I've started to make these '30 second films'. Well, I've only made a couple but my intention is to make two or three a week. They don't mean anything, there's no elaborate story line or double meaning, they just try to 'capture' something... an emotion, a feeling, an atmosphere. Also they're not always 30 seconds, this one is from my bike ride today and its over double the length I set, but ho hum what can you do. Anyway, more to come soon hopefully x

Cycling from Charlotte on Vimeo.

I met a friend in Edinburgh on my day off this week, and was planning to take a load of pictures of the festival, maybe see a few free shows, but we were chatting for so long that I realised I only had half an hour for my train, so only managed to take a few pics and missed out on seeing any shows. Typical, but ack well there's always next year.. Here is a flash of what it's like

walking up and down the Royal Mile during the festival:

Definitely the best time to visit - <3 the Fringe

I had a day off from work today and I was feeling a bit arts-and-crafty. I had been wanting to make a kimono for agesss, but had never really gotten around to looking up patterns or finding the right material. I wasn't really in the mood for something that would require too much effort so the kimono idea was starting to fade fast when I came across an old bed cover (originally bought from a charity shop for £3). I loved the fabric so much and thought about making some of those dip-dyed doilies you see in Home & Garden, untilll I had another idea: a shoulder wrap/shawl thing! 

Pretty perfect for this time of year when wearing a coat is a bit too hot, but going out in a strappy dress is a bit too cold. I started by working out how wide I'd like it to be. I also decided to keep it as long as the original width (more of it to swoop around). After snipping and washing the fabric I mixed up my dyeing pot.

This was just a mixture of warm water, salt and a 1/2 pack of Dylon 'Tulip' coloured dye.

Such a bold colour!

 I kept it in the pot for about 2 hours, occasionally  mixing it. I also tried and failed to dip-dye the fabric, leaving half of it out the pot for the final half hour. Next time I'd probably leave it half out after 30 mins of submerging the fabric.

After rinsing the fabric in cold water, washing it in hot, and then rinsing again, I hung it out to dry...

Ta-daa! A completely transformed bed cover!

Can also be used as a table runner! Ooo multi-tasking shawl, not bad for an afternoons work :)