Shades of grey - planning for a new embroidery
Yarn embroidery based on natural ink drawings from a few weeks back
Dyeing with globe artichoke leaves
I revisited my original garden map drawings (see Week Nine) and made a repeat pattern rubber stamp tile. It didn’t work that well in black, but once I started playing around with it in colour, and adding extra patterned elements, it started to become more interesting.
I finished my yarn embroidery that was based on the natural ink drawings of shapes in the garden I did a few weeks back (see Week Seventeen). The fabric is woollen blanket dyed with ivy leaves, and the yarns are dyed with swiss cheese plant, black hellebore and lily flowers (with and without iron oxide). I like the tactile nature of embroidering with yarn, and the texture that can be created by stitching in different directions. I think the solid blocks of colour that can be achieved are also a more effective use of the yarn than crocheting. My next embroidery will be based on my drawings of budding viburnum flowerheads - I’ve been shortlisting greys for this from my naturally dyed stash of fabric and threads.
Finally, I dyed a batch of materials with globe artichoke leaves… a little underwhelming on fabric, but the yarn and threads took on pleasing yellowy green shades. I’ve harvested most of the fruits from the two plants, and have just left four for the bees.