Grapes

It is all very well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in one's memory. That is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory.  ~Edgar Degas

    This cotton fabric was dyed with wine.  The back was done first, and much of it came out in the wash.  The second attempt was the front, for which I resolved to make the stain permanent. I used both wine and hibiscus tea, I heated it on the stove, allowed it to air dry, heat-treated it in the dryer for 40 minutes, and then I washed the fabric.  This process of using unconventional dyes to effectually set a stain in the fabric reminds me of memory.  How could I make the fabric 'remember' the color of the wine instead of allowing it to wash out and fade?

The front of this whole cloth quilt

The back