Indigo, Czechia and the Dreamstress
Our visitor for September was Leimomi Oakes, also known as the Dreamstress, fresh from her European textile tour. We were treated to a wonderful talk about her visit to Wallachian Open Air Museum, the treatment of linen and the preservation of centuries-old fabric printing techniques. She talked about the 150 year old dye baths, and printing blocks in use from the 15th century- if not longer!
Leimomi passed around some of the fabrics she bought while there, and showed us a video of the master at work stamping prepared cotton with resist before it goes into the dye bath. The skilled casualness was incredible to witness, and the outcomes are incredible. Anyone familiar with a fabric lover knows the many jokes of liberating these beautiful fabrics that were made as they were passed around.
While my photographs show different shades please know they were all the same shade, a beautiful rich and deep Indigo. I’ll mark the photographs closest to the real colour for your reference, but make sure to keep an eye on her blog where photographs will be placed.
While you’re on her wonderful blog have a look at the one about her ‘1790’s Tiny Piney dress’ which she showed us. Mostly hand-stitched with tiny, neat stitches this dress was a real conversation starter. Leimomi also passed around her bustle and a petticoat.
Also, check out her pattern shop!
We also had a HUGE show and tell, with lots of refuge quilts. One of our wonderful members joked that it’s as if we have a ‘sweat shop’ to get so many anonymously donated quilts. We are very proud of our charity quilts and are also always delighted to see quilts made for specific people too.
