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As a total beginner I tried my hands on black walnut since the ground where we are is covered with them. I used three pieces of different cotton but with the wrong sort of mordant (I used cream of tartar with alum and salt/vinegar. Go to this page to have the correct step-by-step process). After several trials and a second dye bath with much more black walnuts than the first dye bath, the effect on the hemp/cotton piece of fabric became marvelous.
I used a lot of black walnuts, and since I didn’t know what to use exactly, I had the pot filled to the brim with both peels and the cracked nuts.
I used the decaying black walnuts in early winter.




In trying out new designs for pouches, only one succeeded. I better stick to my usual approach: start with a random piece of fabric and take it from there.



Leah & Judah
Once settled I thought I’d have no stories to tell about the embroidered pieces of fabric. Well, I do. Not traveling does not mean that nothing happens. Yet, this story behind this pouch is rather sad.

Sumac
I stumbled upon sumac without knowing what it was. Sumac, to me, is an ornamental tree with big reddish velvet looking tops sticking up at the end of each branch. Branches are thick, few and each is strong and sturdy. They’re also high and I could not reach them.

Even in the cold
The places to be creative are best when outside, even when the cold starts to set in (but a fire is a must!)

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Posts about natural dyeing, my outdoor activities, searching and multiple usage of plants and roots