Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Shades of BLUE... indigo blue!

The indigo plant native to Ossabaw Island... Seed pods are banana shaped.
It's been on Ossabaw for over 270 years  adapting to .the weather
When I saw that the Ossabaw Island Foundation was holding an indigo dye day on the island... I said to myself... Why not have a special day for our Fiber Guild of the Savannahs!  I contacted the workshop provider, Donna Hardy of Sea Island Indigo and we were off and running.  I contacted The Ossabaw Island Foundation and learned that in addition to their $30day rate, we needed to find and hire someone to transport us to the island by boat.  We had hoped to accommodate 24 participants (as it turned out... Twelve was PERFECT!) but I soon found out a pontoon boat that would transport all of us at once was far too expensive.  We settled for a 6 passenger boat with captain Joel Formsby of Walks on Wassaw and after two trips we were all safely on the island.  How delightful to be out on the water on a lovely, sunny day! (Sea Island Indigo on Facebook.)
Elizabeth telling our guild about Ossabaw
We were greeted on the island by Elizabeth DuBose who shared some of the islands history of which Indigo played a prominent part.  Indigofera suffruticosa grows right by the guest cottage and has adapted to the climate.  Ossabaw means Land of the Yopawn Tea that males only would drink to purge.  Ossabaw will be owned by the state of Georgia when the sole surviving inhabitant, 101 year old Mrs West passes away.  She lives here alone with her caretakers and the wild hogs and sea turtles and birds and Jerusalem donkeys, and all sorts of wonderful natural inhabitants.  The Foundation facilitates visitors to the island and we set up show and 4 dye vats outside of their cottage where you can make arrangements to stay overnight... (Maybe next time!)
Donna adding to the vat
After a short walk from the dock we met our fearless well informed teacher/mentor Donna Hardy... Of course, dressed in blue... A lovely cotton top she had handsewn and indigo dyed!  Donna explained that she had prepared two cellulose vats (in large plastic garbage pails) and two protein vats.  We were to dye our cotton,linen and plant fibers in the cellulose and our wool, alpaca, silks, etc in the protein vat.  It is important to add as little oxygen (air) to the vat as possible, so Donna showed us how to gently submerge what we wanted to dye slowly rotating it for about 30 seconds and then move it to the side of the vat to SLOWLY without adding bubbles raise it out of the water to ring it in a small tub she had placed to the side of the dye vat.  then we moved to a common large garbage pail of water to rinse the fiber and watch the magic happen.... Yellow green to teal to a wonderful shade of blue.  The trick is to build up layers until you achieve your desired blue...Which will probably dry lighter.

To make the vats, Donna arrived on the island the night before.   Early inhabitants cut the indigo leaves and soaked them in 16 foot long vats.  The smell was horrible.  the vat was adjusted with lime from burnt oyster shells.The indigoten congeals and goes to the bototm of the vat like mud.  It congeals and is cut up like soap.  In 1782 there was a raid by the Loyalists and 30 slaves and all of the indigo cake was taken; the plants were burned.

Three things are needed to make indigo... 1. The absence of oxygen 2. The proper PH and 3. The proper temperature. Fermentation uses up the oxygen.  Sodium hydrosulfite is a reducing agent. Dyeing sources for indigo are only found in India, China, Guatemala and El Salvador.  Indigo will not bond to the fibers the presence of oxygen.  Protein needs to be 10.2ph and cellulose need to be 11ph.


The Jerusalem donkeys, native to Ossabaw Island, try to help Betsy unpack her goodies and especially her lunch!
First its yellow green...

then its teal...
...and soon it become beautiful indigo blue!  Magic!
The Ossabaw Island Jerusalem donkeys... So named for the white crosses on their backs.  
This is what happens when you dye without rubber gloves!
The work was not done when we left the island after a wonderful day.  We were instructed to take our dyed things home and let them air dry.  Then we were to wash the protein fibers with Mrs. Meyers lavendar dishwashing soap or another soap NOT detergent.  (Note: Woolite is horrible for the environment.)   Donna also told us to add about 2 cups of white vinegar to a rinse to bring the hp back. 
My stash drying in my bathroom... wool rovings and cotton sliver to spin, silk chiffon to nuno felt on, several old faded garments and three handwoven pieces... a hat, a scarf and a top.  My paper straw hat is out of the picture, but its now indigo blue too!

