Sunday, January 31, 2010

Gearing up with Gut

Been playing with sausage casings, makin' stuff



7 comments:

Carol B said...

That takes guts! (I just couldn't resist a bad pun.)

Leslie Pearson said...

I can't wait for your workshop at ECU !! Gut = Awesome.

Michele said...

The whole thought of sausage casings . . .
Ewe, isn't that animal intestines?
You made such gorgeous and delicate pieces, it would inspire any who are faint of heart, to want to play with animal intestines!
Absolutely Gorgeous!

Melissa Manley said...

It IS intestine...all cleaned and freeze packed from a sausage making supply butcher. It is the same thing as vellum (basically) the earliest paper. It was made of similar stuff.
Humans have been making do with whatever supplies they had in their immediate surroundings. We've sterilized our modern world, no self-respecting neolithic woman would be squemish about using intestine.

Ann Marie Horgan said...

Hi Melissa,

I'm an Irish art student and I've been looking at using hog gut for a while. I have managed to get my hands on some from a local supplier. However I was wondering if I have to treat it before I use it and if you use something to attach it to the wire.

I'm sorry if I'm asking you to share your trde secrets, I would love to atend one of your courses...if only I didn't live in Ireland.

Many thanks,
Ann Marie.

Melissa Manley said...

Ann Marie,
I get it from my local butcher. It's already prepared to make sausage casing so it's all cleaned. I don't have to do anything. I often soak it before I use it though, so that it's soft and pliable.

Ann Marie Horgan said...

Thanks a million Melissa!