I've had a bit of a strange week. I was very much looking forward to it as I had a young girl (13), who I thought was very mature for her age coming to do ice dyeing and fabric painting and whatever else I thought she could do and enjoy. She had come to the Festival and spoken to our quilters at length.
Monday dawned and she arrived. I took her to my studio and explained what I thought we would be doing this week, and expressed the fact that we handle these materials carefully, wear masks etc., I'm dressed in white lab coat and rubber gloves....she said ok, but this is what I painted the other week and just had to show you........
I was a little nonplussed but made all the right noises, and maybe we could get back to what the week is about.
Well, start by cutting your fabric, which I had provided, into smaller pieces and soaking it in the soda ash solution, please wear gloves as this stuff is horrid to your skin. OK, 30 minutes has gone by, lets start dyeing layer your fabric in the pot provided, you really don't need quite so much dye, ( 2 teaspoonfuls of one colour), ok, keep building layers and we will set it aside. I've made up some dyes for batch dyeing, just the primaries but that's what I normally work with, put the soaked fabric into plastic bags, and dribble dye over it, be careful, your dripping dye all over. I have no clue what time you want to leave, I was thinking you'd be leaving about 4, but if you want to leave now that's fine.
Tuesday, I had two girls. Or rather one to start with.
No, I wasn't picking you up today, it was tomorrow after I'd seen the Dentist, sorry but we were obviously at crossed purposes. Ah, you made it. Well, I put your pot with the ice dyes in the sink, so I think we will use the hose outside and rinse the dye. Be careful!!!!!! .........Oh well, accidents happen, but I did warn you not to carry the pot like that then it wouldn't have spilt all over the floor. Ok, now rinse it carefully, you have dye all over you I will get some soap. Rinse well as red takes forever to wash out, take the bags out and wash those fabrics out, you do know you are covered in it don't you? I have told you to be careful...
the two girls are working well together, I carried dyes outside carefully, lids screwed on pots and all contained in a roasting tin so as not to make a mess and damage anything.
I will be back in a couple of moments........ come quickly!!!! Why, what's happened? A bit of a mishap, dye has been dripped on the patio, no problem it will wash away, no not there! Up there..........and the brickwork at the back of the house above a door frame has blue dye spots, what the...........??
Did I not say be careful? Am I a joke? Do you have no respect for me or my studio???????
I decided I couldn't face the rest of the week, so asked that she didn't return. The energy in my studio is unsettled, I can't face going in there, and have had a problem just opening the door. I have had to go in to get things for my trip next week, but run out quickly....
