Snow days in Oxfordshire

Snow dyeing

After the last snowfall in London, when I forgot to try snow dyeing, I was determined to be ready to try it out this weekend when I read the forecast.  I pre-soaked some pieces of silk and cotton in soda ash, and waited for the morning ………….

After the walk with the frosty dog

exploring familiar landscapes in unfamiliar settings

Dyes ready, cloth soaked, snow piled on top

Awaiting the results

Snow and ice in London

No dye to hand, so I couldn’t try snow-dyeing.

Snow - such an event

Yew tree channelling its inner palm tree

Snow dyeing results

Finally ironed and photographed, and they are lovely.  These pieces are about 1metre x 0.5 metre.

The marks are much more organic and less well-defined than with tray-dyeing.  Lots to explore, but we may have no more snow now.  It is either wait till next year, or else buy a bag of ice to crush.

 

I still haven't decided on a journal theme, but it is coming.

Snow-dyeing

Enough to try out snow-dyeing.  There are lots of tutorials on the web,but this one seems to be the most straightforward.  So, wrapped up like a baboushka, I slipped about on the snow last night  after work to set up two trays with two different colourways.  I modified the technique a bit by putting another layer of snow on top of the squirted dye, and left it outside overnight.  This morning, 

a fair amount of melting, but still enough snow to justify leaving it outside today.  Whatever the results  this will be an interesting experiment.

Dashing through the snow…….

4cm of snow and elder son’s school is closed. 

Pond looks lovely though

At least it is an excuse to get out the Christmas cushions and start loud renditions of the song title thereon, much to children’s embarrassment.

Snow days, go days

As we hopefully head in to spring, I found this lovely site , Snowdays where you can waste a lot of time creating your own snowflake. You don't even have to do that to look at some of the wonderful creations on there.

Hope you are all keeping warm

Very, very sunny here in Sydney, so I hope all UK readers are keeping warm. If you need to send someone a last minute card to keep them warm, stick a tea-bag in one of these and hope it gets there in the post.