Getting Started with Natural Dyeing

I spent the day rewriting some old workshop notes on getting started with natural dyeing.  They are now available in my store for $1.99

Corn Silk Project

Sample that I made several years ago from constructed cloth and osage orange dyed silk organza.

Auditioning fabrics for the corn silk piece, osage orange to the far left, madder root in the center, and compost dyed to the right, silk fabrics.

18x45ish inches silk chiffon that has been compost dyed.

Mark Making with Nature DVD &

eBook Christmas Special!!!

Mark Making with Nature DVD and e-Book Combo Pack

Retails for $89.00+$4.95 shipping

$60.00 + $4.95 Shipping World Wide!

 

For 48 hours only!!!

Sale Ends on Christmas Eve at 6pm

(US Central Time)

Avocado Dyeing

I've created a discussion on the topic of Avocado Dyeing over at The Natural Surface Network Come on over and check it out, share your experiences if you too have dyed with avocados!

Constructed Silk Carrier Rod Cloth - Video

It's blurry and the color is off, however, I streamed a how to video on creating cloth using silk carrier rods.
Constructed Fabric from Silk Carrier Rods

Mark Making with Nature eBook Package - Cyber Monday Sale

Mark Making with Nature eBook Package

Cyber Monday Sale

$30.00

Package consists of my three books Mark Making with Nature, Rust and Clay Dyeing, and Compost Dyeing

Hello World

I can see, I can see!  I am a newbie to the world of bi-focals!

WIP - More Vines

Lots of hand stitching needing to happen now.

oak leaf vats

It's time to start thinking about putting these oak leaf and acorn vats away for the winter.

Neutralizing Rust Dyed Fabrics and Fibers

I'm in the process or updating my rust dyeing information - the part about neutralizing. Substitute out Baking Soda for the salt!!! I thought I had done this about six years ago, but apparently forgot to do so. So use 1-2 tablespoons of Baking Soda per gallon of water and upwards of a quarter cup of baking soda to 4 gallons of water.

MMWN DVD Special

$39.00 + $4.95 Shipping

Now through Sunday September 11th.

 

Oak Cloth Part 2

Oak Cloth Part 1

Small Heart Shape

Detail from Oak Leaf Cloth

Oak Leaf Experiment

Posted updates plus video over at the Natural Surface Network in the Compost Dyeing Group!  You have to be a member of the network to view the group, membership is free.

Mark Making with Nature DVD Set

Mark Making with Nature DVD Set is AVAILABLE in my store once again!

Mark Making with Nature DVD Set

$49.00 + $4.95 shipping in the US and Canada

Available in the Store

Oak Cloth Update

The water is black!

Mark Making with Nature Special Extended

Mark Making with Nature Special Extended

August 24th!!!

I went to sleep last night thinking that something wasn't quite right with yesterdays sale, but couldn't put my finger on it until this morning when I realized that the service I used for the digital downloads hadn't contacted me. Response to the book special was overwhelming, so why wasn't I hearing from my digital service? One good nights sleep and I realized that I had used the wrong buttons for the special, techie I am NOT, and yesterdays snaffu proved that one to me!

So I am extending the sale until Wednesday, why Wednesday you ask? I have a LOT of garlic dill pickle relish to put up and a zine to finish and don't want to mess with the buttons again, now that they are correct. If you should pay for your books and you do not recieve an email from me for the digital download instructions please contact me at prairiefibers@hotmail.com For everyone else that bought a copy yesterday, but didn't recieve a digital download I am popping it into the mail for you!

The buttons have all been fixed and should take you directly to a PayPal invoice after which you should promptly recieve an email with download instructions.

~ Kimberly

Mark Making with Nature Book Combo Special

Sunday, August 21st ONLY!!!

This is all three books, Compost Dyeing, Mark Making with Nature, and Rust and Clay dyeing being offered as a package for $30.00.  The price is normally $40.00 for the book package deal!

Artistically Speaking Live Interview!

Just recieved my transcript for tomorrows live interview with Rebecca Parsons of Artistically Speaking live at 6 pm eastern time.  Lots to think about on why I work with natural dyes, etc., before tomorrows show!

