Rabbitbrush and sage dyed wool, 2007, in an iron pot.
Dried rabbitbrush from western Nebraska eastern Wyoming area.
Sage in bloom from western Nebraska.
The Stories about My Natural Dye Experiments and Adventures
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Rabbitbrush and Sage Dyed Wool
Dried rabbitbrush from western Nebraska eastern Wyoming area.
Sage in bloom from western Nebraska.
Rabbitbrush and Sage
Rabbitbrush and Sage in a cast iron pot ~ 2007
I have studio visitors coming May 7th, the designer wants to learn how to dye with natural dyes and see some of my natural dyed fabrics. My plans are to show her some of the dyestuffs that are native to the plains states.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Coming Soon ~ Natural Dye App
Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis ~ just one of the many plants and plant images in the new app, in addition to parts to use, colors obtained, methods of extraction AND whether it's fast or fugitive!
The new natural dye app is taking a few days longer to finish than I anticipated, the good news is I currently have 120 plants in the database and there's room for about another 50-100 plants before all is said and done. There are many wonderful things about this new database that excite me to no end, thanks to my best friend Brenda showing me how to set up filters!
If you'd like to be a beta tester for the new app please let me know :-)
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Mark Making with Nature eBook Package
Mark Making with Nature eBook Package
Own all four eBooks for one low price of $30.00!
- Mark Making with Nature
- Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Dyeing Techniques
- Rust and Clay Dyeing
- Getting Started with Natural Dyes!!!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Digitally Printed Fabric
Tomorrow it's all about the crows and the redwing blackbirds!
Silk Organza and Cotton fabrics.
Immersion Dyeing
Spring has finally sprung here in central Iowa! Rumor has it it's going to make it into the 60's today. Starting next week, after I hang my upcoming solo show this coming Sunday, I will be hitting the dye pots and hard. Also on the docet is the natural dye garden, I'm planting native dye plants, and if all goes well madder root in a livestock barrel to prevent it from overtaking the lawn. Stay tuned for photos, video, and more.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Rust Dyeing eClass
Growth.
Rust Dyed Cotton Fabric
Machine Stitched.
I'm working on the content for the Rust Dyeing eClass!!! Learn how to rust dye fabric, paper, and how to overdye with tannins, etc., for a gorgeous one of a kind surface!
Bjorkboda detail.
Rust, tannin, and indigo dyed cotton fabric.
Machine and Hand stitched.
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
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.
Indigo
The indigo vats are looking oh so wonderful! The indigo in the above photo was on it's way to reduction and now has fully reduced. So part of today's plans are to dye some fabrics with indigo.
My live streaming capabilities are on hold at the moment so I will video tape my dyeing session and place it over at the Natural Surface in the Indigo Dyeing Group! If your not subscribed to The Natural Surface then come on over and join the fun, membership is $29.95 a year.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Earth Pigments on Cotton
From this past weekends streaming session; raw sienna and raw umber on cotton fabric.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Live Streaming from Google Groupchat Tonight!
Until I can figure out how to combine my two google accounts please follow my Google+ with the accompanying banner photo! In order to include you in my live stream tonight you have to be in my "circles" on google. For some reason I'm not allowed to stream to the "public" and I cannot figure out how to create the invite linky...
Saturday, March 23, 2013
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!
Monday, March 04, 2013
The Natural Surface Login & Pinterest
To pay for your subscription click on the "Purchase" button, I have highlighted the button in the accompanying image, the button is white on white and barely visible, however, clicking the word "Purchase" will take you to the payment center.
I created a board for the network on Pinterest, you can find that board here: The Natural Surface
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Spring is Coming!!!
It really is! Until then I'm still moving snow and will live stream tomorrow evening!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
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.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
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!
Monday, February 04, 2013
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!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
In the Mean Time
Cotton fabric dyed with procion dyes and surfaced with fabric inks, created well over 12 years ago.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
I'm teaching an online basic introduction to indigo starting February 14th at the Natural Surface (which is now $29.95 a year to be a member) http://naturaldyeing.ning.com I will be teaching both the instant indigo vat, and the standard chemical reduction indigo vats. Cost for the class is $75 USD.
