for CSA production for years , and Caitlin shifted to focus on intensive flower production and floral design in 2016 . With both enterprises she was constantly in awe of the power of color . In vegetables a variety of rich color signals health and vitality , and in flowers it creates a mood or style .
As she constantly recalibrated her business approach to flower production , she experimented with dying silk , cotton , and other fabrics in large vats on the kitchen stove . ( She ’ s looking for studio space to get her dye operation away from dinner preparation !) Like Bev Thoms , she also was motivated to find new uses for stacks of fabric accumulated over the years . She began dying experiments with marigold petals , and has used scabiosa , indigo , cosmos , sunflower seeds , mushrooms , quince branches , rosemary , mint , and even onion skins . She sometimes adds an “ iron bath ” of iron powder to set colors in a darker tone . She ’ s learned through trial and error which plants are dye fast and which are “ fugitives ” that don ’ t hold up when exposed to light . For example , most berries , while they stain your fingers and your clothes , don ’ t retain their color consistently on fabric .
As she learned more about the effects of natural dying , she began to think about flowers differently , and found herself consumed by a new passion . Instead of growing flowers solely for floral design and CSA sales , she now plans her crops for dying as well . For the first time , her 2024 customer offerings include a set of 36 plant starts for a “ Natural Dye Garden ,” which will include marigolds , scabiosa , chamomile , indigo , coreopsis , and
more . She ’ ll be leading two workshops at Riverworks Arts Center in Spring 2024 , one on dying with indigo , and one on quilt making with hand-dyed fabrics .
The intersection of quilting and dying fabric with flowers may seem surprising at first , but it ’ s a natural connection . Flowers are one of nature ’ s most beautiful offerings , and extracting color from them perpetuates that beauty . To bring that beauty into the comfort of a quilt , which we respond to in a tactile , emotional way , seems the ultimate way to make permanent use of nature ’ s bounty . Quilts have a rich history as a story telling medium . As Caitlin says , “ Who doesn ’ t love the feel of a soft , natural fabric ? We are wrapped in textiles from the moment we ’ re born . Shouldn ’ t they be beautiful — and lovingly designed ?”
From the eARTH TO the Artisan ’ s Workshop
Maryland / DC
Whether fiber and fabric come from plants or animals , they form raw material for a creative mind . Sheep , rabbits , goats , and alpacas can all provide the natural resources for fiber . Plants offer berries , petals , leaves , nuts and roots that can find their way into the vision of a keen eye . The way they become works of artisanry , which we bring into our lives and homes , is as individual as the artisans they inspire .
Working with Farmers to Transform Agriculture
In order to sustainably feed the world ’ s growing population In Maryland , across the United States , and around the world
Learn more at NATURE . ORG / MARYLANDDC
Melane Kinney Hoffmann has lived on a 50-acre farm , with 40 acres in hay , in the Ag Reserve for 30 years . She and her husband Tom raised three children , horses , and rescue dogs on the farm , and have been involved in numerous efforts to preserve rural land and protect the Ag Reserve .