Family Visits....

 We have just had some precious visitors that we just do not see often enough. My sister in law and my lovely nieces and nephew came to stay for a few days....on their way to a wedding in Vancouver...Mostly we visited the beaches, and ate blackberries and bounced on the trampoline....and chatted endlessly...all good summerly things....and of course we had some creative time together....

Terri Bibby of Saori Salt Spring had organized a workshop on Bengala Dyes- a form of earth pigment dyes created in Japan. This, of course, was irresistible! My two nieces and I attended and had so much fun....The colour potential in these dyes are incredible.  They seem to produce more intense colour on cellulose fibres like cotton and hemp and linen. We dyed several lengths of a delicious hemp/organic cotton blend jersey that I have in the studio, planning on going home and sewing up some simple T-shirts with the fabric. We also dyed a selection of silks using itajame shibori techniques....My nieces are bringing these home to flutter in their forest home....

 The dye baths are created with cold water, and the pigments need to be kneaded into the cloth. As a long time plant dyer, I was interested in the process. I've dyed with earth pigments a few times in different parts of the world and understood the naturals tannins and oxides of the soil to act as the "mordant".  It is one point I have with the Bengala dye literature that it does not use mordants in the process- it feels like an unnecessary differentiation. Really, as with many plant dyes and natural pigments, the "mordants" are inherently part of the chemical makeup of the pigments, allowing it to act as a substantive dye. These dyes are very fun and easy to use...with beautiful results.

After the wonderful workshop we came home, stopping at a few of Salt Spring's roadside farm stalls to collect of bounty of freshness for our lunch. We played around with the fabrics in the studio and with some simple cutting and stitching created a dress, a skirt and a T-shirt....We were all amazed at the stunning range of colours the earth and these pigments provide.  A great day....and an interesting new dye process....

 Although my nephew did not come with us on our dyeing adventure, I can't miss including him here....

They are all so dear...and such sweet company....
Happy travels, happy dyeing and happy summer days...
Fiona

Immersion Multi Colour Dyeing

  I get a lot of emails/messages with questions about techniques and ideas, and sometimes it takes me a really long time to answer them....Usually because I want to answer thoroughly and have difficulty setting aside the time to do so. I thought I'd answer some of your questions here, as the information may be of interest to others as well....

When I am dyeing my felt work, silks for felting, or yarns for my fibre company, I most often use a simple immersion technique for achieving multiple colours. I enjoy the very hands on aspect of adding colours in this way, working directly over the dyepots, and adding dye as needed to the pots to achieve the exact colouring on the felt or fibres.

 I use a big dye pot, filled only with about 6 inches of water. Having only a small amount of water keeps the majority of the fibers out of the dyebath without having to hold the fibres high up above the bath.

 I add the acid and the dyes to that bath. I usually use citric acid, available for relatively low cost at brew your own wine and beer shops, but do use ordinary vinegar in a dyeing emergency when I have run out! The citric acid does not have the strong smell of the vinegar and is less expensive if you are doing a lot of dyeing.  I mix up my dyes in a measuring cup with some water, to ensure the dye powders are entirely in solution, then add the dye to the bath. To dye a small section of yarn, a medium to deep colour, dyeing six skeins at a time, I will use about 1/2 teaspoon of dye powder. (Note: be sure that work with the dye powders in a well ventilated area, wearing a dust mask!)

I dip only a small section of the wool into the pot at a time, and leave that colour to steam and exhaust the dye bath completely, before rotating the skein and dyeing the next section.  For this tutorial, I am dyeing my Seaglass colourway, and have dyed the top 4 -6 inches in tobacco, then the bottom 4-6 inches in silver grey. The yarns are quite damp, because I want to colour to migrate up the skeins a bit, to get a graduated colour shift. The dyeing shown here will produce a yarn that is predominantly turquoise blues, with small sections of grey, green, and ochre.

