Verticle
Verticle
Verticle
Dyeing Quills
I got tired of waiting for the quills to take up the quebracho yellow/wattle dye, read I don't believe it will. Soooooooooooo I put up 4 ounces of ground walnut hulls into about 3 gallons of water warmed it somewhat and threw the quills in.
Bingo! Instant color, I'm hoping they will be a deep chocolate brown in the morning, or at least one side of the quills will be anyway. I didn't add a mordant as walnut is very high in natural tannins.
I have some quills in a cochineal bath and am hoping they will come out carnation pink, just like the silk cocoons. They are taking color up already so there's hope anyway. They won't be as dark as the cocoons, unfortunately. Quills seem to take up dye at a different rate, often requiring more dyestuffs than silk or wool.
I'm still splitting quills, so my temps must still be too high, I need to work on this.
No I haven't decided what to do with the quills yet, and no I don't want to sell them.
They - the quills - haven't told me what they want to be yet. So I keep dyeing and sorting them. Those little fishing tackle boxes from the local big box store work well for this. I have several that have 6 long verticle slots in them, perfect for 6 sizes of quills.
That's right I don't sort them before I dye them, it's luck of the draw! This also ensures that I have lots of colors in all sizes for a multitude of projects.
Quite frankly what I find annoying is the run all of a sudden on "Native American" craft supplies. Most folks have no idea (and sometimes they don't care) what the items they are using mean or that their misuse is an afront to others.
Bingo! Instant color, I'm hoping they will be a deep chocolate brown in the morning, or at least one side of the quills will be anyway. I didn't add a mordant as walnut is very high in natural tannins.
I have some quills in a cochineal bath and am hoping they will come out carnation pink, just like the silk cocoons. They are taking color up already so there's hope anyway. They won't be as dark as the cocoons, unfortunately. Quills seem to take up dye at a different rate, often requiring more dyestuffs than silk or wool.
I'm still splitting quills, so my temps must still be too high, I need to work on this.
No I haven't decided what to do with the quills yet, and no I don't want to sell them.
They - the quills - haven't told me what they want to be yet. So I keep dyeing and sorting them. Those little fishing tackle boxes from the local big box store work well for this. I have several that have 6 long verticle slots in them, perfect for 6 sizes of quills.
That's right I don't sort them before I dye them, it's luck of the draw! This also ensures that I have lots of colors in all sizes for a multitude of projects.
Quite frankly what I find annoying is the run all of a sudden on "Native American" craft supplies. Most folks have no idea (and sometimes they don't care) what the items they are using mean or that their misuse is an afront to others.
Silk Carrier Rods
I wish you could see the pink ones in person, they are a deep carnation pink with yellow highlights. Needless to say don't ever put silk carrier rods into a Kamla dyebath! Instant mush. I managed to save them, rinsed them really well and threw them into an exhausting cochineal bath. This beautiful color was aqcuired!
The gorgeous gold behind is from Osage Orange Extract, it was a strong bath need I say more. They glisten, and so do the cocoons that were in the same bath.
The cocoons below are indigo dyed (blue ones 5 dips), quebracho yellow and wattle (orange ones), cohineal that found iron some how or another (purple ones), and cochineal with COT and alum (carnation pink ones).
Tomorrow I have a lot of fabric, wool, and yarns to dye. Right now I"m tired.
The gorgeous gold behind is from Osage Orange Extract, it was a strong bath need I say more. They glisten, and so do the cocoons that were in the same bath.
The cocoons below are indigo dyed (blue ones 5 dips), quebracho yellow and wattle (orange ones), cohineal that found iron some how or another (purple ones), and cochineal with COT and alum (carnation pink ones).
Tomorrow I have a lot of fabric, wool, and yarns to dye. Right now I"m tired.
Silk Carrier Rods
More Cocoons - 4 colours
Pattern
Pics and Dyeing
I'll try to post some more pics as I know a few folks are having severe withdrawls. The pic with the rainbow was taken over Memorial Day Weekend somwhere in Illinois.
