Vagabond's Daughter

My new spring line.

2012-02-26T20:29:00.001-05:00

Hung out to dry, or freeze, whatever happens first. Getting ready for a big order, I had to dye and dry about 30 silk scarves when we were hit with a snow squall. That makes these scarves touched by a little extra bit of mother natures magic. Dyes used were indigo, turmeric, quebracho red and yellow, lac and logwood purple.

Indigo Me.

2012-02-25T06:53:00.000-05:00

Sometimes singing the blues, can actually be uplifting.
I find working with blues the same.
Indigo dyeing is an ancient art, considered a sacred act in many countries, where ceremonies are preformed before the process and often there are alters nearby.
Here the Gods of color are hard at work to create this mystical color, blue, the color of the sky and water.
To me, what is of the Earth and natural is what is the most simply stunning.
G

Briny deep.

2012-02-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

This scarf reminds me of the underwater world and the kelp beds in California.
From a deep and briny green, to brighter yellow/green and teal as you get closer to the "surface". Come up for air and throw on your sarong. Can you say, "Margarita, please?"
Indigo and osage orange.

Naturally Neon.

2012-02-23T07:05:00.002-05:00

Okay- typically not my color palette but when you see these colors in nature and you can get these colors without harsh chemicals, why not go with the flow?
Lapis Lazuli flows into citrine, which flows into cornflower blue which flows into chartreuse. A combination of Osage orange over dyed with indigo and this high quality Paj silk make these vibrant prism like colors. I think it would be more difficult to achieve these colors with cotton fibers.

Just "peachy".

2012-02-21T07:57:00.000-05:00

Peach tones dripping to a deeper apricot might just make you drool when you see this scarf. Pictures can only attempt to show the way this silk feels- soft and buttery, light as air.
Again, a perfect accent to what the spring collections have strolling down the catwalks, and on the Red Carpet. Dyed with all natural madder extract for the Earth Hues company.
Taylor Swift looks peachy.

Top image is from Bora Aksu's autumn/winter collection at London.
The other models shown are from Oscar de la Renta.

Pastels are the new "black".

2012-02-19T18:32:00.002-05:00

Have you noticed all of the pastels being worn at the Grammy's and every other Red Carpet event? I find it so refreshing to see all of these beautiful and iconic celebrities embracing their femininity. These new pieces are inspired by this new trend.Ralph Lauren does it right.

Brazil bound?

2012-02-19T08:27:00.000-05:00

A purple printed pareo would be all I need to scrunch up in a rucksack with a bathing suit and flip flops and I would be Brazil bound! That and the $2000.00 roundtrip ticket to Trancoso...
Gray and purple Logwood extracts helped to color this cotton voile piece, and the black "ink" I used with the antique Indian wood block print was made from the silty residue at the bottom of my cutch, madder and iron pot. Seems quite color fast, too!

And then there's "Mauve"!

2012-02-16T12:34:00.001-05:00

This scarf has taken on almost all shades of pink and lavender and a few specs of purple here and there all melting together... and then there's "mauve"! I think Bea Arthur (who became the feminist TV icon in the "70's)would have rocked this then and now. I timeless accessory- The over sized scarf!

15 Chic and Creative Ways to Tie a Scarf

2012-02-14T06:23:00.000-05:00

15 Chic and Creative Ways to Tie a Scarf

Lace time.

2012-02-14T06:13:00.001-05:00

Experimenting with different printing methods, I spray painted fabric paint over some vintage lace. The lace had a cool silhouette, but was some weird synthetic so I didn't feel too bad about defacing it. Either way, I will use it as a template again, I like the effect so much.

Rainbow sherbet.

2012-02-13T19:03:00.000-05:00

It's hard for me to believe that these delicious colors were derived from all natural materials, but it's true! This ombre scarf really does make me think of that ice cream parlor rainbow sherbet we used to get in a little paper cup. The dyes used were madder and quebracho. Earth Hues again, thank you.

Wasabi!

