Plain indigo napkins

Tags

Indigo, indigo dyeing, indigo napkins

So, here are eight hand dyed indigo napkins from my iron/calx/indigo vat. It’s odd, but I feel as though I “know” my napkins after the slow cloth session. I think they are beautiful and I love the slight colour variations in them. 9 dips. 9 rinses. 2 complete washings. After discovering that they weren’t quite dark enough at 7 dips I wasn’t really prepared to spend more time.
But they are now gone. It was a commission, but I also learned a lesson. When I make things I usually think of the person I am gifting them to. This time, I didn’t know the person, and it seemed to be huge amount of time to spend on someone I’m not familiar with. I won’t do a commission again, but I will dye again for family and friends.

Indigo linen napkins

Tags

Indigo, indigo dyeing, Linen, napkins

These are for my brother and his wife…unironed, but folded and ready to finish.

Rope bowls

Tags

fabric bowls, Rope bowls

About three hours and I can complete a small bowl. If it is wrapped in 1 inch width fabric strips, it will take longer. I glue the strip ends of fabric as I add each new 36” strip. Zig zag the bowl on a sewing machine so the rounds join together. There are many tutorials online. But they are fun and easy and colourful.

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Natural dye samples

Tags

fabric dyes, Natural dyes, natural fabric dyes

The workshop I took from Maiwa online was fabulous. It was so inspiring; I loved the clearly written text, the video guides, and the resulting fabrics. It was a phenomenal amount of time, but incredibly worth it. My efforts resulted in the sample books which I made for reference for future dye work. This is one happy dyer!

Velvet pillow

Tags

echo-dye, pillow, Silk velvet

I bought some silk velvet on a whim, and boy does it dye beautifully. I washed it in a soda ash solution, soaked it in gall and then alum. Next step was a dip in a banana vat of indigo.

I lay it down on the table, added leaves and petals, placed a cochineal soaked flannel sheet on top of the plants, covered it in plastic, and rolled and bound it. I finally zapped in the micro for 5 minutes and steamed for 1 1/2 hours.


I dried it for a week and then rinsed it. It came out beautifully. I’m hoping I can achieve similar results again.

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Eco-dyed silk pillowcases

Tags

Silk pillowcases

so here they are….I could not figure out how to rearrange the photos, but this silk dyeing project was a lot of time, a lot of leaves, and lots of fun. I made 3 sets, and now I won’t get anymore wrinkles. Right?
I washed the silk, 1 hour tannin soak in gall, 2 hour mordanted with alum. Ironed, but kept damp. Rose petals, dried purple carrots, dried purple yams, ornamental plum leaves, hibiscus flowers, dried florist eucalyptus, and dahlia flowers were put vein side down, and then rolled very tightly on a plum tree stem, wrapped with iron dipped string and steamed for an hour and a half. Sewn up using the amazing burrito method and French seamed. And even after two washings they smell faintly of plants and flowers. Love them.

One more crochet baby blanket

Latest blanket, and still using the same ol’ pattern. The colours did match the parents’ expectations, but I am not so keen on the colour combo. Too busy for me. But it was made with lots of love. I am a granny, but the blanket looks like a granny blanket. Know what I mean? Haha.

Fresh leaf indigo

Tags

fresh leaf indigo, Indigo

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Growing the leaves, the salted cuttings, hand scrunching, squishing the silk in the raw leaf juice, final beautiful sea foam turquoise scarf.

After adding some fructose and lime, I have a working vat of green blue dye. It’s magic, every time.

Eco-Dyeing

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blue spruce cones, cochineal, Eco dyeing, Natural dyes

It’s warm outside, so I’ve been dipping my silks and linens in a variety of simmering pots of natural dyes, and then watching them swish about in the wind to dry. My fav at the moment is blue spruce pine cones and cochineal, or a combo of both. The little indigo seedlings make a precious tiny print , as well. I’m back at it, living in my dream world. Lucky woman. .

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Kal Lake painting

Tags

20x24”, acrylic, Lake painting

This is my acrylic painting of our local glacier-fed lake. It’s a bit bright, but actually realistic. It’s still growing on me.

Eco-dyeing beauties

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cotton eco-dyeing, Eco-printing

These came out of my iron pot after steaming for 45 minutes, and cooling overnight. I do have plans for them, but this is just the raw result. I love them.

Crocheted baby blanket

Tags

Crochet, crochet baby blanket

I’ve been at it again. One more l’il babe entering our family unit.