Sunday 24 August 2008

Taking a different kind of class


Never one to turn down an opportunity to learn something new, I booked myself into a dyeing and weaving workshop the other day. It was not quite like the classes I'm used to - I don't think they'd heard of RARPA or Health and Safety ;-)


Rather than repeat myself here, I'll simply suggest you read about it on my Elegant Sufficiency blog if you're interested.
On a serious note, it did give me experience of learning a skill in an unknown language - not easy, but practical people have ways of communicating skills in a visual manner. Show me how and I'll try to do the same. It worked almost all of the time!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

lovely colours Gill - is it silk thread?

sara

Gill said...

Yes, Sara, it's silk dyed with indigo leaves, tumeric and sappan wood.

Anonymous said...

indigo dying! I thought you needed warm weather for this process - where did you find that! - on a more serious note - I have some indigo and have been intending to 'have a go' but am still waiting for warm weather. Did you have success without the sun or did you keep vat warm in some other way?

Gill said...

Well, my class was in Laos, so no shortage of hot weather!

I used indigo leaves, freshly crushed and mixed with cold water to achieve the green colour. If I'd have wanted blue, then I'd have used the fermented indigo vat which was there too - but as I'd done that at Stroud Art college years ago, I thought I'd go for something different.

I brought home a bag of leaves with me, and although they're looking a little sad, I'm hopeful that they will still be ok to use. I've put them in the freezer till I have time...

I also have a ball of processed indigo bought on previous travels in the middle east which I ought to play with. Maybe I'll do that at the same time?

So many things to try, so little time ;-)