2012-02-12T16:49:00.000-05:00

This combination is hot in that cool sort of way. Fustic gave a very bright yellow, and then when dipped in the indigo became more of a greenish yellow. The ends that had been prepared with beads and rubber bands to create the shibori effect that created diamonds were steeped longer in the indigo. The indigo was pretty well oxidized by that point, so the blue was very pale. The resulting colors remind me of that ever so powerful corner on your sushi platter, wasabi!

Cristo from my dining room.

2012-02-11T17:02:00.000-05:00

These images of my latest escapades in natural dyeing made me think of Cristo's "Gates" in New York City's Central Park. Orders for Spring inventory at Black Parrot in Maine and The One Well in Brooklyn have me slaving over a hot cauldron all day! With a view like this, I can't complain.

Vagabond Blue.

2012-02-11T07:33:00.000-05:00

The most mystical and sacred of all natures contribution to the world of color- Indigo. A green plant that is composted and then fermented, it was the first and only blue dye for centuries. A blackish, oily looking green while swirling in the dye vat, it emerges and soon becomes blue once it becomes oxidized. Darkest blue the first dips, the color is absorbed by the fabrics until it is the palest of blues.
This silk organza shawl was dyed in indigo and then the dark end was soaked over night in the dregs of cutch and iron brew.

Dress Gray.

2012-02-08T06:13:00.000-05:00

Logwood gray and cutch with iron made a series of grays from a cool ice to a matte lava like pitch. I experimented with adding some gum arabic to the dye for printing. Long overnight dips in the dye are essential for deep saturated tones.

Blooms in mid winter.

2012-02-06T04:36:00.000-05:00

Faded Glories.

2012-02-05T17:08:00.000-05:00

More silk scarves. This time I used madder and quebracho with alum and cream of tarter. The results were stunning!

Seeing dots.

2012-02-03T18:34:00.000-05:00

Lemon and tangerine sherbet like tones with an overlay of big polka dots. The sheer cotton blend was initially dyed with turmeric and then over dyed with an Osage Orange and cutch cocktail. I dipped a shot glass in the mixture with a drop of thickener to make the over-sized polka dots. The scarf measures a generous 70"x 50".

Down the Silk Road.

2012-02-01T08:52:00.000-05:00

My first real experience dyeing silk was a huge success. Big, flowing, voluminous silk scarves to pack and go, wrap and blow. All dyed with all natural dyes from Earth Hues

. The lightest silk that looks better the more it is twisted and scrunched. Great for traveling... use as a scarf or a pareo on the beach.

These squirrels have multiplied!

2012-01-31T21:20:00.000-05:00

Sets of place mats with napkins. Red and white Amy butler on one side, and the squirrels printed on red faux wood grain fabric from Anthology.

Share.

2012-01-29T08:49:00.001-05:00

Even squirrels know how important it is to share. My original drawing has been screen printed onto cotton flour sack dish towel for you to share with someone you love. Go to etsy and get one for your valentine... limited edition! Etsy

It madders....Purple Logwood and Madder.

2012-01-28T14:51:00.001-05:00

The natural dyes I played with yesterday were Purple Logwood and Madder

. The purples and lavenders came from the Logwood. The red, coral and any dark purple/ grays (almost black)came from the madder after we added iron and baking soda... there was no real method to the madness with that recipe... alchemy got the best of me! It's really mystery after mystery with these dyes. You don't know what color the fabric will be after you pull it out of the vat, how dark they will be after they are rinsed, and again after they are washed. I'm hooked on the uncertain outcomes and having to give up control. "Alchemists Anonymous"?

Etsy shop is up and running.

2012-01-25T21:04:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Vagabond's Daughter Etsy Shop.

Send a subtle message in the sack.

2012-01-25T05:53:00.000-05:00

The ideal place for this pillow would be the bedroom...
Depending on your mood, choose one side or the other:
"I want you."
or
"Not tonight."
Printed on a vintage linen flour sack.
Happy Valentine's Day?

Earthly accents.

