Dagmar Klos
"Crowe's Inspiration"
 (Photo by Tom Caroll) |
 (Photo by Tom Caroll) |
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(Photo by Charles Fyer) |
Many years ago, Michelle Crowe and I were in a dye workshop together and so began our journey into the world of colors and dyes. Soon we left behind the synthetic dye world as we delved deeper into the story of natural dyes with its wonderful color palette: ancient dyes that have been around since the beginning of civilization.
Michelle was a seamstress and I was the weaver, but somewhere along the path she began to look at yarns and I began to look at cloth; always sharing favorites or great new finds. As dyers, we not only had our favorite colors and dyes, but favorite fibers to dye, but we both fell in love with silk-hemp cloth. It was a dyer’s dream, the way it took up the color. Always full of energy, Michelle was quick to order this silk-hemp cloth, yards and yards of it; our exploration continued.
Shortly before our mantle workshop, Michelle died suddenly and unexpectedly on an icy road; a great shock and loss to all who knew her. To honor Michelle as a friend and as a fellow dyer, I dedicate my mantle to her.