WORK IN PROGRESS

I've just returned from New Mexico where I attended the Taos Wool Festival with my friend, Michelle. Had the most wonderful time -- the weather was gorgeous, unseasonably warm, big white clouds, blue skies. Will upload pictures later from the festival and our time there. While in Taos, we spent a relaxing day just sitting out in the backyard of the Old Taos Guesthouse on a picnic table stitching and knitting. I hand-stitched together a shawl of various pieces of wool and silk that I had dyed using India Flint's eco print technique. This is still a work in progress but here are some pictures:

First, the idyllic environs

For some of the pieces, I cut up and dyed a wool crepe skirt that had been hanging in my closet from my long ago days of practicing law. Glad to put that skirt to good re-use. I used an iron trivet in one of my dyepots -- hence the black areas.

I also used some pieces of silk charmeuse that I had dyed with eucalyptus leaves, sagebrush and other plant materials I found up the hills and in my garden. I threw a handful of madder root into another of my dyepots and ended up with beautiful rusty brown areas.

It's hard to see, but I used a laceweight 20/2 spun silk yarn -- something I had hand-dyed for weaving -- to do my stitching. The color is a rusty pumpkin and goes really well with the natural colors derived from the plants.

This is a work in progress, so there will be much more stitching. I might try some Colcha embroidery that I saw in New Mexico and I am planning to stitch a silk edge around the entire shawl. It felt really good to sit around with a friend, enjoying some quiet time together, stitching.

ARTISTIC LICENSE FAIR

Almost forgot, Michelle (Hoffee) and I will be exhibiting and selling our fiber arts at the Artistic License Fair at Estancia Park in Costa Mesa on Friday, Oct. 29th and Saturday, Oct. 30th. We will have an array of our handspun yarns, handknits, felted scarves, shawls and such and plant-dyed wearables. I'll also have some handpainted fibers in my booth.