Is it possible to be a post-a-day kind of gal? Who knows, but I am accumulating a bunch of projects to blog about. These are pictures I took during a class at Madrona. It was about a special Japanese dying technique called Kakishibu. The dye is extracted from the persimmon and then is used to paint fabric, paper, yarn, basketry, you name it. The hue darkens over time, and can be modified by the use of different chemical modifiers such as tin. Chris Conrad taught the class and had some stunning examples to show us. The diverse uses to which this dye has been put are amazing. The picture above was acheived using a stencil resist to paint parts of the flower, and leave other parts white. The picure below shows how the dye looks different on two different fibers. The background is a silk scarf, with chenille leaves taking up the dye in a different way.

The picture below is of a basket that has been covered with paper, and then dyed. The dragonfly stencil was added later. Just amazing!

Another picture from a basket. I enjoyed learning this technique but don't think it is something I will pursue further. I prefer to work with more brillant color. It was a great example of making the most out of a technique. My own sample is 'curing' in my yarn room. I will need to finish it in someway so that it is appropriate for hanging.

And finally, lovely Tacoma from my hotel room...only three months ago. How the time flies!