Bioregional dyeing in Alberta

Lately I've had my nose down, researching what fibres and dyes I can use for my projects that are completely local (I'll save my thoughts on regional fibres for another post.). Although I have used commercially-made acid dyes to dye fabrics in the past, my experience with natural dyes has been limited - so, I'll be blogging about it as I learn. I'd love to grow the dye plants that can be grown here in USDA Zone 3, and also take a bio-regional approach by foraging for dye plants that grow wild here.

rose hips and bark from today's walk

There is basic information about natural dyeing using local plant materials here and here and some inspirational photos here; I'm also now doing more detailed research using the books from this amazing bibliography. Oh, and this link talks about traditional natural dyes used by first nations artisans for porcupine quills, which may provide some more ideas for bioregional dyeing.

My dyeing set-up: I'm hoping to work outside when the weather is good, but the ventilation is good in my kitchen when I'm working with nontoxic dyestuffs. I already have pH paper, a big enamel lobster pot, a thrifted glass casserole dish, thrifted canning jars, tongs, a dye measuring spoon, and a set of Majic Carpet acid dyes with formula books in my rug hooking stash. Oh, and a propane camp stove in my backpacking box, and a clothesline that needs to be installed. Yesterday I visited a local art supply shop and added a tjanting tool for batik work and a natural indigo dyeing kit, and ordered some goodies from Maiwa in Vancouver. There may be some additional instuments that are part of the materials for the Surface & Textile Design intensive at the U of A in July (so. very. excited.). I still need to look for second hand: more dye pots, slotted spoons, bowls, and measuring spoons - made of stainless steel or enamel or (if I get lucky) copper - and a kitchen scale and hot plate.

Dye sources I will plant in my new garden (many are also food sources, yay!):

• Rhubarb leaves (note: poisonous!)
• Hollyhock 'nigra', for the blossoms
• Heather
• Woad (I have ordered seeds from Wearing Woad in BC - a noxious weed here so they *must* be harvested before going to seed)
• Carrots (I have seeds from Cubits in Ontario)
• Beets (I have seeds from Cubits) (too highly fugitive)
• Blueberry
• Cherry tree and/or pear tree - for the leaves
• Blackberries - for the leaves, berry dye is fugitive
• Marigolds, for the blossoms (which coincidentally are our city's official flower - no idea why, since they're not exactly local)

Dye sources to forage locally (many of these are wild or invasive):

• dandelion
• goldenrod
• big basin sagebrush / Artemesia tridentata
• curly dock / Rumex crispus
• sheep sorrel / Rumex acetosella (this can give a beautiful green)
• tansy / Tanacetum vulgare
• horsetail / Equisetum arvense
• fennel / Foeniculum vulgare
• St John's wort / Hypericum perforatum
• prickly pear fruit
• elderberry
• Canada thistle / Cirsium arvense
• common mullein / Verbascum thapsus
• prairie sunflower / Helianthus petiolaris
• rose hips or petals from the wild roses that flourish in the nearby ravine
• bark from dead lodgepole pine (on a trip to the foothills) or birch
• fallen leaves from birch or trembling aspen
• acorns from burr oak (which is planted as a shelterbelt tree on the Prairies)
• there may be more on the noxious weed list that I can experiment with
• certain lichens and mosses grow in abundance in the woods near me, so they might also be worth trying

In addition, I can collect wood ash from the weekend bonfires the teenagers have down in the ravine, and dig a little of the red clay that's everywhere here to use as a source of iron. I should also experiment with using our hard local water instead of distilled water to see how it changes the colours I get.

Reference books I am using:

• Harvesting Color, by Rebecca Burgess (2011) 
• A Weaver's Garden, by Rita Buchanan (1999)
• Wild Color (Revised & Updated), by Jenny Dean (2010)
• Eco Colour, by India Flint (2010)
• The Complete Guide to Natural Dyeing, by Eva Lambert & Tracy Kendall (2010)
• The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes, by Sasha Duerr (2010)
• Alberta Agriculture's Weeds of the Prairies (2000) for plant identification

Slow Making, Slow Craft, and Slow Cloth

There are a growing number of artisans who are applying the slow movement's principles to the world of crafts, and I'd like to draw a little attention to their work and their writing.

Australian blog Slow Making have been intermittently publishing in-depth posts since 2006 on topics from sourcing wood to printmaking to philosophical musings on the withered role of the seamstress in our society - it's a truly fascinating read. Their Manifesto is:

"1. To strive for appropriate excellence in the making process.2. To make objects that enhance the life of the user.3. To know the origins of our materials, ensuring that they respect the country and the communities who produced or harvested them, and are from sustainable sources.4. To make objects that will last, can be easily repaired when necessary and are made using materials and processes that do not harm the makers, the community or the environment.5. To deal with our co-workers, clients, suppliers and sellers in an ethical and fair manner.6. To foster, utilise and pass on skills that enhance the making process.7. To enjoy and relish the way of slow making."

The travelling exhibit Taking Time: Craft and the Slow Revolution at their last venue,
via Making A Slow Revolution.

Other Slow proponents from the world of fine craft are more explicit (as per the principles of slow design) in discussing the mindfulness, localness, interactiveness, and community-building aspects of their work, in addition to the temporal and qualitative aspects of their process. All of these figured in a travelling exhibit from Birmingham's Craftspace entitled Taking Time: Craft and the Slow Revolution, curated by Helen Carnac, which wrapped in June 2011 and was followed in July by a Slow Summit with slowLab's Alastair Fuad-Luke in July. The blog that chronicles the exhibit proposal and the reflections of several of the contributing artists is well worth reading. Everyone associated with that project seem to use the term "slow craft" preferentially.

There is also a community of slow makers in the textile world who have adopted the term "slow cloth" for their work; Elaine Lipson of Red Thread Studio has a fantastic definition in her "10 Qualities Of Slow Cloth" in her sidebar. I won't quote it here, but she definitely speaks my language: joy, contemplation, skill, history, community, diversity, quality. I also recommend you check out her article on slow cloth for HandEye magazine, and the Slow Cloth group on Facebook for ongoing discussions.

The slow movement seems like a natural fit for anyone who is immersed in a life where process and product are intimately connected - so I'm actually a little surprised that I didn't find more artisans talking about the slow movement in connection to their work when I went looking. Did I miss a term that's being used instead?