seeing red

The last workshop of the summer with Michele Wipplinger of Earthues,
focused on natural red dyes: cochineal, madder, lac and quebracho red.
Michele brought textiles from around the globe to draw inspiration from.

She always sets a beautiful stage.



even the farm barns got to brag this year.



With a bit of careful suggestion and guidance

                                                students began to express red on cloth.

Some with brush, some with screens and stencils.

Natural red dye pigments and washes

were applied.

Amidst the creativity

it was Old Home Day in Westmoreland

with a grand country parade!

One study in reds started

and finished.

Some pieces went into indigo.

Below the final result from the beginnings above.

 

Thank you Roxanne Ecklund for sharing photos

of your work...

The morning after class finished

the feel of autumn swept in.

 

I see a tinge of red in the mist.

 

pulp clouds

once there was a way

to get back

to the land

and an incredible woman,

papermaker and steward of the land,

Velma
took us on a journey 

with some tools

some plant stuff from the farm

 some shredding

the pressing of the natural creations

we made paper

it was HOT (90 degrees)

and beautiful.

cold cement kept the belly cool

as we splashed in watery pulp vats.

papers sheets.

like flat mid-summer leaves.

milkweed, cedar bark, day lilly, abaca

and more

pressed to board like noses

to the candy store window

and lo...paper for books or special treasures made.

and from Velma, this dear book.

is available here

don't miss a chance to study with Velma.

and yes, she will be back in 2013

pipe dreams

with a few simple tools,

a few guiding principles,

and her steadfast instruction, Joan Morris

brought the techniques of arashi shibori

[Japanese pole binding] to Long Ridge Farm, 

coupled with

three unique indigo dye vats.

the work was so sweet.

poles were wrapped

manipulated and twisted

then dipped in indigo vats

as so desired.

and left to rest under an indigo moon

only to awaken to woad [isatis tinctoria] dips

individual natural indigo vat creations

all arriving at finished work:

tattersal

woodgrain

twisted on pole

woodgrain variation

time was spent drifting through

raindrops, study, laughter and accomplishment.
magnificent growth.

splendid results.

milk of the moon

a special workshop began today here at the farm.

it's always serendipity when a class comes together.

and this is a sweet and peaceful gathering.

from California, Kansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania,

New York and New England

the energy to create is focused.

Joan Morris is guiding the group on

arashi shibori techniques 

with one very natural hue added

indigo.

tonight it fills the whole night sky.

blue thumbs

thinking of the book from so long ago

"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues"

where Sissy Hankshaw is a woman born with a mutation

of enormously large thumbs, though she considers it a gift...

mine are not so big but lately bluer than usual.

the woad bed is growing quite nicely.

here it is at

the end of June

 I harvested some of the plants that needed thinning

and gathered up 3.5 pounds

 simmered the leaves up

 the dye liquor produced the right brown shade

 I adjusted the pH and it changed to a lovely green

reduced the oxygen

 the pigment settled

 and was drained off

and is now drying to a powdered extract

bottom line numbers

3.5 pounds of leaves yields 2-4 grams of woad extract

I need 30 grams of extract to make a stock to then dye with.

it's slow and peaceful.

it's happy work for me.



bravery

loss.
it comes in all shapes and sizes.
no color.
four legs, two legs, skin, feathers, fur, fleece.
care doesn't shield loss.
love doesn't guard the inevitable.
kindness doesn't protect.
spirtuality is my saving grace.

shit happens and still the world is a beautiful place
love, me

sharp and sweet

sometimes the sweetest finds are enroute

to somewhere else.

perusing through an antique shop today

I came upon a pretty trio

of shears.

 sharpened and with proper markings

on the blades

 cutting cloth like it was butter.

mighty sweet

and all for under thirty dollars.

ready for honest work.