Deborah Weir's Celebratory Exhibit

 ENJOY the SHOW!!

March 2026 at the Hellada Gallery in Long Beach, CA

 Hi everyone,

Barbara Matthews was in Cleveland recently and she took the time to document our Layers show at Praxis Fiber Workshop Gallery. She edited the video and sent it on to me. I added some music and beginning and ending slides and uploaded it to our YouTube channel. Barbara also wrote the text for the YouTube description box, including links.Thank you Barbara!

 

https://youtu.be/Q1d2S5rY8wM?si=Ugh-E8WIpHZTERgt

Share this link to the video as you see fit. I would like to suggest  that when you promote this video that you include a Call to Action: an invitation to contact us about exhibiting any of our shows. Point out the link to our website in the YouTube description. You don't have to be too specific about how to navigate our website. Curators are pretty savvy since this is how they learn about artists--but they do respond to an invitation to look at more artwork. They might want to hear that we have three shows available and ready to go! 

Winter Dyeing

 A Mystery

 

It  started with a simultaneous Instagram-post-exchange. My friend and I often like the same things and we sent the above post to each other with a question, "How did she do this.?" 

 

Eco-dyeing is very close to my wheelhouse and this post opened my eyes to using bark in the winter. If I could get it to work, it would bridge the winter gap. 

 

There were two possible candidates to consider: Eucalyptus and Mulberry bark. My friend instantly found Eucalyptus Bark in ETSY and I found Mulberry Bark at Hiromi. Again, simultaneous actions without much communication between us. 

 

   Mulberry Bark (Hiromi)

Eucalyptus Bark (ETSY)

 

My Eco-dye method involves the tannin inside of plants reacting with the iron embedded in the mordanted fabric. I checked and discovered the following:  

Mulberry bark (Morus spp.)

• Approximate tannin content: 3–8% (dry weight)

Eucalyptus bark (Eucalyptus spp.)

• Approximate tannin content: 10–25% (dry weight), depending on species 

 

This would assume that the bark from the Eucalyptus tree, higher in tannin, will have a stronger print. Below is a summary of several experiments on a simple cotton piece of RK Kona cotton. 

My preferred mordant is lighter in iron and I used it for the first experiments. Later I mordanted a piece of cotton with a high level of iron and found a dramatic difference (see below). 

Eco-dyeing is all about trial and error based on about a dozen variables. For more information on eco-dyeing check out Irit Dulman's teaching videos. https://iritdulman.com/workshop/

 

 

I started with Eucalyptus Bark, soaked it overnight and found it to be flexible, flat and a bit slimy. This was a great candidate for Eco-dyeing as it could be tightly rolled over a pipe without a problem. 

 

 

The mulberry bark resulted a very light print with a difference between the core of the bark and the outside. The left side of the above pic is the inside of the bark and the mirror image of (outside bark) is on the right.

 

 Here, I continue to re-steam the same fabric after re-positioning locations of freshly soaked mulberry. For a cotton print, the result was quite beautiful with more depth to the print.

 After discovering that Mulberry was lower in tannin with a very light print, I soaked the Mulberry bark in a solution of tannin overnight.

 

 

Once my friend dropped off the eucalyptus bark, I started the same experiments using large, hard and tough bark. Shaving off parts of the bark made it manageable.

 

 

 

Above you will see the RK Kona Cotton experiments using my standard lower iron mordant (left) to the higher iron mordant on the right. Notice the high iron mordant (right) has a stronger orange color, typical of  the higher iron content. 

 →

 

The above pic shows the bottom layer of the darker Eucalyptus bark next to the yellow print of Mulberry. The above prints were from Mulberry soaked in tannin. Since the fabric is folded in half, you can compare of prints from the outside of the bark to the inside. 

 

 

 

Above is the higher iron mordant with the characteristic orange color. Eucalyptus bark gives a huge dramatic effect and mulberry soaked in tannin also showed much more drama.   

I purchased more eucalyptus bark (ETSY) that was smaller in size and thickness.  

 Above is a double print showing a mixed bag of different bark samples and other plants that are dried for winter use. I blended both mordants (high and low) and found an in-between print.  

Mystery Solved: It was fun to demonstrate the difference in tannin and iron levels. Someday I might go back and get serious about replicating the Insta post. For now, I've found a new tool. We are surrounded by a woods with plenty of bark that I can now soak in tannin and print on fabric in the winter. 

 Sharon's Website

EarthArtGalleries.new.website

 

 

 

Heaven on Earth by Barbara Matthews

 

I am fortunate to live close enough to a Maker space like no other, the Bainbridge Island Resource Network (BARN). The organization housed in a facility on Bainbridge Island, WA across the Puget Sound west of Seattle was conceived in 2012 with the present facility completed in 2017. Designed to bring creatives and artisans together in support and stewardship, it does just that.

The Maker space consists of eleven studios: Culinary Arts, Drawing & Painting, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Media, Metal, Printmaking & Book Arts, Tech, Woodworking & Small Boatbuilding, and Writing. Each studio sponsors classes, get-togethers, and open studio times. 

The Fiber studio knocks off your socks—top of the line digital embroidery machine, sergers, sewing machines, plus twelve floor looms, and a fully equipped dye lab with heat press, steamers, stove, washer/dryer, fridge, plus equipment and supplies. Phew! Just bring your project!

Add to that the Woodshop--just as well stocked as the Fiber Studio with the very best saws, planers, routers, plus more and the Technical lab with a laser cutter and my artistic needs are fulfilled!

The equipment and space provide a foundation for bringing community together, which is what makes the BARN a special place. To be around creatives...heaven on Earth. 

 

SAQA at The 2025 Philadelphia Craft Show by Dianne Koppisch Hricko

 I was very excited to be invited to have a piece in the SAQA booth at this years Philadelphia Craft Show. I have lived in Philadelphia since the show began in the early 70's and it is always impressive. This is the first time I have had work in it. 

Breakaway 

22.5 x 31

The SAQA booth had great placement and I am sure lots of people got to see the works. 

I am including images of works that I really enjoyed and I am sure that SAQA will be blogging about this with lots of much more professional shots as well as the names of the artists. 

Several of us have been interviewed too and I am told that will be up on SAQA's social media sometime in December. 

It is so exciting to see fiber really coming to the forefront. 

Art Cloth Network joins Craft in America's National Initiative

Today we celebrate the launch of @handwork2026! 

Art Cloth Network is proud to join more than 250 arts organizations across the country who will be hosting exhibitions and events throughout 2026 to showcase the importance of the handmade throughout our country’s history and in contemporary life. 

Presented by @craftinamerica, #Handwork2026 celebrates the diversity of the crafts that define America, bringing compelling stories and underrepresented art and artists into the spotlight.

Our first Handwork 2026 event will be a presentation of LAYERS at Praxis Fiber Workshop in Cleveland, OH from January 11 to 22, 2026.   Visit handwork2026.org for more info! 

The 2025 Philadelphia Craft Show by Dianne Koppisch Hricko

Some artists I found exciting at the 2025 Philadelphia Craft Show  

Almost all of these have a wearable bent. But they could all be ACN. I couldn't get photo's of all the booths, so I have  provided their websites. I think you will find them as exciting as I have. 

Its a great show and happens every year around this time. 

K Riley

www.krileywearableart.com 

Betsy Giberson

betsygiberson.com

Design in Textiles by Mary Jaeger

maryjaeger.com

Kristin Gereau

www. KGTextiles.com

Anddrea Geer

andreageerdesigns.com 

Agathe Bouton

www.agathebouton.com

There was so much more to see and admire, but these intrigued me.