Dyeing, not Dying....

How could I not take a class about using leaves and grass and whatever I find in the desert to dye fabric?

Art and plants.

The Desert Botanical Gardens is beautiful, and is home to many of my beloved succulents. (Their bi-annual plant sales are AMAZING.) I hadn't taken one of their classes before.... but I will be taking more in the future. This was a really fun class.

Materials! Instructions!

You basically take whatever looks interesting - leaves, grass, seed pods, branches, onion skins, whatever - and roll them up tightly in silk or wool fabric. Drop the bundle in a boiling bath of water, some kind of mordaunt (like alum) and more vegetation.

Today's Special: Fabric and Leaf Stew. Yum.

Wait an hour.... and VOILA! With any luck, the leaves are dyed into the fabric.

Note: Not mine. These were done by an expert.

MAGIC!

So many possibilities for this. I love it.

Alas.... new hobbies will have to wait. I have a lot of other things going on right now. (Like... editing a certain novel.) I will store this new info away for another day however. I'm okay with that though, totally. I am doing things that I enjoy - learning, writing, more learning - and that's good. I am working toward my goals, and that's good, too. I have a lot on my plate, and sometimes I get overwhelmed, but I'm learning (slowly) how to sort it all out.

So many exciting things coming up soon....

Okay, what can I learn next??