  I don't rush the process at all....I make sure that each section is fast before moving on...but much of this time is passive so I can work on other projects while the dyes are setting. Sometimes I create a hanging rack to suspend the yarns over the dyepot, but if I am working only on small batches or on felt pieces, I position the fibres at the desired depth in the dyebath, place the lid on top of the pot, and drape the extra fibres over the top if the lid. In this way only the section I need to be dyeing and setting remain in the pot, and my hands are free to do other things.   The colours in any previously dyed sections are already set, so the colours will not bleed out in any way on the rest of the fibres.  It's all very low tech....but simple and highly functional for me in my studio.

Here are the results so far. Each end is dyed in a neutral colour. Now I will dye it in the main colour, a handblended mix of blues.

 Both of the dyed ends are looped over the spoon, so that both undyed sides of the yarn can be immersed in the bath. I have added extra water to the dye pot now as there is more fiber to be immersed.

 An initial dipping, to get a basic coverage, plus get a light, transitional overdyeing at the ends.

Now I will leave most of the fibres in the dyebath to develop the colour and set.
I just use my trusty wooden spoon to hang the fibers over the dyebath. I cover it with the pot lid and leave at a low simmer for about 20 minutes then turn off and leave until the dye bath is exhausted. Then rinse as usual.

I plan my colourways so that there will be small amounts of overdyeing in each section. Blues and reds I always dye last, and leave overnight in the dye bath to ensure they are very well set. 

Using this immersion technique,  I can get a handpainted effect, but without the sponges/brushes/applicators, or the use of plastics to wrap it all up in to steam set.  I handpaint only occasionally if I need only a very short run of colour- so short I can not achieve it through immersion.  

I have found I can have up to 5 different dye applications on an ordinary skein of yarn, so with all the over dye effects also, that is an amazing range of colour....

This method also works very well with natural plant dyes....

 After the dyeing process is complete, I usually reskein my yarns, as customers love to see the colours blended together in the skein. It looks more as it will when knit or woven. Reskeining feels like the completion of the process for me- it tidies up any loose thread.....

I hope this is helpful....in writing this I came across my notes that are part of a dyeing class I teach.  I'll post the introduction to acid dyeing here next...a little backward...but better written than not! 

 Also coming up, tips on felt bag making, and fibre arts and internet....
But for now back to the felting table!

Warm wishes,
Fiona

A November Dye Walk

Foxglove Farm was the location of the Salt Spring Fall Felting retreat; one with a an abundance of wonderful plant materials to chose from for the eco-dyeing segment of the dyeing day of the retreat. 
The participants made some absolutely gorgeous eco-prints on silk. I didn't have a chance to make one during the retreat time, so on a perfectly sunny crisp Fall day this week, I returned to farm to make my own bundle for my November print.

 

The artichokes are just at the end of their life cycle. They were a new plant to try in eco-dyeing for me, and the participants got some very clear, yellow/green results from the leaves, even when opened after only 2 days.  I collected some extra to bring to Nelson with me for the dyeing day there.

 
How dramatic is that?! All the more so because it is not all new and fresh and shiny....perfectly imperfect...attractively aged by the elements, by choosing to arrive late in the season....What gorgeous surfaces...so easy to imagine translating into felt....

 And some oh-so-beautiful cotinus (purple smoke bush).....in fiery fall colours.....When I have dyed with this before I got amazing blue prints...the participants at the retreat saw some stunning bright pinks....different soil? different time of year? Perhaps the ph, as in my past experiments with this, I was not using vinegar as a dip, as we did at the retreat. An acid should bring out the more pink/red tones in a plant dye, while a more basic bath will enhance the blue tones....Ah...the wonders of plant dyeing!

And this little lovely, Chickweed (Stellaria Media) is a dear friend to me- one I love to have growing in between intentionals in my garden, and delightfully found growing in abundance up at the farm. Not for dyeing...but just for munching on as I walk through the garden....I immediately feel all the more healthful just for doing so....

Back in the studio, laying out the plants on a length of organic cotton, previously printed.....

 This piece has many layers already...over many months...an exploration.....This section started with dahlia flowers and a little iron, then rerolled and dipped in an indigo bath...now being printed again with purple smoke bush (cotinus), as well as walnuts, artichoke leaves, rose and maple leaves, some dipped in an iron solution....