I acquired a to-dye-for burnt orange on silk cocoons today using Quebracho Yellow and some other dye, I'll have to look at my list but it may have been Wattle. So now I have quills in the dye vat to see if the dye will penetrate the quills, so far it doesn't look like it will do anything but I could be wrong.
I have to wait for the Osage Orange bath to cool down enough to put in the quills. I'm learning that too high a heat will split the quills right down the middle.
I acquired a to-dye-for burnt orange on silk cocoons today using Quebracho Yellow and some other dye, I'll have to look at my list but it may have been Wattle. So now I have quills in the dye vat to see if the dye will penetrate the quills, so far it doesn't look like it will do anything but I could be wrong.
I have to wait for the Osage Orange bath to cool down enough to put in the quills. I'm learning that too high a heat will split the quills right down the middle.
After the Storm
Gourds no more!
My gourd plants were doing well, as in "were" doing well. I admit its my fault I didn't mark them, lets just say they are a lot shorter now. So I'm starting over, I planted more seeds a bit ago, which was a good idea considering our impending gully washer that is about on us.
The other bad thing: in an effort to beat the rain all of my packages of gourd seeds, of about five varieties, spilled into the box and I don't know what is what anymore! Hubby informed me that I now have gourd soup, not funny dear, not funny.
The other bad thing: in an effort to beat the rain all of my packages of gourd seeds, of about five varieties, spilled into the box and I don't know what is what anymore! Hubby informed me that I now have gourd soup, not funny dear, not funny.
Natural Dye Workshop June 11
I will be teaching a dye workshop next Saturday, June 11, in Adel ,Iowa, at the Iowa Summer Sheep & Wool Festival. (too many commas)
The workshop is 6 hours long and entails Surface Design Techniques with Natural Dyes. Now I just need to get all of the fabrics prepped and the dye bathes started. Prairie Fibers will also be there vending the 11-12th. Adel is just west of Des Moines Iowa. Pray it doesn't rain or and the wind is calm and that it's not too awful hot outside!
For more info go to: http://www.iowasheep.com/Festival.html
The workshop will include yarns as well as fabrics! As there are many fiber and papermakers around here it's hard telling what will end up getting colored! We may even make some felt while waiting on pots to get hot.
I do have lots of bound resist and other surface techniques planned so that participants will leave with colorful patterned cloth!
I busted my right knee up again last night, the one I had surgery on in Janurary of this year, and April of last year. I'm movin, but really really slow, so if yah ever wanted to see a turtle dye fabric come on down!
Kimberly
http://www.prairiefibers.com
http://www.kbaxterpackwood.com
http://www.prairiefibers.blogspot.com
The workshop is 6 hours long and entails Surface Design Techniques with Natural Dyes. Now I just need to get all of the fabrics prepped and the dye bathes started. Prairie Fibers will also be there vending the 11-12th. Adel is just west of Des Moines Iowa. Pray it doesn't rain or and the wind is calm and that it's not too awful hot outside!
For more info go to: http://www.iowasheep.com/Festival.html
The workshop will include yarns as well as fabrics! As there are many fiber and papermakers around here it's hard telling what will end up getting colored! We may even make some felt while waiting on pots to get hot.
I do have lots of bound resist and other surface techniques planned so that participants will leave with colorful patterned cloth!
I busted my right knee up again last night, the one I had surgery on in Janurary of this year, and April of last year. I'm movin, but really really slow, so if yah ever wanted to see a turtle dye fabric come on down!
Kimberly
http://www.prairiefibers.com
http://www.kbaxterpackwood.com
http://www.prairiefibers.blogspot.com
Spinning implements
I've been using the spinning wheel to spin my two rovings, see earlier pics called Yummy. Amazingly enough the wheel is not bothering my knee. I was greatly and pleasantly suprised by this. So the old knee problem had been fixed in surgery! Now if I can just keep the Weimeraner away from me!!!
I have several drop spindles and I take them on the road with me, someday I'll have a travelers wheel. But in all honesty I prefer my wheel to the drop spindle. It took me about a year, off and on which was more off than on, to learn to spin consistantly. Now I spin any size and style of yarn I want.
I have several drop spindles and I take them on the road with me, someday I'll have a travelers wheel. But in all honesty I prefer my wheel to the drop spindle. It took me about a year, off and on which was more off than on, to learn to spin consistantly. Now I spin any size and style of yarn I want.
