And Yet More Monoprinting


This is what one does with the left over natural dyes on the printing plate. The fabric is cotton that has been dyed with weld - immersion dye bath. I then proceeded to use it to mop up the rest of the dye on the plate, by placing it face down and using a brayer to get good coverage on the fabric. It actually has potential. I'll be doing this again tomorrow as I have more printing to do but I'm really tired tonight.

It is important to note that the fabric will not be this color after it's done curing and has been washed. The yellow will be bright yellow, not gold as it now appears. With natural dyes in order to get a good color transfer in any method involving a binder you need to have the color concentrated 30 to 50% more than what you actually see in the paste. The dark color is logwood grey, which will be purples whence it is done, has also mixed with the osage orange to form a very interesting green color. These colors will be stunning on the silk fabric when I'm done with it as well.

Monoprinting with Natural Dyes


I managed to work one hour tonight in my studio, for which I am sure pay dearly for later, creating some cloth. I was gong to submit this piece, after it cures and I had quilted it, to Quilt National, that was before I made a huge mess on the silk and hid it with the swallows. So now I will have to create another piece of cloth to be made into a quilt of some sort.


This piece, which was compost dyed first, is actually hanging horizontally, I flipped the image to vertical so you could see it better, hence the reason it looks odd. I screen printed the image of the swallows onto the fabric. Actually it looks a lot like a day hubby and I spent out at the prairie - hoping to photograph bison - but all we saw were swallows dive bombing dragon flies in the tall prairie grasses instead.

On Writing Articles

I was asked to write an article for Quilter's Home Magazine, which I promptly did, and I have to say now I regret doing so. What was supposed to be a small article is a large quote, so the article is hard to find - hey I wrote it and I couldn't find it!!! It's called "Plant Your Stash" in the August 2006 issue on page 53.

No I didn't pick the title. And no the "easy-for-a-moron" comment is NOT mine!!! The person who wrote part of the article made that comment. I find my techniques while quick and easy, to be quite respectable, though the person commenting on my techniques clearly does NOT.

I told my husband that this just supports my idea of including compost dyeing under the "Mark Making with Nature: Surface Design with Natural Dyes" title instead of writing a seperate book under the Compost Dyeiing title. Hopefully this book will be done and delivered from the printers by October 1st (ish)!!!

He finally conceded that I may be right after all. I can see the book "compost dyeing" being placed in the gardening section of a book store - actually that is NOT a bad thing, but it may make it hard for surface designers, who are interested in learning my techniques, to find the book.

But I never thought of compost dyeing as being an unrespectable thing to do. Rather I see it more as being cutting edge, incorporating nature into ones own work, the act of relinquishing control over the final outcome, but I never saw it as a disrespectable craft.

So I think it goes without saying but I'll say it anyway, it's interesting to hear and see other peoples perspectives/perceptions on what you do artistically. And sometimes you hear things you don't want to hear!

Sewing Machine Hell!!!

Step away from the machine mam and no one will get hurt!!!

It's been demonized that's my story and I'm sticking with it! Seems like it might be time to take it in to the repair shop. I"ve cleaned it twice, changed the needle three times, and gone through a butt load of thread types and weights and it's still breaking thread. The thread seems to get snagged in the arm that goes up and down and it's breaking there.

Who knows what it's problem is.

Sweet heart of a husband

He's been bringing my goodies upstairs to me, and without complaint or doing so grudginly. For some odd reason I have lost the muscle control of my left thigh - I'm seeing the doctor in the morning about this. Anyway this is making it nigh impossible to navigate the stairs.

I'm not sure what caused it, I spent the better part of the day filling orders, I missed my dental appointment because I was so engrossed in filling orders, and I'm only an eighth of the way through the orders, but I'll get there most of them are fairly simple.

What I"m Up To

Well this week I'm going to be filling orders like a madd woman! I'm also finishing off my online class stuff, video taping can be such a pill at times, and then I'm uploading it all at once so it's all there.

Tonight I decided I wasn't filling orders, instead I worked on some artwork, which is actually for one of the online classes I'm teaching. More samples!

Quite frankly it's really nice to not have to work the weekends anymore if I don't want to. From now on my weekend work will entail sitting out in the woods drawing and painting, or collecting specimens, and my dye pots. Well there's always housework but there's always housework so why get tied up in a knot about it right.

Brenda, my best friend that actually lives here - as I have several, and I went to JoAnns today and bought patterns. Normally I don't buy patterns but they were on sale for an incredible price so I couldn't resist.

I bought a mists of avalon style dress pattern that will show case my fabrics beautifully. The best part is the pattern is big enough to fit even the likes of me! I can't wait to start dyeing and printing fabrics for this dress, it's a Butterick pattern and I don't have the pattern number handy at the moment, but I'll try to post it later. I admit it I'm a sucker for that kind of dress and if it were to come in vogue again I'd be the first one in line to have such a wardrobe.

