Sometimes I just wander. Its not about walking, its about seeing. The slower I walk the more I see. And every time I wander I see the new things or old friends, but always in a different light, weather or season. I love taking my camera to capture the beauty of texture, patterns and shapes […]
After a few weeks with sun and heat I was more than ready to open my jars of solar dyed samples I had prepared and stored on the window sill of my studio. I actually wanted to open just one jar to see what happened but couldn’t help it and opened all 5 of them before […]
X mas in New Zealand is very tricky. In Berlin I would never forget that x mas comes closer, they are markets all over the place, the smell of Gluehwein (mulled wine) and delicious Weihnachtsplaetzchen (biscuits) in the air, its usually very cold and x mas decorated windows everywhere. New Zealand right now: sunshine, the birds are singing, […]
Solar dyeing is a dye technique which involves very little. Its a good way to dye scraps of fabric and threads for further use. After stuffing the fabrics – I put leaves in some of them as well – into old glass jars I poured some leftover dye liquids in: black tea, onion skin liquid, […]
I have been resisting dyeing with kowhai flowers up to now because all parts of the plants are poisoning but also because the nectar is a preferred food source for tui and kereru. As I get more and more interested in natural dyes especially from New Zealand and flowers were abundant this year I decided to test the […]
There are probably as much recipes for indigo vats as there are for German potato salad, and its an art in itself to get a successful indigo vat going, the same applies to a good German potato salad. This time I started a vat with indigo powder (obviously), fructose and lime (calx). The bronze surface […]
Here are my latest eco prints, this time on pure (means 100%) silk. I have used eukalyptus leaves but also tried some New Zealand native trees and bushes (well, only the leaves). Eukalyptus Mingi Mingi Mako Mako (my absolute favourite today) Eukalyptus with Pohutukawa (stamens) I will have a small selection on display (yes and for […]
There is such a large variety of eucalyptus species and every eco print with those leaves will give different results, depending on the time of picking the leaves, the region, and the kind of water to simmer the bundles in. There is already so much written about it and I am not a scientist understanding the chemical side […]
Deconstructive screenprint (DSP) is a technique developed by American fibre artist Kerr Grabowski, its a technique to apply dye on fabric with a silkscreen. This technique is more environment friendly because the thickener is a natural product called manutex, which is actually kelp. No toxic emulsion is needed to set up the screen. And its easy […]
I love that plant. Rangiora. I dont know why its called rangiora, but rangi means sky and ora life in te reo māori. I first noticed it because of its unusual leaf form. Then I learnt that it has been used in rongoā, traditional māori medicine. And the first settlers used it as toilet paper […]