Aug 17, 2010
During each holiday season, AQR likes to send good wishes and thanks to our advertising clients for a good year. In the past we have sent tea or chocolates, but last year we decided to give to someone in need in honor of our clients. I shouldn’t speak for all, but really who needs more chocolate?
World Vision is a “Christian humanitarian charity organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling poverty and injustice.” One way World Vision accomplishes this is by offering the opportunity to fund micro loans.
So as thanks for a wonderful year, AQR made a micro loan to Beatha Mukankuranga who lives in Rwanda. I love the way her bio says “Beatha is a handcraft woman.”
Beatha, a very accomplished "handcraft woman" in Rwanda
Sounds like one of us. She makes handcraft products to sell to support her family and community and she was requesting a loan to buy yarn to make sweaters for children and adults. With the profits from the sweaters, her goal was to save money for her childrens’ school, buy better food for her family and expand her business by buying a sewing machine so she could knit “without using her hands.” How fun to help a woman trying to better the lives of others around her, by simply helping her buy a machine!
We recently received a final update that, as of July 26, 2010, Beatha has repaid her loan and her business profits have helped her buy a house from which to run her business and helped her meet the demand for 150 sweaters. In addition, she has been able to pay for medical insurance and buy food for her family. She has more plans to use technology and make more improvements on her house. This woman is a business woman like us and she sounds as if she is going places — fast!
And, the story continues. When Beatha repaid her loan, the funds were in turn given as a loan to another person trying to improve their lives and surroundings.
I’d like to suggest you give micro-loaning a try! Receiving this letter last month was quite a treat. It surprised me how much this woman was able to accomplish with the simple resources to do so! Susan
Aug 12, 2010
A distant view of Cordes Sur Ciel
Another wonderful adventure during the French General Chateau Getaway was to a neighboring medieval village called Cordes Sur Ciel. Other than enjoying the old shops, homes and a patio lunch, our destination was with Rowena, a block-printing textile artist. Rowena lives and works in one of these amazing structures (see the underside of her spiral staircase for a hint at the age of the place — how did they build these?).
After enjoying a cool drink on this warm day, Rowena talked about her art and a future touring exhibit of her work. We were then escorted up the stairs to her small studio and she showed each of us how to block print. Block printing is not really very hard, but it was fun to be guided by a master who allowed us to use her hand cut lino blocks. And, check out the view from her studio!
As you read previously, I’ve tried my hand at dyeing, so now I need to see if I can do some block printing as well. I’ll probably start with a block cut from “Mastercarve” a soft, almost eraser-like material from Staedtler (people who make erasers!). I’ve used this before for block-printing on paper. “Mastercarve” is easier to cut than linoleum, although the design needs to be less detailed. I’ve read that Jacquard Textile Color will work nicely for block-printing, and I think starting with cotton instead of fine Irish linen, is what is called for. I’ll let you know how it goes! Susan
Narrow cobblestone streets throughout the town
Rowena, talks about how she creates her art
The stairway leading to Rowena's studio
Rowena demonstrated how to block print on Irish linen with gold paint
Studio view
A close-up view of one of Rowena's large, detailed, handcut and well-worn printing blocks
A finished piece, symbolizing the sky, earth and sea
Aug 3, 2010
Mid-week of Kaari Meng’s French General Chateau Getaway was “woad” dyeing day. So just what is woad? Woad is a hardy plant native to northern Europe and the British Isles. The leaves are crushed and left to ferment for a precise amount of time, and stepped through some other natural chemical changes. This all yields a luscious blue dye worthy of royalty. Traditionally this production process took up to one and a half years to complete. The production of woad ceased around 1880 as indigo blue became more accessible, easier to produce and thus more cost efficient and popular.
However, in the mid 1990s the late Henri Lambert and his wife Denise of the Gascony region of France began to seek out the lost natural process of woad dyeing resulting in this most beautiful shade of blue (which, by the way is now permanently on Denise’s hands and Henri’s custom-painted Jaguar!). The Lamberts are integrating the ancient history and production of woad into contemporary history. It has taken Denise five years to discover and perfect the old techniques used to make woad, as the process was never written down but only shared as an oral tradition. The sunlight in the Gascony region of France near Toulouse is perfect for growing woad that produces this beautiful blue. It’s the local light that develops the intensity and clarity of the dye’s color. Woad renders fabric “noble,” as Denise said, and the exact color depends on each individual piece of cloth and the way it accepts the woad.
