We completed another successful Seeds to Sew workshop at the Ecology Center’s Eco House in Berkeley, CA. The Ecology Center has been a hub of sustainable living and an incredible resource for the Bay Area. Their programs span a variety of topics and they are the ones in charge of our curbside recycling and compost pick-up program (Thank you!!). They also started the BASIL - The Bay Area Seed Interchange Library. Last month I had the opportunity to go by BASIL and inaugurate our dye plant stamp and our seed saving poster. Their Eco-House located in North Berkeley is a demonstration zero-waste house with a greywater system and marsh, on-demand hot water, solar panels, strawbale tool shed, and a thriving permaculture garden. As you’re starting to tell, I could go on and on about the Ecology Center. It was a great honor for the Permacouture Institute to partner with them.
On to the workshop… The weather was beautiful and it was great to be working outdoors in the garden where we harvested some of our materials.

Local California wool from A Verb for Keeping Warm, Oakland, organic cotton from Stone Mountain and Daughter, Berkeley, and silk scarves from Dharma Trading Co., San Rafael.

Our learning & dyeing group gathering and doing Shibori under the naturally built bamboo trellis.

Maple leaf prints on iron mordanted cotton.

Brilliant red sandalwood.

Yellow turmeric & onion skin dye, magenta ayurvedic red sandalwood & tulsi dye.

Celebrating color! Voila!
Join in our next Permacouture Seeds to Sew workshop with the Seedfolks on Sunday, September 11, 2011 in Oakland.
- Deepa

