Making Iron mordant potion n suchnesses....

This brew is one way to crank up the alchemy of work with Eucalyptus and indeed other green folks in creating Plant echoes / Ecodye. Making it is simple, the results from its addition can be beautiful, however don’t expect predictable from this form, that’s not really part of its character. Exploring and play, are….

Take a gathering o rusty objects and pop em in a jar. I have been using a stash of bits from an old thick reinforced water tank that came from a special bushland area, so it’s vibes are part of the story. I popped em in a jar and then filled the remaining space with white vinegar. Yup, the cheap kind that makes your face screw up to taste it.

Allow this to brew for about month is best, but 2 weeks will do.

I add a splash o this to leaves that are soaking in preparation to dye or to the cauldron water to amp things up. Often, I then use some o the soaking brew as the base in my dye pot when cooking bundles or loose fabrics to colour them. How much is a splash I hear some o you ask? A bit be my reply lovelies, I simply don’t work that way. Make a batch and try, see what happens for you. I will say, I soak leaves at least 2 weeks prior generally, and am not stingy with potion added to them, 1-2 cups or so. This combination is what I believe gives stronger colours and clearer prints, mostly working with wools, but also linens and cottons. It can weaken fabrics over time, so work to find your own levels with the mordant you make.

It can also be used to mordant plant fibre fabrics, but can result in a brown streaking effect or stained necklines if not dried flat, or too much is used. Less is enough in this case, talking tablespoon/s here. In this case second hand, or third, fabrics are best. New fabrics have all kinds of 'seals' on them.

Some batches are stronger than others, there’s variation. Once you have a sturdy source of rust, you should get several brews from that, simply by topping up the vinegar in the jar, once you’ve used it up. The best ones have colouration in them, you can see it’s changed and is ready to use.

Injoy!

Gifting ourselves soul nourishments.....

Sometimes we hold off on gifting ourselves soul nourishments, perhaps whilst what is needed clarifies, like sediment dropping in water....

Today in these wee hours, I went to a box that contains my craftings of a textile nature, and decisively lifted out the shawl that I hand dyed and stitched some months ago now. Reverantly, feeling a bit like a naughty child too, I wrapped around me the piece that I had earmarked for well, something 'special'. It came to me like a whisper, the idea. It's for you...to wear...to wrap around this bodyhome....

Now seated here, cat Nomad upon my lap, purring merrily, it feels good, and right. We both are injoying its Eucalyptyness in a way a bought item could rarely story. That confirmed it for me, this feeling is a touch of magic. Like the first unfurled bundle that offered up colours that stay to eyes open and curious. That skirt the prints of leaves echoed upon that I wore to threadbareness...

For the next 3 weeks n on, I will lovingly wear this cloak as a journey map. Soul highvis wear. Less oh & s or fluro, more maintaining sanity vibe. It's my mantra to continue the crafts that created it, whether I get saves on my Pinterest or not. If my Etsy store has 1 piece or pages. It's really not relevant, except if'n it brings passers by such as yourself an iota o da joy I receive. It's a life call. To dye n stitch, garden, cook, herbalise, love n laugh. Practice what I consider my witchery in honour of it's existance. Cos without it I'd be pickled in a bottle full time, or blue as indigo in not such a beautyway.

The world of fast fashion is all about appearances, shallow and destructive to the planet in it's practices. It bores me, basically with it's lack of connection to anything I consider 'real'. How can I criticise tho, without creating some other tangent and maintain any sense of authenticity? So, as I continue along an ambling paced path, I will dig my heels in deeper. Immerse more....dive deeper....

 

May you also be open to whatever nourishes your soul in the now, wee hours or otherwise ;).

Blessings n good vibes

Spirit upon granite country, and the glorious colours o Gum tips....

 Some moving pictures gathered like leaves, one very much so, on funky camping trip with dear friends and fella. Queensland granite belt country, exposed bedrock n waterhole trails. Feeling quiet, so I'll leave wordage in the now.... 

Thread doodles experimenting n' you just never know what'll come out o' the cauldron.....