And, at the same time, a length of silk habotai, with all the plants above plus some poplar leaves...there is something so sensual about the plants materials, veiled in wet silk.....love observing this....

My November dye walk bundles, ready for steaming....wrapped around pear tree windfalls also from the farm....It always feels so good, just to take some time to enjoy the sunlight, go to a beautiful place, and be with the plants! To bring the lightness and pure pleasure of this activity into being....

Thanks to Foxglove Farm, for allowing me to wander!
Warm wishes,
Fiona

SaltSpring Island Fall Felting Retreat

Foxglove Farm, SaltSpring Island, British Columbia

 

October 19/20/21st, 2012  10:00am-4:00pm + evenings

  

The British Columbia retreat will be hosted at the very beautiful and charming Foxglove Farm. The farm is located on one of the original homesteads on the island, surrounded by hundreds of acres of protected forest and agricultural fields, bordering Maxwell Lake. An idyllic, inspiring and very relaxing natural setting.  There is accomodation available for up to eight people in the three cottages.

 

All of the retreat details are available on my website here and on the retreat page of the blog here.

It's going to be a beautiful woolly October! I can't wait!

Warm wishes,

Fiona

New Felt Market Bag

  
The day started out with this...a blank canvas...perfect white simplicity.....ready for some colour play...Two layers of blue faced leicester, then two layers of Finn...BFL on the inside for a soft hand as you reach in and Finn on the outside for more durability. The finished texture is very nice....an inside pocket, metal rings felted directly onto the bag, and some ties for closure, also part of the one integral whole....I love this... that the structure is complete at the end of the felting....

Then I hit the dyepots...It was a good dyeing day....three separate immersion dips, creating bold patterns with subtle shifts....Mmmmmm....

  And then the stitching...so simple...some running stitch and french knots...hard to do because I cut off the tip of my thumb last weekend.....A thumb is pretty important to french knot making...I must be more careful when cooking when hungry! I have a lot more french knots in my future!  Warm and delectable....a little bit Autumnal....a departure in colors for me...and such a welcome change...inspired by a commission for a customer in Germany...it is good to stretch...
  Warm wishes,
Fiona

Natural Dyeing with Lupines

Several years ago now, I had the chance to visit a place that was a sort of mecca for me....Taos, New Mexico, and more specifically, La Lana Wools.....a shop dedicated to plant dyed wools in all forms....I've been dyeing with plant dyes for 16 years now....12 years at the time of my visit, and I was awe of such a company that dedicated itself fully to this craft....While there I saw the most lovely yarn, dyed with lupines; a soft shade of chartreuse green...and since that visit, I've wanted to try a lupine dyebath...

This week on a wild harvesting walk....there they were....lupines in abundance...and so the dyebath was finally realized!

The organic merino yarn was first mordanted with Alum and Cream of Tartar....The lupines; whole flowering tops, chopped and gently stewed for a few hours...Then I added the yarn....sometimes I'm a lazy dyer and add the yarn directly to the dyebath without straining out the material....If it's an experiment and not yarn for sale....It sometimes takes longer at the end to get the plant material out, but it feels more wholistic to me....letting the actual plants and fibers mingle....and...after a two hours of gentle simmering, and another 48 hours in the pot sitting......

Green? no...Soft and lovely, yes.....The buttery tone would actually look beautiful knit with a purple blue like the lupine flower...The different result from what I saw at La Lana; different mordants? different time of year harvested? different soils? Any and all are possible...and that is what makes natural dyeing so delightful. I may not use lupine again as a dye...unless the receiver had a special connection to lupines.... like a lover of the children's book, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (as I am).....

I'm so happy to have had the chance to try it....and add it to my dye experience collection.... I've actually quite warmed to soft gentleness of the colour.

A realized dream, new information, some beautiful cut flowers for the studio, plus a pocket full of lupine seeds....I've travelled the world, found a little house by the sea, and now need to find my way to make the world more beautiful! I don't think it'll be spreading lupine seeds though! Grin!

