This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting feltmaker and dyer Ginny Huber. We had been chatting a bit back an forth about our local, west coast dyes, and making eco-prints. This week she was visiting the area and came to Salt Spring to spend a few hours in the studio, talking felt, fiber, travel and dyes.
I had premordanted a length of silk for us to share, and then we dipped it in a vinegar bath. Ginny had brought with her some Eucalyptus bark, a gift from another feltmaker and dyer, Christina Pacciani of CriCri Felt, and we walked the property to collect some plant materials…..madrone/arbutus barks,leaves of ivy, ranunculas, rose, cotinus, eucalyptus, and calendula and dahlia flowers…..something from her and something from me, and a shared time of experiences, information and making. We dipped each plant in the vinegar bath before placing on our silk, following a similar method as the one Ginny used while taking a class at FeltRosa in Italy this Spring with Irit Dulman, a hugely talented feltmaker and dyer….lots of inspiration!
I wanted Ginny to have something from the Island to bring back with her…..a little part of the experience…at the end of the afternoon she decided to leave her bundle with me, so I could boil it and age it. I will open her bundle for her when she asks me to…and then I’ll mail it to her. Mine, I will save for one month and open on my next eco-dyeing day….Yes…I’ve said it…make me stick to that please! It’s so hard not to peek…then a little more…and then unwrap to see what the results are!
I haven’t been doing any eco-dyeing since last Fall, and it is something I so enjoy and would like to continue to experiment with…so once a month, I’m making a date with myself so go on a dye walk and make a bundle for that month….a colourful record of the year…..I will make a new eco bundle one month from now, and open this one…and share the results with you!
It was such a pleasurable afternooon….talking felt and dyes….
You can read more about Ginny and her work, on her website, www.floweringfibers.com, and on her blog. Thank you for visiting, Ginny!
Warm wishes,
Fiona
Oops! I never saw this until now. it was a lovely visit; i really enjoyed your genorsity and the camaraderie of playing with the eco dye …i've got some pix on my blog, too (ginnyhuber.blogspot.com) and just today someone from Chile on Face Book found me through this blog i do believe!