Girls Night Out- Thursday, July 14th 5pm-8pm
A fun filled night of hors’ devours, wine and vendors, will be concluded with a power point presentation by Dr. Deanne on wild wools and local color. See the following article for more information. Following Thursday night’s presentation there will be a hands on class offered Saturday July 16th.
WILD & WOOLY…..
Did you know that the original crimson-red dyes, and many others used today such as “Carmine”, “Crimson Lake” and “Natural Red #4″ are made by tiny insects that feed on cactus?
*And that a light-fast red dye was once so rare and expensive that is has been used at least since the 16th Century to color the ribbons used to tie rolls of legal documents (hence comes the term “Red Tape”)?
Similarly, in the 4th Century B.C., Tyrian purple and a deep blue dye were so prized that they were worn only by royalty and those in the highest religious stations. At the time, these light-fast dyes were only available from the secretions of marine snails, and the powdered dyes themselves were worth their weight in silver.
The history of these colors and others are all around us – we still see red, rose and violet used symbolically in churches during the Easter season. However, most dyes are neither rare nor expensive – - We can get them RIGHT OUT OUR BACK DOORS! For example, The “Bracken Ferns” and “Goldenrods” that grow wild along the roadsides produce the loveliest greens and warm golden yellows – and are yours only for the picking!
Join us to find out more about the history and science of natural dyes and fibers – from the intense purply-reds of cochineal insects and the heartwood of tropical trees to the sunshine yellows of marigolds and tansy; from lovely linen produced by flax plants, strong silks made by caterpillars, to wonderfully wooly fibers produced by sheep, llamas and rabbits. We will explore the world of fiber and color through discussions and hands-on dyeing demonstrations with biologist Deanna G. P. Byrnes, PhD.
Deanna is a native of rural central Wisconsin and a Professor at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI where she teaches courses in general biology, ecology, environmental science and the science of natural fibers and dyes. Dr. Byrnes completed her undergraduate studies at Cornell University in Ithica, NY and achieved her doctorate at UW, Madison, WI. She has a life-long love of “making things from scratch and trying to understand how it all works.” Throughout her travels to Indonesia, Papua New Guineau, Costa Rica and Belize, Dr. Byrnes has enjoyed the local color and fiber arts, and found that beauty and color can be found outside everyone’s back door. Bring your curiosity and creativity and join us in making your day a little more colorful!
Marian F.P. Kohl
