on these coldest and clearest days, the brilliant intensity of the winter sky is every shade of blue. i tried to capture the ever-changing hues in a new treasure box for the stitcher.

my first project after the holiday chaos is cleaning up the dye house... layers upon layers of things i did not put away during the rush. as i reorganized all of my plant-dyed fabrics by color family, i was so drawn to the subtle variations of blue.
i love that no two pieces of fabric are the same.


i made this indigo inspired treasure box for the stitcher to capture this wave of blue magic.
each box is an ode to the winter sky, with the colors transforming as i made addition to the dye pot. so much is to be discovered with a blue rainbow. when i limit my options (as in not having the full spectrum of colors to work with) i find my creativity intensifies. i become more decisive and detail oriented. i like to create this limitation when i am in my home studio, it is something i have learned from years of traveling with limited supplies. i have been particularly connected to blue as i prepare for my virtual blue amulet class this week (scroll down for more information). these boxes all have little stitchings on the top patchwork piece that were inspired by my blue amulets.

the wool felt and silk ribbon in this treasure box are an exploration of blues. with indigo (both fresh and fermented) as the base, i played with different additions to the dye pot with other plants from my dye garden: black hollyhock, scabiosa, weld, and marigold.

each sturdy 4.5 x 4.5 x 2" cardboard matchbox-style box is covered with a unique wool felt patchwork piece with stitchings inspired by my blue amulets. perhaps you will use the materials in this treasure box to make your own patchwork pieces– an alter, a trivet, a coaster, an amulet... so many possibilities. i have also included dried indigo buds with the seeds inside if you would like to grow your own next summer. indigo is easy to grow!

i hope you can feel the love and care that is bundled up in every box.

treasure box contents:
• [10] 4 x 4” squares of plant-dyed wool felt in a spectrum of blues
• [10] 1-yard strands of hand torn plant-dyed silk ribbon in a spectrum of blues
• 2 yards of black embroidery floss
• hand sewing needle
• antique sequins
• dried indigo flowers with seeds (for planting!)

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i hope you can join me on january 8th!
sign up via tatter.org, scroll down for more information. upon registering, you will be sent a blue amulet kit directly from tatter.*

*if you register too late to receive the kit by mail, you can still watch the class live and stitch your amulets once your kit arrives. the class recording will be available to registered participants for a month.

can’t make the class but interested in the kit? find it here.

this class is an exploration in inspiration, design, and stitching technique. amulets are a way to incorporate favorite charms, beads, buttons, fabric scraps, and stitch patterns. you can also tuck words inside the amulet – a little mantra, a memory to hold close, an ode to a person you love, a reminder. the process is a balance of creative (shape and decoration) and mechanical/technical (assembly) and we will delve into the overlap between the two. the technical aspects can be very creative as there are many ways to finish each piece. we will discuss intentional misalignment and asymmetry, the use of negative space, color choices, stitch possibilities, and ways to personalize an amulet. each participant will receive a blue amulet DIY kit and will need to collect a few items from home.



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you can find lots of inspiration for ways to use your indigo treasure box materials in my collection of over 50 free sewing tutorials.
happy stitching!



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PS: myra really wanted to play with the indigo flowers and seeds.