Denise came to the Chateau with a “mother” vat and mixed two different large vats — one would produce lighter values of woad blue and one darker values of woad blue. She set up in an open area of land surrounded by trees perfect for hanging our dyed pieces to dry. Each garment needed to be dipped twice. The intensity or value of the blue is not based on the length of time the fabric is left in the dye bath as is common with other dyes, but it is based on the number of times the garment or piece is dipped. After the final dipping the fabric is rinsed and hung to dry. Now the magical part: Denise showed us how to carefully place the fabrics into the dye bath and how to remove all air bubbles. We left it for just a few minutes and then upon removing our previously white items, they appeared from the bath a bright yellow, then rapidly turned green, more green, blue-green and finally upon full exposure to oxygen, the alchemy was complete and each item turned its own magical color of woad blue!
We had to carefully lay the fabric into the dye bath.
Denise showed us how to carefully eliminate any air trapped inside the fabric.
Each white item turned from yellow to green.
Then it turned a blue-green.
Then with further exposure to oxygen, it continued to rapidly turn from this blue-green to the final blue.
This is a hank of cashmere yarn, dyed for my niece.
Kaari Meng had pre-cut pieces of linen and cotton to dye. Look how different they all turned out.
The "woad" lace looked particularly pretty!
It was fascinating and we all had the best time! As I mentioned in a previous post, it was so fun, when we had dyed the things we had planned to dye, some of us (including me) ran to gather more items from our suitcase. I had brought and dyed a 100 percent white linen blouse (which I intended to dye), that turned out beautifully. Then also contributed two white Chicos t-shirts and added them to the dye bath. These came out okay, but I had forgotten these are about 95 cotton and 5 percent spandex, so naturally they have sort of a heathered look. Everyone got in on the act, even our cute server, Corey, and the grounds keeper, Ollie, who tossed in the shorts he was wearing! I’ll always remember this day as I wear my linen blouse and — I left wanting to dye something here at home!
As my jet-lag waned, it was time to start the next issue of American Quilt Retailer. Becky and I went to our favorite antique mall scratching for a few props for the next cover. After antiquing so much in France, do you think I could stop cold turkey? In the first booth at the entrance to the mall is a woman who sells carefully selected used clothing. She has a good eye for unique and unusual, yet wearable items. There was this great-looking skirt (not for the cover , I can be easily distracted!) — it was cute and it fit. However, the color was this boring beige, sort of flesh-colored — yuck! Then the light bulb went off! It was 100 percent cotton and I could dye it! The woman obviously questioned our sanity (notice I lumped dear Becky in here) at taking a $200 unused garment (it still had the price on it!), paying $18 for it, only to risk its beauty by dyeing it. Oh well, I decided it was worth investing the $18. (And we did find the props for the next cover, too — but you have to wait to see these!)
I bought and referred to C&T Publishing’s new Fabric Dyer’s Dictionary by Linda Johansen for some direction on using Jacquard Procion MX Dyes (unfortunately, there is no woad in my yard!). I gathered more general vat dyeing information at the Dharma Trading Company’s website and then stopped at Asel Art Supply which I knew carried a lot of fabric dyeing supplies. Then, after a fast trip to Big Lots dollar store for some cheap, large buckets and I was off dyeing. (Even the $2 buckets are pretty!)
Stirring the skirt in my Big Lots buckets full of Procion "turquoise" dye.
This wasn’t quite as fun as dyeing in France, but it was pretty darn near as fun, and I now I want to dye some more (once a textile fanatic always a textile fanatic). There is something so subtly soft about the color of hand-dyed fabric whether cotton, linen, wool, or yarn, or even roving (like for felting). And, look at my skirt — I love it, and will wear it later this month on a trip to Santa Fe (yes, this is a great summer for me — France and Santa Fe!).
No more "yucky" beige! (Notice the plastic beads remained white.)
You might not be able to experience dyeing with Denise Lambert at Chateau Dumas in Southern France (although, maybe you can!), but you can easily experiment a bit, and then teach your customers the joys of hand-dying. The Fabric Dyer’s Dictionary gives detailed directions on how to dye small pieces of fabric in zip-lock bags. Everyone in the class could do a dozen pieces of one color and then trade with each other. Check your favorite wholesale distributers for all the supplies. And, happy dyeing to you! Susan