2012-01-23T09:47:00.000-05:00

Pillows made with indigo, turmeric, marigold and all natural pigments that I ordered from Earth Hues.
The pigments were stenciled on with my friend Roxanne's stencil from- gulp- I think JoAnne's.
The marigold was extracted much like you would make a tea. The clips from staples create that grid effect.

In a thicket, in the woods...

2012-01-23T09:28:00.000-05:00

Bambi is safe a sound in a thicket of Cedar branches. Silk screened on organic linen.
Queen Anne's Lace with a more vibrant twist.
Placemats in stock, $9.00 each, as many as you need- custom printed for any occasion.

Once apron a time...

2012-01-22T16:39:00.000-05:00

Before the days of Rit Dye, artisans used plants and flowers to color their textiles.
I used turmeric for the one with the fringe and a combination of marigold and golden rod for the one with the circles.
The marigolds were frozen after harvest and then steeped in hot water and left for several days. round plastic eye shadow tops were kept in place by clips from Staple.

Table talk.

2012-01-21T17:37:00.000-05:00

Placemats a plenty. Just add napkins. Available soon at an etsy store near you!

Wish I had a printer!

2012-01-21T17:11:00.000-05:00

I did my best here to create panels of fabric that look like they have come from a bolt of mass yardage. These pairs of deer and rabbits suggest thoughts of living in peace and harmony, on organic linen and vintage fabrics.

Indigo ombre.

2012-01-21T16:52:00.000-05:00

One of the most satisfying dye techniques is accomplished when dunking one end of wet fabric into the dye bath and allowing it to creep and seep into the fabric, creating an effect called "ombre". Typically one end is richer and deeper and then fades out. That said, my experiences with dying prove nothing is ever really typical, and surely very difficult, if not impossible, to repeat! This randomness is also what makes each piece so special.
The Queen Anne's Lace printed over the dye adds another dimension.

Windows in the wild.

2012-01-21T16:21:00.000-05:00

I am not a huge fan of drapes or curtains, but out of respect for my neighbors have come up with a light and airy solution. I made a series of curtains that would provide a veil of privacy yet still allow the light and feeling of the outdoors to come in. I used a logwood dye for the grays fro the fabulous Earth Hues, turmeric (from Penzeys Spice!) for the yellow, and Indigo for the blue.
The silk screen on the yellow drapes is made from the sage, mint, clover and bamboo in my garden.
The spiky flowers printed on the blue and white linen drapes and the gray and white ombre were Queen Anne's Lace from my now empty horse paddocks.

The One Well.

2011-12-17T08:28:00.000-05:00

The One Well
Minimize your carbon footprint with organic, upcycled, vintage and salvaged products at this eco-conscious Brooklyn boutique. Owner and curator Kerry Jones has centered her home and housewares shop around a philosophy that promotes sustainability and locally produced wares, as well as positive mood-boosting energy for her customers. Mother Nature–approved items include vintage silk sari throws ($195–$295), reclaimed fabric throw pillows ($55–$95) and handwoven Thai baskets ($30–$175). The jewelry on the premises is thoughtfully chosen for its healing properties, such as Conscious Jewelry by Danna Weiss five-stone chakra necklaces ($375), sterling-silver-plated lapis lazuli necklaces ($190), and hematite and obsidian lariats ($75). The One Well also hopes to boost Greenpoint’s fine-arts scene by hosting receptions the second Friday of every month, featuring works ranging from videos to performance art. Mention TONY for 15 percent off purchases of $50 or more through Dec 31. 165 Greenpoint Ave between Eckford and Leonard Sts, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (347-889-6792, theonewell.com). Tue–Thu noon–7pm; Fri, Sat noon–8pm; Sun noon–6pm.

You can find my quilted vintage saris, silk screen hand and kitchen towels, patchwork quilts and more at The One Well.

Shibori on the rocks.