Around about 4pm, I can find myself twitchy for something to occupy the beverage part of my brain. Don't own a tv, no Netfix. So, in the spirit o crafting, I have begun some 'thread doodles'. Playfully using simple stitches, they're a way for the hands to dance stuff away. Whilst in the same breath, practicality wise, exploring how to reinforce buttonholes sturdily....

 I do love a story, tis true. It's part of what I enjoy about plant echoes, foundling preloved fabrics, remembering leaves n nuts origins, in place n time. The combination of stitching with ecodye, acknowledges n creates a layering. Said example being the case of thread doodles. Some o the leave used to colour these, were from a tree I helped plant. Now in spirit, due to latter day renovations by latter day dwellers. The leaves didn't actually print super clear n neato mosquito, but their vibe is present. A resonance from that tree who is no more....

Also, I unfurled them hot, after 2 hours cooking, not awaiting overnight cooling, because I had a visit from a mate from high school and I wanted to share it with Soph. She lives in a land, relatively, far far away and rarely gets to see what I've literally been immersed in. Now when I look at them I will think to, and of her...

 

Several stories emerged from the cauldron this brewing. Another piece popped in was a baby blanket, once the comforter n warmer of my cousin, Clea. Sewn together by her mum Marian for her, from a piece of woolen blanket, edged with Liberty fabric and colourfull Indian cotton. Evocative in my lineage, both. 

Now I'll be honest, I'm not a scientific or mathematical type, like my bro. My dyeing is slightly feral round the edges at times. Accuracy n finite measurements, nope not really. Splash o iron potion, soak leaves till ready to go ahead. I do jot some things in my diary, when I remember, mordant begun dates, leaves harvested this date, began soaking here. An example is today's leaves were from a variety of windfalls, some familiar trees, others not. Some printed, others didn't. Variables. It's just my way....

Back to the blanket. I didn't mordant the cotton edges n backing, thought I'd just see what happened. I used some of that ex-Lemon scented gum (Corymbia citriodora) and wasn't sure what the result would be. Great shapes, blacks, greys n browns. The cotton got leaf prints, mayhap from the sheer previous use n age of the piece? 

There were wrinkles n wrunkles, know the feeling!

Clarissa Pinkola Estes has on her study wall, words along the lines of "Perfection is the enemy of done". Sometimes you just have to begin n see what happens! Take the above photo, it's not perfection, questionable it's Instagram worthy, yet it illustrates the story. As she speaks of herself as a writer, I could also be that skeleton at the typewriter, gone before the work is begun. Mayhap waiting for the aha moment of the perfect blog post! That's not to say I don't devote myself to developing skill n mastery in that which I choose to engage with, I do, and have. I simply believe there's a place for process based intentional living. 'She'll be right' n 'give it a go'....

As the Moon wanes, the cauldron brew I used today was over a month old. Possibly preserved by it's vinegar content, yet black as the night. So, I ended up with a pretty witchy crew of pieces! Not the clear reds and oranges on cream backgrounds of some previous batches, but beautiful all, in their own ways. 

 

Go the diversity! It's gonna happen anyways (I hope) may as well go with and injoy it. In creating and culture, conformity has never been a favorite. Best sign off for now, before I get on said soap box....

 

Bush trip inspirations to mark 50 as years wheel turning......

Here's my slightly belated, birthday camping report, with photography by Miles, my man with the eye.....

Down a dirt road, two curvaceous for caravans, we ducked to the lakeside area of this part of Yuragir National Park. Through paperbarks, mostly in recovery from last years fires, sprouting anew from their trunks. Like dancing women waving somewhat hairy arms...

At first it appeared rather a crowd o human type folks was going to be present, but things quietened down, and we had a peaceful time apart from a plethora of bird life for several days. 

We nestled by the lake, breezes from where it's mouth meets the ocean keeping the situation cool during the day, then dropping in evenings. Removed bans allowing us the pleasure of cooking upon an open fire on day 2...

