The Fearless Faery

A small pile of finished wrist-cuffs

One of the things I'm really looking forward to exploring soon is natural dyes. I'm finding myself becoming more interested in the dying process of the fabric as much as sewing it, and buying little boxes of toxic/synthetic powders doesn't really fit the eco-friendly mantra I like to weave through my work.

So far the most inspiring artist I've found working in this method is India Flint.

(website and blog)

Her self-discovered methods of dying using plant materials and no toxic mordants is so divine, I can't stop looking at the worlds contained in every scrap of fabric. It's inspired me to the point where I've began to once again question and re-assess the path of my creativity. (Which is always a good thing to do.)

I've found in the past few times, sitting down to my 'work table' (read: pile of rags next to the couch!) that I'm just not achieving what I want with my work. I do love what I create, but when I thought to myself the other day that I should wear something I've made as a kind of walking advertisement, I realised that nothing I have made so far is really something I would wear.
I should phrase that better- nothing I've made so far is really reflective of ME.

(The Urban Gypsies- this picture makes my heart stop! The energy, the costume, the looks on their faces...)

That's one thing I always strive to do, is make stuff that's me. Simultaneously (as the Universe so loves to), I've found myself more interested in faerycraft again. I've made faerycraft before- hats and masks and wands and all sorts what I call 'Froudian rough'. Never has my faery been about Barbie pink or tinsel, or about the sweet nostalgic Victorian fairyland imagery. My faery is earthy and shadowed and secretive, about tangled woods and muddied bare feet. More brownies I suppose- but that's what I consider faery.

Anyway- I feel my creative path may very soon find me deep in the woods of faery again- I can feel the pull of chocolate brown and forest green, the textures of wool felt and leather. I'm becoming interested in tribal textiles and the details of warrior costumes in 80s fantasy films. I'm thinking along the lines like Brian Froud directed a Xena movie in Bollywood. :)



Hopefully I'll be able to explore all this more fully next month when I have more room. Tomorrow I'm taking an inside look at a house for rent two towns over. I'll be moving in with a wonderful soul-mate friend of mine, some one who (like me) treads the earth lightly and has a very distinct tribal-faery idea of what fashion means! The house we've found has not so long ago been a wonderful earth-path cottage, with herbal gardens, artist mosaics, fruit trees and a pond, but the latest lot of tenants have been unkind to the garden and disinterested in it's spirit. We want to rescue it, pull it back to what it used to be and more. It's an amazing little place with so many gorgeous details and more than enough room to spread out- a big studio, a temple/yoga room, a meditation space...

We're very excited about this possible project and looking forward to really getting up to our armpits in it as well as collaborating on our crafts, but I don't want to talk to much about it until I know for sure the house is ours. Crossing fingers though!

(Okay, this garden is the result of a Google search- ours doesn't quite look like this. Not yet!)

Just before I toddle off, I'd like to give a big thank you to everyone who comments on my strange little postings. I wish I could reply to all of you but sometimes I get the dreaded 'no reply' address! But I do read every single one and take it to heart. Thank you. ♥