Energy Drink

It seems that all that quantity of ingested food has paid off in added stamina. I was able to complete the scarf on the loom, and treat it. It's a very simple, fine silk weave with some heavier random silk warps.The fun part was the folding and clamping and dyeing and then some more. I love the way the colors gleam and the silk sparkles and albeit the colors and technique it looks quite elegant.
Quite pleased with the results and it's already uploaded to my page



neki desu

Tags: weaving, shibori, dyeing

Managing the excess

We are still at the table eating like the rest of the country. People sit down on Xmas eve and go on until Boxing day, pause to take a breath and on with New Year, another short pause and there is Epiphany a.k.a. the Three Kings.

We had a lobster with lichees starter and an excellent wild boar stew for main accompanied with an incredibled red Vega Sicilia wine. My fruitcake turned out really delicious this year, nothing like good French sweet butter to spice a cake. To accompany the cake we opened a 20 year old port that took us straight to heaven's gates. Yesterday we went for tapas and some more wine. Excellent artichokes with baby lima beans and baby squid!


Santa brought me a digi cam so thatI don't bitch and moan when we travel together. And in the midst of all this gastronomic orgy I managed to complete the T-shirt. Here is a pic taken with my brand new camera.

neki desu

Ms.Time Manager

Wow! Ain't I proud of myself! Not only did I manage to finish all the Xmas chores but also had time to go on with the t shirt. right now it's batching and hopefully this afternoon I'll do some more stamping.

Have been delivering fruitcakes all over. This year's turned out very nice. Joy of Cooking's recipe is a winner although I spice it a bit more.

Meanwhile the whole country is holding their breath because today is the Xmas lottery draw and the prize is huge.
The orphans from an orpahanage in Madrid do the number calling with a very characteristic sing-song and this you can hear everywhere cafs, buses, taxis, houses, parks, stores.... It is like a holy echo with its promise of wealth.
Silly me cries her wits out in front of the t.v.-it is one of my Xmas rituals- as the news picture the winners dancing and prancing and spraying champagne all around.

neki desu

Tags: surface design, food, day to day

Discharge step

T shirt was printed with discharge paste. Ok, now I want to overprint the discharge offsetting the pattern a bit, but firstIwant to overdye and I'm stuck here for a color.

Lunch with the Japanese class was fine, the food was one of the best I've had outside Japan.
There was even mochi for dessert! Managed to lose my sunglassess:This is becoming a yearly let's welcome winter ritual.

neki desu

Tags: surface design, printing, food

dyeing in steps

Who said dyeing was not fun? T shirt is coming along fine. Dyed it yellow then did some mokume stitching on the front, bunched it and dyed it golden yellow.
Today I'll be preparing a master with the Print Gocco, now that I've re stocked and will do the discharge printing.

Having lunch today with the Japanese classmates and sensei at a Japanese restaurant.
Tree already up, still have to buy the nuts for the fruitcake. And make it.

neki desu

Tags: dyeing, printing

T shirt- step 1

Didn't want to begin without a plan so I made a sloper of the t shirt and tried various colors, gradients and textures on the computer. The glories of technology or how to save oneself from frustration.
Dyed it a light yellow and it came out nice.More tomorrow-with pictures.


neki desu

A t shirt

Found some incredibly smart sleeveless cotton tees and bought 3.
Am already dyeing one which will be patterned and stamped. Beaded maybe?
Too bad I can't use my flame images because of their complexity.
It's fun getting back to dyeing after a summer of water restrictions.

neki desu

Tags: dyeing

Getting my life back

Failed the hiragana mid term miserably, but could sleep seamlessly last night for the first time in 3 weeks.
Slowly easing back into my life so to speak because there are deadlines to be met.Not to mention Christmas. This will sound like a rant, well it is actually one albeit a small one, but the Xmas lights have already been lit and in this country it means that the season to be jolly lasts until Jan the 5th
Enough to drive even the staunchest Xmas supporter nuts.

neki desu

Tags: day to day, japanophilia