More Beautiful Yellows

Here are the latest results from my dye jars* – Jenny Dean mentions hawthorn in her book Wild Color.  She recommends using the flowers or berries, and says the leaves and twigs will… Continue reading

A Ray of Hope in a Sea of Drab

Well the dye experiments continue.  My earlier trials have been with non-native varieties of sunflowers and pear trees, but now I am getting into the native plants. Here is my dye notebook so… Continue reading

Infused with Personality

I once wore a Super Bowl ring. (Unlike Vladimir Putin, I immediately handed mine back to its owner.) Back when I was teaching, one of the dads in our class was a Houston… Continue reading

An Hour Down at the Creek

On hot summer days, I love to go down to the creek and see what turns up.

Dye Days of Summer – Pears

For my second dye experiment, I used pear twigs and leaves, soaked in well water for about a week. I put the soaked twigs and leaves in the dye pot with fresh water,… Continue reading

These Stitches Are Driving Me Crazy!

You may recall that a few weeks ago,  I was working on a twin-size quilt, and I was happy to get all the blocks sewn to the batting and backing. Even though I… Continue reading

Dye Days of Summer – Sunflowers

First the results – And then the details. My plan for the summer is to learn about natural dyes from the plants growing wild on the farm.  To simplify my learning process, I… Continue reading

All-Around Craftsman

I come from a long line of women who created every kind of textile imaginable, but my dad also taught me many things about self-sufficiency and craftsmanship. From my growing up years, I… Continue reading

Why I Never Get Anywhere Fast

Distractions abound…. So many pictures to take, so many things to research….

Semester Exam

You know how, when you have exams hanging over your head, you won’t let yourself do anything else until you’ve studied? I have been feeling that it was time for me to move… Continue reading