Monday, August 20, 2018

April in August

 Goldenrod
 Sumac
red sumac tanin and onion skin
 April has been home with us on Manitoulin for about a week. 
staghorn sumac drupes dye
She has been passionately gathering and processing staghorn sumac and teaching herself about natural tanins and mordants.
sumac leaves tanin
I am learning along with her.
I'm starting to dye some of the damasks I've collected.  These greys!
 April dyed these pinks using Sumac drupes.
Her childhood landscape.

8 comments:

Mo Crow said...

you live in such a beautiful wild place in the world!

Martha said...

So glad to know about dyeing with sumac drupes. I love dyeing with seasonal plants, as well as kitchen waste like onion skins, avocado pits, and old tea bags. I'll look for this on my walks tho I'm not sure they grow in southeastern US. Thanks for this post!

Unknown said...

Always look forward to your posts .. this one filled with a softness of how earths gifts .. give back.

gaile said...

I wonder what these marvelous hand dyed fabrics will become in your creative hands?

arlee said...

I'm sad/jealous/envious/disheartened. When i lived in Ontario and BC, i knew nothing of natural dyeing. Now that i'm in Alberta, there is a great dearth of bio-diversity. Even the goldenrod is mingy and stunted.

Such lovely colours.

Idalina M.J DaSilva said...

Wow. Such amazing colors. I had no idea we could dye with sumac drupes. I have to try it. Thank you for sharing with all of us the beautiful picture of nature gifts. I am learning myself how to dye . I have so much to learn. I love all your pictures and all the stitching you do. Big hug from Portugal.

Velma Bolyard said...

lovely mingling of A months! your landscape is so familiar, Judy, much like here.

susan hemann said...

wonderful, we have that sumac round here, I have wanted to dye with it, but it is in difficult places for me to reach.