01-22-2012 This skirt - once its usefulness is over - can be cut up and thrown into the compost heap to feed the soil. No harsh chemicals were used in the production of the fibres straight through to the final piece.
12-18-2011 1. This natural linen will be died with indigo in preparation for a weaving project. Skeins from the cone need to be created. I also wanted variant dying on the linen and this effect is created by tying plastic around bundles of the thread. Where the plastic tie is located no dye should reach the linen. EKAT dying.
2. The linen had to be twisted and tied again at the loops to prevent tangling and then washed. I was using natural linen, which is different from working with bleached linen. It was dirty and required 3 rounds of washing.
3. Each skein laid out and untwisted in preparation for the indigo dying. I think the natural colour of the washed linen is pretty all on its own, especially against the light salmon colour.
4. Here is the vat of indigo dye with the 'flower' in the centre. Isn't it beautiful? This batch was just prepared the day before, which makes for a darker indigo.
5. Here are all 30 Skeins of linen after been dipped 4 times in the indigo bath. A close-up of the skein on the right. Art on its own, I think.
6. The indigo died linen needed to be wash thoroughly. They were left in buckets over night to make sure as much as possible, the excess indigo is removed.
7. Once the linen was dried it had to be wound back into a cone or ball to then be wound onto a spindle for the weaving shuttle. This was a slow process as each thread had many curly cues throughout.
8. I used a ball winder to create these beautiful geometric linen balls. Next is the weaving and I will explain that in another entry. In the meantime check out the final weave.
Finally the warp is threaded on the loom and the weaving begins.
11-22-2011 
ACADSA Winter Show and Sale 2011
November 24, 25 and 26, 2011 | ACAD
The Winter Show + Sale runs for three days:
November 24th 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
November 25th 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM
November 26 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Accepted payment: Cash and Debit, Visa and Mastercard. No Admission Fee
11-6-2011 Have you ever grown, harvested and eaten your own beans? If you don't have any beans you grew yourself (personally my crop did not do that well this year) then dehydrated are the next best thing. This beautiful plant languidly twists and winds its way up tall poles, producing long and colourful sculptures which are edible right off the vine, but better cooked. This is where I often get lost; in the part about making beans taste good in a dish. Now I have a much better chance of a tasty meal thanks to the wonderful recipes in Julie Van Rosendaal & Sue Duncan's new cookbook called, 'Spilling the Beans'.
The photos in the cookbook are absolutely inspiring. The book starts by getting you acquainted with the beans and all the facts including how to prepare beans and how to deal with ol' 'F' word when it comes to beans.
I prepared the Turkey and Black Bean Chili on page 175. Wow, fantastic. I am excited to include more beans in my diet just as beans are being incorporated into my artwork this year.
By the way, I purchased my book from Shelf LIfe books, a fantastic book store on 4th St & 13th Ave SW. I think some other local carriers like cookbook company have it as well. You can also purchase on Amazon and from Chapters.
Here is a photo of some runner beans I picked earlier this year:
10-17-2011 Animals and birds like big, bright and colourful homes for the winter. Ok, probably not. But I have planted these sculptures in the trees to see what happens to them over the winter.
They are created with plant materials harvested from the park where the trees are located. They are wrapped in heritage wools donated by a granny who used to do a lot of weaving. The natural shapes of the plants guided the overall shape of the sculptures.
My mother asked me, "Yes, but what is the point of them?" Nothing, but to paint with thread. To add colour to the trees and a point of colourful enjoyment during the long cold winter that is surely coming up.
