5/1/07

It's ending too soon, this brief and fragile season, spring before the trees really leaf out. The crocuses are over, some of the daffodils are done but more are on the way. My primroses are looking wonderful, straight up and alert.

My work continues, always the t-shirts, but my mesh chiffon has arrived for the Paul Poiret shawl project. I should add that this chiffon is silk, as sometimes people think "chiffon" is a type of fabric separate from silk. No. "Chiffon"  refers only to the type of weave, not the type of fabric. ("Chiffon" could just as easily be make of polyester.) Julie Parker, in All About Silk, describes chiffon's "graceful drape, that falls into soft, languid flares and ripples, "  which is why I chose it for this project. The mesh chiffon has a bit more substance than the regular chiffon, is slightly easier to sew, and somewhat sturdier. Wonderful material for a summer shawl. My first task, since I will be dyeing these shawls with the natural dyes cochineal and indigo, is to thoroughly scour the silk so that it will be receptive to the dye.This involves simmering the fabric for an hour or so. I also need to repair one of the antique stencils I plan on using in this project. Last time I used it I rather brutalized it  - it needs some judicious patching and a new silk mesh backing.  Unlikely that I'll get any shawls done by the time the Poiret exhibit opens.