Rust Dyed Silk Cocoons and Carrier Rods

Ideas for the newest zine!

Oak Leaf Cloth

I wasn't too thrilled about having our oak trees pruned in July but it needed to be done as I could no longer see to safely back out of the driveway, oak trees pick the darnest time to have a growth spurt.  So I pulled a bunch of the red oak and burr oak leaves aside in addition to some acorns and put them in a metal pan until I was ready to use them.  And then it rained, and rained, and rained, and rained.  The end result was an oak leaf acorn soup.  So today I will dye some cotton yardage and see what I come up with.

I added some rusted coffee tin lids in between the layers of fabric as I shoved it into a five gallon plastic bucket.

Final layer of oak leaves, branches, and acorns.

Topped off with rain water, that had been sitting for several days in another bucket, and a lid to keep the skeeters out.

Constructed Rusted Cloth

I had put together a zine sometime ago on how to make constructed cloth with silk carrier rods, and found it while cleaning up some folders on my computer.  This is one of the samples.

Dye Studio Update 080511

The blast furnace heat now seems to be behind us! This coming weekend I will be making bundles and posting information in my new pages section of this blog and over at The Natural Surface Network.

New Shop

I opened up a new shop yesterday with Big Cartel, and am love love loving the simplicity of the service they offer from set up to purchase!  You can check out my new digs here http://www.prairiefibers.bigcartel.com/   It'll take me a bit to get all of the inventory loaded.

New Dye Book

Am working on a new natural dye book.  I've learned a lot since I've written the first three, and one of those important things is that this town is crawling with editors and graphic designerse looking for freelance work!  That should, hopefully, make my life much much easier and the book that much more beautiful, and easy to use.  

The latest book will be available in digital format only i.e., an e-Book. I know, I know a physical book is so much nicer, but so much more to publish and therefore costs more to purchase.  More later with a few sneak peak photos.  Until then remeber that these books are still available http://www.kbaxterpackwood.com/e-Books.htm

Artistically Speaking

Rebecca Parson's will be interviewing me on Artistically Speaking 8/21/2011‏! I recieved my info packet today and cannot wait!!!  More details later this week.

New Work Studio

Almost done!!!

Studio - Update June 12, 2011

Whilest I wait upon dye pots, summer storms (looking a whole lot like another flood year here) and fleeces to dry I will be rearranging my 1905 grand Victorian home.  I am moving my studio, combining my two studios actually, into the living and dining rooms of my house and turning the library, a room that has become a glorified closet some how, into a family room.  My current design studio will then become a dedicated office and my wet studio... well I'll have space once again for dyeing, painting, and printing fabrics, etc.

Photos of the progress coming and soon.

Mad about Madder Root e-Class

Mad about Madder Root e-Class Starts Tomorrow at the Natural Surface Network.

If the PP button doesn't take you to the payment page please email me prairiefibers@hotmail.com and I will send you an invoice for the class. ~ Kimberly

Pigment Painting

Today's live stream went well, here is one of the samples.

Pigment Painting on Silk Fabric - Live Stream

If you've ever wanted to know how to paint fabrics with raw pigments, I will be streaming live from my studio tomorrow afternoon at 3pm CST.  http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mark-making-with-nature

Mad About Madder Root e-Class

Available June 1st, 2011 a self directed e-Class dedicated to dyeing with Madder Root. Cost $30 USD

In this class students will learn how to use a traditional madder root vat to create a range of colors on silk and wool fabrics, ranging from deep scarlet to brilliant orange and everything in between. This class is self directed which allows students to work at their own pace.

Membership at the Natural Surface "IS" required and pre-payment is required before accessing class information.  Class will formally open June 1st, 2011 (12:00am CST that's Iowa)



Organic Soy Beans

Organic Soy Beans, I'll be demoing how to make soy milk in an upcoming online class via The Natural Surface Network  More information later this evening.

WIP - Hot Flash - Detail

Hot Flash in what I like to call the ugly duckling stage, but soon to become a swan!

WIP - Detail

Detail

WIP

Now with a little machine stitching, I still have a long way to go before this piece is finished.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm Lost and Found???

