Sundancers, Wild Women and DreamWeavers

Dyeing for Color

I made my daily trek to In a minute ago, in her new index of textile related weblogs, I came across a new blog: Dyeing to Color. It's composed of wonderful links, great articles, resoureces, and information on all facets of dyeing. Give this energetic woman a visit and comment.

My experiments with dyeing have so far been limited... another thing on my proverbial list of things to get back to! I did natural dyeing many years ago in New Mexico. The wool yarns left from those days have mellowed to lovely colors - they're now about 25 years old. Another thing I have been pleased with is overdyeing a batch of odd yarns and fabrics to get a dyepot of nicely related colors.

Other Textiles Weblogs

Just a quick note today... It's springtime in Pueblo and, for a change, the wind isn't blowing (small miracle)! Thought I'd show off a bit of Pueblo's unique culture and art. This part of the Flood Wall by local potters, Ken and Judy Williams, in partnership with a local brickmaking company. Ken and Judy have several public sculptures in town. This one is located on Historic Arkansas Riverwalk

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Today's great link: Sharon b's textiles blog In a Minute Ago, has compiled a list of textile weblogs. These are now categorized into easy-to-find, cross-indexed groups. Why reinvent a great wheel? Go check out Sharon's extensive list!

While you're there, also see Sharon's newly posted 5 photo albums! These are a super addition!

Colorado area Events, Summer '04

If you're passing through Colorado or New Mexico area this summer, there are some exciting things happening in 2004. This is a textiles "jackpot year!" Information/registration for the events can be found with the links

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Govenor's Art Show Invitational - Loveland Museum/Gallery, featuring 33 Colorado artists. Loveland, Colorado. April 25-May 23.

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Denver Art Museum - Changing Seasons: Coverlets from their Collection. Denver, Colorado. Opens May 22.

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Mesa Verde Country Indian Arts & Western Culture Festival - Indian Art Market, rug auction, concerts, outdoor drama. Cortez, Colorado, May 28-June 6.

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3rd Annual San Luis Valley Quilt Adventure, June 19 - July 6, works created by local quilters featured in downtown Alamosa stores. Presented by Gray Goose Fabrics, 614 Main Alamosa, (719) 589-6982.

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Santa Fe International Figurative Art Festival - art dolls - Santa Fe, New Mexico - May 21-23.

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Estes Park Wool Market - Sheep, llama, alpaca, Cashmere & Angora goat, and yak fibers, animals for sale, competitions, demonstraions, fiber related: classes, vendor booths. A major Colorado fiber "spendfest" - Estes Park, Colorado - June 10-13.

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Enchanted Doll Artists Conference - Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 24-27.

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Handweaver's Guild of America, Convergence 2004 - Denver, Colorado, June 27-July 3.

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Denver Doll Artisans Club - guest teachers and information can be found at this link. Guest teachers in 2004 are Patti Culea, Christine Shively, and Anne Hesse.

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"Just Stuffed", a cloth doll club, meets at 12:30 on 1st Tuesday of each month at Ruth's Stitchery, 4440 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Guest teacher June 21-22 is Mimi Winer on needlesculpting. Contact me for information. There is also an evening meeting.

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I'll be adding to this list, so check back from time to time.

San Franciso Bay area fiber scene

I find the neatest sites tracing my stats! When Google finds this site, I look up the search words and see what else is out there... Today someone used keywords: folk+art+fiber+art. It mystifies me how I got on the search list! However I found Fiberscene.com. An "Eye Site" (i.e good for eye and soul) with a large gallery of fiberarts from weaving to fiber sculpture.

There are approx. 45 artists listed (many established names), a brief bio on each, and a large gallery of work. All is from the San Francisco Bay Area. The site was conceived by Myra Goodall Block, textiles curator and collector. One of the most interesting things I found was the research deparment. There 5 types of ethnic textiles being studies and preserved there. Of course, living in the Southwest, I found the Navajo rugs irresitable. There's a gorgeous contemporary (1990) Navajo rug weaving that is beautifully dyed with indigo and vegetable dyes indigenous to the Navajo reservation located in New Mexico/Arizona. The dye plants are listed, but unfortunately not displayed.

