2025
I continue a San Francisco Bay Area lineage of using hand-dyed textiles. Maternal grandmother owned an avant-garde floral store, hosted artists, while using raw materials from her arrangements to dye garments that identified her with freedom movements. Many of my mothers family attended CCAC, my mother involved in organic farming in Santa Cruz, during a time that clothing expressed solidarity with nature.
My decade-long international practice (2015-2025) involved hand-making performance garments for "Points of Connection" exhibitions across multiple continents. This work required researching local textile traditions, sourcing natural materials, and adapting dyeing techniques to different geographical and cultural contexts.
Mackluea (Diospyros mollis)
Northern Thai Traditional
Color: Deep black
Parts used: Heartwood, fruit
Harvest: Dry season
Process:
Grind dried heartwood to powder
Soak in clay pot 7 days
Strain dark liquid
Dip fabric repeatedly, dry between
Final iron mordant for permanent black
Southern Thai Recipe
Color: Golden yellow
Parts used: Tree resin
Harvest: Year-round tapping
Process:
Dissolve resin in warm coconut oil
Apply to fabric in patterns
Heat-set in sun
Traditional: combined with indigo for greens
Central Thai Court Recipe
Color: Brilliant reds to purple
Parts used: Heartwood chips
Traditional use: Royal garments
Process:
Soak wood chips 24 hours
Boil 3 hours until deep red
Add lime juice for purple shift
Alum mordant for bright reds
Traditional: 9 dips for deepest color
Isan (Northeast Thai) Method
Color: Red to burgundy
Parts used: Root bark
Harvest: Dry season, older plants
Process:
Pound fresh root bark
Ferment in banana leaves 3 days
Extract red juice
Oil mordant (coconut oil treatment)
Multiple applications for intensity
Northern Thai Indigo Combination
Northern Thai Indigo Combination
Color: Deep blue-black
Traditional name: "Fang" (fang/tooth - for sharpness of color)
Process:
Prepare indigo vat (traditional fermentation)
First dip: pure indigo for blue base
Second bath: sappan wood for purple depth
Final: tannin treatment for permanence
Result: Color so deep it appears to "bite" the fabric
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT DYES
Traditional Chumash/Tongva Recipe
Traditional Chumash/Tongva Recipe
Color: Deep browns to black
Parts used: Acorn caps, bark
Harvest: Fall after acorns drop
Process:
Collect 2 cups acorn caps to 1 yard fabric
Simmer caps 2 hours, strain
Add iron water (rusty nails soaked 2 weeks)
Immerse fabric, heat gently 1 hour
Cool overnight for deepest color
Coast Miwok Traditional Method
Coast Miwok Traditional Method
Color: Golden yellow to orange
Parts used: Inner bark, nuts
Harvest: Spring (inner bark), Fall (nuts)
Process:
Strip inner bark in spring
Ratio: 1:1 bark to fabric weight
Cold soak 24 hours, then simmer 2 hours
Strain, add pre-mordanted fabric
Simmer 45 minutes for golden tones
Channel Islands Chumash Recipe
Channel Islands Chumash Recipe
Color: Red-orange to rust
Parts used: Berries, bark
Harvest: Winter berries, spring bark
Process:
Crush 3 cups fresh berries
Ferment 3 days covered
Strain juice, add equal water
Heat to 180°F, add fabric
Maintain temperature 1 hour
Southern California Native Recipe
Southern California Native Recipe
Color: Soft yellow-green
Parts used: Leaves and stems
Harvest: Summer, before flowering
Sacred note: Use respectfully, with permission
Process:
Bundle dry sage, burn briefly for ash
Mix ash with hot water (alkaline modifier)
Add to other plant dyes for color shifting
Traditional use: ceremonial garment coloring
Materials: Fresh eucalyptus leaves, iron mordant
Ratio: 1:1 plant material to fabric weight
Process: 24-hour cold extraction, heat development
Results: Golden orange to rust color range
Combining California native plants with ash from fire-damaged areas:
Oak + fire ash = memorial colors
Sage + clay = healing earth tones
Eucalyptus + iron = renewal rust