Natural Dyeing – Scharine Kirchoff, Fiber Artist

Handweaving

My exposure to handweaving, particularly bashofu and Ryukyu kasuri weaving, began when i was very, very young. I was born in Okinawa, Japan where my grandmother was a kimono-maker, bashofu weaver, and natural dye artisan. My grandfather passed away before i was born, so my grandmother was a single mother. She also served as theContinue reading “Handweaving”

Eco-Dyeing on Fibers and Cloth

I began eco-dyeing about six (6) years ago after a good friend in a handweaving study group showed me her own eco-dyed projects. After learning more about the process, I realized that it was similar to the pigment extraction processes used to create Bingata natural dyes and Ryukyu Ai indigo vats in Okinawa. These areContinue reading “Eco-Dyeing on Fibers and Cloth”

Eco-Printing on Paper

Eco-printing is a magical process in which pigment (colour) is extracted from botanicals using a variety of natural dye extraction and processing methods. The result is an assortment of botanical shapes and their associated colours “printed” onto fibers. My favorite eco-prints on paper are sourced from leaves. The shapes and forms of leaves fascinate me…Continue reading “Eco-Printing on Paper”