Warm wishes,

Fiona

Sculptural Scarves

This summer I'm exploring ways to incorporate as much three dimensional texture as possible into my work. It such a fun experiment...I love that I can be making items to sell, while playing..... These experiments often involve trips to the hardware store...hardware and building materials seem a good combination with feltmaking! And lead to some very interesting conversations in the shop, which I'm sure they are quite used to on an isalnd of artists! For this texture it involved finding wiring that would hold it's shape while being very lightweight.  The scarves can be folded, twisted, wrapped and crimped into any shape the wearer desires...simple...dramatic....traditional or wild.....The wool is ultrafine organic merino....and it is so soft and luscious...delightful!

A few wearable sculpture possibilities....I like to think that the wearer can feel like an artist when they put on this scarf....that they can take a moment to create a wearable art piece that reflects their mood in that moment... or maybe where thay want that mood to go...That the wearer gets to partake in the creative process, as well as a the maker....

As always, these are all handfelted in white, then overdyed...I love this process....I love the whiteness, and everytime have to re-commit to myself, my sensibilities, and my love of colour...

I want to make an extra large version of this scarf for myself, for exuberant wearing at shows...and just for when the mood strikes...Plus I'm seeing sculptural bags and jacket lapels....so much to make! But first I have to finish my fibre art bike....next posting!

Warm wishes,

Fiona

Felt Armour

  Luckily for me, I had a board meeting to go to yesterday which got me out of the house, into the great bright, white outdoors early in the morning. I needed that reminder to stop working and get outside....

 So later in the day we went down to Fulford, to the beach....visited the petroglyph, and got blown away....

  It felt like emerging from a hibernation....and having all the cobwebs swept away....

   I wore my felt tunic for the first time yesterday...like an armour against the elements, both real and imagined... it's been billowly, blustery and snowy here....lots of it..and it's quite lovely....

  ...and a good day for some felt armour!  So here I am for those that wanted to see the tunic on....Not the best picture, but it does the job....the tunic felt is great to wear, soft, snug, warm, strong, and a little wild....
  I'm going to make some bags this week based on this design...linen nuno felted, racka locks, overdyed, stitches...I can hardly wait to show these this Fall.... 
Warm wishes,
Fiona

First Felt 2012

  First Felt...isn't that a glorious notion?
The other night was movie night here, and I was not that into it, so I ventured outside into the darkness and illuminated my studio....What a refreshing time. I never think to go out there in the evenings......usually by then I'm pretty tired anyway. But it was delightful. To have the radio on, my warm lights, and just me...in my space.

   I started working on a tunic design I have in mind for Fall 2012. Working on a small fashion and accessory line, combining felt, raw locks, shibori dyeing and fabric inlays...

   When working on larger projects I try and do the layout and first felting in the afternoon/evening, then leave it overnight, and finish the felting in the morning. The rest for both me and the felt seem to make the felting go so quickly! This piece took quite a bit of planning. First the math to get to template sizing right to allow for shrinkage. Fabric inlays? Or Shibori? or the crazy Racka locks? Colours in relation to overdyeing? Stitching, to be felted in, or done after, and what colour? As a first sample in this line, I was more interested in experimentation, so it got a little of everything...

 These photos show the tunic at 2/3's felted, ready for shibori, stitching and first dyeing. This is the neck detail, with black linen, racka wool locks, and wensleydale locks.

The pocket detail. I decided to put on just a small pocket...maybe a place to hold a charm, intention or wish. I'm imagining a small stone or parchment hidden inside, to be noted as necessary while wearing. This tunic is destined to be first overdyed in blue, so the red will become purple. More Racka and Wensleydale....fun...fun....

  I'll be finishing it up today, and post the finished pictures! 

It's amazing how much energy you get from working in a place of pure experiment. Or from inspiration....This is one of the pieces I scrawled out in my sketchbook on New Years Eve...bringing it to life is so exciting....more evenings in the studio....must remember that all i have to do is take a few steps outside and flip the light switch....

