from the dye garden: botanical quilt treasure box

I feel such indescribable joy in early Spring, when my dye garden seedlings are emerging in the greenhouse and everything is bursting with potential. Anticipating these plants at their fullest expression and coaxing color out of them is what brought this treasure box to life. It is a marriage of what I hold most dear: flowers, color, tiny stitches, and fabric in my hands. Planting, harvesting, dyeing, curating, stitching, and assembling these treasure boxes is such a pleasure. So much care and consideration goes into each material that is tucked inside. It is a slow and thoughtful process, and I feel such kinship and connection to those who appreciate and delight in the contents. This treasure box is filled with plant-dyed wool felt squares and hand drawn images of the dye flowers that created each color. The botanical images are printed on stick and stitch water soluble embroidery transfer paper, so you can replicate the intricate design with a needle and thread. Stitch the detailed dye flowers on the color of wool felt that the flowers produced. You can create a small quilt wall hanging (like I did) or make coasters, patches, lavender sachets, pin cushions... and then use scraps for amulets, hair clips, felt flowers pins and more. Each sturdy 4.5 x 4.5 x 2" cardboard matchbox-style box is covered with a plant-dyed piece of wool gauze, a hand stitched coreopsis flower is adhered to the center. The box is wrapped with a vintage silk sari ribbon. Choose between four colors for the box top (purple, sage, light blue, and pink) - the contents inside is the same. You can look at my collection of free sewing tutorials to find inspiration for ways to use up every little scrap of your plant-dyed wool felt. I hope you can feel the love and care that is bundled up in every box. CONTENTS: [8] 4” squares of plant dyed wool felt dyed with scabiosa, marigold, rudbeckia, indigo, weld, coreopsis, madder, hollyhock from my dye garden [2] 4” squares of “mud” plant-dyed wool felt dyed in the exhausted dye bath [1] 11” square of green hemp linen dyed with marigold and indigo [1] 30” strand of hand torn vintage silk sari ribbon [3] 3” squares of stick and stitch water soluble embroidery transfer paper printed with 8 hand drawn dye flower images (the same flowers used to dye the fabric) [4] yards of black embroidery floss with a hand sewing needle glue stick color image of finished quilt piece with instructions