Rusting in Progress

In my last post, I forgot to include a picture of the wine bottles wrapped in fabric - all ready for the rusting to begin.   Inside the fabric is a layer of steel wool.   Just add water and wait........Shirley tended them all week keeping them damp.

ready to rust!  only 6 days to go.

When we removed the fabric it was a mess of wet smelly bits of rusty steel wool.    Taking it apart was a bit of a challenge.   But when we saw the results we were determined to try it again.    Now, whenever I am out cycling or walking I am always on the lookout for old rusty treasures.

It's been a busy summer with BBQs, music nights and now, a friend visiting from Newfoundland.   I am working away on my quilting in spite of the hot weather but most of it I am keeping under wraps for now.  My commissioned piece is past the crucial stage and I am enjoying the process.   I was accepted into a show at the Glebe Community Centre in November and am working on some smaller pieces for that weekend as well.  In less than 2 weeks I am off to Newfoundland to hike the East Coast Trail.   I know I will come back brimming with ideas.    Since it has been so hot here all summer, I am not in the best of shape for hiking.   I am hoping it will be cooler (but dry?) out there.   I think I'll be taking it slow and steady.

Fabric dyeing/Rusting

It's been such a busy summer I 've hardly had time to blog.   My friends and I have been playing with setacolour dyes on fabric, just painting on the colour, throwing on some salt and waiting to see what happens.

This last one was completed by Shirley previously. This is a photo of Shirley and Iris watching our work dry.

Shirley had purchased a rusting kit recently so she invited us over to try it out.   We placed steel wool on the wet fabric and rolled it round wine bottles (no, we didn't drink the wine first).   We fastened it with elastics then wrapped a copper wire round it.   Then we placed the bottles on trays containing a little water.   They were left for 6 days and Shirley kept watering them every day.   Then we unwrapped them from the bottles, washed the fabric adding an agent to stop the rusting (I'll have to check with Shirley on this - can't remember what it is called).   We loved the results.   Iris used fine steel wool for hers, the others were done with coarse steel wool and we could see the difference.    Shirley also wrapped a rusted bolt in a piece of fabric and it gave some interesting effects too.   Here they are - I can see tree trunks....

That's all for now.   By the way, you've met mom, maybe dad, now it's time to introduce the whole family....

These little guys were sleeping in my elm tree about 35-40 feet up in the air.