dyeing

In the Dye Studio: Fermentation and the Indigo Vat

I adore this time of year in the Bay Area. While July and August (referred to as Fogust) can be overcast and chilly, September brings warmth. The light begins to shift from a silvery grey tone to a...
dyeing

In the Dye Studio: Making Lye

There are many exciting things happening in the dye studio at the moment. We made 60 gallons of lye this week! This will be used to create our first fermented indigo vat. More details comi...
dyeing

In the Dye Studio! Natural Dye Kiosk

Hello!  We have been very busy at the store designing new displays and products. One of my main jobs at AVFKW is to assist in the mordanting part of the dyeing process and to build displays for the...
dye garden

In the Dye Studio: Remember to Blink

In last week's installment of In the Dye Studio, I asked for you to weigh-in regarding how you would decide when a color had shifted enough to warrant a new colorway. And all I can say is - whoa! Y...
dyeing

In the Dye Studio: Finding Balance between Production and Exploration

One of the challenges of working in the dye studio is finding consistency in one dye lot to the next. With natural dyes, one batch of dye can vary from another due to the amount of tinctoria found ...
dyeing

In the Dye Studio x Stitch Exchange : Another Rendidition of the Alabama Chanin Tank Dress

dyeing

In the Dye Studio: Love Fiber? We have you covered!

dyeing

In the Dye Studio x Stitch Exchange: 2013 Indigo Alabama Chanin Dress & The Alabama Chanin DIY Trunk Show

I have been working diligently on creating a handmade wardrobe since June 2012. I am a participant of Seam Allowance and have taken the pledge to make and wear at least 25% handmade a day. On a dai...
dyeing

In the Dye Studio: Nature is the best medicine.

Adrienne and I just returned from 2 weeks in Minnesota where we were visiting my Mom. She lives 4 hours north of Minneapolis. This is the ultimate retreat away from the frenetic nature of city lif...
dyeing

Up and Coming: Year 4 of Pro-Verbial Is Here!

Grand Lake, designed by Kristen Hanley-Cardozo for Pro-Verbial There are many reasons why Kristine founded Verb. A big reason is to keep the traditional skills of fiber arts alive, by supplying hi...
dyeing

In the Dye Studio: Planning a New Alabama Chanin Dress, Resist Dyeing with Indigo

It's the middle of Summer and I have the deep desire to create a new indigo dyed Alabama Chanin inspired dress. Last Summer's dress taught me so much about the process and practice of Alabama Chani...
dyeing

In the Dye Studio: Sometimes We Dye With Bugs

Sometimes we dye with bugs in the studio. Cochineal are scale insects that thrive on the nopal cactus. As they are thought of as a nuisance to the cactus, people typically don't hesitate removing t...