Dyeing wool with Tansy
While I do love the natural whites, greys, and browns of undyed fibre, sometimes I like to add some colour. In this piece, Amy Crook gives us an overview of how to dye fibre with a common roadside weed –…
VanIsleFibreshed
“Fleeces Off” – A review of the joint IISBA and VIF event
On June 2, 2024, VIF and IISBA (Inter Island Sheep Breeders Association) offered a workshop for sheep producers. Thirty-two attendees came from all over the area, from Campbell River to Sooke and from a number of Gulf Islands. Most raise…
Summer 2024 Skill Building Challenges
Continuing on from our Spring 2024 challenges of sewing and working with raw fibre, we now have some new challenges for Summer. We’d love you to take on these challenges to learn new skills and become more comfortable sourcing your…
Using the whole fleece – a wet-felted vest from local Icelandic fleece
No part of a sheep’s fleece needs to be waste. The dirty bits when it’s first sheared make great garden mulch. Then you can comb or card the best parts for spinning into yarn. And then, if you are Bobbie,…
Salish Sea Sukomo – Adventures with Indigo
I hope you enjoy this essay from textile artist Yarrow Koontz on her explorations with indigo dyeing with plants she has grown on Gabriola. She’s now experimenting with the Sukomo method for using Persicaria tinctoria (Japanese Indigo) – a method…
Spring 2024 Skill-Building Challenges
Continuing on from our Winter 2024 challenges of repurposing existing textiles and planning our dye gardens, we now have some new challenges for Spring. We’d love you to take on these challenges to learn new skills and become more comfortable…
Fleece & Fibre book talk – Feb 4, 2024
Thank you Francine McCabe for an amazing Fleece and Fibre book talk at the VI Regional Library Courtenay on Sunday, 4 Feb 2024. Over 30 people, including makers, farmers, weavers, spinners, and other fibre-loving people, joined us from across the…
Treasure from a thrifted sweater
We already have a lot of textiles on Vancouver Island, most imported from outside our region. While we don’t currently have commercial fabric production here, our closets and thrift shops are a great source of materials just waiting for creative…
A tale of a project
Are you seeking inspiration for the VIF Winter challenge of re-purposing a textile? Read this story below by Bobbie Williams, weaver and spinner and all-round champion of wool, to see how she took cotton scraps and old clothing and made…
Dreaming of flowers and colour in the middle of winter: Dye Plants 2024 Winter Challenge
Are you participating in the Vancouver Island Fibreshed’s skill building challenges this quarter? Below, see Christi York’s musings on working with flowers for natural dyes. Maybe you’ll get some new inspiration? by Christi York Even if you have zero experience…