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whales tonga 10

Published on October 1, 2012 in Swimming with the whales!!! At last!!!Full resolution (900 × 600)
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🧐Curious
🎨Creative
💪🏻Living boldly!
😁Content with wool in my hands
@idoamazingthings
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Instagram post 2181901153613465477_7573063145 Indigo blue; cotton thread; sewing and laughter. In Dali in South-Western China I sewed, wrapped thread and dipped my cotton into liquid blue; under the instruction of the local Bai women in a small village on the outskirts of Dali; and together with Max and our Guides, had the best day. 
This traditional practice of dyeing has survived for over a thousand years surviving the Cultural Revolution, when many other Dong traditions such as Shamanism, were stamped out by Communist ideology.
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This process of botanical dyeing uses plants such as indigo, woad and mugwort which are native to the nearby mountains of Cangshan. These plants are not only used for dye, but for food, medicine and ornaments.

Historically in this region it is the men who harvest and prepare the dyes, whilst the women weave, prepare the cloth and do the stitching and washing of the dyed fabric.

A couple of dozen plants were used for dyeing. I learned that both acid and alkaline mordants were used to modify the colours.

I also learned of the sense of ritual involved in the dyeing process. Dyeing within the lives of the villagers was only performed on goat days in the lunar calendar from June to October. 
Through our interpreter the ladies shared that they were trying to hold on to their tradition, but were fearful that their traditions were being lost as the young people moved away to the cities and their culture was being wiped out. 
I’m so grateful to have learned this unique and special technique from these fabulous ladies. I had the best day. Swipe for pics and more on my website - link in profile.
. . #liveboldly#traveller #roadtrip #momentsofmine #dali #adventurer #journeywoman #indigo #travelmore #instatravelling #travelgram #explore #explorer #traveldiaries #livingthedream #travelawesome #traveldeeper #livefully #livecreatively #inspired #travelmore #wonderfulplaces #openmyworld #lovetotravel #seekmoments #botanicaldyeing #bai #handcrafts
Instagram post 2175476617724628608_7573063145 There is something quite lovely about wearing items which are crafted using one’s hands; and there has been time, quality materials, and one’s heart and soul embedded within them. My skirt; my jumpers and scarves that I knitted myself.. and my jewellery which was made by artisans I’ve met along our journeys over the years; all hold the essence of human creativity and soul. 
Most days on our journey I wore, the most exquisite piece of woven silk fabric I purchased from @ockpoptok in Luang Prabang in Laos… and held it up using the belt I wove with @theweavingsisters . 
Luang Prabang in Laos was a dyers and weavers heaven. At Ock Pop Toc  there was a beautiful display of weaving using silk. I learned so much about the different styles of weaving techniques… and had a really great time with the weavers there.  I’ve always loved weaving and after my fabulous day weaving my belt with @theweavingsisters, I was hungry to learn more… and considering purchasing a loom when we returned home so I could weave at home. 
What was wonderful about wearing an exquisite piece of fabric, was that I could adapt the tying style according to the country and when I was in Tibet, I realised that the fold was in the back instead of at the side as in Laos… so…. just an adjustment in the fold and my skirt was much admired by the local ladies… but for me, more importantly was that there was something quite wonderful about wearing items which had taken time, heart and soul to create and that I could let them live as I walked and travelled across land. 
Swipe to see more photos and more stories and photographs in my Journal on my website – link in my profile. ..
Pic at Everest Base Camp in Tibet, with Chomolungma )Mt Everest) reaching skyward behind me. .
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Samen Shawl by @westknits 
My motifs in Astrid by @junkookamoto212 .
.#liveboldly #Laos #traveller #roadtrip #weaving #momentsofmine #laostravel #adventurer #journeywoman #instatravel #instatravelling #himalayas #travelgram #explore #explorer #traveldiaries #livingthedream #travelawesome #traveldeeper #livefully #livecreatively #inspired #adventureseeker #travelmore #goexplore #wonderfulplaces #openmyworld #lovetotravel #seekmoments
Instagram post 2139205226465755348_7573063145 Road trip in a vintage car from Bangkok to London is filled with rich experiences. Last week I learned from @theweavingsisters how to weave using the back-strap technique and I had the BEST time! I wove this belt .. which was dyed using locally grown indigo! 
Us sista’s laughed so much and had a beautiful sharing time together and I learned so much.
My class was in Luang Prabang in Laos. 
We’re in China right now and having a fabulous time. Long hot days. Rough roads.... and so many experiences to share! I’ll share when I can. Internet is random here in China, and often at night we just need to get to sleep ready for our next big day. I’m updating my website with journal posts when I can, so pop there if you want more stories and photographs. 
Link in profile. .
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#roadtrip #happydays #weaving #indigo #laos #generous #funtimes #traveladdict #journeywoman #vintagecar #laos
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2017 All photographs created by and property of Julie Stephenson.
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