Hello Friends!

Summer Solstice has passed and we're currently having near record breaking heat in Philly, so I thought it was the perfect time to sit in the AC and send out an update on my current natural dye endeavors and upcoming events. Keep reading for more details. I hope to have the opportunity to share the joys of natural dyeing with you in person soon!

I had an incredibly busy spring filled with travel abroad, teaching multiple natural dye workshops, demos at community events, and two artist talks. All of that wrapped up mid-May, and I've had an early "summer break" to refocus my attention on a variety of personal projects. 

My husband, Chris, and I collaborated on a plant-dyed art quilt titled Mother Lupa that was part of a twins-themed group show at Tshatshke Jewelry Studio. Chris drew the illustration of the she-wolf with her twins, which we screenprinted with thickened madder root dye onto cotton. This was a new-to-me surface design technique that I'm really excited about because of the potential that thickened natural dyes offer for creating multi-colored prints on fabric. The floral background that surrounds the illustration was eco-printed with my homegrown pressed flowers, and the quilt back and border were made from my stash of plant-dyed fabrics. I designed the quilting pattern and hand-quilted it in under a day. Working at this smaller scale was really satisfying, and we're already planning our next collaborative piece! Mother Lupa is for sale through Tshatshke here.  

I've been going to my friend Cait Nolan's farm on a near-weekly basis to assist her with whatever she'd like to put me to work on. Usually, I'm weeding in her wildflower field that will be utilized for my upcoming Eco-Printing Workshops this summer. I realized after the third time out there that I really needed a good hat to protect me from the sun. So I found this bucket hat pattern that allows me to wear my hair up in a bun on those hot days and provides me with some much-needed shade. All of the materials are upcycled - the denim is from an old pair of Chris's Levi's, the lining is a thrifted linen tablecloth, and between these two is a layer of canvas from an old tote bag that provides structure. I continue to wish I had the time to sew more garments, because there is nothing more satisfying than getting to wear something you've made yourself. 

I also renewed some clothing through bundle dyeing (the dress on the left) and creative mending (the shirt on the right). Looking for ways to extend the life of my clothing isn't just an artistic practice; it promotes sustainability and fosters a more mindful relationship with consumption. By mending, we can reduce waste, conserve resources, challenge fast fashion culture, and contribute toward a more ecological way of living that is rooted in creativity and intention. Weaver House in the Bok has started a FREE mending club, and I'll be attending the next one in June. 

Lastly, I've been working on a new quilt made entirely from my plant-dyed cotton and linen fabrics. This quilt has gone through many changes. Initially, I created the nine-patch blocks to use in borders around a set of 12 eco-printed and embroidered number blocks I made during each month of my son's first year. When I laid everything out, it looked too busy, and I decided the nine-patches would work better as the central blocks in a separate quilt. I'm a self-taught quilter and have never worked with blocks "on point" - a layout where quilt blocks are arranged diagonally, creating a diamond shape instead of the traditional rows and columns - but this is the layout I decided to go with! I also haven't been following a pattern and instead based my design on an antique quilt from the 1930s I saw at some point on the Instagram account @catsonquilts. And, math is not my strong suit. All of this to say, this quilt has been a challenge! I'm always telling my daughter that we learn the most as artists when things don't come easily - so I guess I must be learning A LOT with this project! I'm very close to completing the quilt top, and I can't wait to see it come together. 

I'm teaching three workshops this summer at my friend Cait's farm located in South Jersey just 25 minutes from Philly. We'll be eco-printing using freshly picked dye flowers grown throughout Cait's farm to create beautiful botanical prints on an organic cotton bandana and silk scarf. The first of these workshops will be held on July 13th, and I have three last-minute openings in this session due to students having unexpected conflicts. 10% of all registration fees for these workshops will be donated to the Nanticoke Lenni Lenape Nation of N.J., and I'd love to fill all the available spots! Follow the links below to learn more about the two workshops with openings:

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading! I know your time is valuable, and I appreciate you deciding to spend some of it with me. If you know anyone who might be interested in learning more about my workshops and other goings-on, please spread the word. And if you're no longer interested in receiving my emails, no hard feelings! Just hit the unsubscribe button below. Warmly, Laura