Thursday 26 June 2014

Bitesize Batik

Greetings! It's been a while since I last posted with GCSEs and one thing and another but they are all over now, HURRAH! Just the dreaded results day in August to come but we're not worrying about that yet.

I've also been on a bit of a go slow with my fifty list. I've tried to do one a week so far but missed last week's. The last one I did was a couple of weekends ago - a bitesize Batik painting workshop at our local college. The tutor was friendly, talented and encouraging but my results, although fun to make,  look a bit like Show and Tell exhibits and I'm almost too embarrassed to post them!

Here are a couple of the tutor's works:

See what can be done when you have talent. I loved this fishy one, so colourful.

.... and now my efforts:


See, embarrassingly bad. In my defence, the timing of the workshop meant that we didn't have sufficient time to layer on different colours and my wax applicator was either horrendously drippy or clogged to the point of uselessness (bad workmen and all that!) but I did have fun. Next time, if there is a next time, I think I would just apply the wax with an old paintbrush. I think you'd get far more control, which I obviously need. Not too sure what to do with them now. I did have visions of cushion covers or framing them but they are just too dreadful, so they are currently banished to the cupboard of shame.

Other things this week include:

Enjoying the glorious sunshine and the flowers:





Going for a post exam walk around the local nature reserve with E. She took lots of photos of the birds but here are just a couple to remind me:



When her exams finished we took E to Oxford for a post exam celebration meal with L. I can highly recommend 'The Opium Den' in George St. Really yummy Chinese food. :






The photos don't do it justice - the lighting wasn't brilliant, I didn't want to use flash and everyone had tucked in before I thought to take them!

Cucumbers shooting away in the greenhouse:

This week's hand pieced quilt pieces - The Dresden Plate pattern:

and Martha Washington's Star:

Finally, quinoa salad for lunch - yum.

Have a lovely week and long may this sunny weather last. Toodle Pip for now. x



2 comments:

  1. I bet all that Chinese food was delicious - a Chinese banquet, what a great way to celebrate exams ending. I love the look of your quinoa salad too, and your hand quilting is beautiful. x

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  2. I think the Batiks are very pretty too! Obviously they aren't as intricate as the tutor's but they'd still look lovely framed or on a cushion. xxx

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