Posts Tagged ‘dyeing’

My new fiber love

November 6, 2015

Mulberry Bark.

Well new to me anyway. Apparently it has been used for hundreds of years in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. It’s also referred to as kozo and is used extensively in papermaking.

I got some bleached and then dyed it with Setacolor.

dyed mulberry bark

dyed mulberry bark

I’m a sucker for the texture which is irregularly grid-like but can be teased into curvier lines that form around serendipitous holes. Very fun to play with. It’s quite stiff and when wet and shaped will dry to that shape. Folks, like this woman, make delicate bowls with it.

Me, I will dye it, pull the fibers into the pattern I want and stitch it down. That’s the plan anyway. I think it has great potential to add interesting organic surface texture.
Have any of you used it?

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Posted in Dyeing, Process, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

A pile of newly dyed silk!

June 13, 2010

I happily spent a good part of Friday at my friend/artist Kris Mcdermet‘s house acid dyeing eight yards of silk- both crepe de chine and charmeuse. We tend to have a lot to talk about when we’re together but have learned that we’re incapable of simultaneous communication and dyeing without disastrous results. So we schmooze first and then try to focus. Kris is a more careful dyer- following recipes that include exact measurements such as 1/64th of a teaspoon or “dip wet toothpick 2″ into dye powder”.

Newly dyed blues and purples

Not me. I usually try to start with a recipe but it quickly morphs into mixing dye colors with abandon. I got mostly very luscious results though! Our plan is to sell some of this beautiful fabric at our joint upcoming studio tour – a part of the September 25-26  Brattleboro West Arts Studio Tour.

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Posted in Dyeing, Process | 6 Comments »