2011-10-18T08:45:00.000-04:00

It is said that sea water makes a great pre mordant for dyeing fabric, so I decided to take my project to the beach in Westport,CT. I was able to purchase the end of a bolt of Helmut Lang's organic cotton lawn to use for some big indigo scarves. This was the first. I used stones from the beach, much like the Japanese used river stones, to wrap the fabric in and then bound the bundles with silk string wrapped and wrapped around. Then I soaked the piece in the water from the Long Island Sound. When we got back home I soaked it in the end of the indigo batch, which is why it is such a light blue. I think the results are lovely.

Putting new designs to work.

2011-10-16T19:29:00.000-04:00

These pillows are made from organic fabric that was imprinted with ferns that were first hot bundled over a steaming pot and then fern fronds were hammered into the fabric in an ancient Japanese technique, Hapa-zome. The final process was a silk screen of a deer. The back, trim and zipper on the pillows are all vintage or repurposed.

Rags and Rox.

2011-10-15T08:36:00.000-04:00

My friend Roxanne from The Quilters Alley and I got together for a day of Indigo dyeing. She also surprised me with a batch of black walnut dye that she had brewed up. A random piece from golden rod found it's way in and also we fooled around with some Poke weed dye I made. The pokeweed color was an amazing magenta, but not colorfast when washed. It would work for painting, but I imagine it would fade eventually.These are the results.We had so much fun, we plan to get together on Fridays when we can to experiment with dyeing and printing our own fabrics.

Dyeing with Turmeric.

2011-10-14T09:15:00.000-04:00

What color you get when dyeing with this sweet smelling, richly colored spice! Used to dye monk's robes, this spice dye doesn't even require a pre mordant, although I found the color richest on the fabric that had been treated before hand.
4 ounces of ground turmeric in about a gallon of water, bring to a low rolling boil and then simmer for about a half hour. Submerge your fabric in the hot soup, or take it off the burner and do your dyeing outside. Allow your pieces to dry and then rinse well in cold water.
There were a few pieces I wasn't too pleased with and decided I would re-dye them. I thought, why not give the pieces a dip in an ash water mordant (literally fireplace ash in water), and - voila! The yellow turned to red! I experimented dipping fern in the ash water and made some prints. Alchemy at it's finest.

Dyeing for a change.

2011-10-13T16:02:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's the falling leaves that are calling for me to join them and lay down the past, let go and begin a new season.
In my quest to use all things organic or repurposed I have started to learn about the natural dyeing processes used for hundreds of years before we started polluting our grounds with toxic chemicals. Not all plant matter is safe either, or ethically harvested and manufactured, so some research had to be done. I am just scratching the surface, but learn more everyday.
My first foray into this realm was making eco bundles, as illustrated in India Flint's book, Eco Colour. These were hot bundles, pre mordanted and then wrapped tightly and steamed in a stainless steel veggie steamer for 45 minutes. Then I dried the fabric, and pounded fern into the fabric with a rubber mallet. After everything was dry, I silk screened over the plant images.

Vagabond's House by Don Blandings

2011-10-13T15:52:00.000-04:00

This was my Dad's favorite poem. It has inspired me to take a new path in all that I make. Drawing on foreign cultures and their techniques, while incorporating all vintage or organic fabrics, and earth friendly inks and dyes whenever possible. Until I am able to travel the world like he did, I will create things that can make me feel closer to far away places.

When I have a house . . . as I sometime may . . .
I'll suit my fancy in every way.
I'll fill it with things that have caught my eye
In drifting from Iceland to Molokai.
It won't be correct or in period style,
But . . . oh, I've thought for a long, long while
Of all the corners and all the nooks,
Of all the bookshelves and all the books,
The great big table, the deep soft chairs,
And the Chinese rug at the foot of the stairs
(It's an old, old rug from far Chow Wan
That a Chinese princess once walked on).

My house will stand on the side of a hill
By a slow, broad river, deep and still,
With a tall lone pine on guard nearby
Where the birds can sing and the storm winds cry.
A flagstone walk, with lazy curves,
Will lead to the door where a Pan's head serves
As a knocker there, like a vibrant drum,
To let me know that a friend has come,
And the door will squeak as I swing it wide
To welcome you to the cheer inside.

