Natural Processes in Textile Art: From Rust Dyeing to Found Objects

More and more textile artists are using natural processes in their work, from dyeing with rust to working with found and scavenged items, and this book is the first to cover this increasingly popular subject. It promotes a way of working creatively with what is close at hand, whether gathered on walks by the seashore or collected in your garden, and working in tune with natural processes, bringing the rhythms and unpredictability of nature into your work. Examples of this type of working include burying embroidered fabric to give it a natural patina, dyeing with garden fruits or seaweed, weaving with pieces of beachcombed fibre, printing with found objects and making sun prints. In some cases nature is directly harnessed to make its mark on work; for one of her pieces, the author wrapped cloth around rusty bolts on sea defences, then unwrapped them weeks later to reveal patterns made by rust. The book is illustrated with the finest examples of contemporary embroidery and textile-art work using nature, by artists whose practice is tied up with their experience of and respect for the natural environment, often capturing a very strong sense of place and a feeling of calmness and contemplation.