I never thought I'd end up making eco-friendly, wearable art that lasts for generations. Most of my previous jobs have been very practical--I'm also a registered dietitian and journalist.
But my parents and grandparents always have been creative. When I was a little girl, one of my grandmothers sewed me a furry, brown teddy bear with a black velvet nose. I named him "Brownie"--maybe not the most creative choice, but hey, I was 3 years old--and loved him almost to pieces. I dragged him on adventures daily, snuggled with Brownie at bedtime, and lovingly rubbed all the velvet off his nose.
To this day, touching velvet feels like a hug from my Grandma Lorraine. But it's hard to find velvet items for women.
Last year, I was excited to discover I could buy white silk velvet scarves and dye them any color I wanted with professional fiber-reactive dyes.
And, being a mom, I wanted to color clothes for my toddler, so I learned some techniques for dyeing fun, machine-washable cotton clothing--my son loves his iced-dyed super-hero cape and matching T-shirt.
Marbled silk: sensuous swirling
I also learned to marble silk scarves--it's the closest I can get to the patterns and airy touch of butterfly wings.
Marbling is a blast, and for me, it's a family affair. My dad, who is a woodworker among many other things, designed and built my 5-foot-long marbling tray to fit the large, white silk scarves that I like to paint. Marbling involves filling the tray with 6 gallons of nontoxic gel and floating nontoxic fabric paints on top, then using custom-made 5-foot-long rakes and combs to swirl the paint droplets into intricate patterns.
It's a tricky process--mixing the gel; washing, drying and pre-treating and pressing the scarves; mixing colors, and diluting the paints just right takes a long time. And each marbled pattern can be used to create just one scarf, so each one is one of a kind. It takes two people--usually me and my mother, who is an artist--to carefully lower the 5-foot-long scarves into the tray gently and precisely enough to get a pretty pattern on the scarf. Then I rinse the scarves, dry, heat-set the paint, and then wash, double-rinse and press the scarves a final time to make sure they are color-fast and vibrant.
Although I try to guide the swirling paints, they also have an energy of their own, so each design is a lovely surprise for me.
Hand-painting silks
While marbled designs are abstract, I also hand-paint pictures on silk using professional silk dyes. Again, thanks to my dad for building a custom set of stretcher frames and an enormous, 7-foot tall steamer so that I can steam-set the dyes--it's an eco-friendly way to make them colorfast without using chemicals.
My eco-friendly studio
Being green is important to me--not only is good for the planet, because my studio is in our home. I select nontoxic dyes and paints and try to re-use and conserve them. I use natural fabrics. And I use minimalist, eco-friendly, waterproof mailers. These packages are made from recycled plastic, and are recyclable too. The clear lining is compostable, and I use plant-based cello tape to secure mailing labels, which are printed on recycled paper.
Charitable giving
Periodically, I make donations to the American Cancer Society.
See my scarves in a brick and mortar store near you
I'm excited to be able to offer wholesale scarves to retailers now. Contact me for details.
Care instructions
Cotton jersey infinity scarves and bandanas: Machine wash, cold water, do not bleach, tumble dry. Hot iron if needed, but do not iron rolled edges.
Rayon: Hand wash, cold water, do not bleach, tumble dry. Warm iron if needed.
Silk and velvet: Hand wash, cold water, do not bleach. Dry flat. Cool iron the back side if needed. (Tip: Consider hand-washing silk in basin of cold water with a drop of mild shampoo. Rinse with fresh water and a little white vinegar--it's a non-toxic, eco-friendly fabric softener for silk. Lay scarf on a towel, roll up and blot dry for a moment. If ironing is desired, iron silk while it's still damp--it dries instantly with the iron. Do not iron rolled hems. The whole process should take less than 4 minutes.)
About the fabrics
* Cotton infinity scarves: All my cotton jersey infinity scarves are entirely handmade by me in the U.S.A.
* Silk, silk velvet and bamboo rayon scarves and cotton bandanas: Much like portrait painters paint on pre-stretched canvases, I use imported blank, white scarves. I finish the scarves in my studio in the U.S.A.--Wisconsin to be exact--by stitching, dyeing and painting the scarves by hand.
Special deals
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Peace!
