Wool Bundles

I'll open the rest of the wool bundles tomorrow, right now they are on the skirting table drying out, they are still soaking wet from Thursday night's rains.  Some of the bundles look more interesting than the others but that doesn't mean that there isn't something wonderful waiting inside.

Wool Bundles

I'm hoping to open my wool bundles tomorrow finally!  It looks like it won't rain tonight fingers crossed, I'm really curious to see what they look like inside.

Mottled Golds

Osage Orange on Silk Organza Net that I left soaking in a shallow dye bath for several days. 

42x32 inches - Silk Organza Net.

Moss and Rust

Three Winters Table Cloth

Three Winters Table Cloth

I plan to use this piece in my "She was Third Class" Solo Show coming up in September.  It has been sitting outside for three years/winters with a bunch of other fabrics and found linens that I have been slowly rotting and rusting away.

Three Winters Cloth

Three Winters Cloth sitting atop my indigo vat lid.  These bundles, wads would be a better description, of fabric, table clothes, and linen towels have been here for three winters/years.  I expected way more damage than what occurred.  There was some rusting (yeah) due to the fabric touching the iron grid next to the dye vat.  More pics later.

Three Winters Cloth

A five yard section of cotton fabric that has been sitting outside for the past three winters, it's currently in the washer and will go into a revived cochineal vat shortly.

Solar Dyeing

I started by placing an ounce of dye materials into a clean quart jar (old spagetti sauce jars)

Filled the jars with vodka or everclear until the dye materials are covered, placed lid on jar and allowed to sit overnight.

Placed alum mordanted silk fat quarters into each jar, filled with distilled water, placed lid back onto jar and placed the jars in a sunny location. Here you can see the dye liquid wick up the fabric.

Leave in sun for up to three weeks, check to make sure that mold isn't growing on your fabrics. 2004