Autumn leaves and herbs

Last Friday after work I went in our woods and collected the brightest, most colorful leaves I could find. The moon was suppose to be full but the clouds rolled in and then the rain and wind came. I lit a fire in my studio and began dyeing wool boarder fabric for my Family Tree quilt.

First for the ground fabric ( the bottom of the house blocks), instead of plain fabric I wanted a scattering of leaves and flowers, there will be a trunk of a tree appliqued up the center of the quilt. I know this doesn't make since yet but wait until you see it when I finish it in November. I rolled up the last of my red flowers, purple plum and maple leaves in the wool.

The top of the quilt will be the tree tops, wool fabric dyed with maple leaves. These leaves were so bright they looked florescent. Simmered them all an hour and now have them in plastic bags with heavy books on top.

While I was doing this I thought might as well play with a little silk fabric too, cut it long enough for a scarf. Added some rusty metal

and rolled it up.
My Friday night pieces are still processing, the following pieces I did last week.

I started with eucalyptus from the Farmers Market,

rolled in raw silk with a copper tube and rusty metal parts. I did two of them, one with silk the other with wool. Boiled a good hour and then let set in a plastic bag for a week.

The wool washed and dried (with out the copper tube),

and the silk.

with copper tubing.

I also had this rusty metal thing, I foldled it up in some silk, poured vinegar over it and left it a few days,

The silk was a little to fine to pick up a lot of the print,

I need to try wool.

I wanted a nice brown for my tree trunk, first I boiled black walnuts, they were a light greeny brown, so I added peacans, tea bags and coffee grounds hoping to get rid of the green.

At my Herb Society we love, love to study herbs that were used through out history for the different Holidays, and one of our favorite holidays to study is Halloween.
How very sad the wise women, mid wives and healers in the Villages were accused of being witches by the very people their knowledge healed!

Marsha our "Head" herbalist and speaker has studied the different herbs for years and gives a wonderful lecture along with bringing in 100 different samples with cards telling their uses.

You could spend hours reading them.

Have you ever sat in a meeting with pointy hats poking out all over!

The back of mine I made for the meeting and Trick or Treating with the grand kids.

Our snack table was full, I loved this pumpkin dip served in a pumpkin.

A group picture of some of the Herb members in their finery. Marsha on the left.

So this morning as I leave for work who is looking at me from across the street, Tamone, Miss Tigress' old boyfriend, he still comes over looking for her. Kitty love never dies.