Today’s Sunday Visit is with one of our fiber and dye heroes, Rebecca Burgess. Rebecca is the executive director of Fibershed and the author of Harvesting Color as well as Fibershed-Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy. She’s also a seasoned weaver and natural dyer.
About a decade ago, Rebecca had the idea to develop a project focused on wearing clothing made from fiber grown, woven, and sewn within her bioregion of North Central California.
From the Fibershed book: “As she began to network with ranchers, farmers, and artisans, she discovered that even in her home community there was ample raw material being grown to support a new regional textile economy with deep roots in climate change prevention and soil restoration. A vision for the future came into focus, combining right livelihoods and a textile system based on economic justice and soil carbon enhancing practices. Burgess saw that we could create viable supply chains of clothing that could become the new standard in a world looking to solve the climate crisis.”
Fast forward 10 years later and there are over 75 fibersheds, inspired by Rebecca’s initial project, driven by their own fiber and dye missions worldwide. It’s incredibly impressive and if you haven’t already looked up the fibershed in your state or country, check out this Fibershed Affiliate Directory!
We caught up with Rebecca to ask her a few questions about looking back to look forward. Here’s what she had to say…
Tell me about how your weaving and dyeing became so intrinsically tied to restoration ecology and fiber systems.
I began weaving in college on a floor loom through a group class, and dyeing— I am self taught to start. I began reading books in college and practicing what I read. I began integrating my learnings from spending time in native plant communities through my hiking and plant identification practice and my natural dye practice in my early 20’s.
I realized that the native plant communities offered beautiful colors, and it compelled me to want to restore land bases with more of these plant species. I volunteered at restoration projects, went on native plant walks with the native plant society and studied the plant communities to learn more about how to work within and enhance native ecosystems.
You’ve created a worldwide movement with over 70 fibersheds worldwide. What does that feel like?
People, plants and animals have been ‘in this body of work’ for multiple millennia, and what I am happy about is that there is another framework, or platform, or way of understanding what is already here, and what is waiting to be enhanced and nurtured. Agroecological practice, modern pastoralism, weaving, natural dyeing, stitching, basketry, pattern making… these practices are defining our human position within the earth’s ecology, it is my intent, and what I hope continues to expand is that we return to (if we moved away from it), and or continue our path to hold this position. I would love to see young people continue to learn about themselves the way we always have through engaging with plant and animal communities directly.
Has Fibershed become what you thought it would? Has anything surprised you?
I didn’t have a preconceived notion. I only knew that it is what nourished my relationship with the land, and I wanted more than anything for other people to be able to also reconnect, or deepen an existing connection for themselves.
You’ve written the Fibershed book, but also a book about natural dyeing so we know it’s important to you. How have you seen the natural dye world change over the years to be more accepted?
The natural dye world has blossomed. The next generation has found their way to it, in numbers I didn’t anticipate, and this is such a beautiful advent to see and participate in.
What’s a color you’re really drawn to right now?
The green of chocolate cosmos…. We finally were able to grow it at the Learning Center, and it’s so exciting to see this purple flower provide green tones on our local wool.
Want to channel all things Fibershed and Rebecca Burgess?
-Support our U.S. dye farmers using organic farming and shop weld, marigold, pericon and walnut here.
-Shop Fibershed producer Sally Fox’s Sea Island Cotton Lawn Fabric (limited quantities)
(More of our harvest is coming in, stay tuned!)
Did you see Rebecca Burgess on FEEDBACK FRIDAY back in July of 2020? Watch the recording here!