfect stitch length, but for a quilt show this is totally unacceptable. I've been working and working at trying to figure out how I can move it better, but it's so thick in some of those areas it just refuses to budge and I end up with terrible little stitches. 

At this rate, even if I ripped out most of what I've done (which I already did once) I don't have time to complete it in time to take pictures.

I've also discovered a few places where the edges of the dragon have frayed away as I've pushed and shoved it around this past few days, trying to stitch around him. I could try to patch it up, but again, this is just not good enough for a quilt show.

I know how they judge. I've put a quilt in that show before. The comments are unhelpful and rather critical. Nothing is ever quite good enough, unless it's perfect. And I definitely recognize that this is far, far from perfect. And I just don't think I can make it perfect, certainly not in the short time I have left. 

I guess it's dumb to have thought that I could speed through this so quickly. And it's just as dumb to think that I really want to put all this time in to put it into a show I don't have too much interest in anymore.

That's a true confession!

I don't really want to put any of my current work into a quilt show, as it isn't representative of what I see for my future, but I had thought that because the dragon was originally intended to go to a show (I had started him with that plan years ago) that I should do that now. 

If  there was another few weeks I could perhaps do something different for the quilting, but there's not time. 

And my head is screaming. If I stop now because of it, there will certainly be too little time to get it done.