it's been a while

even though i've been busy stitching my frankenstitch and some cloth-weave pieces and fiddling about with bits of eco-dyeing i don't feel as if i'm doing much - i think it might be because i make small progressive steps in each which don't look like much but add up over time - this is where the blogging comes in handy for me as i regularly get to review what i've been doing and it helps me notice what i have achieved













the frankenstitch course marj and i did with arlee is finished but the stitching goes on

and while the wood stove is lit in the evenings i am experimenting with some more natural dyeing - i really want to try dyeing with lichens and have been collecting them when i can - lichens are very slow growing so i only harvest them from dead wood, like our woodpile or windfalls, today i struck lucky and found some tree prunings with lots of lichen:

a small sample

i now have enough to dye some small pieces of silk or wool but think i will experiment a bit on tiny samples as i don't know what colours i will get - the sources i have found so far don't really help with that, i can't identify what sort of lichen i have as there are many types which look alike so it's pot luck! - one thing i do know is that this involves soaking lichen & fabric in stale urine ....... mmmmmm, pongy! i hope it's worth it in the end

i'll be posting more about the eco-dying on my blog soon