The last workshop of the summer with Michele Wipplinger of Earthues, focused on natural red dyes: cochineal, madder, lac and quebracho red. Michele brought textiles from around the globe to draw inspiration from. She always sets a beautiful stage. even the farm barns...
once there was a way to get back to the land and an incredible woman, papermaker and steward of the land, Velma took us on a journey with some tools some plant stuff from the farm some shredding the pressing of the natural creations we made paper it was HOT (90...
with a few simple tools, a few guiding principles, and her steadfast instruction, Joan Morris brought the techniques of arashi shibori [Japanese pole binding] to Long Ridge Farm, coupled with three unique indigo dye vats. the work was so sweet. poles were wrapped...
a special workshop began today here at the farm. it's always serendipity when a class comes together. and this is a sweet and peaceful gathering. from California, Kansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York and New England the energy to create is focused. Joan Morris is...
thinking of the book from so long ago "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" where Sissy Hankshaw is a woman born with a mutation of enormously large thumbs, though she considers it a gift... mine are not so big but lately bluer than usual. the woad bed is growing quite...
loss. it comes in all shapes and sizes. no color. four legs, two legs, skin, feathers, fur, fleece. care doesn't shield loss. love doesn't guard the inevitable. kindness doesn't protect. spirtuality is my saving grace. shit happens and still the world is a beautiful...
sometimes the sweetest finds are enroute to somewhere else. perusing through an antique shop today I came upon a pretty trio of shears. sharpened and with proper markings on the blades cutting cloth like it was butter. mighty sweet and all for under thirty dollars....
the day began with the promise of blue... as I readied to teach a class of eight dyeing with indigo here at Long Ridge last weekend through the morning students learned how to make the indigo stock and prepare for dyeing. then the gloves went on, vats got adjusted,...
down a country road in the heartland of Indiana and up a long driveway to Trading Post for Fiber Arts where even the livestock love the blues a fabulous group of folks from Indiana, Illinois and Nebraska converged June 9th and 10th to learn how to dye with indigo, the...
seems I took a few sharp corners that swung far afield but things are progressing despite the rocky course. it's good to take pause and just feel the days. "doing" is not a requirement. the weather has been reasonably wet and rainy. yet the flock is floating through...