If you do natural dying, or just curious, drop me a note or comment I think I can likely look them up. I have cottonbrush in the front yard - it produces a nice dye. Would anyone like to see the results of a Southwestern desert/prairie dyepot?

Images of Ancient Women

Today's entry is a bit off the beaten path. Images of Women in Ancient Art is a site was written as a requirement for the honors seminar in art history of the same title.

This not the sort of thing I go looking for, but I may in the future. Though a scholarly site, the information is fascinating and quite readable. The images include a multitude of archeological gems that are large and clear... some I've only seen as tiny bits in a textbook. They begin to mean something at the size and clarity shown.

Areas studied include women in: (1) Prehistory, (2) Egypt, (3) the Aegean, (4) Palestine, (5) Greece, and (6) Barbarian Women. This last includes Wild Women: The Amazons. Each entry includes links to other sites and many links to references. Author of the site is Chris Witcombe, Professor of Art History, Sweet Briar College in Virginia.

Image optimizing software, design tips

In addition to fiber art and printmaking, I'm a graphics artist and owner of several websites - all of which use quantities of images. One of my main concerns is image download time. I'm also "software frugel"!! I'd rather spend my $$ on threads than computer toys when possible.

There's a list of great freeware graphics programs and resources on my Links page at Art 4 the Web.. You may find a numer of useful items there.

Among them is an unliscensed "freeware" version of JPeg Wizard... an astounding small program that will "optimize" a .jpg image without compromising quality. It's reputed to be the only optimizing software that accomplishes this. Note, however, that this is true only if you don't get greedy - I recommend it be left at default settings. I've been merrily using it for years - it usually improves download time by 20-45%. All of the images on this site have been "wized."

While I'm busy beating my own drum, here's a list of design tips I've picked up over the years from some eminent teachers including Constance Howard and Wilcke Smith. Others I've come up with by necessity by living far from a major shopping area.

Silk felting, handmade lace

Lovely day in Colorado! I have the urge to plant green stuff and sew new domestic stuff. Since our frost-free date is May 15, I'll just water the houseplants & then head for the studio.

By way of resources for how-to's / information for some "hole in the wall" fiberart techniques, have a look at the following if your interests flow in that direction:

Trennway Silks Company for step-by-step illustrated silk fusion directions, i.e. silk felt - it looks like a usable technique with possibilies.

Also mouse on over to the Chicago Area Lace Guild. They have a vast site of Handmade and Needlemade Lace with basic directions, resources, and lace identification. They say "Some kinds of lace practiced and collected by our members include: bobbin lace, crochet, filet lacis, knitted lace, needle lace, tatting, Teneriffe, Hardanger, pulled thread work, and many others. devoted to making, studying, and collecting all kinds of hand made lace..." Worth a look!

Contemporary quilts, handmade soft dolls

I got to spend a lovely couple of hours searching out sites this morning over coffee. The internet is a way to travel and see all the people & places far, far from Pueblo, Colorado, (and my pocketbook).


I was lucky today. Amongst the thousands of wonderful art quilt sites, I actually found a contemporary needlework designer, Elsa Wachs, who is not afraid to pick up a needle! She is obviously well known as a designer of Judaic ecclesiastic and liturgical fiberworks. Her work is very specialized and new to me. Do go see the Elsa Wachs Studio for a bit of inspiration.


Following links from The Contemporary Quilt Art Assoc. I found Caryl Bryer Fallert is an amazing, prolific quilt designer. This a link to his "Feather Study series." This gallery and large site also features a Faq about products, techniques and finishing touches. His links are extensive.


From Caryl's links I found another bright spot: Small-Expressions, fiberart by David K. Small, original character dolls with nice large stage-by-stage photos. His "Dumpster Lady" is a hoot!


I took an absolutely fun workshop from elinor peace bailey about 4 years ago. Soft handmade dolls with slightly unladylike and pizazz characters are on my list of things to do. The immediate results of elinor's workshop can be found here. I have plans laid and most of the materials for 2 "Ladies of the Evening".