Now that October's here, I've got plans for making autumn themed things. Here where I live, autumn isn't quite as beautiful as it is in other parts of the world, but we still get some lovely colours. It just tends to be individual trees, rather than everywhere you look! For the creative things that I have in mind, I need some autumn colour schemes! Choosing colours from a photo can be difficult, but as I now have a strategy that makes ... Read the Post...
Things to Make and Do in the Autumn
There's a song by the Saw Doctors (an Irish rock band who were big in the 90s so subsequently now are a bunch of old men!) that says about liking the seasons changing best of all. The song is here if you want to have a listen. Although I love the autumn, it's hard to pick a favourite and I agree with the Saw Doctors. I like the seasons changing best of all. Modern life would have us ignoring the seasons as much as possible, but I really ... Read the Post...
Natural Dyes: Red Onions, Nettles, Tea and Blackberries
I'm currently working on a project for my textiles degree where I need to dye small amounts of fabric and roving with natural dyes. I have tried dyeing with plant material before with limited success, and it was the right time to give it another go! Yet more research on the internet means that I know more now than I did, and it seems to me that there is no one right way. This suits me just fine. I'm not great at following instructions, ... Read the Post...
September Thoughts: Summer, Christmas, and Shiny Shoes
September can feel like an in between kind of month. In early September, it's usually like summer still. The new school term often seems to coincide with a heat wave, which is especially annoying if the weather during the summer holidays wasn't very good! But once the schools are back, Christmas things start appearing in the shops. We can start to feel that we ought to be thinking about Christmas, even if we don't really want to because the days ... Read the Post...