I forgot on my fall equinox wilderness walk post to mention what was in the dye pot this week! I am finally slowing down (thus the time to hike and write) from my summer dyepot frenzy. Hardly a day has gone by (exceptions being in the desert at Burning Man) without something in my outdoor magic cauldron. Even at work gardening in Memphis (where I have a plethora of plants to choose from and a workspace) and on vacation in Michigan I dyed. Memphis' "recycle"shops, and my mom's care packages as my personal thrift shopper has supplied me with plenty of silk, wool, linen and cotton material to keep me very busy.
If you'd like to see my summer frenzy of work check out my website flickr link http://www.madebylovecraft.com but for today I will add a photo of one of my first cotton pieces soaked in milk for a month. I brought some eucalyptus from home but it's dyed in Memphis, with other bits from the garden here that I tend. Liquid amber and chaste tree are in the mix. The cotton jacket mostly it looks like water colors. I did a few other cotton and wool jackets, wool making the print in the photo. The ceramic pot had iron in it. Also in the photos are the leaves and print from liquid amber from my Equinox hike.
I am coming to terms with the "delicate" art I am creating. India's experience answered our concerns of light fastness, washing etc. I am accustomed to these fabrics and hand washing and love the principle of natural dyeing. Tying in my fiber art , cooking and my gardening is a melding of pure joy for me. However, recently I went through some photos, and noticed the lightness change in some pieces. My heart sunk at first. I had taken some of the photos when they were still wet, in their most vivid unvailing. Now, familiar with the organic "settling of the bones" process I call it, I am content. That's why I love eco prints, their colors look true to nature, and as such never stay the same. I love wearing my one of a kind works of wearable art, and incase you missed it right when it birthed out of the dyebath (much like the magic and glow of the sunrise) I'll take photos. After it settles and dries, we have plenty of time to enjoy each unique print as it sill echos that sunrise, and slowly moves to twilight. Natural beauty isn't meant to stay the same, or last forever. That's plastic and polyester's style.
