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The Natural Colors of Friendship!
Posted by Jessica Ybarra on

Connections that Make a World of a Difference Everyday we have the opportunity to do things, big and small, that can make a positive impact on someone else’s day, on someone else’s life! The most wonderful thing about being human is our ability to share love, compassion, and empathy for the world around us. When Irene was introduced to the Natural Dye Project in 2013, sponsored by Mayan Hands of Guatemala, she knew that this was one of those opportunities where she could help create change, and a positive impact on someone else’s life. The Start of A New Beginning The Natural...
EZ Dye Cotton: A revolution in dyeing!
Posted by Jessica Ybarra on

We welcome our guest blogger, Kathy Hattori of Botanical Colors The art of dyeing cotton with natural dyes using traditional methods is labor intensive as the fiber undergoes several steps including scouring, then mordanting and finally the application of the natural dye. Indeed, the complexities of cotton dyeing sometimes seem overwhelming to the new natural dyer who, after reading the detailed dye instructions is tempted to run screaming for the nearest package of Kool-Aid to get a quick and easy color fix. Luckily, someone has been working to simplify cotton dyeing. Eileen Hallman of New World Textiles and Irene Schmoller of Cotton Clouds have collaborated...
Fearless Cotton Spinning
Posted by Jessica Ybarra on

We welcome guest blogger Jill Holbrook to dispel any roadblocks you may have to spinning cotton! I absolutely love to spin cotton. It is my favorite fiber and the most soothing fiber to spin. When stressed or upset, I spin cotton. Gandhi said ” If everyone in the world spun an hour a day there would be no more wars”. What a lovely thought! Gandhi spun cotton – a plant indigenous to his country, India. There is a modern myth that cotton is hard to spin. The fact is, it is really easy to spin though definitely different than wool –...
A Seed Was Planted
Posted by Jessica Ybarra on