Current natural dyed organic cotton thread colours – yarrow – goldenrod – wild carrot – tansy – onion skin – black bean – sumac grey – sumac purple – cochineal mauve – cochineal rose – cochineal pale pink- annatto black walnut – annatto
indigo thread
Current organic cotton natural indigo shades – dark – medium dark melange – medium bright – bright mix – light- woad – indigo/weld – woad/weld
sewing with the birds
It is nice to set up the treadle machine outside. Canary thread works well in the made-in-Guelph Raymond, which has a shuttle style bobbin. The peacock decals on the machine bed have worn off. The leather belt needed tightening. These pliers are made to cut hide belts (industrial ones are thicker and were originally buffalo),…… Continue reading sewing with the birds
boro time
Love of handstitching, indigo, Japanese textiles and mending inevitably leads to boro, from the Japanese boroboro – something tattered or repaired. It was traditionally done with hemp. I adapted it for my merino wool jersey tights, using scraps dyed with indigo, sumac and black walnuts. Boro is historically associated with peasant farm workers, who patched…… Continue reading boro time
early spring
Mother Nature is all around. Adding to the Dragonfly jacket-in-progress. Plant dyed thread, Snowdrops on Eramosa. Yarrow coming through pavement Robin friends are back
difficult people make beautiful things
CBC overnight was on in the background. The words “difficult people make beautiful things” caught my ear. Monocle24 (prop Canadian Tyler Brule) was talking to Montreal native Willo Perron. His work is everywhere. Starting with fellow Montrealer Dov Charney’s American Apparel stores. He’s done many projects with Florence + the Machine. It’s not all flowers…… Continue reading difficult people make beautiful things
Goethe’s mystic colour theory
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published Theory of Colours in 1810. He disagreed with Isaac Newton’s famous 1672 optical spectrum analysis, and was more interested in how colour is perceived. Enlightenment artists and scientists were very engaged with quantifying colour. In 1708, French painter Claude Boutet based the above wheels on Newton’s findings. In 1775, Austrian…… Continue reading Goethe’s mystic colour theory
year of the dragonfly
Chainstitch embroidery on hemp, in Canary’s natural dyed organic cotton thread.
organic hand dyed thread
Canary naturally hand-dyed organic cotton thread in a variety of colours is now available here, and also on Etsy. It’s a sturdy weight that works well for machine or hand stitching. It does not contain any synthetic dye or fibres. Spooled on kraft cardboard tubes. No plastic packaging or shipping materials.
why aren’t there all-natural winter coats?
Searching for one yields catch words like ethical, sustainable, eco, responsible, non-toxic, vegan, fair trade, organic. Yet the details under the slogans include nylon, “cozy polyester faux fur” and much recycled PET plastic. For every headline about the global rag trade trying to green up, another chronicles its minuscule advances. Allergies to chemicals used throughout…… Continue reading why aren’t there all-natural winter coats?