Oak Galls

Oak Leaves with Galls

Shutting Down My Etsy.com Store

Taking down my http://www.etsy.com/shop/prairiefibers store this weekend, I have lots on my plate right now, so if you are in need of something get it while it's available!

Goldenrod Dye Pot

Goldenrod out in the field.

One pounds worth of fresh goldenrod plant tops will dye quite a bit of silk fabric quite nicely.

A close up of the blossoms.

Gum Tragacanth Binder for Screen Printing.

To make print paste
2 - 4 Tablespoons of Gum Tragacanth depending on the consistency you desire. For painting I use 2 T. for printing I use 4 T 1000 ml of boiling water

Container to boil water in, and heat source for boilingwater
Blender
Squeegee or rubber spatula – the kind used for scraping bowls
Container with screw on lid – 1 quart variety
Respirator for handling the Gum Tragacanth in powdered form
Measuring cups and measuring spoons


Bring 1000 ml of water to a boil add to blender – after

I let it cool a bit so as to not wreck my blender.

Add 2 – 4 Tablespoons of Gum Tragacanth powder to the blender, put lid on blender and blend until a creamy consistency.

Remove from blender using a spatula or squeegee

place into your container with lid. I use wide mouth jars as this makes removing the paste much easier.

Cool the paste to room temperature, cover with tight fitting lid.

Store in refrigerator for up to ten days, I have found that it’ll last longer if you avoid introducing contaminants
to the paste.

Studio Update

I'm working on some new dye zines and a brand new dye book that is meant to answer many of the questions I recieve daily via email.   As you can see from the previous post I also acquired a new Flip Camera and am shooting How-To videos as well, this will also be available shortly.

Moldy Dye Bath - Test Video

Canyonlands WIP Detail 1

Canyonlands a New Series

Compost dyed silk - detail

Carcass

Salvaging the Unsalvageable

Rust • Wool • Pigments • Wax

Earth Palette

Taos New Mexico

September 29th & 30th, 2010

Emails and Dye Questions

I've been recieving more emails asking about natural dyes than ususal of late... my time is very limited these days with various projects, teaching etc.  Soooooooooooo if you email me a question and don't recieve a response please don't think I'm ignoring you, in fact check back here because I may well have posted your email and the anwsers here.  Unless otherwise specified I will remove email addies from the email.

Prairie Grass

From about 5 years ago, compost dyed, screen printed, and monoprinted silk charmuse.
44x54 inches

Studio Shots

Fabrics dyed, compost dyed, and or screen printed with natural dyes from five or six years ago and soon again later this week!  I'm off to clean and reorganize the studio time to for some surface design!

Wool Bundles

I'll open the rest of the wool bundles tomorrow, right now they are on the skirting table drying out, they are still soaking wet from Thursday night's rains.  Some of the bundles look more interesting than the others but that doesn't mean that there isn't something wonderful waiting inside.

Wool Bundles

I'm hoping to open my wool bundles tomorrow finally!  It looks like it won't rain tonight fingers crossed, I'm really curious to see what they look like inside.

Mottled Golds

Osage Orange on Silk Organza Net that I left soaking in a shallow dye bath for several days. 

42x32 inches - Silk Organza Net.

Soft Mauve Natural Dyed Silk Velvet Yardage

Soft Mauve Natural Dyed Silk Velvet Yardage

2.5 Yards

Madder lac

More with Madder Lac

Crushed Haboti

Silk Organza Net

Silk Velvet

All four silk fabrics came from the same madder lac dye vat, I love how each fabric took the dye differently.

Deepest Wine Silk Velvet Fabric

Deepest Wine Silk Velvet

Natural Dyes: Madder and Lac
2.5 yards
It has some slight mottling which adds to the bruised grape appeal.

Three Winters Table Cloth

Three Winters Table Cloth after spending two days in a revived Osage Orange Dye Vat.

Five Year Silk Fibers

Originally my wool bundles were in the basket atop the silk fibers, sometime last summer I removed the bundes as the silk fibers were still in prestine condition.  Now the fibers have started to decompose and in a really interesting manner.  The silk cocoons have been dyed with natural dyes.