seed to cloth
As we begin to gather around a desire for deeper connection with the living world, and as we work to repair broken relations with the earth, we have been seeking practices that can be shared, and that tap into traditional ways of being together with the living world.
One such practice is the art of natural dyeing, or working with plants to create vibrant dyes for cloth and yarn.
Starting in early spring 2025 we are planting a dye garden, and will hold classes that explore natural dye techniques as well as collectively grow, harvest, and dye with plants from the farm! We will also hold one-day workshops, intending to help aspiring dyers learn processes for creating dyes from plants that exist in our local landscape, as well as plants that are grown expressly for making colors.
Weaving has also become a fascination for us, primarily through the creative re-use of existing cloth. The amount of textile waste produced by this global industry is appalling, and we are curious about bringing back a tradition of making rugs with scraps from old, worn out, or unwanted fabrics. Weaving workshops will be a regular offering, starting with basic tapestry weaving techniques on simple wooden frames. We have acquired an old 1940βs rug weaving loom from a friend in Garden Valley, and are working to restore it! If you have experience with antique weaving equipment, and would like to help out, please contact community@polumbolum.org