i have work to do
and packing to contemplate
things like this to send in parcels
and weed lists to find for the Pacific North West.
i haven't blown my sax in days.
instead i have been infested by tigers.
very
little ones
well,
one tiny one and one slightly bigger one.
i can totally see me in that garment ..so you were packing it to send my way then ? ;0)
ReplyDeletei like very much this way you have done the dress , as roz say i would like to wear it too, , it seems for me another way this are done ? the cats are lovely .
ReplyDeleteHa... infested by tigers... they find you, eh? That tiny one is rather adorable >^.^< well, they both are.
ReplyDeleteTigermama...........those foto's are priceless............
ReplyDeleteand so is the dress!
What beautiful kitties!
ReplyDeleteIndia, I am not sure what grows on Whidby Island, but on the mainland here in the PNW, both goldenrod and scotch broom grow in abundance this time of year. Scotch broom is all along the roadsides, in fields, ditches, EVERYWHERE! I tried Jenny Dean's experiment with madder using scotch broom instead and got 25 nice shades of olive green. It was my first blog post. The goldenrod yields yellows, but it has beautifully structured leaves which may or may not leave leaf prints on fabric. I have not tried that. The rhododendron is Washington's state flower and can be found growing wild around the sound, maybe on the islands. I discovered that its leaves gave me a deep orange using alum on wool yarn if the dye bath is a little alkaline. Love your dress! And the kittens are simply adorable.
ReplyDeletegolden rod, though reviled by farmers back east, is a fabulous dye plant [yes it does yield leafprints] and beautifully responsive to the metal of the dyepot. I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to harvest the state flower [in Australia all state flowers are protected] and i'd be careful using Rhododendron in any event as it is extremely poisonous. best used outside because you don't want to breathe in those vapours.
Deleteand a good point about alkalinity...it often develops yellows to orange [usually from flowers though].
thanks for swinging by :)
Definitely May ... the first ... at least that's what it is here.
ReplyDeleteThe colors are to die for and the kittens are to sigh for.
xoxo
Sounds like you are getting ready for another workshop trip. I just retuned from teaching 2 down in Portland Oregon. I love the colors of the kitties they seem to match your beautiful clothing
ReplyDeleteLove your work ... but especially love your 'tiger' photos !!!
ReplyDeleteDon't suppose you could swing around to Victoria on your PNW trip? Love the wee tiger and the dress
ReplyDeleteawwwwwwwww!!! so so cute!
ReplyDeletetwo baby tigers! what innocents .... and the dress is more than gorgeous :)
ReplyDeleteThe wild coast rhododendron is protected and picking the flowers from plants in the wild or in parks is prohibited. I was thinking more of harvesting leaves that have fallen to the ground. They seem to shed leaves pretty regularly. Rhodie plants are sold in all the nurseries here in the PNW and most homes have one or two growing in their yards. I have three plants, and have used only the fresh leaves from pruning. Many businesses include rhodies in their landscaping. There may even be some growing on the grounds of the art school there on Whidby Island. If so, they may give you permission to scoop up some fallen leaves, or they may have a pile somewhere where they stash prunings you could dig through. Just a thought if you have trouble finding things for the dye pot. Again, I haven't tried them on fabric for prints, just on wool yarn for color. I so, so wish I could be there! Last time I checked they had gone through 18 people on the wait list.
ReplyDeleteCan rustle you up one of those weed lists if needed
ReplyDeleteand that frock [frockcoat?] ... beyond fabulous is all.
Been meaning to say how spiff & tidy this blog looks of late ... a simple sidebar with relevant stuff where all clicks go to important places - really like it ;>]