Mold

This is what happens when one does not use heat in the 30 day dye bath, I need to get the temp up to 78F, which is still cold, but warm enough to prevent mold formation. 

I will be adding fish tank heater tomorrow to the dye vat, AFTER I skim off the mold.

30 Day Cold Dye Pomegranate Vat

Day 1

Day 2 

Indigo Blog Crawl Continues!

This month's particpants will be listed over several posts since it's easier to list them this way than to keep updating an older post.

Diana de Souza http://dyeing2weave.wordpress.com  - Diana will be starting a Garcia vat this week so check back often to watch her progress!

Fruit Fermentation Vat 040313

 

Fruit fermentation vat.

 

 

The dark stuff towards the center is the indigo pigment settled at the bottom of the vat.

 

 

 

A lovely shade of yellowish green.

 

Fruit Fermentation Vat and Live Streaming

Attempted my first ever fruit fermentation vat this evening, notes about this are over in the Natural Surface forum, I liked it a LOT!  I streamed this session but was having a lot of issues with Ustream, so I will be streaming again tomorrow evening and from Google/YouTube Live instead of Ustream.  I will post a link tomorrow for the stream location.

I also worked with some earth pigments in this stream, it's recorded but will say I'm not sure how much of the recording has audio. 

I'm off to spend some quality time with hubs and my favorite pooch Angel.  See y'all tomorrow evening!

Indigo Fermentation Vats

My 150 gallon stainless steel vat, yes it is possible to keep a vat going for years even decades.  Learn more about dyeing with indigo in my Introduction to Indigo Dyeing Class at The Natural Surface!

My 30 gallon stainless steel indigo vat.  Both vats came from a defunct dairy farm.

Indigo

Indigo dyed wool strips.  Introduction to Indigo Dyeing begins February 15th, this class is self paced.  Cost $75 USD plus $29.95 subscription fee to The Natural Surface!

Prairie 2002

Prairie
2002
45x38ish inches
Natural Dyes
Silk Crepe de Chine

This is "Prairie" I found it last night in a wicker trunk with several other pieces to my 2002 Prairie Rermnant Solo Show.  I'm thinking of cutting it into four sections, after pressing, and machine stitching, maybe push the surface a little further, and work them into my Canyonland Series.  This while I wait on my indigo vat to do it's thing!

Introduction to Indigo eClass

 

This class will begin February 14th, and will run approximately 90 days.  This class is perfect for the novice dyer whose never made an indigo vat, or hasn't had success attempting an indigo vat. The class is available through The Natural Surface.

Old Dye Bath

It's really old, as in several years old old!!!  Yes it smells and yes that's fabric in the dyebath, which I believe is madder root.

Pear Tree Dye Project

The wind took out my beloved pear tree last week, so this week we will be cutting it up into managable pieces, the leaves, bark, and smaller limbs will be used for dyeing fabric and yarn.  Am thinking of breaking out the large cast iron cauldron and making up a large dye vat.

oak leaf vats

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

Oak Cloth Update

The water is black!

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.

Avocado Pit Dye Vat

Starting an avocado pit dye vat in a 2 quart jar.

Moldy Dye Bath - Test Video

Three Winters Table Cloth

Three Winters Table Cloth, vintage Damask, after being unwrapped.

After washing

Now in last years Osage Orange Dye Vat.

Five Year Old Cochineal Vat

I found this cochineal vat buried in my wet studio, it's been hiding in a corner for five years now!  I brought it outside thinking it'd have a good coating of mold on it but it didn't, I think I may have modified this one heavily with citric acid.

Revived Cochineal Vat

I scooped the mold off the top carefully and refilled the pot with water, the cochineal vat revived beautifully.

Overwintered Cochineal Vat