Archive for March 2009
Dyes that Madder: A Rainbow of Colors from Indigo, Cochineal, Madder and Osage Orange
Mesa, AZ Last Saturday, I did the second of two dye classes that I do for the Fiber Factory in Mesa, AZ every spring and autumn. The second class builds on the skills from the first class and we add dyestuffs that are a bit trickier to work with but which offer big payoffs in…
Read MoreBarking Up the Right Tree
A couple of times a year, I do dye classes for the Fiber Factory in Mesa, Arizona. Last weekend, we worked with various bark dyes and walnut hulls. Contemporary Navajo weavers like D.Y. Begay and Roy Kady also use some of these exotic barks, but traditional Navajo weavers have used mountain mahogany, black walnut and…
Read MoreNavajo Ladies
I’m getting ready for a dye class today, so I’ll just add a picture of a small (12″ x 18″) piece that I finished last week. I used hand-dyed Burnham’s Trading Post yarn in size 2. The colors are from cochineal, indigo, osage orange and aniline yellow and black. I had a lot of fun…
Read More2009 Heard Museum Guild Indian Market: Part IV (TahNiiBaa Naataanii)
Every year, TahNiiBaa Naataanii seems to grow more proficient and creative as an artist and craftsperson. Each piece that she had displayed this year reflected a unique composition united by TahNiiBaa’s skill in the realization of her vision. She has been working with shaped weavings for several years and wore one of her creations as…
Read More2009 Heard Museum Guild Indian Market: Part III
Sarah Natani is tireless in her efforts to extend the appreciation for Navajo culture and weaving. I found Sarah in the demontration area just across from Sallie Parker. She was patiently showing carding and spinning for fairgoers, and as you can see in the picture above her weaving expertise had been rewarded with several ribbons. …
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