Busy Day

But a good one. Despite a cold that won't give up, I got to catch up with a good friend and got quite a bit accomplished. Good night!

Slow Dyeing

From a pile of leaves,

To a steamed bundle,

To finished scarf.

This is maple on a silk/wool blend scarf with rust as the mordant.

Finch Arboretum

Yesterday I went on a walking tour put on by Spokane Urban Forestry. Not only did I learn about trees but saw some crazy fungus as well!

Goodbye to Green for this Year!

Summer is finally coming to a close here in Eastern Washington. I used almost dead sunflower leaves on silk that had been wrapped around a copper pipe to get the greens pictured here. I have time to make some more, just waiting for the copper pipe to work it's magic on the silk.

Finally! An Eco Print Sample Book.

Since I have been gathering fall leaves I have had a lot of questions as to why I am "raking" public parks and the yards of total strangers with my bare hands. I came up with this little binder to show them. I didn't have a lot of prints I was willing to part with for this purpose so I will throw in some process shots and maybe even some paper for me to jot notes on. The front cover is an eco print on paper - lace leaf maple with alum as the mordant.

Coreopsis Verticillata, Part Two

This is what happens when you use alum as the mordant! Cha-cha-Cha!

The End of Summer is Near!

     For the last few days I have been up early. I have been surveying my weed sites and picking what I need. As you can see, the knapweed is toast at this point, as are some of the garden plants I use. With those plants I now wait for them to reseed themselves, sleep for the winter and start again next spring.

     Yesterday I went to my favorite place to collect driftwood, alas, it is blanketed in a luxurious coating of poison ivy! That will have to wait until next year, when again, the pile will be floating in a bend in the river. I did see a lovely little snake, we traveled together for quite awhile before he turned off into the grass.

     Today I saw some silvery minnows and when I got home I discovered a pair of quail decided to have a late season brood!  I hope they get a chance to grow up before it is too cold. They were out for a stroll across the lawn. While the temperature says otherwise, the change of season is near!