Because I am a bit of a butterfly never keeping my mind on one thing for long. I have taken a bit of a side ways step with my business and started to produce hand dyed silk scarfs. It is still natural dyes on natural fibers. This is the core of my work and I will stick to it as much as possible. But if I can create something wonderful using other materials I will. Nothing is written in stone, and I won't be hide bound by rules. The end result is the important thing for me.
The scarfs are brought in and I dye them in the Shibori style with indigo. The indigo vat can be tricky to start with but once you have mastered it the results are fabulous. It would take to long to describe here but if you are interested these books have been a great help to me.
Wild Colour by Jenny Dean, if you are interested in natural dyeing Jenny Dean is must. Any one of her books are full of the best advice and information you could want.
A Handbook of Indigo Dyeing by Vivien Prideaux.
Shibori by Mandy Southan.
There are many more but these three have been the ones I use the most at the moment
I will be a bit more precise about the methods I use in future posts.
These are just a few of the things that I really liked at the exhibition of our WS&D,s National Association held at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum on Saturday.Of course I thought I would remember whats what or find it in the catalog. Some I can and some I can't. The blanket or afghan as it is called is knitted in hand spun wool ans silk with natral dyes.
The panels of this skirt are shibori dyed and I love it. Will try to have a go at one myself I dye silk scarves in the same way how lovely to have a skirt.
Both of these wall hangings show the range of things that can be made with in our crafts.
These panels where made from a blanket cut up and dyed with natural dyes. Names and pictures of the dye stuff used have been machine embroidered in each square.
