What can be done with these beautiful naturally dyed fabrics, if one does not use napkins at the dinner table? The answer is- plenty of things! I have made various items from these fabrics. They include scarves, tote bags, a... Read More
Eco printing or Botanical printing has been the focus of my natural dye path in the past few months. Both terms are interchangeable. What is the Eco printing or Botanical printing process? Basically, this process allows for leaves and blossoms... Read More
Currently, I'm making some natural dye pigments for fabrics, from my exhausted dye baths. It's been on my mind for awhile, to use natural dyes with the airbrush. Safflower, Sappanwood and Madder pigments The recipe I have used, to make... Read More
Dye pot with MarigoldWringing out fabric from Lac dyepotLac dye Undoubtedly, a visit to my friend Shafik's natural dye studio, in Gujarat, was another memorable, travel experience. Our stopover was twofold. First, we went to his studio. Shafik lives and... Read More
During our mini tour of alluring Gujarat, my friends and I spent part of a day in Khavda village. We visited textile dyers at their block printing shop. On the train ride from Ahmedabad to Bhuj, I did some shibori... Read More
This past February, I was visiting Sloth Bears at a sanctuary, for my fourth volunteer trip there! Elephants and Sloth Bears are the residents at this sanctuary . Injured animals, of all types or victims of Human-Wildlife conflicts are also... Read More
My textile design path was influenced by a variety of things and situations. These include my Latvian heritage, printmaking, my love for colour and patterns, and textile designer, Zandra Rhodes. In my ongoing research of textile design, especially Natural Dyeing,... Read More
Autumn is upon us and it's our most colourful season. It's also the one that signifies the end of my beloved summer and the coming of winter. In terms of weather and lighting, it's high drama! (although our winter storms... Read More
Since late winter, I've been experimenting with various mordant pastes with natural dyes on vintage fabrics, trying to get consistent results. Easier said than done, not to mention, quite a bit of trial and error! But, it looks like I... Read More
Fortunately for me, I have a large garden with a fabulous view of Georgian Bay. A favourite sitting place for me is within metres, of this huge body of water! This lake is a part of Lake Huron, one of... Read More