For I’ll have good friends who can sit and chat
Or simply sit, when it comes to that,
By the fireplace where the fir logs blaze
And the smoke rolls up in a weaving haze.
I’ll want a woodbox, scarred and rough
For leaves and bark and odorous stuff,
Like resinous knots and cones and gums,
To toss on the flames when winter comes.
And I hope a cricket will stay around,
For I love it’s creaky lonesome sound.

There’ll be driftwood powder to burn on logs
And a shaggy rug for a couple of dogs,
Boreas, winner of prize and cup,
And Mickey, a lovable gutter-pup.
Thoroughbreds, both of them, right from the start,
One by breeding, the other by heart.
There are times when only a dog will do
For a friend . . . when you’re beaten, sick and blue
And the world’s all wrong, for he won’t care
If you break and cry, or grouch and swear,
For he’ll let you know as he licks your hands
That he’s downright sorry . . . and understands.

I’ll have on a bench a box inlaid
With dragon-plaques of milk white jade
To hold my own particular brand
Of cigarettes brought from the Pharaohs land,
With a cloisonne bowl on a lizards skin
To flick my cigarette ashes in.
And a squat blue jar for a certain blend
Of pipe tobacco, I’ll have to send
To a quaint old chap I chanced to meet
In his fusty shop on a London street.

A long low shelf of teak will hold
My best-loved books in leather and gold,
While magazines lie on a bowlegged stand,
In a polyglot mixture close at hand.
I’ll have on a table a rich brocade
That I think the pixies must have made,
For the dull gold thread on blues and grays
Weaves a pattern of Puck . . . the Magic Maze.
On the mantlepiece I’ll have a place
For a little mud god with a painted face
That was given to me . . . oh, long ago,
By a Philippine maid in Olangapo.

Then just in range of a lazy reach . . .
A bulging bowl of Indian beech
Will brim with things that are good to munch,
Hickory nuts to crack and crunch;
Big fat raisins and sun-dried dates,
And curious fruits from the Malay Straits;
Maple sugar and cookies brown
With good hard cider to wash them down;
Wine-sap apples, pick of the crop,
And ears of corn to shell and pop
With plenty of butter and lots of salt . . .
If you don’t get filled it’s not my fault.

And there where the shadows fall I’ve planned
To have a magnificent concert-grand
With polished wood and ivory keys,
For wild discordant rhapsodies,
For wailing minor Hindu songs,
For Chinese chants and clanging gongs,
For flippant jazz, and for lullabies,
And moody things that I’ll improvise
To play the long gray dusk away
And bid goodbye to another day.

Pictures . . . I think I’ll have but three:
One, in oil, of a windswept sea
With the flying scud and the waves whipped white . . .
(I know the chap who can paint it right)
In lapis blue and deep jade green . . .
A great big smashing fine marine
That’ll make you feel the spray in your face.
I’ll hang it over my fireplace.

The second picture . . . a freakish thing . . .
Is gaudy and bright as a macaw’s wing,
An impressionist smear called “Sin”,
A nude on a striped zebra skin
By a Danish girl I knew in France.
My respectable friends will look askance
At the purple eyes and the scarlet hair,
At the pallid face and the evil stare
Of the sinister, beautiful vampire face.
I shouldn’t have it about the place,
But I like . . . while I loathe . . . the beastly thing,
And that’s the way that one feels about sin.

The picture I love the best of all
Will hang alone on my study wall
Where the sunset’s glow and the moon’s cold gleam
Will fall on the face, and make it seem
That the eyes in the picture are meeting mine,
That the lips are curved in the fine sweet line
Of that wistful, tender, provocative smile
That has stirred my heart for a wondrous while.
It’s a sketch of the girl who loved too well
To tie me down to that bit of Hell
That a drifter knows when he know’s he’s held
By the soft, strong chains that passions weld.
It was best for her and for me, I know,
That she measured my love and bade me go
For we both have our great illusion yet
Unsoiled, unspoiled by vain regret.
I won’t deny that it makes me sad
To know that I’ve missed what I might have had.
It’s a clean sweet memory, quite apart,
And I’ve been faithful . . . in my heart.