Business Reduction Sale


Greetings from the Prairie
www.prairiefibers.com

40% off Storewide Reduction Sale

Summer is a really rough time for most businesses, August being the
worst of months for sales and Prairie Fibers is no exception. I am
sitting on inventory I cannot move because we are unable to compete
with the big guys price wise, and with no wholesale natural dye
supplier in sight (70% of our business) I am forced to make the
painful decision and reduce the size of the business at this time.

NOT INCLUDED in the store reduction sale are the Online Classes,
Gift Certificates, and Art Cloth. No Rain-Checks on Back Orders.

All Sales ARE Final, No Returns, Store Credit Only.

Discount will be applied to Order Total at the end of your sale.

Back to the Prairie - Kimberly

Rust & Clay Dyeing Book

Rust and Clay Dyeing on CD ROM 63 Pages of How to correctly dye your fabrics with rusts, clays and pigments!

This CD has 4 video clips demonstrating 4 different techniques. I'm offering it over the weekend at the show price of $19.95

You can purchase it here Rust & Clay Dyeing Book

Or you can come see us in person at the Art Cloth Symposium tomorrow only, from 7-9 pm at the Minnesota Textile Center. If you do stop in make sure you say "howdy"!

Art Cloth


Come see my fabrics at the Art Cloth Symposium Trunk Show Saturday July 22nd, 7 to 9 pm. It is being held at the Minnesota Textile Center in Minneapolis.

I am bringing my art cloth, a bunch of gorgeous scarves and the books I've written with me.

Want to know how to make the fabric? I tell you how to do this AND more in my book Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Techniques now on SALE at Prairie Fibers

This piece of fabric has been composted AND Rust Dyed. You can learn all about rust dyeing in my other book Rust and Clay Dyeing

Art Cloth


Come see my fabrics at the Art Cloth Symposium Trunk Show Saturday July 22nd, 7 to 9 pm. It is being held at the Minnesota Textile Center in Minneapolis.

I am bringing my art cloth, a bunch of gorgeous scarves and the books I've written with me.

Want to know how to make the fabric? I tell you how to do this AND more in my book Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Techniques now on SALE at Prairie Fibers

This piece of fabric has been composted AND Rust Dyed. You can learn all about rust dyeing in my other book Rust and Clay Dyeing

What your name means

Click here to see What your Name Means

This is what my name meant:

There are 22 letters in your name.
Those 22 letters total to 100
There are 7 vowels and 15 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 1

The characteristics of #1 are: Initiating action, pioneering, leading, independent, attaining, individual.

The expression or destiny for #1:
A number 1 Expression denotes the skilled executive with keen administrative capabilities. You must develop the capacity to be a fine leader, sales executive, or promoter. You have the tools to become an original person with a creative approach to problem solving, and a penchant for initiating action. Someone may have to follow behind you to handle the details, but you know how to get things going and make things happen. You have a good mind and the ability to use it for your advancement. Because of these factors, you have much potential for achievement and financial rewards. Frequently, this expression belongs to one running a business or striving to achieve a level of accomplishment on ones talents and efforts. You have little need for much supervision, preferring to act on your own with little restraint. You are both ambitious and determined. Self-confident and self-reliant must be yours, as you develop a strong unyielding will and the courage of your convictions.

Although you fear loneliness, you want to be left alone. You fear routine and being in a rut. You often jump the gun because you are afraid of being left behind.

The negative attributes of the 1 Expression are egotism and a self-centered approach to life. This is an aggressive number and if it is over-emphasized it is very hard to live with. You do not have to be overly aggressive to fulfill your destiny. The 1 has a natural instinct to dominate and to be the boss; adhering to the concept of being number One. Again, you do not have to dominate and destroy in order to lead and manage.

Your Soul Urge number is: 6

A Soul Urge number of 6 means:
With a number 6 Soul Urge, you would like to be appreciated for your ability to handle responsibility. Your home and family are likely to be a strong focus for you, perhaps the strongest focus of your life. Friendship, love, and affection are high on your list of priorities for a happy life. You have a lot of diplomatic tendencies in your makeup, as you a able to rectify and balance situations with an innate skill. You like working with people rather than by yourself. It is extremely important for you to have harmony in your environment at all times.

The positive side of the 6 Soul Urge produces a huge capacity for responsibility; you are always there and ready to assume more than your share of the load. If you possess positive 6 Soul Urges and express them, you are known for your generosity, understanding and deep sympathetic attitude. Strong 6 energy is very giving of love, affection, and emotional support. You may have the inclination to teach or serve your community in other idealistic ways. You have natural abilities to help people. You are also likely to have artistic and creative leanings.