Or simply neglected?  I found this piece hiding in a corner, I started it back around 2004ish and it went AWOL.  This is what happens when you dig into the deep recesses of your studio closet, goodies are to be had back there, oh and spiders.

Silk crinkle crepe top fabric, wool batting, cotton backing.
Natural Dyed with Cochineal and then compost dyed as an overdye.
36 x 60 inches, an approximation.
Soon to be machine stitched.

Dyer's Garden

Am planting a dyer's garden this year.

So far I've planted coreopsis, will plant more coreopsis seed tomorrow, goldenrod, and marigolds.

Rusty Horse Shoes

Given to me by Norma for rust dyeing, she's my horse manure supplier, I can't wait to see what kinds of patterns I come up with.

Red Hearts

Base heart is started using silk dupioni, dyed with cochineal, wool quilt batting and cochineal dyed cotton backing fabric.  I machine stitched the edging and am now set to start embellishing the heart with natural dyed vintage trims, lace, yoyo's etc.  I enjoy the hand stitching portion of heart making it's a very nice respite between projects.

Purple Easter Eggs

If your wanting a natural purple for your easter eggs I suggest using beets or cabbage.

HOWEVER, there is a catch to getting the purple color and getting it to stay purple and not turn grey.

Beets or Purple Cabbage chopped fine
Place in a stainless steel sauce pan
Cover twice as deep with Vinegar and add one cup of sugar to the mix.
Bring to a boil.
Strain the vegetation out of the liquer.
Return the dye juice to the sauce pan.
Bring back to a boil and then remove heat source.
Place your eggs in the hot liquid and roll around in the liquid.
Do this for about 15 minutes.



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Avocado Dye Baths

Pits to the left, peels to the right, my not so solar solar vats.  They have been sitting on my table in my wet studio for some time now.

Live Stream - Cancelled

I won't be able to live stream today, I have a stomach bug of some sort - most probably picked up from the place I ate lunch at yesterday.  Took my best friend out for lunch, to celebrate her birthday, and unfortunately gave her the gift of turning icky green!!! :-(  Well we're both sick now and have both decided that it's time to find someplace else to celebrate!

Live Stream

Am planning to live stream tomorrow and anything goes I'll be playing with natural dyes, fibers and fabric.  Stop by at 3pm central time! http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mark-making-with-nature

Prairie Potholes No. 15

Finally home!

Natural Dyed Silks

It's time to dig out the ironing board and do some pressing!

Bright Yellow Orange Fluffyness

Kamala dyed fancy yarn waiting to be couched down onto a new project.

Bloodroot

My bloodroot patch has started to spread, finally.  I don't actually use the roots for dyeing with, I planted them because I have a small prairie woodland garden.

Excited!!!

Well I've finally made the decision I'm moving my studio out of it's current space, a second story bedroom, into the living and dining room, these two rooms are open to each other.  What the casual obsevery doesn't know is that my "design studio" has bled over into three other rooms, four rooms if I count all of the mixed media items that are hogging space in my wet studio, of the house and well most of the time I have no idea what I have as far as supplies are concerned.

With John's blessing we have been pouring over various studio organization books, and magazines, and will over the next 2-3 months move my studio into the living and dining rooms, thus consolidating everything so that I can work more effectiently.  I will also be working towards divesting of 'stuff' that I am no longer using and/or interested in using in my artwork. 

The upside is I will have a guest bedroom again AND my current studio space will officially become my office space/library for all of those books I have bought over the years for my studio.  Thank you Alyson for that encouragement!

Studio Update

Not much going on in the dye studio these days, it's still too blustery to do any serious dyeing out of doors so I'm keeping myself busy writing up new tutorials for natural dyeing, and starting this weekend I'll be skirting fleeces. In the mean time I have lowered the price of my eBooks from $19.95 to $14.95.

Winter Cloth Year Three

These two pieces of cloth have been outside for three winters now, will wash and do something with them this spring.

All THREE of my books, Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Dye Tecniques, Rust and Clay Dyeing, Mark Making with Nature in one package via digital download for $50.00