Thistle Talk- and compulsive obsessions about naturally dyed fibers

Thistle Talk- and compulsive obsessions about naturally dyed fibers

This is the auxilliary online home of Thistle Handwerks(www.thistlehandwerks.com), a one woman textile business that features naturally dyed silk hand embroidery in the Glasgow Style.

9-10 years ago when I was starting Thistle Handwerks, it was frustrating-not to mention difficult- to find someone using natural dyes that could produce a consistant product on silk for my embroidery. Joyfully, I found her, and have been fortunate to embroider with her glorious colors since then. Sadly, she is moving toward retirement, and I will soon need to find a new source. I'm encouraged by the growing number of folks out there coloring fiber with natural dyes, and, as I find them, I'm adding them to my "where to find naturally dyed fibers" page. In addition to using them for embroidery, I'm also a knitter, and a new spinner- so, if I have used/experimented with any, I'll try to add photos/notes to my "fiber samples" page.

PLEASE NOTE: by no means do I intend to be critical of fiber that is dyed otherwise. There are beautiful non-naturally dyed fibers available from both large and small companies, as well as indie producers!

I'm currently working on a large project that involves a lot of applique, so this seems like a good time to show a bit of the process. Please excuse my farfromgreat photos, but you'll get the idea.

Once the lines of the design are transferred to the fabric, and the applique pieces are cut out, they need to be carefully pinned in place. You need to make sure the fibers are running in the same direction as the ground fabric before you baste the pieces down. photos 1-2

After you've basted, measure and mark the outlines around the applique piece. photo 3 Generally, I use 1/4" satin stitches, but for smaller pieces, that should be reduced. The needle should go down through the applique piece, and come out next to the edge. Make sure the satin stitches are close together so the raw edge is covered. photo 4

Email me at thistlehandwerks AT earthlink DOT net

or use the form below