Natural Processes in Textile Art: From Rust-Dyeing to Found Objects

by Alice Fox

More and more textile artists are using natural processes in their work, from dyeing with rust to working with found and scavenged items, and this book is the first to bring these increasingly popular techniques together. It promotes a way of working creatively with what is close at hand, whether gathered on walks by the seashore or collected in your garden, and working in tune with natural processes, bringing the rhythms and unpredictability of nature into your work.

Examples of this type of working include rust dyeing embroidered fabric to give it a natural patina, dyeing with garden fruits or seaweed, weaving with pieces of beachcombed fibre and printing with found objects. In all of this work nature is directly harnessed to make its mark.

The book is illustrated with the finest examples of contemporary embroidery and textile-art work using nature, by artists whose practice is tied up with their experience of and respect for the natural environment, often capturing a very strong sense of place and a feeling of calmness and contemplation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Crafts, Nature

128 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, if you are looking for a heavyweight technical source it may fall short, tho' there are useful snippets, but if you are looking for a book about process work this is excellent. Alice Fox has a warm-hearted way with words and I like that she references other artists who are working in the same field and the way she references them, giving space to images and artist's statements as well as notes on what makes their work special to her. This is a perfect book for a beginner or for someone who has access to their beginners mind. It is light and playful but grounded offering sensible counsel and practical pathways to explore at your own pace ways of mark making using natural processes. Reading it feels a bit like taking a very lovely 3 or 4 day workshop with an easy teacher who doesn't mind sharing her knowledge and from which you come away with a desire to find out more and put in to practice everything you've learned.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so thrilled to find this book; it is full of inspiring ideas. I'm into natural processes using tea and rust so this was right up my street. If you're into more conventional techniques then it's probably not for you.
I got so much out of the sections on eco-printing, using a pasta machine for printing and using wax on tea-bags!
If you like the more unusual natural techniques for dyeing and printing, then I recommend this book.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like a lovely stroll around the garden.
Full of warmth, fantastic photos and anecdotes that demonstrate how nature, art and life all weave comfortably together on a daily basis.
An insightful and easy read, with helpful practical instructions.
Need one for my resource shelf!

[Farfoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interlibrary Loan for the Win! I love getting a book like this through the library.

This is a LOVELY book -- full of ideas, inspiration, references, and images. If you are looking for a recipe book, this isn't it, but if you want to get your creative juices flowing and are just starting on textile art or need a rejuvenation, this is the book for you.

[Leigh Lindahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I especially appreciated the working with rust sections.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very inspirational book, with lots of project ideas & good instructions.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many great ideas for dying with natural processes such as rust dying and dying with plants—all with the goal of using the simplest methods and the fewest special ingredients.

[kerrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as an inside look to the author’s specific art and the work they do with rusted objects, but there wasn’t a whole lot about natural dying processes.

[Brigitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je kunt natuurlijk een heleboel informatie op het web vinden, toch vind ik inspiratie in dit boek. Ik mis echter ook wat informatie waar ik naar op zoek was. Niet heel erg, ik heb nu weer genoeg ideeën erbij.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like Claire Wellesley-Smith's similar book, I was under whelmed by this title. I am really environmentally aware and try to live in such a way as to leave as small a footprint on Earth as I can, so I am writing this from a similar mindset to Alice Fox - but I do find she is just a bit too precious in some of her choices of art materials. I also, like the above mentioned book, did not find the textile art inspiring. None of it moved me. I am so disappointed as I had been looking forward to reading this book and being inspired by it. Nothing tempted me at all. Most of it has been done before. There was little that was fresh in it.

[Sally]

2/21
A lovely resource and it's available as an interlibrary loan. [available at MPL]
Ideas I'm interested in are walnut and acorn inks
twist and twining foliage or fabric
beachcombing and weaving
darning acorns
quilting leaves
Take time to explore, find, and if appropriate collect, then create.

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4/22
Borrowed again. Didn't realize I did 'flag' walnut ink.
Her process is interesting - doesn't add a mordant - question that...
Also is a piece about making a iron mordant paste [rust]
It's interesting to revisit books after reading others on a similar topic.
It's about connections.