Latest on Unc!

I have been asked for an update on Unc, and I have been scratching my head for stories that are repeatable, or rather, won't get him into trouble with my aunt, should she happen across this post!

Unc likes railway models.  He restores old toy trains.  Actually I'm not sure if technically they are toys, since it appears to be grown men who spend hundreds of pounds on them.  Maybe I should call them models!  He also makes those set ups, where a train track is built into an interesting environment.  I am sure you know what I mean.

He has been working on a couple of such set ups, which are often used for various shows.  He builds the models, moulds figures to go with the set up etc.  This is a model he has made recently.

Fabric Dyeing

I spent last week dyeing fat quarters, about 72 if my maths are correct.   I am so pleased with my new stash!  Oh, and the fabric is sitting on a large piece of fabric that I dyed when I lived in Africa, which I now use to cover my print table when it isn't in use.

Print Paste

Alternative studio, aka the top of the dishwasher!

You know I thought the hardest part of doing surface design was going to be getting the table set up.  Actually I didn't think that would be hard.  Hum, I should have thought about that as I blithely set about trying to make my print paste. Okay, maybe I should roll back a step and explain print paste.

I want to print, draw, stamp etc on fabric, using dyes rather than fabric paint.  In order to do this the dye powder must be turned first into liquid, and then thickened up, which is where the print paste comes in.  If you don't thicken the dye, it will of course run all over the place, not hold shapes or marks and just, well dye the fabric with a big splodge (which may be what you are trying to achieve anyway).

I used what appears to be the standard print paste recipe.  First I made the chemical water.  This consists of two optional chemicals, ludigol and metaphos, neither of which I could get hold of, so it was a good job they were optional!  The non optional element is urea.  That's sheep's piss to you and me!  This stops the dyes from drying out too quickly.  This is mixed approximately 1 lire of warm water to 100g Urea.

IKEA PRINTING TABLE

I think it fair to say that IKEA was not in my best books this week.  I bought this table because the trestle legs (purchased as a separate item) allow you to easily raise and lower the table and tilt it at an angle.  For some bizarre reason however, the trestles do not actually connect to any of the table tops they sell, as indicated in the instructions.  To cut a long moan short (yes I can if I want!), I searched the internet and managed to find someone who had had the same problem (and probably like me, didn't own a drill to make some holes in the table top).  Apparently in the UK, IKEA secures this top with velcro!  So armed with my staple gun and a load of velcro, I have done the same thing.  It remains to be seen whether I end up with broken toes, if when I tilt the table, the whole thing falls on my foot!

ACCIDENTAL LANDSCAPES - THE BEACH

Last weekend found me with my nose firmly in The Quilt Show's open access to all their shows (they were celebrating International Quilting Weekend).  One of the shows I watched and really enjoyed was Karen Eckmeier talking about her Accidental Landscapes.

Karen's easy technique inspired me to try it out, so I made this very small quilt (16.5"x14")

Dancing With The Stars

On Dancing With The Stars this week, we have Tom doing the Asiatique rumba!

Sadly Jerry was still quaffing in the green room, so was not available for this dance.  Being the trooper that he is, Tom went on alone.

ANOTHER CONFETTI QUILT: THE LAKE

I know I keep saying that I won't do another confetti quilt, but every time I open the drawer and spot the pile of left over confetti, I think to myself, maybe one more.  I also wanted to make a larger, brighter looking confetti quilt, so it was a bit of an experiment.

Iris gave me a wonderful piece of green misprinted fabric, which was the start point for the quilt.  I have to say though, by the end of the quilt, as I got more and more carried away with that darned confetti, most of the background fabric was covered up.  This was not the initial intention as I really liked the fabric.  Luckily for me, generous Iris, when she realised how much I liked it, gave me some more!