Where have I Been??

The bag I managed to fit in amongst the chaos! Details below!

Ahh yes, nothing like getting together with my favorite gal, wearing matching acrylic sweaters and charring up some polish sausage. Life is grand, no?

Okay, could not resist this picture. I do have more that are equally entertaining. In any case, I know, I know, I have been a neglectful blogger. Not like me, I know. Not sure where the days have gone as I have been neck deep in family, studio and my retail business that I feel shackled to!

After operating a small retail business with my wonderful mother for 6 years, we are clearing out some things and switching gears which has meant mark-downs and lots of orders leaving time for little else. I will be very happy to see Friday arrive when shipping out and deliveries are done.

Yesterday I had a wee flood in the studio (via the ceiling under the boys' bathroom floor-don't ask) and today I broke a glass plate. While this sounds like a quick clean-up, quick it was certainly not. Shards of glass were in the dishwasher and every place possible requiring a good hour of my day. It has just been one of those weeks, in short!

This past weekend, however, I did make a fabulouso bag! I am in love with it and have an idea for another design. I am sorry I did not photograph the process, but will for the next one for you all. I made a piece of prefelt with a cotton fabric and corriedale, accordion folded it while stitching in strips of resist. I then laid this on the surface of my bag right after I wet the fibres out. Once it was all done, the resists were cut out with a lovely effect. The body of the bag is C-1/Pelsull in a really dark charcoal. The dyed black takes a bit longer to full and I was feeling wimpy and not unusually patient. This technique is similar, I believe, to Marjolien Dalinga. The result looks similar, in any case. I am going to play with the technique and materials and make effort to create a unique twist on the technique.

The next two days involve some tying up of loose ends, deciding what I am going to have to let go and not get done and then it is time to spend long days in the studio, drink hot chocolate and hang with the family. Fa La La La La!

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