More Chirping from my Cricket



I was able to warp my Cricket 3 more times over the summer.  I used some black cotton of different weights with some left over linen knitting yarns in black and beiges.  I added touches of green, red and lavender and played with different techniques in a Saori inspired way.  Each of my pieces became looser after the conference when I was inspired by just how loose a fabric could be and still stay together.  I did have some tension issues due to the variety of warp yarns and weights.  I decided to flow with the Saori spirit and let them happen and see show it all works out.  When I took it off the loom, I wiggled it a bit diagonally and it was fine.

Then the fun part... What does this fabric I created want to be.  I decided to challenge myself and see if I could sew a garment by hand without cutting the fabric, thereby omitting the need for a sewing machine that I don't have when I'm in the boat in the summer.  I draped it on my body and pinned it - like we were shown at the conference - and came up with a kind of Mobius twist.  The twist became a fold on the middle front and the fringe ends of different lengths were twisted and at the back. I whip stitched the loops at the weft turnings together by hand with doubled black thread to form the side seams and tried it on again.  AND it's a different look when I wear it backwards!  I love it!



Thursday, October 23, 2014

CRICKET sings Saori style


Before I left Savannah I ordered a Schacht Cricket 15" rigid heddle loom.  It arrived at the boat in early June.  I was able to put it together from the directions in the box and warp it and start weaving in about 3 hours!  I had brought some silk and cotton blends and some novelty yarns in harmonious colors... So my first warp was an 8" wide sampler.  I continued playing with two shaft techniques adding wandering inlays and clasped techniques.
The summer top I created when I got back to Savannah.
My second warp was of similar colors but a bit wider - 10 inches... Because I had in mind weaving for a summer top.  The narrow band 8" was shorter and could be the center panel and the sides were from the 10" piece.  I was able to sew the resulting summer tunic together when we returned to Savannah and my sewing machine.  I loved incorporating the fringes and left novelty yarns hanging throughout the piece for a sense of whimsy.  I call it... Lake Champlain Melody... Because it sings a song of summer!


international Saori Conference




After a lousy winter of recuperating, I was ready for another relaxing summer on Lake Champlain rocking on our sailboat, playing with the wind, and being closer to our kids and grandkids.  It was all I had hoped for and then some... The "then some" being Saori.


In order to make a necessary trip back to Savannah in the middle of the summer something to look forward to, I enrolled in the Saori International Conference in Peachtree City, GA organized by Denise Prince who had come to our fiber guild to give is a presentation last March.  I've been creating Saori-like work for years... playing with colors and textures in my handwoven items often incorporating bits of handspun.

Kenzo Jo having the group help him stretch his elastic fabric
Saori-inspired work is unique and celebrates the hand and the spirit in freeform Zen-like weaving.  It embraces accidents in threading and weaving to create one of a kind work that cannot be duplicated by a machine.  The conference was inspiring being able to see the work of so many people inspired by the Saori philosophy developed by now 101 year old Misao Jo.  Her son Kenzo Jo developed and markets the Saori loom and equipment.  He has trained people throughout the world in the techniques for weaving from your heart.





Later...
It was a fantastic conference full of inspiring people, fabrics and techniques.   I am so glad that I went.  I have photos of the exhibit at Peachtree Library as well as some of the happenings at the hotel.  What a group of sharing and caring people united by an interest in the Zen-like Saori principles.  


Here I am  n front of my "It sure is Green" coat wearing the top  I woven and kit with the jacquard  bag I made.

The no sew hat I created during a workshop.. Later dyed it blue with indigo to have more of a contrast with my hair.




Images from My Google Plus...  Please let me know if you cannot get them.

Here are my Peachtree Library Exhibit pics including my "It Sure is GREEN" coat:
https://plus.google.com/111797448740173601950/posts/RDtGViMhUBk

Here are my Fashion Show pics...
https://plus.google.com/111797448740173601950/posts/YJGEYbD9JvQ