August Occasions...

Well, we are halfway through August and the summer is flying.  We had a perfect day yesterday, hot and sunny with blue skies in every direction.  Today, we have THIS--->  Really horrible misty, low cloud day.  Outright pouring now.  Friends in America are sweltering in the heat and we are wondering if we should light the fire!!  There is a mountain range in the upper part of the photo, but you can't even see it.

I got precious little done last week.  Wasn't feeling the best and the weather just did not help motivation any.  And dragging small boy to the studio is getting harder and harder.  Roll on school!!

I did get a scarf felted on Friday.  I think it needs a bit more fulling, but the colours are lovely.  I dyed the chiffon red and then used the hand-dyed merino batts that I got in my Clasheen Crafty Swap for spring.  Very dramatic colours and I do love my reds!  Speaking of Clasheen Crafty Swaps (you can see pics of the swaps on www.flickr.com), the summer one is upon us and we are doing journal covers and are supposed to use experimental materials--in other words, step outside the comfort zone!  I love this.  I have done two journals and I have learned a lot making them.  The last one I placed design bits in the wrong place, but I know now where I should put them, so I think this one will come out well.  I think I will use prefelt and then felt my design and colours over it.  This is my third swap and I highly recommend them because you get matched up with interesting artists/designers and it's great fun opening up the box to see what treats lie inside!  Sometimes you need the pressure/challenge to a new idea going.The winter swap I got at Christmas was fabulous from Reinventing Fashion.  She's Australian and she upcycles clothing and does really funky, retro work.  Hard to find antique fabrics for her in Dingle! 

Since I have to order everything online, I will have to have a few goodies set aside for this winters so I don't have to dig around in a panic.  The bonus of living in a city is that you can just walk out the door and go buy stuff when you want it; here we must PLAN, which is not as much fun.  However, we do not sit parked in our cars for an hour each way to work, which is a real bonus.  Life is a trade off.

How can I dry anything in this???

I have loads of dyeing to do, but will have to wait for a decent day to line dry them as I just don't have room in my house to let things drip dry all over.  I need to dye chiffon for the top portion of a dress that I need to wear to a wedding in a few weeks.  I have wool and silk bits to dry and bag up for sale and I have more of the knitting yarn to dye.  I think I will get more chiffon and then some other silk and try dyeing or painting for effect.  I just saw some lovely felted scarves that had pieces of silk cloth felted in and they were gorgeous, so I want to try that.  It's all money!!

Back to school is upon us and I must get into Tralee and sort out the uniform and get small boy's books.  He is changing schools to an all-boys school and so he has the usual excitement (boys!) and dread (Irish!)  about the change.  He will be fine.  I am going to TRY and get him a new bike while we are in Tralee, if funds allow.  I am trying to clear as many bills as possible before the wedding September 11th.  My dress is mostly sorted, I have shoes, but I will need hair sorted and I need a new handbag anyways.  And drinking from 3pm til the wee hours does not come cheaply!  Irish weddings are all-day to two-day affair. 

Isn't my model gorgeous???