Warm, wishes,

Fiona

PS- I can't belive my spell check has no sheep breed names in it....is there a special spell check language that felters can use?!

Indigo Shibori at Maiwa Symposium

  I 've just returned from my mystery trip! And what an adventure it was! I had two events to attend- The Green Festival in Los Angeles with Living Crafts magazine and then an Indigo Shibori Workshop at Maiwa in Vancouver.
  I don't have any pictures from my time in LA, unfortunately. We did set up a wonderful 20 x 20 foot community craft space, and taught many people how to felt, weave and embroider, all crafts we feature regularly in Living Crafts. It was wonderful to spend more time with Pardis, the editor of the magazine, and fellow contributors, Christine Schreier, and Elizabeth Seward. And of course to share our crafts with some existing readers, and some new ones.      
  What a buzz of excitement to be travelling to teach in California.  The change was exciting....the United States is different from Canada in so many ways. The warmth, sunshine and palm trees were like a balm....

And there were some darker moments...grounding moments....I got lost in LA without a map, and without an address to put into the GPS in the car I was using. Using the "force" to find your way around LA is a very tricky business! I found myself in an a darker side of LA, driving under an underpass, full of garbage and shopping carts and people's homes...brings one down to earth. I had to get out of the car and find a payphone (I don't have a cellphone) and feel extremely out of place, and aware of the value of my life in certain neighbourhoods.  And then, several days later, I found myself walking the length of Hastings Street, in Vancouver's lower east side, arguably the roughest area in the city....and it was like nothing I've ever seen in my life...humbling, unsettling, and terrifying...and invigorating. All this while also exploring and playing with the beauty of natural fibers in both places...such a luxury...I loved the contrast....I treasure these experiences..It was truly a perfect balance in dark and light...or the shadows in between...and the epitome of the travelling experience....

Then, of course there was the fibre play! A wonderful retreat time with Akemi Nakano Cohn in indigo shibori dyeing, part of the Maiwa Symposium. The techniques she shared with us deepened my knowledge of clamp and resist dyeing, and added to my textile toolbox the classic stitch resist patterns of shibori. I learnt that I need to add more indigo when making my baths, to reach the dark deep midnights potential in indigo.  I also learnt that I know more about indigo and shibori than I thought...and this creative confidence booster came at exactlya most needed time.  I left inspired, and I believe to have a student leave full of ideas is a great credit to a teacher! 

I see using these pieces as "canvases"; foundations to be added to or changed through other textile mediums...Fractal building blocks....windows...a frame, or set of frames for future additions...

 

 One of my favourites...a canvas waiting for something....ferrous imprinted leaves? stitches? nuno felting? Mmmm....unknown at this moment...still immersed in moon/indigo relationships...

 

 Traditional Ori Nui Shibori..stitched layers...so contemplative in process.....I know I will use the clamp resist techniques more often, but this I will enjoy using for special projects....this process has such a strong meditative quality for me, less physical process than mental, and will be used as such, when desired or required..

Twice resisted and dyed...6 dips total resulting in deep indigo colour. angel/moth/butterfly wings....

 

Arashi Shibori, wrapped and tied around a pole then folded and dipped. Love this!

 A re-creation of a piece I made during my last full moon indigo dyeing session...moons are clamped CD's....I experimented with some different patterning above them...clothespins and tight binding with string, but got very different results than I expected.  Still a great base for adding more- layers of dyeing maybe?

And my line full of Shibori banners!  The blues a lovely contrast against the greens and yellows of our Fall landscape here.  Most of these pieces are done on quilting weight cotton for sewing...I'm going to cut them and share them....and then dye some more in silk and wool for feltmaking on the coming full moon this Thursday. I enjoyed the setting aside of this time for creativity with such talented fibre artists, both in Los Angeles and again in Vancouver and came away with great new plans and ideas....and the feeling of being grounded in our real world with an appreciation for this beautiful little island and the home our family is creating.

Warm wishes,

Fiona