Through the Stages 2: Beginning Dye Stage

I wholly intended to begin my first instructional blog discussing the highs and woes of fabric choices, but I have to write about my wonderful Friday night batik group.

First, my Birthday:
I gotta say... I LOVE MY FRIDAY NIGHT FRIENDS!!! For my 45th birthday, they encouraged me to dye my hair, and in a fit of pique, I did it blue rather than pink. I did a terrible disservice to Dana who made me this gorgeous goth hair piece that would have popped on pink... but pink will come again... eventually.

Tamara made me an awesome pound cake (and I gained a few too) with, unfortunately, non-alcoholic whipped cream. Didn't need it though. It was delish. And Lynn brought a sumptuous lemon cream pie!! Yuum!

Diane H. brought me flowers and cake a week earlier, and although I tried to convince her that my b'day was the next week, and then again the next week thereafter, and so on, I could not get her to continue her lovely generosity.

My BFF, Dianne B. gave me the most sentimental card that lets me know how much our relationship is cherished.

Mary, who gifts me every day with her humor, her dog, and her endless zeal for adventure, has been an inspiration to me... a very cherished gift indeed.

My mom also gave me a beautiful card, accurately encapturing our relationship, that made me cry when I was sober enough to read it in its entirety.

And extra special appreciation to my VBFF, my husband, who despite protests, got me an I-pad3 and will suffer many days helping me learn how to use it.

I want to share with you these people who make the learning process of batik easier for me. I learn from their mistakes and through their obvious mistake in trusting blindly in my advice. I learn from them as they learn from me! And we have fun all the while!

We had a large group this Friday, so I bowed out of dying my image much and helped others, including another newbie. I love seeing their projects come to completion. You have done well grasshoppers.

I am thrilled with the vibrancy of color and depth I have gotten from the new natural cotton fabric that I am trying with my image. Already today, I am heating my wax and eager to take the next steps.

Stay tuned.