Thank you to all who registered for the 4th and final conversation in The Common Thread series co-hosted by the RISD Nature Lab and the Southeastern New England Fibershed. For those who missed it, below is a recap along with a recording of the whole conversation. Here are answers to a few of the questions that we didn’t have time to address. Brece and Laurie also compiled a list of resources and readings to expand upon their discussion, which can be accessed here. 



October 7th was the final live conversation of The Common Thread virtual series with Natural Dyer + Textile Artist + Hancock Shaker Museum Artist-in-Residence, Brece Honeycutt, and RISD Museum Costume & Textiles Associate Curator + RISD Apparel Faculty Member, Laurie Brewer. Our guests presented on how the relationship between natural color resources and regional ecology has impacted the production of textiles, dyestuffs, and apparel throughout history.

Before synthetic dyes were introduced in 1856, textiles were exclusively dyed using local color resources. This means that the flowers, trees, and other plants that were local to a dyer’s region (or could be imported), directly determined the textile colors that could be produced at that time and place.

Brece shared how the monetary value, spiritual significance, and local accessibility of natural dye resources helped determine the integral role of color within the Shaker community noting that before synthetic dyes became ubiquitous, “you could identify where someone was from by the colors they were wearing.”

Laurie provided an in-depth look at several textile pieces housed at the RISD Museum, and what their colors can tell us about how and where the objects were created. She encouraged the current and next generations of apparel designers to “reconsider ways in which nature and color can be utilized in textiles and fashion,” and to draw inspiration from designers who have already established “systems of sustaining sound practices for producing dyestuffs and textiles.”

Watch the full recording here.

Watch all four Common Thread conversations here.