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Natural Surface Network - Changes!!!
BIG CHANGES are coming to The Natural Surface starting February 14th, if your a member check out the discussion in the forum!
I’m setting the membership price at $29.95 for one year. This is well below the price of a high quality natural dyeing book. .
Current perks to a paid membership would be:
· Your own personal page and profile
· Access to the Forums
· Access to the Open Groups this does not include Paid Access eClass Groups
· Access it the Library.
· Access to the Critique Group!
Future perks to a paid membership will be:
· Your own personal page and profile
· Access to the Forums
· Access to the Open Groups this does not include Paid Access eClass Groups
· Access to my DVD’s and Videos – coming this spring
· Access to my podcasts – coming this spring
· Access to my zines
· Access it the Library.
· Access to the Critique Group!
· Coaching
Thursday, January 10, 2013
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.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Fabric Stash
Indigo and compost dyed fabric to the left, rust and compost dyed fabric to the right. Cotton fabrics.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Natural Dyeing eBook Sale Extended through New Years!!!
Natural Dyeing eBook Sale extended through New Years Day!
Happy New Years!!!
All Books $3.99
Own them all Today!!!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
eBook Sale and the Latest News!
The cat is out of the bag and yes I really am working on a new Natural Dyeing eBook! I've been asked what to expect, well I won't say what the topic is exactly there will be, however, plenty of bells and whistles for those of you using smart tablets! Interactive video, apps, and the like, see I've been a busy gal the past few months and I've got to say it's very hard keeping what I've been doing secret!!!
I'm hoping the big reveal will be sometime around Valentines Day 2013 so until then here's a Christmas Holiday sale for my existing eBooks!
I'm hoping the big reveal will be sometime around Valentines Day 2013 so until then here's a Christmas Holiday sale for my existing eBooks!
All eBooks $3.99
Click here for the eBooks!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
What is Old is New Again!
I used to draw and paint with these paints almost exclusively as a child growing up, so imagine my joy that Hobby Lobby was carrying these as kits. I asked, no most probably they won't be carrying the single tubes, which is a shame because I ReALLY want a tube of red violet paint.
I'm hoping that this will be the anwser to my fabric marker woes, I can control a paint brush but the fabric markers bleed, bleed, and bleed some more, and the marker tips themselves... well don't get me started!
Anyway, I will report back as I will be using the black color, and probably exclusively, as to how these interact with natural dyed fabrics.
Natural Dyeing eBook Super Sale!!!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Monday, November 05, 2012
Sunday, November 04, 2012
If you bought the Kindle Version of Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Dyeing Techniques, and it's a screwed up mess, email me at prairiefibers@hotmail.com and I will send you the corrected version of the book!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
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.
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Mark Making with Nature eBook Hiatus
the four book eBook package,
is going bye bye come September 10th!
Once it's gone it's gone!!!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Yellow Dye Bearing Blossoms
Part of my blossom haul for the chapter on yellows, there are four different native prairie plants represented above, with the goldenrod below.
Both the blossoms and the stems yeild yellows.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Discharging Natural Dyed Fabrics
I will be posting instrutions, I've gotta find the videos first, on how to discharge natural dyed fabrics on the network, so far I've added a few blurbs for some simple discharge techniques. The question was how to discharge madder dyed silk fabric using the silkscreen method... and I made a video about six years ago on this very topic.
If nothing else this is an excellent reason for me to break out the dyepots this week and dye up some fabric!
If nothing else this is an excellent reason for me to break out the dyepots this week and dye up some fabric!
Friday, August 10, 2012
End of Summer eBook Sale!!!
Celebrating the End of Summer and the beginning of Fall with an eBook Sale!
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
WIP - Untitled
I started this piece a good eight or nine years ago and completely forgot about it, well this week is it's week to come to life.
Layered rust, indigo, and compost dyed, silk, cotton, and cotton linen blend fabrics.
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