All these things I will have about,
Not a one could I do without;
Cedar and sandalwood chips to burn
In the tarnished bowl of a copper urn;
A paperweight of meteorite
That seared and scorched the sky one night,
A moro kris . . . my paper knife . . .
Once slit the throat of a Rajah’s wife.
The beams of my house will be fragrant wood
That once in a teeming jungle stood
As a proud tall tree where the leopards crouched
And the parrots screamed and the black men crouched.

The roof must have a rakish dip
To shadowy eaves where the rain can drip
In a damp persistent tuneful way;
It’s a cheerful sound on a gloomy day.
And I want a shingle loose somewhere
To wail like a banshee in despair
When the wind is high and the storm-gods race
And I am snug by my fireplace.

I hope a couple of birds will nest
Around the house. I’ll do my best
To make them happy, so every year
They’ll raise their brood of fledglings here.

When I have my house I’ll suit myself
And have what I call my “Condiment Shelf”,
Filled with all manner of herbs and spice,
Curry and chutney for meats and rice,
Pots and bottles of extracts rare . . .
Onions and garlic will both be there . . .
And soya and saffron and savoury goo
And stuff that I’ll buy from an old Hindu;
Ginger with syrup in quaint stone jars;
Almonds and figs in tinseled bars;
Astrakhan caviar, highly prized,
And citron and orange peel crystallized;
Anchovy paste and poha jam;
Basil and chili and marjoram;
And flavours that come from Samarkand;
And, hung with a string from a handy hook,
Will be a dog-eared, well-thumbed book
That is pasted full of recipes
From France and Spain and the Caribbees;
Roots and leaves and herbs to use
For curious soups and odd ragouts.

I’ll have a cook that I’ll name “Oh Joy”,
A sleek, fat, yellow-faced China boy
Who can roast a pig or mix a drink,
(You can’t improve on him, I think).
On the gray-stone hearth there’ll be a mat
For a scrappy, swaggering yellow cat
With a war-scarred face from a hundred fights
With neighbours’ cats on moonlight nights.
A wise old Tom who can hold his own
And make my dogs let him alone.

I’ll have a window-seat broad and deep
Where I can sprawl to read or sleep,
With windows placed so I can turn
And watch the sunsets blaze and burn
Beyond high peaks that scar the sky
Like bare white wolf-fangs that defy
The very gods. I’ll have a nook
For a savage idol that I took
From a ruined temple in Peru,
A demon-chaser named Mang-Chu
To guard my house by night and day
And keep all evil things away.

Pewter and bronze and hammered brass;
Old carved wood and gleaming glass;
Candles and polychrome candlesticks,
And peasant lamps with floating wicks;
Dragons in silk on a Mandarin suit
In a chest that is filled with vagabond-loot.
All of the beautiful, useless things
That a vagabond’s aimless drifting brings.

Then, when my house is all complete
I’ll stretch me out on the window seat
With a favourite book and a cigarette,
And a long cool drink that Oh Joy will get;
And I’ll look about at my bachelor-nest
While the sun goes zooming down the west,
And the hot gold light will fall on my face
And make me think of some heathen place
That I’ve failed to see . . . that I’ve missed some way . . .
A place that I’d planned to find some day,
And I’ll feel the lure of it driving me.
Oh damn! I know what the end will be

I’ll go. And my house will fall away
While the mice by night and the moths by day
Will nibble the covers off all my books,
And the spiders weave in the shadowed nooks.
And my dogs . . . I’ll see that they have a home
While I follow the sun, while I drift and roam
To the ends of the earth like a chip on the stream,
Like a straw on the wind, like a vagrant dream;
And the thought will strike with a swift sharp pain
That I probably never will build again
This house that I’ll have in some far day
Well . . . it’s just a dream house, anyway.