It takes a village

Family Fun Time with Fiber Art

 My work requires long hours and travel away from home. The result is that when I am home, family time is a priority and studio time a rarity. It’s hard, but I’m a very creative person so I’ve developed a way to manage. I created “Family Fun time with Fiber Art”. Basically I involve them in my projects and get double the benefit. 

Of course they were all on board! I just told them they couldn’t eat until we finished my natural dyeing experiment and they jumped right in. We have all been having fun with this challenge. I can’t believe it but I actually sacrificed my favorite fruit – raspberry – in the pursuit of a pretty red. Now that is dedication.

Flower Bundles for Steaming

 

We have tried:

• Rusting
• Coffee dyeing
•  Red wine staining
• Cumin, curry, cayenne rubbing
• Flower pounding
• Copper oxidizing
• Flower steaming 



Flower Pounding

• Pressing various fruits, flowers, foods and peels just to name a few. 

My son has been very instrumental in our progress, taking the project to heart and recruiting friends, colleagues and others. One day he was walking with his friend around her neighborhood looking for potential dyes, he saw a huge Bougainvillea and he took some flower petals. Halfway back to the house, a huge, tattooed, biker guy came up and said “Did you just take something out of my yard?!” Shaken, my son apologized and explained that he was helping his mom with an art project. 

Rusting

The man replied, “Okay then, you should see what I’ve got in my backyard!” And away they went, back to his house and into his yard where he had an amazing garden of flowers and herbs and led them around picking all the best items. WOW. Making new friends, destroying stereotypes and helping mom all at once. Who could ask for anything more!

Red Wine with Pennies

Regardless of the results of my natural dyeing experiments, I have had so much fun in the process that I can already proclaim success.

Thank you Sue!