Eco friendly dyeing

At the moment when I plant dye I use the old recipes, the usual metal based mordants etc. to get some experience under my wings. But just because it’s done with plants, all these chemicals doesn’t also make it natural. “Wear a mask as you measure up the powder, gloves too”. In fact chrome, used in many recipes, is illegal here now for regular use, you can’t buy it. It can in fact alter your DNA!

So to go all the way, I’d like to switch to natural mordants when possible (meaning that of course I’d still like to get the range of colours I’ve been discovering), so I’ll be doing a bit of research on that. I know India Flint does it, her book Eco Colour is very inspiring. The other day a fellow blogger introduced me to another one written specifically about using Native American plants and methods rather than Continue reading “Eco friendly dyeing”

The Wisdom of Allowing Things to Happen

Apparently this reblog thingy doesn’t quite work. Anyway, something to ponder on a Sunday morning:

The Master allows things to happen.
She shapes events as they come.
She steps out of the way
and lets the Tao speak for itself.
~The Daodejing

Post written by Leo Babauta.

This has been what I’ve been learning over the past couple of years. Allowing things to happen.

It goes counter to our usual instincts in Western society — we are doers, creators of our destiny, we make things happen … we don’t wait for it to happen! That’s what I was taught from an early age, in school and by every motivational sports movie I ever watched. So allowing things to happen is not my normal way.

Continue reading “The Wisdom of Allowing Things to Happen”

Quote of the Day

“Cultivating a regular daily practice of actually showing up and creating is the only way you will ever progress your talents, your ideas and you ambitions in creating.”

“The energy required to bring a pan of cold water to the boil is far greater than if the water was already simmering.

In creating, if we create nothing for days or weeks, then expecting to be instantly on the boil and creating at our peak, we’re like to be continually disappointed.”

read more…

and this….