If you have an over-supply of 6 energy in your makeup, you may express some of the negative traits common to this number. With such a strong sympathetic attitude, it is easy to become too emotional. Sometimes the desires to render help can be over done, and it can become interfering and an attitude that is too protective, rather than helpful. The person with too much 6 energy often finds that people tend to take advantage of this very giving spirit. You may tend to repress your own needs so that you can cater to the demands from others. At times, there may be a tendency in this, for becoming over-loaded with such demands, and as a result become resentful.

Your Inner Dream number is: 4

An Inner Dream number of 4 means:
You dream of being a very solid citizen that people can depend upon. You strive for organization and predictable order. You want to be recognized as a person with a plan and the discipline to make that plan work like clockwork

Electronics & inadequacies

This was the weekend of machine turning against man - well woman in this case.

My main computer kept crashing on me, turns out it was hungry for more RAM. We bought some, WOW what a difference a little extra memory makes, starting with it staying on, and ending with that really quick boot up at the beginning of start up.

Photoshop is still draggy though, even with 1.5MB of RAM it's still giving me fits.

And then the inevitable happened, the cell phone died. Now you'd think that after 4 years of use and abuse it'd keep on ticking, or am I confusing this with a Timex watch???

I went to use the phone and it refused to turn on. And when it finally did it merely blinked at me, on, off, on, off - and it's still doing it too. I've been informed that the battery is fried, and probably fried a few things along with.

Sooooo, cuz I have Sprint I had quite the credit wracked up for a new phone. It has all the bells and whistles you can imagine, all of which cost extra money to use btw.

I was lamenting its complexity on a particular list when a member chimed in that her not too much younger daughter than I had mastered said identicle phone in 20 minutes.

And I thought to myself: Self are we inadequete because after 20 minutes we still are unable to place a call - but can take a really nice picture with the phone???

A twinge of inadequecy at first and then a full out screaming NO! Hell No!

First: I'd really like to know what said daughter does for a living, probably something in electronics I bet.

Secondly:

Can she repack the wheel bearings on her vehicle, let alone fine the dip stick to check the oil???

Can she butcher a hog, render the fat into lard, make her own soap?

Can she sheer a sheep, skirt the fleece, wash the fleece, spin it into yarn, dye it with materials from her own backyard (if she even has one) and then weave it into fabric??? I bet not.

If the world goes to hell in a hand basket tomorrow can she start a fire using primitive means, build a survival shelter, find edible food and potable water? I bet not. But I bet she has FEMA and CNN on speed dial.

I momentarily thought to myself that I am royally incompetant because I cannot master a little piece of electronics, btw I can place a call on it today, but then it dawned on me that all of my available brain cells are tied up in the basics of life. So does this mean I need new RAM??? I've used my brain for so many other things (life skills), there's no room left for learning a new gizmo. I'll squeeze the new phone in over time probably around the time it needs replacing.

I'm sure the mother was just wanting to tell everyone how proud she was of her daughter, or she could have been letting me know what an electronic yutz I am - after all I'm only 7 years older than her daughter. Her comment definately made me thing though.

I look at todays youngsters, ran into one at the mall last night that showed me how to program my phone, I wonder and I worry about them. Can they take care of themselves in the event of a "what if"? I think not actually, the prevailing attitude is "it" can't happen here, it can't happen to me, yet there is too much historical evidence to the contrary. The Golden Age is coming to a crashing end, nature is a cruel mistress - no matter how much we think we can control her by applying labels (global warming) and the like we cannot. We may afflict damage, but the damage Nature inflicts is far greater and total than anything we could ever concieve.

Well I have a DVD to finish editing, a book to write and a class to prepare for. And if there's anytime left over I would like to get some apple sauce put up for the winter. Some apple butter would also be great to have on hand, I'm out at the moment.

Mark Making with Nature DVD


Will be shipping next Saturday, the 22nd. We finished the reshoot tonight, and discussed the editing and now that I have my brain wrapped around this, how video editing works we will finish this off with great speed!

We filmed the video, the colors and lighting is gorgeous, but somewhere in the process I forgot that editing is a natural thing. Anyway, to say that I hated the video would be an understatement, and I could not ship it out the way it was. I'm not sure why editing was no where in my brain - oh yeah I know why because I'm not a video person. Just give me some cloth any ole day and I'll be a happy child ;-)

I'm much happier now, and I'm sure those who buy it will like it, probably more than me actually. I've been informed that I'm my harshest critic by far, this is probably true.

Anyway I'm taking pre-sales you can purchase it at Prairie Fibers

The DVD will be 40 minutes plus (I think it's much longer but can't remember off the top of my head) of actual DVD and then there is also a instruction portion, in the form of a PFD, with another 30 plus minutes of embedded video instruction and a gallery.