Each of these garments is a portrait of a family member. This series was a labor of love and an exploration of identity, garment as gift, and personal story telling. All color in each piece came from me dyeing it by hand using natural dyes. The lace in Lace Spirit is handmade by me, and I foraged for the black walnuts I used to dye that piece a rich brown. Working mostly from my bedroom, I sewed the overalls’ applique by hand. I dyed and hand-wove the fabric in Southern Belle , which is a piece about domestic labor, the alienation of conservative Christian womanhood, and is intentionally lacking in creative design. The fur used in Rabbit and Raven was skinned by the subject of the piece from a coyote hit by a car. That piece includes themes of strength and vulnerability. Screen printed images on Joy, Hope, Nostalgia were done using natural dyes, and many were based off of family photographs. Using natural dyes in this work is part of and an illustration of the deep connections my family has with the natural world. Each of these slow and intentional processes provided time and space to honor these relationships and stories.

In order:

Appalachian Queer for Justice

Linen, natural dyes

Joy, Hope, Nostalgia

Rayon, natural dyes, tencel yarn

Rabbit and Raven

Silk, cotton, natural dyes, textile pigment, coyote fur, snake bones

Southern Belle

Hand-woven tencel, silk, natural dyes

Lace Spirit

Silk, cotton lace made by the artist, natural dyes, vintage cotton sheet, family locket

2017