A few weeks ago, after trying to get from one side of my workroom to the other, I decided enough was enough……it was time for some serious sorting out! When you have students visiting regularly for workshops you have to keep things fairly tidy and organised but obviously, for the past year, this hasn’t been happening and so things had got seriously out of hand!
As well as the satisfaction of filling a bin bag with accumulated rubbish, it was great to discover a couple of books and a few samples of rust and tea dyed fabrics, and one covered with stamped leaves/grasses, which I had made a few years ago and completely forgotten about.
I’d been thinking of doing some felted work with the theme of circles & holes, and still will do, but on finding this fabric I knew I wanted to make some small ”circles & holes” combining the rust dye with the leaf stamps. So this is the result, all pieces are in square box frames measuring 25cm. Each hole was positioned to act as a small view finder for a rusty mark.
Having enjoyed making those I followed up with some more leaf stamping…..
…….and rust dyeing. This is all the same white cotton fabric but the grey marks are a result of soaking the fabric in tea before adding the rusty objects. To achieve the orange marks the fabric has been soaked in vinegar. My favourite piece, second from the right, has the grey background (tea) but also the orange marks from dipping the rusty bolts into vinegar.
These are two pieces made from the second batch of leaf printed fabric and that orange and grey rust print. In both of these the circles have been darkened by adding more paint.
Lincs In Stitches 
I honestly love this!!! so interesting and I am now obsessed with “rust dyeing”… Beautiful Art!
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Thank you so much….I’m finding that rust dyeing is sooooo addictive!!
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Fascinating, beautiful work. I am particularly enchanted by the three dimensional circles.
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Thanks Mariss. I can’t resist getting depth into my work so those circles just had to be domed!
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They’re lovely. I have some layered holes somewhere too. No idea where they’ve gone. All part of studio life I guess 🤣🤣
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Thanks Amanda. Having looked at your website I’m not surprised to hear that you have those holes lurking somewhere….we obviously share a lot of interest in textures, from layered holes to forest floors and rust!
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Yes, lots in common. Sadly my arty creative has gone on holiday leaving my domestic creative in charge. 🙄 Hope to find it again soon though. 😊
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Small but mighty Karen. Love the hidden embroidery & sequin decoration encouraging the viewer to explore the depths – it adds another dimension.
Have you stiffened & stuffed the beautiful glowing orange rusted dyed orbs?
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Thanks Antje and yes, all the circles were stiffened and padded to create the domed effect.
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These pieces are really beautiful.
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Thank you, they were fun to create.
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Very very nice.
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Thank you.
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Yes, having something half hidden makes you look closer. Lovely pieces! And the leaf stamping is gorgeous.
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Thanks Lyn. If I’ve learnt one thing since doing these it’s to wear a barrier cream when I’m stamping leaves and dyeing with rust!
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Love the layered pieces. I really like the idea of getting a glimpse of something half hidden behind…
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Thanks Alex. I like that too….I might have to investigate this theme further.
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