Using a CNC router for block-printing blocks

… and done! At least the CNC router part. Now to take this home!

If you’ve been following my blog for a few months at least, you’ll know that I’ve been spending a good deal of time exploring the different tools and machines that the Maker Space has available. One of the tools I haven’t had the chance to try (until now!) was the CNC router.

I originally didn’t really know what to use it FOR… but then decided it would be cool to try to make my own blocks for block printing using this machine. I had already found an image online of a 12th century brocade textile with a pattern of a lion that I really liked, that I thought would work well for a block, so decided to start with that.

Repeating the medieval-style laser cut lantern

Second wooden medieval style lantern I made at the Maker Space on the laser cutter/engraver

I really adored the medieval style lantern I built using the laser cutter at the Maker Space and since I had a few other things to cut, and had extra wood to use for the file… decided to re-cut the pieces for this design for a second version.

It took… a while to get to this project.  I originally submitted it for cutting on the laser at the Maker Space back before Covid hit – and then with delays at the Maker Space due to scheduling and staffing, and then.. well.. Covid shutting the whole thing down for a long time, I only was able to get back in there to actually CUT it in September-October 2022.

Samhain Post-mortem

Montengarde Samhain (Nov 6-8 2020) class: Construction of an Iron Age Finnish dress

A while ago I posted about working on the classes and whatnot for the November 6-8, 2020 Montengarde Samhain event. I don’t know that I’ll end up working on another similar online event anytime soon…. but I thought I’d record som

e of my thoughts about working on the event.

This is another one of those “probably only of interest to me” kind of posts.. and I do geek out a bit with statistics and analytics cus that’s my jam…

Witch Hat Wednesday

Out for a physically-distanced Pokemon Go walk with friends in my witchy hat with ear flaps

This hat was entirely on a whim after watching the ASMR-esqe Bernadette Banner’s Winter Witch Hat video. There was something about the finished version that just made me so frivolously happy that I knew I wanted one for myself. Of course it was right before super-depressing Halloween which might have had a lot to do with wanting to indulge some frivolity.

Natural dyeing – Lupine

Beautiful green handspun wool dyed with Lupine flowers

It seems like greens are difficult to get with natural plant dyes, so when I read that green (even bright acid green!) could be obtained with Lupine flowers, I wanted to try it.

We have had lupine growing in our backyard for years – the flowers seem to be a favourite of bees, and they are a dramatic, beautiful, colourful flower. I read on The Easy Blues that lupine is originally a North American plant, though I remember being in Vantta, Finland and seeing vast fields full of them… they self-seed, and the seed pods POP sending the seeds all over the place, so apparently there they’re almost treated like a very pretty weed.