wondering...about the wonders of this wonderfull...world

wondering...about the wonders of this wonderfull...world
foto x arnaldo @MMXIproject
A couple of summers ago, coming home from class, I took the subway with a friend and I told her I was trying to start a blog... then I also told her how time consuming and addicting it had become, and that I was wondering if it was something worth doing... she laughed and asked me to let her know when I was done and give her the"link" so she could read it. Then she left and I kept thinking...why? why should I do this ?

Technology has taken us to a new level and we are now, able to "publish ourselves"! PUBLISH OURSELVES however we want to; if you want to be yourself, transparent and out in the open, or even if you want to pretend to be someone else... YOU CAN! Now you can blog and share your thoughts and experiences with people without having them "altered" by the editors, or "chosen" because of how cool or marketable they are...

This space is for us to share; zaidibirindilindilandia-my own little world, my ingenious- and your thoughts!

welcome, and thank you!



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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

17 skeins spun so far!

all 17 skeins of spun "scraps" waiting to be washed/whipped and hung to dry
just wanted to share my joy for what is happening.
today I'm preparing the skeins of hand spun yarn so that I can start knitting some cool pieces tomorrow!

So far, we've spun 17 skeins.
All together they weigh 2.5 lbs, and thats 2,5 lbs of waste that has been transformed into a wonderful and super interesting"fiber". 

enjoy the pics!!!
I will enjoy the rest of my day at the "studio"... 
And then, a YUMMY dinner at TIA POL to celebrate Abuelo's 73rd b-day.

17skeins being rinsed + washed! its a pool party of scraps!

skein detail in pool! isn't it so cool looking?

Saturday, December 24, 2011

did you know? DYEING with black beans

just a photographic update of what's happening in zaidibirindilandia!







we've been playing with natural dyes, and these are some pictures from a few weeks ago.
so ironic that after the travels and the experimentation two of the most important colors came out of things that are so familiar to me and that I never thought of DYING with...
achiote (annatto) and black bean water!
the black bean water was very intriguing. when i dyed a piece of mordanted organic cotton in the cold water (from the soaked beans) that had never been heated, the fabric turned out purple. after heating the water, the resulting color on a new piece of mordanted organic cotton was gray!




fabric being dyed in black bean water

left: black bean skins, right : fabric drying
fabric dyed with achiote, coffee, curry, turmeric
those colors made me think of THIS- which remind me so much of my days in FLORENCE, and make me wish this was my view -from the studio-
and that this was me, going outside to have a chat with the sun and wish him a good night
I guess you will just have to stay tuned to find out more. 
Remember the show is on JANUARY 27th!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Getting Ready for AFW/The Green Fashion Competition

IT IS TIME!
It is time for an UPDATE. 

Its been a whirlwinding couple of weeks, working hard in the preparation for our collection for The Green Fashion Competition.

I've been able to connect to people through my work and it is one of the most rewarding feelings. Its inspiring, encouraging and reaffirming: Its like knowing that you are doing the right thing at the right time, that you are on a "mission" and that the journey is magical!

I love sharing my work, receiving feedback and advice; and I am so fortunate to be surrounded by people that are interested, supportive and sending me amazing vibes.

So, before I bombard you with images I'd like to thank each and every one of you who has reach out and given me good energy and happy wishes, - they go a long way- !
special thanks to:
  • Tara St. James from STUDY NY, Daniel Silverstein from 100% NY, and Auralis Herrero Lugo from Auralis Studio for letting me recycle their fabric scraps and the encouragement.
  • Jessica Velez from Jessica Velez Knitwear for letting me come over and use your studio to drape and knit, and for being there since day 1.
  • To my mom -master seamstress and crafter- for joining me on this adventure and becoming a FULL TIMER on our "travelling studio", my sister and her boyfriend who've donated all their free time to cutting fabric strips and learning how to spin (yes, the boyfriend is discovering the world of craft but I won't mention any names because I promised I would say that he was watching the football game while "the girls" sewed their lives away ;P )
  • To Leo and Dani for coming over and lending a hand, to my uncles for letting this greenventure take over their apartment, for the understanding and the feeding the entire crew!... AND, thanks to my friends, whose inboxes I've clogged with emails asking for music, styling suggestions and business-plan advice.
OH, one more thing: We are on twitter now, so
(the resistance is over, I had to give in)

enjoy!
 
just a little teaser ;) overviewing the "making-of"  the alveolo tunic/top
concoting natural dyes: blackberries, blueberries, coffee, eucalyptus leaves, onion skins and tea, curry, turmeric, black beans and annatto
maybe I shouldn't give so much of it away... I cant resist! these are the dyed pant pieces waiting to be sewn

fabric scraps waiting to be spun
lovely spindle working its magic!