The fibershed challenge to resource local organic color and fiber from our bioregion has inspired the cultivation of many favored dye species. What you see occurring in the picture above is a daily pre-sunrise ritual…. the watering of the Japanese indigo test plots. There are four sites where we are currently growing the plant– each […]
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Honoring the Ancient Fibersheds
Herds of elk, deer, antelope– throngs of rabbits, and many other four-leggeds once roamed the hills, prairies, and river valleys of our ancient fibersheds. The skins of these animals are the first pre-woven textiles, known to have provided shelter, clothing, and bedding for our ancient ancestors. Several members of the fibershed community spent a weekend […]
Read MoreAn Afternoon at Woolly Egg Ranch
Farming, bio-diesel manufacturing, canning, chicken coop building, these are just a few of Kenny Kirkland’s many skills. His generous and welcoming nature makes a visit to his farm, a lesson in sustainable practice. Each time I stop in, it seems Kirkland has added another layer of value or function to his on-going land management practices. […]
Read MoreIndigo Evening Update
The little indigo starts that we planted have made themselves completely at home on the mountain farm. Its just been a couple of months now, and the plants are bushy, leafy, and creating the perfect biomass for our natural dye purposes. Our row is surrounded by calendula, camomile, and poppies–all of which support water retention […]
Read MoreFibershed on Film: An Introduction to Our Project
“fibershed” from Zoe Minikes on Vimeo. This is the first short video produced for Fibershed– created by the ‘Oh-so-Talented‘ and thoughtful Zoe Minikes. The conceptualizer and founder of a ‘a current exchange,‘ a project that delves into how humans assign value to aspects of our material and non-material culture. The video she created is a […]
Read MoreFarm to Fashion: Accessories from the Soil
The Fibershed wardrobe is growing, and as it expands, so does our story of bio-regional textiles. The most recently created pieces highlight the aesthetic brilliance of knitwear designer, Zara Franks–the creator and visionary behind Venn apparel. The sheep that Franks is kindly reaching out to in the above photo, is the source for the one and […]
Read MorePlanting Blue… in the rain.
The quiet of the sky, and the interspersed drops of rain were a welcoming combination that led us to the western end of the San Geronimo Valley. It is here where Mt. Barnabe stands–its southern exposed slope is covered in chaparral (filled with dye plants), to the north the ridges are dotted with douglas fir, […]
Read MorePart I: The Natural Hues of Cotton; A History of Seeds and Soils
Traveling northeast from our Fibershed studio doorstep, where the central valley meets the eastern foothills of the California coastal range, there exists an alluvial and highly fertile valley known as Capay. This area is apart of an ancient Fibershed once tended by Pomo basketweavers for the collection of fibers provided by willow, sedge, and redbud. […]
Read MoreBetween Soil and Skin: Our Mill
Making Fibershed clothes from within our designated 150 mile radius continues to be a deep exploration into local resources. This exploration led the Fibershed team on a drive northeast on highway 113, and down the lesser known road 27, to visit Jane Dreamer, and her Yolo Wool Mill. The process of experimenting with the locally […]
Read MoreClothes in Color Grown Cotton
May 1st arrived, and so did the first Fibershed clothes. The wardrobe was launched with some functional basics- a shell, and a pair of loose fitting bolero pants. The fabric for these pieces was woven and knit from Sally Fox’s organic color grown cotton. Fox’s farm resides in Guinda, California, just 90 miles from my […]
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