scenes from the dye space

I have managed to lose myself for quite a few hours over the past two days, pottering about with the dye-pots. It’s no mean feat these days to achieve that sort of peace, and I am grateful for this absorbing interest in natural dyes, slow stitching and making or up cycling clothes that feel satisfying and ethical to wear.

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indigo blues

In my short experience with indigo vats I have had very mixed results; I have worked only with fructose vats, because I do not want to use harsh chemicals, but have found them temperamental [maybe reflecting my own states of mind on occasion!] and have been often disappointed with the depth of blue achieved. I’ve also had problems with splodges forming on garments, and with the colour washing out [but not the splodges, sadly !], and am learning to respect every step of the process, and to really build up a close observation  and understanding of the vat. And as with all natural dyeing, to be PATIENT…waiting for the reduction to take place, sometimes over several days if it’s a revamp of the vat; and really checking the ph and the colour.

This latest time I decided to try a henna vat, and have been delighted with the depth of blue in my new dress, hand stitched as taught by India Flint in one of her wonderful workshops and made out of silky merino [from Beautiful Silks]: will add some pockets and patches and it will be done!

I am also finding that I could revive this vat a couple of days later much more effectively than I have achieved so far, and am in the process of over-dyeing some other garments…more pics later.

worlds within worlds

This gallery contains 12 photos.

bags

a growing obsession…… bought India Flint’s new book Bagstories, and joined the private facebook page…..some wonderful ideas for using my stack of naturally-dyed  fabric off cuts to make different bags. Love their earthiness and love the process of slow stitching to make them.

grief and beauty

Queenscliff beach sunrise……..and words of guidance and wisdom….at least indicating a way through….Danna Faulds : Let It Go

 

Let go of the ways you thought life would unfold,

the holding of plans or dreams or expectations

Let it all go

Save your strength to swim with the tide.

The choice to fight what is here before you now

will only result in struggle, fear, and desperate attempts to flee

from the very energy you long for.

Let go

Let it all go and flow with the grace

that washes through your days whether you received it gently

or with all your quills raised to defend against invaders.

Take this on faith:

the mind may never find the explanations that it seeks,

but you will move forward nevertheless.

Let go, and the wave’s crest will carry you to the unknown shores,

beyond your wildest dreams or destinations.

Let it all go and find the place of rest and peace

and certain transformation.

 

small steps

Managing a serious illness in the family, there hasn’t been time for much updating of the blog journal….but I am using the quick format of Instagram to keep a bit of a record of textile potterings, which  add a bit of peace and grounding to difficult times. Sometimes just finding time to soak one little piece of cloth in a pot of plant dye, or stitch a row of simple stitches on a small piece of cloth that may one day become a pocket or a patch, can bring some moments of calm and meditation.

The Instagram address is

https://www.instagram.com/glensbirdonawire/

simmering pots

With a bout of what is probably a very common Dyer’s Disease, I went out to dye ONE garment two days ago and ended up with indigo vat being revived, a large brew of eucalyptus leaves/onion skins/walnut hulls and a bit of copper cooking up in another pot, and a large pile of my own stitched or upcycled garments [op-shop finds ,  some of them altered or soon-to-be!] ready for a cook up. Needless to say the past two days have disappeared in a haze of focused dyeing. There is something about the magic of it all, one thing leads to another “what-if”, the indigo vat becomes temperamental, various garments in the “fail” pile call out to be re-worked………and time vanishes.

Pics below are of some of the results……..plain indigo dyed pieces that will have pockets and patches added;some more circles that may eventually become part of a mandala stitched cloth;  a dress that was a dull blue now over-printed with leaves and simmered in the above-described eucalyptus pot, [the blue has not shown up in the photo very well]; a skirt that had been printed and over-printed but still looked very murky, now a bit more interesting I think and will be more so with a couple of embroidered and layered pockets added! and a linen shirt that has been dyed in an onion skin bath, I am playing with patches and pockets for this one, and also altering the size by piecing a panel into the back! again the iphone photo has dulled it off, it is a lovely golden colour that I am very pleased with.

gumtree blanket

This long-term project is moving forward: the top is being assembled now; I will add some more stitching and then back it to make a snuggly blanket. I haven’t felt in any sort of hurry to finish it, as it is a lovely pick-up-and-stitch project; I enjoy looking at the wonderful prints that have emerged at different times from my eucalyptus bundles; some pieces have been individually dyed, some are leftovers from garments.  I have bought some lovely fine soft wool fabric from Beautiful Silks and will dye this before using it as the back, so there will be plenty more stitching to do, as i will join the front and back pieces with some form of kantha-type stitching.

Little Gem becoming part of home

Have found a lovely part of the house to sit and spin 😍….. spinning improving and becoming much more relaxing, although as with most things I am learning that the more I learn the more there is to learn! I am spinning some lovely Beersheba Farm Castledale fibre, purchased at the Bendigo Wool Show.

Bloom on the vat

A very promising sight this morning, lovely blue bloom on the fructose vat

And the ph was good at 11.4; so I had high hopes for a good strong colour; but in fact it was a fairly pale result, proving that my vat often has a mind of its own! Nevertheless some multiple dips and some over-dyeing produced some interesting results

And even a couple more misty moons!