Tree-House Studio & Dyeing

Welcome to my Tree-House studio! Viola, it's finished (only half of the outside wall unpainted). I hope it will be finished by next weekend. While the painting is going on I will oil the railings and stairs with Sikens oil. Today the reverse cycle air-conditioning was installed. The vendor came and measured the windows and door for vertical blinds last weekend and they should be installed in 2 weeks time. The final piece of furniture is the desk and cabinet units to go in the corner and along the wall. I will have to start packing all my stuff ready to move in soon. I'm not looking forward to that part because I'm not sure where everything would go in the new studio or if I will have enough room for all my stuff. I really don't want to throw anything away if I can help it.  

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I took this photo last weekend. The first day of spring and it was a perfect spring day. I could feel that famous Australian heat streaming down on us even at this time of year!

Mr Notjustnat enjoying a spring day painting the last wall of studio. It was Father's Day, but he didn't mind doing that. He likes painting he says! 

We finished putting the first Ikea double wardrobe together a couple of weeks ago. It comes with as many shelves as I need. I have chosen 5 shelves for the moment, but I can add more if I need to. 

  

I have chosen mirror sliding doors for the wardrobe. Mirrors make the room seem larger. We will have to do it all over again for the second wardrobe!

The Coptic binding journal I post here is now done and given away to a dear friend as a thank you gift for dyeing me some silk with coffee. 

Book bag I have been wanting to make for ages!
I made this from a french book cover.

Starting another journal cover/sleeve for the dye swatches. Apart from keeping the dye journal on this blog I don't actually keep swatches anywhere else. It's never too late to start! 

The wrong side of the journal cover. I used a wrapping cloth from a publishing company in India. The stamp says "Passed export (AIR) Chennai Customs. I love looking at the wrong side of stitching!

Jars stuffed and waiting for steaming process.

After steamed for an hour. 

Dyed silk from the jars.

Coffee Shibori dyed in jar

  

Close-up of coffee Shibori dyed tied
around rusty nails

I went to a natural dye workshop a couple of weekends ago that my weaving teacher Ilka White runs. It was an introduction to natural dye workshop and I know many of the methods and plants used in the workshop. I learned so much more and thoroughly enjoyed the day. 

Wool and silk dyed using Oxalis

Arashi Shibori: Left to right onion skin
and Eucalyptus Cenerea 

Arashi Shibori sitting out to dry

Dye swatches we got to take home

The natural dye workshop inspired me to do more dyeing. Jar dyeing gives me more varieties of colour using only a small amount of silk for each jar. Lately I experimented dyeing with coffee too. I was surprised how coffee gives such lovely brown. I used the recycled ground coffee not the instant coffee from the jar. I'm planning to dye more of that Shibori to make a wall hanging for the Tree-House studio. 

Until next time

Nat