Indigo!

Hemp hand-dyed in indigo

Hi, Everyone ~ Here's a look at what we've been up to recently in the dye room at our East Hill Farm studio.I had purchased some pre-reduced indigo crystals from John Marshall  when I took a katazome class from him, and we used them to make a beautiful, mysterious pot of indigo. The picture shows you yards of 100% hemp fabric hanging to set. We will be washing it this week and some of the color that wasn't accepted by the fabric will rinse away. If we like the end result, we'll keep it. If we want something more intense, we'll dip it again, and repeat the process as many times as needed. You can also see a pair of nylon tights one of our apprentices dipped in the bath. Indigo colors both natural and man-made (un-natural ?) fibers.

We have plans for all that hemp yardage.  Our apprentice, Gabe, will be cutting and sewing up some Japanese field pants based on a traditional pattern for using narrow width fabric.  You will be able to see these later this summer in the East Hill Gallery.

Dharmatrading.com is another place to source the pre-reduced indigo crystals if you're interested in dyeing with indigo yourself.  They also have one of their "Did you know?" e-newsletter series on indigo; it offers some fascinating details about the plant and its history as a dye for fiber.

We'll keep you updated on the indigo hemp and other items we may decide to dip in the indigo pot as we go through early spring in the next few weeks.

Be sure to "like" us on facebook.  Our name there is naturalfiberclothiingdesigns (2 i's intentional )

Happy month of March ~ Claudia

Holiday Festival of Crafts in Buffalo this Weekend

Our "Mostly Wool" line shows a  playful new take on up-cycled wool from sweaters, skirts, and pants. These lively collar scarves will keep you warm this winter while you support the "go green" movement.

 

 

 

Kimono Vest with mud cloth from Mali

Completely unique kimono style vest constructed of fine Italian wool and lined with panels of vintage kimono wool from Japan has a neck band of mud cloth from Mali and vintage button and bead drop closure.

Stop by the University of Buffalo Center for Tomorrow at Amherst, north campus beginning Friday Nov. 4 at 4:00PM and continuing through Sunday until 5:00 PM. Our returning friends know to come early for the best selection. Linda and I would love to see you there.  ~  Claudia

 

Get all the details and directions at the Folk Art Guild webpage.

Open House at the Folk Art Guild October 8 & 9

Open House means more new fall garments for you in the East Hill Gallery fiber show! Linda, Turiya, Gabe and I are adding new garments and accessories every week to the fiber show now on view in the East Hill Gallery.  

We've added a new wrap in mid-thigh length for wear indoors or out and Turiya is working with a variety of soft, soft, soft wools in warm cozy textures and colors of chestnut, walnut, black, white, gray, red....... We promise you'll love slipping into these drapey wraps on the cool fall days ahead.

Gabe has a stack of our favorite knit t's next to his machine. Hurray! we were able to source the hemp/cotton blend knit in black again as well as the natural. AND, we located a wonderful new fabric in which to do up the knit t -- organic cotton knit, in black, natural and RED. We love the hand of this fabric and we think you will enjoy being able to pick up an old favorite in a new organic fabric.

Linda loves the kimono jacket she developed this summer. The design invites piecing of different unique fabrics and she has done just that with wools, rayon, and hand dyed hemp. I'll post a pic (above) of one made in one of the new fabrics we got at Feminine Touch Fabrics in Syracuse this summer.

I'm always looking for ways to showcase my overflowing stash of vintage kimono fabrics. We have a couple of our tunic tops (below) made of hand dyed silk/linen embellished with gorgeous vintage kimono silk --some of it is real shibori-dyed.  I've also made  handbags (above) we call "Journey Bags" because they are large enough for you to take on a weekend getaway. These feature Japanese-style tattoo art by Rochester,NY tattoo artist Josh Wright printed on silk.  The artwork is set off by the use of vintage kimono fabrics and stitch styles. Inside the bags is a roomy zippered pocket and lining constructed of vintage yukata cotton and kasuri cloth. More bags with artwork from Josh to come in this "Asian Accent" line.

Our goal is to have lots of beautiful new fall and winter clothes and accessories for you to choose from when you visit the Folk Art Guild on our Open House Weekend - October 8 & 9.  Check www.folkartguild.org for more information on Open House. 
Please check the blog and find us on facebook @ www.facebook.com/naturalfiberclothiingdesigns     Looking forward to seeing you on Open House weekend,
~ Claudia

Open Studio Sale August 20&21

The Open Studio Sale is finally here! We're excited to open the doors on our studio workspace at East Hill Farm during the summer for the 4th year in a row. We are open 11:00-5:00 on both Saturday and Sunday, August 20 &21.

for directions:   http://rfag.org/Visit/Directions/tabid/238/Default.aspx

Come for a sneak peek at what's new for fall as well as

Open Studio special: "Twisters", regularly $48 will be only $40. We have a selection to choose from in cotton and rayon knits and raw silk.

Sale rack with big markdowns & a pre-season special on wool slacks.

See you this weekend!

Come see us this Friday & Saturday in Rochester!

Here are a couple of hand dyed 100% hemp jackets with vintage ikat trim that will be offered for sale at the Spring Festival of Crafts in Rochester, NY at the Harley School on Clover.  See www.folkartguild.org for all the details on sale hours and location.  We hope to see you there!
 (thanks to my little sister, Cathy Frey for the photos)

~ Claudia

Rochester spring sale coming soon!

Square neck tunic in bamboo with vintage ikat panel

We hope to see you at our one show/sale this spring!  We will be in Rochester at the Harley School for two days only: Friday, April 22 ,10-8:00 and Saturday, April 23, 10-5:00. (see www.rfag.org  for directions/details)

Linda, Turiya, Phyllis, and I have been in full swing at the studio on East Hill Farm this winter and early spring hand dyeing 100% hemp canvas for hip length versions of our Seattle coat. These are 3-season jackets each with a different vintage ikat from Indonesia for embellishment.

There will be new circular scarves in an array of spring colors. These are long, long loops of soft lightweight rayon knit that you can wind around and wear any way you choose to accent and renew your outfits. 

We have Tencel pants and tunic tops made up in earthy tones with vintage trims, and the popular twisters are back. Twisters are the over-the-head shawl with a twist sewn in. You'll find them at this sale in lightweight wovens and knits in appealing new colors and prints for cool spring or summer evenings ahead.

See you at the show,
~ Claudia

Natural Fiber Clothing Designs: All about Hemp Fabric

http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2005/12/hemp_facts_on_t.html