Maura Grace Ambrose: Dying Fabrics

My friend Maura Grace was interviewed by Design Sponge about her process of naturally dying fabrics. See this post for the full interview.

I had the pleasure of knowing our lovely interviewee, Maura Ambrose of Folk Fibers, from the fibers department at Savannah College of Art and Design. She was a radiant soul and an inspired artist then, and she has continued to evolve into a master quilter who harvests her natural dyes from her very own dye garden. Oh, and she recently caught the eye of Levi’s, teaming up with them to create one of a kind quilts from their recycled jeans. Yes, she really is that amazing. Continue reading for a glimpse into this talented lady’s life. — Ginny Branch

1. Design Sponge: What is in your toolbox?

Maura Ambrose: I have many toolboxes and there is a considerable diversity in forms and locations. I grow natural dyes, and dye small batches of fabric for my quilts. My work is process-oriented, and the natural dying aspect of my work is seasonal. When I don’t save my own seeds, I buy them online. I have found that Fedco Seeds has a good selection of medicinal herbs and dye plants. For dye-ready fabric and a fun selection of prepared natural dyes, my top shops are Dharma Trading, Earth Guild, and Earthhues. I collect an abundant amount of onion skins from the organic farm I used to work at, Johnson’s Backyard Garden; it’s always a good thing to be friends with a farm. In the making of my quilts, I patchwork my dyed fabrics with other fabrics from my shelves, both vintage and new. I’m always searching for fabrics, but I am very picky and only use all-natural fibers. I usually find my favorite fabrics at yard sales and flea market-type shops. I collect most of my dyeing materials like pots, measuring cups, and spoons at thrift stores. I have found the best place to buy an iron is at a hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowe’s. At the hardware store you will find the classic metal irons, instead of fancy plastic irons. Another trick of the trade is buying a cutting mat online; it’s a much better deal and [there are] better color options than buying it from a sewing supply shop. I sourced mine from www.alvinco.com. I couldn’t live without my “Bernina” sewing machine and “Nimble” leather thimble. I use cotton Japanese sashiko thread and sashiko needles for hand quilting. I recently asked my local sewing shop to order it and keep it in stock; this is helpful because I never found an online source that I was happy with, and because it is a supply that I use consistently, the cost of shipping was adding up.