Weekend Work

After the weekly house cleaning was done on Saturday, I was delighted to find myself in the studio before midday, at work on my own outfit for WoW! I even remarked to myself how fabulous it was to be there, with no commitments whatsoever looming, apart from voting (blerghhh!) Bliss! It was a tricky piece, and as I riveted the pieces together - all scrap pieces from the actual WoW garments - it kept changing the way it would sit on the body.

Using stocking straps to hold pieces in place

The beauty of working in leather though, is that you can mould it to fit, so once those attachments were made, I could wet it down and scrunch it in to a tighter fit, as it was wandering off the shoulders. Although most of it was already moulded and strapped in to place on the mannequin, it really did take quite a bit of time as I kept trying it on and seeing how pieces fitted together on my body.
As I shifted gear to make the simple under-dress, I was thrilled to a) easily find the pattern hanging on my pattern rack and b) simply step outside to my cutting table to lay it out. Did I mention that I love my new space?!!

Looking in from the cutting table

I finished off Saturday by doing what I have wanted to do all week - starting a painting on my new drawing board! I did a watercolour background textured with gladwrap to start off with something of a background. I've then chosen an image out of my 'Book of Fabulous Things' to sketch on to it. Today I spoiled myself at the Art Shed and bought myself some new sketchbooks, paints, and fabulous Coloursoft pencils, to further experiment with. They are just delicious!

On Sunday I did battle with airbrushes to dye my leather - it shouldn't be this hard! From the small 'craft' airbrush to the much more robust version, they kept blocking up! The dye is water consistency, so I can't work it out. Very frustrating. However, I got there in the end, slowly, and finished off with the paintbrush! I've given a light spray of 'Moon Shadow Mist', which has given it a lovely purple glow, and will paint some further highlighting on - perhaps in silver. Two weeks to go!!

I've made a one-sleeved black jersey dress to wear underneath, but when I looked at the leather piece today I wondered if it might need something more to it - perhaps some slashes through it to echo the shapes of the leather....... we'll see....

Many hours of labour come to fruition.

Whilst I was happy playing in my studio, Matt was working on the woodfired oven. Having discarded our brilliant idea of turning it into a dragon sculpture - it just became too architectural for that - we have let it speak to us, and it asked for an industrial look. Matt rifled through his treasures and found some railway spikes and a groovy gauge to start it off. There are side sculptures, doors, and the storage area underneath to complete, but it had its' first 'curing' fire today in readiness for cooking many, many pizzas next weekend for the 15th birthday of the boys!
And so ends another weekend of creation. I'd like to share this cartoon of us drawn by the talented Megan Hills which epitomises the way we work, and graces my studio desk - a real treasure, Megan!