I've been working on a whole bunch of new projects in the last couple of weeks, especially I've been putting one of my birthday presents to work!
I got this awesome book all about dyeing without using any toxic chemicals, with natural plant materials. India Flint also has an amazing blog which is how I found her in the first place. I love her frank discussion of pre-treating fabric by making ash water, using milk, and saving your own urine! She writes about how to make bundles of fabric and steam them to get intense colors. It feels like a magical process to me, like I'm making a talisman of dye stuff and fabric.
My husband is horrified at the bizarre chemistry experiments going on all over the house, but I am delirious with delight creating colors and pattern on fabric. So far I've experimented with beet pickle juice
pickled beets and fabric wrapped around copper pipe:
and walnut husks from the the alley next to my house:
In keeping with my magical feelings about this whole process, I think I'm going to make my fabrics into spirit bags, or maybe spirit dolls. I need to let my fabrics speak to me. Using all these natural, local materials seems to imbue the fabrics with a life of their own. They have an aura of selfness that I don't notice with other fabrics.
Maybe it is my own energy that I've poured into them by collecting the materials, processing them into dye, and preparing the fabric for weeks before I dye them. Or maybe it is the spirit of the tree and the land that I've collected and transmuted into this coloring on fabric. Maybe it's both.
I just love the color result from the beet pickle juice. Great post [so funny that your husband is horrified by the experiments! :-)]
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteI like dying too, I have done it as child, but ever since than I'm more into art. But I love to see other people works!
The fabrics look yummy. They remind me of the kinds of patterns I wore in the late 60s and early 70s.
ReplyDeleteSo nice that you are making them without toxicity.
xoxo
The textured patterns are lovely esp protograph on the woodenh background. I did some tie dying in school but we use dylon!
ReplyDeletewow!
ReplyDeleteI'd be delirious too! this is so exciting!
I always want to do something with pickled beet juice, with all of it's intense vibrancy.
your experiments turned out beautifully.
do you know if the results are fast? (not sure if that is the right term... will they wash out?)
I think it's wonderful that you are honouring the magic of these fabrics by turning them into something sacred.
:-)
You've done some really lovely things to this fabric. I love that the dyes are all natural, too.
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog & I love all your experiments with natural things like dying and soy based ink.
ReplyDeleteI am definitely following your blog now :)
thank you for the kind words, lovely to see you taking to these gentle processes like a happy duck to water!
ReplyDeleteand thanks for offering to be a gatherer...you're on the page now.
best
india