I’ve always been fascinated by fabric. The flexibility and the impact that’s possible fascinate me.
Having dabbled in dyeing and wondered just how to it was possible to achieve some of the stunning effects we perhaps take for granted, I was really thrilled to have a close-up chance to learn more.
It came during a visit to a Batik master in Bali where I was privileged to have one-on-one tuition in the magic of this age-old Indonesian technique for wax-resist dyeing across whole cloths.
While not that long ago, the trip was in a time before all our lives changed in 2020 so the memories of that special class have stayed with me…particularly as I try to experiment with colours and effects in the quilt commissions I undertake.
One recent project involved creating an entire menagerie of animals* for the grandson of a client who is keen to create special, utterly unique memories for his family.
“Just make sure there’s lots of animals” was part of the brief. My imagination, and memories, could run wild for a few days! Then I remembered the monkeys outside the lodge where I was staying near Ubud. It was a detour on a family holiday to New Zealand and the memories become more vivid every time I look back at the piece of Batik I was so proud to have completed... with help!
Denise
*Look closely - you might just be able to find him taking in the view of his new bedroom zoo!!