Someday I hope to unwrap a bundled article of clothing
and have it
not
look like an old paint rag.
Assembling the right combination of ingredients isn't the key ...
choosing the right fabric doesn't seem to be the key either ...
nor is how I roll it up, tie the string,
the cooking time or whether the vegetation was frozen or fresh
or how long I've let time be my friend afterwards ...
and shoot, I may have forgotten to pre-mordant.
None of these is the key
because
ALL
of
them
are.
So
that's the main thing I'm learning about this natural dyeing process,
the reason why it's so critical to keep practicing, work steadily, experiment,
build a knowledge base one step on top of the other.
Luck will only get ya so far.
Then
there's that no-small-matter of
intuition ...
often just a quiet fluttering off to the side,
a barely noticeable nudge
towards a choice I wasn't going to make.
Am I listening hard enough?
I will concede that
some paint rags are prettier than others
but
I've got miles to go before
purple blobs are gonna be skillfully arranged into a
worthy item of clothing ...
at least
that's how it feels today.
But I am a bit cranky.
Maybe I should just blame it on the Super Moon ...
I feel a bit like that button !
Tis one good thing tho:
thrift store stuff is cheap
and fairly plentiful.
Oh.
TWO good things ...
nothing in the world like having the fine company of Her Fluffiness
when I'm a tad grumpy ...
