This past summer, I was fortunate enough to take a Botanical Printing class here at Fancy Tiger Crafts with Jennifer Guyor, whose wealth of knowledge around this unique process of using leaves and other botanical materials to print and dye fabric, made this class one of the most inspiring and exciting classes I have had the opportunity to take. It really made me look at this process and how I could start incorporating this technique into my quilting. In class, we applied this process to a silk scarf and I was so inspired by the results. With a bit more research into adapting this process for cotton, a few questions that Jennifer generously answered, and a little bit of equipment gathering (as the number one rule in dyeing is to never use the same equipment you use for food!), I was ready to take the extra steps and to start dyeing myself!
The process of botanical dyeing itself is fairly straight forward once you learn the steps and gather the materials. But, natural dyestuff can be unpredictable and unrepeatable and unlike commercial dyes, there's an element of chance with the outcome. When using things like leaves, the time of year, difference in trees, unique variances of processing the bundles, and a whole host of other factors all play with the outcome on the fabric.
By the end of this quilt, that fleeting, unrepeatable chance in a moment of time is what this quilt became about. The time gathering leaves on my walks from work to home, taking different routes exploring my neighborhood, finding different trees and bushes that each gave a leaf or two. The time with neighbors and friends who gave me leaves and flowers from their yards and gardens. The time watching the botanical life that surrounds me in an urban environment of concrete and steel.This was made during a specific time in late summer and early fall in Denver. A time that is passed and unrepeatable but captured in the fabric and stitches of my quilt.
Stay tuned for more Botanical Printing classes with Jennifer coming in late spring/early summer once there are leaves again!
