Spinning Time Book #6

I have just spent the most delightful day at the Sunnybanks Mill's Gallery in Farsley. A thoroughly inspirational chat with the lovely gallery manager, and designer maker, Jane Kay ...  followed by a rummage in the Archive Room (Cavern), via a quick peer down a newly discovered/ uncovered well.  I am ridiculously excited .... there will be books ... lots of new books ... 

Lots of beautiful images of the Gallery and Archive room can be found here: http://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/blog/

New books delivered November 2013 ...  and a lovely write up by Chrissie Freeth

Woven Spine ...

Naturally dyed linen threads weaved through a long stitch warp .....

Repair ...

Moth eaten cashmere cardi: kindly donated by a friend
Naturally dyed threads: created at a Claire Wellesley Smith workshop
Method for creating small handwoven patches:  Karen Barbe   

... Job done!

Adventures with Phaseolus Vulgaris ...

Jam jars full of potions and collecting bugs … I could be 7 years old again.  

Butterfly books sewn and covered with linens coloured with  black bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris ) dye … 

Adventures with Persea Americana 'Hass' ...

All these beautiful shades from avocado skins....

.. and a couple of dip dyed books ... 

... with a few juicy mould spots.

... more avocado books to follow ... soon!

"Open Spine" Bookbinding Workshop ....

A few pictures of the books created at my last workshop. Beautiful books made by very talented people ...

Adventures with Allium Cepa cont. ......

Oddments of recycled cotton and linen scoured then left to soak in mordant overnight .... a few days out in the sunshine to get rid of the vinegary smell ........

... dyed in various batches of onion dyes ......

... I really should have tested a few scraps to see how light fast the dyed fabric was ... but I'm far too impatient and made a few sample books instead ....

... painted the fore-edges with really concentrated dyes ... 

I'm interested to see how fast the colours fade ... if at all ... fingers crossed!