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Fresh indigo
I had a chance to do some fresh-leaf indigo dyeing yesterday. Sadly, my camera is misbehaving and I couldn't take pictures of the whole process.
I don't know any other way to get these colors without fresh indigo leaves
It's a real summer treat!
Selenicereus grandiflorus
Selenicereus grandiflorus
After several years, the selenicereus plant has bloomed!.
The buds are quite interesting. They start out as a fuzzy white spot on the stem, then grow to look like a rabbits' foot.
The flower bud pushes through the fuzz and elongates. To the immature mind, this can be a great source of silly laughter...:)
A little more dignified...
Some white showing through
Almost ready
Like fireworks!
July
So far, July has been packed with projects and flowers
Indigo and cochineal shibori scarves
Hand-spun silk yarn dyed with woad
More Naturally dyed embroidery silks
Inspiration!
June 29
June 29 is my younger brothers' birthday.
Climbing Westerland rose
The garden is celebrating with me!
Gratitude
Plenty of rain
Wild campanula
First sweet pea flower
Happy harvest
Thank You.
June 16
Portulaca
It's very hot with temperatures in the 90's and high humidity.. Outdoors really smells like summer.. The scent is both sharp and sweet. It reminds me of summers past.
The heat makes it hard for me to work on anything besides spinning hemp fiber into yarn. and dyeing it with indigo.
I've also kept up dyeing the silk thread.
Silk threads dyed with indigo, coreopsis flowers,walnut hulls and madder
May 10, 2018
Redbud (Cercis Canadensis)
How quickly the days, weeks and months rush along! Every day there are new amazements. I like to spend my time in the garden and pay close attention. The only trouble is that I don't get much done indoors.
Milkweed (Asclepius syriaca)
As I was emptying the old potting soil from a flowerpot, I discovered several pods of milkweed that had dropped into the soil and been covered up.These seed pods had overwintered here and are now sprouting.
Back to normal...(cold!)
After two days of sunshine and warmth, the cold winds and gray skies have returned. I'm trying to keep the sweet pea youngsters from getting too cold while still giving them light.
I know they don't mind cool temperatures, but surely they don't like freezing. I've been carrying them outdoors in the daytime and back in at night. This morning I made a little tent for the containers with clear plastic to let in the light and keep out the very cold wind.
Happily, the scilla doesn't mind at all. Patience, endurance, gratitude and cheerfulness live in the garden.
Warmth and inspiration!
bBloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Suddenly it's warm! The garden is joyful and beautiful. The back-yard colors inspire natural dyeing.
These silks were dyed with walnut hulls, coreopsis flowers, weld and indigo
Crocus
Violet shades from madder, lac and indigo
King Alfred Daffodils
Greens, yellow and blues from weld, coreopsis flowers and indigo
The very brave Scilla
Indigo
Warm morning sky
I'm very grateful for this rare, lovely and warm Spring day.
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