Linen emerges as new summer thing to wear

 I got out the white linen piece, ironed it, then here's how I decide what's next

Just throw it around and see. Not enough for long sleeves but yes, enough for a tunic type summer top

So here I've folded and refolded to find the middle, to estimate where to cut the neck opening.

As you see, it's keyhole style

but this vee is not the final shape. I'll refold to work differently, more of a T shape

then I pinned the estimated sleeve , got out another top to gauge width, you see it on the left

Now it's cut out.  Those bits of linen will be used at the neckline.  A bit of stitching and I'll have a top for practically everything I wear. This will have side slits, it's fairly long. 

I'm making this while I decide what to do with the woven squares. They may end up being a vest with this top... I'm weaving them while I decide about the next page in the fabric book. But first..

Summer's waking me early, up long before seven. Out walking shortly after nine, in the morning shade, giant frogs leaping and the drake annoyed with me for disturbing them all.

This means I'm ready for lunch very early, too. Today spicy plant patty things with roast diced potato, malt vinegar, big handful of cilantro. Enough to do it again tomorrow, too. 

It also means I don't know if I'm tired or not.  Hm. Knitting while I consider that. 

Happy day everyone. As long as I'm doing all the things, you don't need to.

Two loose ends: the donation check I handed over the other day? Already cleared. They made sure of this one.

And the Haggard Hawks puzzle answer 

ULTIMATUM

 

but you knew that!

Mouse art and plums

This morning  it's still hot, in the high 80s all night. I did get out to water a bit, though there may be lovely rain later.

Meanwhile art busy saving us all

And since the Misfits plums were still pretty unripe thought looking beautiful, I stewed them.

Cinnamon stick, cane sugar syrup with lemon juice..

Then reduced the syrup by about half, poured it over the cooked fruit,  and there's a bowl of edible jewels waiting to be spooned over oatmeal or anytime else that comes along

Yesterday saw another accordion book, this time botanicals

And a bit more linen stitching. Not ready for knitting quite yet, a bit fearful of putting back the shoulder again.

And here's a tribute to every working mom there ever was

Aeon magazine today has an article about the importance of cheerfulness in the face of hard times. I guess it's needed now, if ever it was. So maybe we can try for it.

Happy day everyone, and let's look forward to rain and cooler weather soon 

Figures five and six, and the next fun thing.

So the figures have changed dramatically from the human type shapes where this started. I  went with what seemed called for, after trying many ideas.

This is a two sided piece, showing you here both sides. I need to make a stand for it. A bit more might happen after I've looked at it a day or two, but maybe not.

This definitely needs to be exhibited where you can see both sides behind glass. Which, if  my plans work out, it will be. I also need to name it.  I have several thoughts about this. They'll probably work out once it's set on its stand. And the name will make the meaning clearer. The plan! Reactions welcome as always.

Next, another project I remembered, in the course of finishing the latest figures.

This is a piece of, well, if you know fabrics, you know it's linen, lovely piece from Dharma trading. I dyed it years ago with turmeric and yellow onionskins. It's variegated, interesting, not the dull solid color of synthetic dyes, which are good sometimes, not here. In real life it's a deeper color than here. The white LED overhead light washed it out a bit.

It's a portiere from the upstairs bathroom where I took the doors off the base cabinet. Cat owners, or staff, need no explanation. I have another one in the downstairs bathroom, waiting to be dyed. That will empty out a section of the freezer where my containers of natural dyes live.

Finally I'm going to do the stamping on this one that I've been meaning to do for nemmind how long.

And here's the doings. 

 I carved these stamps from plastic erasers and other materials. The great thing about carving erasers, aside from their being just the right texture, is that you  can draw your design and carve on both sides. 

I do seem to have a thing about two sided items. At about eleven o'clock there, you can see part of an eraser drawn but not yet carved 

I've used all kinds of sources for design ideas, a cross section of the inside of a deer's nose being a favorite, and a satellite picture of the tributaries of the Mississippi River another. Sometimes I draw then carve, sometimes I carve freehand. Whatever floats my boat at the time.

A pencil and a small Xacto blade, size 3"×2" plastic eraser,  is all you need. Try it, it's really fun. Much more interesting designs than laser cut rubber stamps which to my mind, are too full of anxious details. But that's me. 

The white plastic erasers are what you need. The pink ones don't carve -- the blade bounces off and buries itself in the thumb holding the eraser, ask me how I know this.

And after humming happily and rummaging through the collection, I selected some for decorating the linen piece.  

Also some metallic acrylic paint. Totally washable, in fact if you get acrylic paint in the wrong place, you'll never shift it. 

And it doesn't matter that it won't be as soft as fabric paint would be, for this purpose. You can see I've used it quite a bit with these stamps. You need to wash it promptly after stamping so you get the paint out of the grooves before it dries permanently in place.

I'll probably use only one or two stamps, repeat pattern, in practice.

It's enough fabric for a summer skirt which, who knows, it might eventually become.

So that's the current State of the Studio chez Boud.