Today I will take a walk through the woods, to look at the leaves and to breathe the air. In February you will be born, and before then the leaves will turn yellow and orange and brown, and fall to the floor, and maybe snow will come and cover everything. But it will melt and you will be here. Here to see the leaves return, little green buds on bare branches.

Through the darkness into the light. I can't wait to meet you.

soft ground experiments

With time to spare in the workshop today I decided to try some experiments in soft ground etching. Soft ground has always been my favourite way to create etched images but as we are a 'non toxic' workshop the traditional method of melting wax onto the plate is out. I read that Graphic Chemical relief ink can be used as a ground; soft when it's wet and then also as a hard ground when it's dry, and thought it might be worth a try...


I tried various thicknesses of ink, applied with a roller, and various different tools to draw both through paper (which lifts off ground) and directly (which displaces it). I tried drawing on the plate as soon as it was coated, then at 10 minute intervals as the ink dried. Unlike my previous attempts with a different acrylic soft ground, this ink seems to dry quite slowly giving a large window of opportunity for drawing... top image drawn through paper after 5 mins, bottom drawn after 35 mins...

I also tried painting with various consistencies of the ink directly on the un-coated plate, and used water to dissolve parts creating the opposite effect...

I didn't get chance to etch the plates as the ink takes up to 24 hours to dry depending on thickness, but I can't wait to see what they all turn out like as it feels quite promising. Now I've just got to work out the etching times...

P.S. I like the little mono prints made with the removed ink too :)

5 trees

A new book...

on bags

A bag for my lovely friend Emily.

I seem to make her a bag every year (2007 2008 2009...) and as I had this upholstry weight floral Cath Kidson fabric I thought why should this year be any different. A girl can never have too many bags right. And the more I sew the more I learn and the more I think I can do better than the bag I made before. So, sorry Emily, you are the recipient of the evidnece of my learning curve ;)

The design for this bag just seemed to come together one day, as these things sometimes do. I saw a bag with a woven strap (on the street, on the internet, who knows where) and when I was thinking about a present for Emily that image popped into my head, and it seemed to suggest a curved bag, to follow the line of the strap. So I cut out some shapes, a front and a back and a flap and a gusset, and sewed them together with thinking about it all too much. Kind of like having an image of a finished thing in my head, then closing my eyes and moving towards it without worrying about going of the track. A kind of intuition? Of having had enough sewing go wrong to get a certain feel for the right direction? Certainly a feeling of freedom that could perhaps get quite addictive.

I just looked back through my archives, looking for a bag I'd made in the past to compare this one to and realised I've actually made quite a few... Perhaps all this bag making practice is starting to sink in...

Friday

At work I am lucky to be surrounded by lots of talented people; artists, designers, print makers and all sorts. My manager (after a bit of persuasion, he's a modest type) has decided to offer some of the beautiful books he makes at PapercutBindery on Etsy. His books are even better in the flesh, his attention to detail is something I aspire to (I'm definitely up for a bit of 'if no one will see it then maybe it doesn't matter and I can get away with not doing it', where as Roger's spines are lined to perfection..) Anyway, he's taught me a lot about binding in the years I've worked with him and I thought you might like to have a look at his work...

This sketch book is my favourite so far I think, but he's got more on the go in his little cellar bindery, including some gold edge gilding, so I can't wait to see those. The traditionally bound Japanese books (paper stitches and everything) are beautiful too, real craftsmanship...

Next I'm going to get him to start a blog...

All images copyright of Roger Grech 2011

...

I've been really enjoying sewing recently. I've put a new table in my workroom (the old table from the kitchen, which has been replaced by an even older, more appropriately sized, table) and its great to be able to sit to the machine. Previously I had it propped up on a box and I sat on a cushion to sew pressing the presser with my knee. Worked great but bad for the back. Anyway, sitting to a table and having the iron to hand has been good.

Every night for a few weeks I cut a little bit, sewed a little bit and it was quite relaxing. I miss it now I'm working lates again (although summer is nearly hear, 6 more weeks I think). I made my third attempt at a tree quit, and this time I think I've cracked it. Cream linen background instead of white cotton, more limited colour pallet (perhaps this is my downfall; colours look nice in a rainbow so I try to use them all...) and slightly more ordered layout. More space between the trees.

A quilt for Samuel, my newest cousin, with lots of love ♥

saturday

Gardening today after the rain, surrounded by trees and earth and promise...


Peonies and peas and forget-me-nots, and a soon-to-be lawn (if it grows...)


And the cats are out, free! They love it too :)