Banners and Bread

Now that my sinus congestion of the past few days has subsided, I decided to get back to work on the silk banners.  I finished drawing our heraldry onto a long roll of craft paper sometime last week and this morning traced the designs onto the silk.  The hardest part of this step was keeping the silk taped down (I used masking tape along the edges) to minimize the movement as I traced using a pencil.  There are only a few squiggles out of place so the next step will be building the beg frame and stretching!

I've also started a little bread experiment on my kitchen counter.  Medieval home bakers didn't have access to store bought yeast so I thought I would try to create my own as well.  I combined 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of water, and about a teaspoon of honey in a glass bowl, covered it with a cloth and set it on the counter.  I've stirred it twice a day and 'fed' it a 1/4 cup of flour and water each day.  It is has started to bubble a little with a clear liquid on the top and get that sour smell that sourdough bread starters are known for. It has been 3 days so I think I will let it stew for a few more days and see what happens. Experiments are fun!

Up! Up! And Away!

Well, I am trying to turn over a new leaf.  I have a habit of researching a project very intensely, planning the project, acquiring the materials for said project, but never finding the time to actually DO the project. I have heard that admission of the problem is the first step in correcting the problem. :-) On to step two:  So I am working through my materials slowly, but surely finding and completing the projects I have had swirling around in my head for so long! Next on the list: painted silk banners!

I purchased the materials some time ago, but never constructed a frame for the silk (this will be a recurring theme).  Yesterday, I woke and was determined to get the process rolling.  I purchased the materials for the frame for $5 (hmmm, seems kind of silly that $5 was holding me back from such fun!) added some pushpins and rubber bands and away we go!  The instructions I read suggested using safety pins to connect the silk to the frame, but a I saw a friend use binder clips and I must say I really liked using them.  They are easy to adjust and have a very tight grip.  You can see the template I used for tracing the design onto the silk under the frame.

I started out with a couple simple, small pennants to see how the materials would work before I attempted a larger scale banner (my small apartment would be very cramped with an 8 foot frame!).  Below is the second one I did using a black resist.  The first one I tried using a clear resist to see which I liked better; currently the jury is still out. 

Although I still need to let the second pennant dry and set the dyes with an iron, I am confident to say this experiment is a success!   Later today I will be testing out making a small silk hankie with my arms in order to try out more intricate details (ermine spots are fun!).  The next step is designing the larger standards for myself and Ed.  I see a visit to my parents house in the near future....that has nothing to do with the fact they have a long, indoor balcony perfect for laying out 8 foot silk frames.... :-)