Last night I was tired of anything that felt like order. Or structure. I had wrapped rope for these two purple bowls in the Iris series 
and needed a change from deliberate intention to random happenstance. So instead of selecting each color/cloth, I simply wrapped rope with whatever color was closest to my fingertips. It was liberating. No decisions involved. Just the need to have something, anything, in order to wrap rope. This morning while I was following spiral with this baskowl, I realized I was modelling bird behavior. Building a solid nest from scraps in my environment. Structure and soundness trumping everything. 
And the dye garden, coming along slowly. 
Seeds planted on Sunday–woad, weld, agrimony, marigold, madder and marjoram–now gently watered by these last few days of soft rain. These weld plants were in the garden at my old home–relocated last week. 
And these, black Hopi sunflower seeds, 
pre-sprouted inside, will go out tomorrow, surrounding the trunk of the pearless pear tree that split sometime ago and had to be removed. These seeds hinting of the color they’ll provide.
And slow cloth changing slowly. Like winter moving into spring. Accelerating now. Energized. Responsive.
following thread 
How I will look forward to your dye garden. For someone who loves the dye process, I don’t grow dye plants, When I first started naturally dyeing, the challenge and the joy was to just forage and gather and see what came. Living here, we have such a small backyard, that all of the dirt is used to grow food. I do have some geraniums in pots and we will put down some zinnia seedlings so I can get color from those…still, for now, the “hunt” for dye treasures remains so I will be content to watch from afar, your dye garden and marvel at its beauty, both in growing, and in cloth.
Your slow cloth continues to amaze, the stitching is beautiful, the markings exceptional and it simply glows as if it has been kissed by the re-birthing season.
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it’s odd to have a yard with grass. i don’t quite know what to make of it. and because this is a shared home, many things have changed in terms of what/how i do things. i say this in response to your comment about backyard and using dirt for food. yes. here i see the woods as the habitat for the deer who would eat any garden i might put in–and i am glad they still have a sliver of woods. and these same woods will provide vegetation for dye experiments…and hopefully the dye garden will come along and do the same. so there is room for all.
and i’m slowly being pulled back to cloth. to stitching. to the muted colors of earth. and appreciate your encouragement. such an interesting dance this is.
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so good to see the slow cloth evolving it’s beautiful Patricia re and your need for the flighty nature of chance reminded me of a poem by Emily Dickinson
Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —
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the similarities of the slow cloth to the garden is striking
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I am wondering if you still have the multi-colored baskowl from this post and if it is for sale? I have just found your blog and bowls today and I am delighted with all of it. 🙂
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