Cochineal Dyed Silk Coccoons.
Painting Interfacing
Here's Phase 2 of Meltwork, there's a before shot in the archives. I'll stitch it now, probably quite heavily, and add beads to the surface.
Meltwork Phase 2
Spinning Yummy
I've decided that the roving should definately be called Yummy. I'm spinning it now, my right elbow is giving me fits so it'll be slow going, but I plan to Navajo ply it whence I'm done. I think I'll probably use it for either couching or maybe a small tapestry, of course this means I'll have to get my loom warped.
I have a smallish Navajo loom that a very nice woman gave to me, it doesn't have a floor stand, she mounted it to the wall, that's not an option for me as wall space is at a premium in my studio. It's made of apple wood, I'll have to see what hubby has in his stash for making a stand, I'll probably use ash or oak.
Any how this roving has too much soul to use as sock yarn or something else equally unrefined. Usually I don't feel this way about my wool, but for some reason this piece, and it's sultry moody colors, demand something greater. Who knows maybe it came from a "Grand Dame" ewe with real attitude? The likes of which I've sheered once or twice in my life.
I have a smallish Navajo loom that a very nice woman gave to me, it doesn't have a floor stand, she mounted it to the wall, that's not an option for me as wall space is at a premium in my studio. It's made of apple wood, I'll have to see what hubby has in his stash for making a stand, I'll probably use ash or oak.
Any how this roving has too much soul to use as sock yarn or something else equally unrefined. Usually I don't feel this way about my wool, but for some reason this piece, and it's sultry moody colors, demand something greater. Who knows maybe it came from a "Grand Dame" ewe with real attitude? The likes of which I've sheered once or twice in my life.
Yummy
Wool Roving
Like I said the other day it pays to check your stash once in awhile! I found these two gorgeous rovings at the bottom of a rather large basket. Now to see if my knee is up to spinning. I do have a double treddle wheel so hopefully I can do this.
Blogs & SIlk Worms
Well for some reason my blog cannot be found today, but I still seem to be able to publish it, go figure.
Silk worms (catepillars actually), well you can wet them and use them as catfish bait. I hear they taste good deep fat fried, kinda like a toasted pecan. I don't know of any other uses, but yes that was 390 catepillars I pitched the other day. And I'm gonna do more tonight.
Silk worms (catepillars actually), well you can wet them and use them as catfish bait. I hear they taste good deep fat fried, kinda like a toasted pecan. I don't know of any other uses, but yes that was 390 catepillars I pitched the other day. And I'm gonna do more tonight.
Silk Cocoons
I've been selling the silk cocoons like crazy lately, thanks to an article in Quilting Arts Magazine. I've also been setting the catepillars free from the cocoons, as some of my customers can't do it, hate bugs, hands can't take the strain of using scissors like that, etc...
So tonight I had a wild idea, it was a God moment actually because my wrists were killing me from cutting the catepillars out of those cocoons, use a serrated knife! I tried one and presto it worked like a charm! Praise God Almighty I say!!! I have to say if you only have scissors then go for it, but the serrated bread knife worked far better, far faster, and was safer than the scissors. I can't tell you how many times I stabbed myself with the scissors trying to poke the blade into the cocoon.
BTW Did I mention I cut open 300+ cocoons tonight? It only took me an hour, last time I cut open 90 cocoons, with the scissors, and it took me about 4 hours, like I said my hands were killing me.
So tonight I had a wild idea, it was a God moment actually because my wrists were killing me from cutting the catepillars out of those cocoons, use a serrated knife! I tried one and presto it worked like a charm! Praise God Almighty I say!!! I have to say if you only have scissors then go for it, but the serrated bread knife worked far better, far faster, and was safer than the scissors. I can't tell you how many times I stabbed myself with the scissors trying to poke the blade into the cocoon.
BTW Did I mention I cut open 300+ cocoons tonight? It only took me an hour, last time I cut open 90 cocoons, with the scissors, and it took me about 4 hours, like I said my hands were killing me.
Stuffed Ribbon