TEXTILE
HARNESSING
NATURE'S COLORS
My process is so much fun! After a forest walk, I lay foraged leaves and flowers onto silk, wool, cotton and linen, then roll the fabric like a jelly roll into bundles. These are tightly secured, then steamed for two hours.
After an overnight cooling period, they are unwrapped to reveal the leaf prints, colours and outlines. Modifiers and mordants such as alum, tannins and iron/copper dips change the final print and fabric colors.
Seasons , chemistry and a whole host of other things help to determine outcome. Recently-created scarves and wearables are for sale. You can find my latest offerings on Instagram..
Promise - 12 x 12" cotton, linen, dyed and slow stitched whole cloth
Promise
Here, red is the color
of promise;
this mountain's ancient, russet bones
are steeped in possibility.
Around each hairpin bend,
rippling vines glow through evening haze;
their rows cast lines
down the slope to lush orchards.
Ripe branches blush,
and humbly bow ,
as if to say:
"Really, it's all too much.."
Autumn Story
Evening haze clings
to these bronze hills
like bloom on a plum.
Far below,
woodsmoke
scrawls its story
across the
tractor's faded lines.
A lone raven
punctuates the ending.
Autumn Story - black frame- 22 x 18 "- hand-dyed cottons, recycled fabric scraps, sashiko stitching