On a rainy Monday in September, a small group of intrepid mushroom hunters ventured out to Chapman Creek watershed to see what we could find. As the morning rains subsided somewhat we convened in the parking lot, rain gear on and baskets ready for collecting our treasures. We ventured into the rainforest accompanied by Sukha, […]
Read MoreBlog
Fibre Camp 2014
For three beautiful days in late summer, fifty-one women gathered for the first annual Fibre Camp. Most were members of our Sunshine Coast Spinners and Weavers Guild with others from Powell River, Greater Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the B.C. Interior and Washington and Florida states. We were thrilled with the venue of the Salvation Army’s Camp […]
Read MoreHarvest Festival 2014
On August 31st the Sunshine Coast Spinners and Weavers Guild once again participated in the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden’s Harvest Festival. The early morning rain clouds were replaced by sun and a number of visitors stopped to look at our displays on natural dyeing and the Sunshine Coast Fibreshed, watch our spinners in action and […]
Read MoreJapanese Indigo Dyeing Day at Merrily’s
Japanese Indigo Dyeing Day had arrived! On the evening of August 21, Lynda and I each clipped the leaves from our 2 plants which we had carefully nurtured all summer from seeds gathered the year before. These were placed in a covered glass jar. The next morning, on Merrily’s deck, with gentle breezes blowing off […]
Read MoreNatural Dye Workshop
In August five members of the Sunshine Coast Spinners and Weavers Guild had the opportunity to take a three day workshop on blockprinting, stenciling and resists with natural dyes with talented local artist Janna Maria Vallee. Janna Maria has degrees from Capilano College and Concordia and was home for the summer from New York where […]
Read MoreChristmas Road Farm
Over the years I have enjoyed seeing Pat and Diane Walker of Christmas Road Farm at the Sechelt and Roberts Creek Farmers Markets. In early August I had the pleasure of touring their ten acre farm to interview them and photograph their flock of sheep as a new wool source for the Fibreshed program. Pat […]
Read MoreJuly Dyeing Party
This time of year our gardens are filled with beautiful flowers. On a sunny day in July five members of the Sunshine Coast Spinners and Weavers Guild gathered for a day of dyeing. We all brought contributions of flowers and foliage from our dye gardens. We had many activities going on. We added wool rovings, […]
Read MoreIcelandic Sheep Come to the Sunshine Coast
(The Icelandic sheep is an ancient Northern European breed that was brought to Iceland by the Vikings in the Middle Ages. It is possibly the oldest and purest domesticated breed of sheep in the world today. Their double-layered coat is well suited to cold and wet conditions. While they are usually raised mainly for meat, […]
Read MoreEco-printing Paper with Flowers
This time of year our gardens are filling with beautiful flowers. Blossoms can be layered with paper and steamed to make lovely greeting cards, tags, wrapping paper and gift baskets. There are a number of different ways to eco-print paper and this is a description of a steaming method I use. A variety of papers […]
Read MoreDyeing with Hydnellum aurantiacum
On March 31 we gathered for the third and final dyeing workshop with Ann Harmer (see two previous blog entries for the first two workshops). The mushroom featured was Hydnellum aurantiacum. Hydnellum (which has no common name) grows in the forest floor in moss and duff and in sun or shade. Its upper surface can […]
Read More