There were a variety o goings on. Guitar and Medicine drumming sounds, gatherings n findings, altar building, Witchin stitchin, smartphone photography, multiple swims, eatings, ambles along beach n lakeside.

 The burnt trunks inspired Plant Echo images to follow. Emphasizing the beauty of their colour on a black background. Which then translated to my Etsy shoppe presentation choices....

 

 Some scenes of chillaxedness....

 

Transitioning back from off grid life to general hubub took a while. Now I'm focusing on my online basket o wares as the place to share my offerings. Crafting, crafting....as we wend, or hurtle, towards the turning of this years wheel into what shall be coming in 2021.

 First tho is the dark / new moon and solar eclipse. Then December 21st and it's shifts rippling out from Uluru. Bringing in the new and maintaining da vibes.....

Knock backs n pick me ups....

Today I turn 50, happy birthday toooo meee :)  made it here, despite situations that may have lead to otherwise....

My exhibition proposal was knocked back, and that was kinda devastating. BUT it really won't make that much difference to my practices, so I simply keep doing what I do, and a context will come. Likely Ill revamp me ol Etsy shoppe and pop some wares up there...

So, picking myself up I used up the last of my 'Sydney' leaves from when I went southwards bound to visit Dianamum. I had previously patchworked squares resulting from them into this shawl / cloak o invisability. They were an oddly scavenged bunch. Some Eucalyptus cinerea bunches on special for $6 in Woolies of all places, unidentified classic gum leaf shaped species from Orange Grove farmers markets n some street wandering harvests. A gathering of  the trips story, with a few local windfalls to welcome home....

 

 

I bundled up two lengths of secondhandling silk (which I haven't really had the pleasure to work with before) thinking the leaves had been soaking so long there probably wasn't much colour left in em. How wrong one can be! Thanks gawdess!

 

How beautfully silk moves in the wind! As the pieces were drying in the breezes I felt like I was in Japan somewhere....
 

So, today we head off camping for four days :) to the shores of a coastal tea tree lake. Laden with food galore, some stitching, guitar n medicine drum, firewood, a good book o tales and each other! Shall post the inevitable pics upon returning. Blessings upon friends dear  who are being the support crew for Ms Mush cat whilst we're gone! It appears she'll be having rather her own gathering, including the usual driveway passers by n belly scratchers....

 

Blessings n good vibes

Dark to New Moon: Death, Birth and Courage....

This drawing came through as I was pondering the process of making shifts in life. Echoed in the cycling of Sista Luna, and the seasons. The bubba representing birth, Moth medicine is death / change and Gecko's, courage / letting go of the past. 

Engaged with some deeper soul work in the now, I am observing the dance of these forces. As I exhale and release what no longer serves, aligning with a reframe to embrace changes, it requires a letting go of old patterns n ways of being. Does this serve you, community n beloveds, the land still? Or is the birthing of a different approach called for, for higher interests to be met? What am I calling in? Worthwhile questions at this time...

Recently, swimming in tea tree stained (hence dark shades o brown) waters, these questions were personified. As I dived under, it was difficult to see as my body moved through these surroundings, but above I could see a fishbowl lense type circle of light, into which I then arose. As I embraced the metaphor of it all, I began to play with the process. Injoying both swimming the dark and the decision to surface and draw breath. It hit me that this was like physical birth, the choice to incarnate, and mayhaps (shan't know till get there) death, the leaving....

How many times in our lives journeys (in a day??) do we go into these types of spaces? So why not choose to align with them, I asked of my selves? Practice one might say. Being able to be unattached enough to see more clearly where I am at in these cycles. Also with the memory of previous cycling informing. As the saying goes 'this too shall pass'. Basics you may be saying, back to basics then....

Altho I admit it, do like to deeply injoy da belly laugh bits ;)...

Are these the types of basics that can support those who feel strong n deep to embody and live well? I do realize such idea's are not brand spankers, but mayhap it takes rediscovering via one's own experiences to connect with them....

As I continue also daily practices to ground, centre, clear and protect. This seems to be the next barefoot step along.... 

When all may still become overwhelming there is always trusty doona therapy my friends!