Colorious Results
All summer I have been experimenting with natural dyes from the plants in my yard. After getting many wonderful yellows, I was full of anticipation to try pokeberries and get red for a… Continue reading
Tag Archive: wool
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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
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
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
Jacquard Coverlet
This is a double-cloth coverlet, woven in two panels on a Jacquard loom. The yarn is 2-ply wool in its natural cream color, indigo blue and (I believe) madder red. The colors are… Continue reading
Coverlet Mysteries
I don’t see as many woven coverlets for sale as I do quilts, but this is one I picked up back in the 90s. I’ve always thought of it as a small blanket,… Continue reading
Puffball Mushroom Dye
Whenever I notice that I have a whole lot of something growing on the farm, I research it to see if it can be used for a dye. There were lots of puffball… Continue reading
Early 1900s Boy’s Outfit
When you have old-fashioned skills like spinning and weaving, people assume you know about all things historical, and ask you to speak about them, especially to kids. Because I think it’s so important… Continue reading
Family Textiles: A Tale of Two Shawls
It was the best of textiles, it was the worst of textiles, it was the age of silk, it was the age of wool, it was the epoch of respectibility, it was the epoch… Continue reading
Late 1800s dress
This is a wool dress I bought at an antique shop in Richmond, Texas. I hope it was originally from up North, because I think this would be too hot and sticky to wear… Continue reading