shirt-to-dirt gallery
See the visual data we've collected so far!
Simple science version
Laura
Simple Science
8 weeks
Raleigh
North Carolina

Nov 12, 2023
Janet
Simple Science
8 weeks
Mississippi

Nov 8, 2023
I planted my #5 linen sample (the control) in a pot of same soil and watered it whenever I had to water deck plants. We are in extreme drought and #1-4 barely degraded. Just add water to highly acidic soil and linen degrades!
Laura
Simple Science
6 weeks
Raleigh
North Carolina

Oct 29, 2023
Janet
Simple Science
8 weeks
Belden
Mississippi

Oct 23, 2023
Got some precious rain; damp, acidic soil seemed to degrade the fabric. On week #2 I decided to place my control (fabric square 5) in a pot with same soil that was watered whenever my deck plants needed it. I’ll dig it up on week 10 and upload its photo if this site is available.
Laura
Simple Science
4 weeks
Raleigh
North Carolina

Oct 15, 2023
Christin
Simple Science
8 weeks
Corinth
New York

Oct 16, 2023
Dana
Simple Science
8 weeks
Olathe
Kansas

Oct 7, 2023
Laura
Simple Science
2 weeks
Raleigh
North Carolina

Oct 1, 2023
Laura
Simple Science
Just buried!
Raleigh
North Carolina

Sep 17, 2023
Malia
Simple Science
6 weeks
East Lansing
Michigan

Sep 28, 2023
Linen swatch is completely gone. Same as week 4. Big happy worms are in its place.
Janet
Simple Science
4 weeks
Belden
Mississippi

Sep 25, 2023
So dry here…
Janet
Simple Science
4 weeks
Belden
Mississippi

Sep 25, 2023
So dry here…

buried meditation books



Annie
6 weeks
O'Fallon
Illinois
September 12, 2023
Starting to feel like autumn is blowing in. Consistently having drizzly cool mornings a few day a week. Definitely cooler in the am and still warm in the afternoon. Snow peas are popping up around the dig sight.








Janet
8 weeks
Houston
Texas
September 2, 2023
Very little decomposition. Slight breakdown on edge of wrap.








Emma
8 weeks
Oconomowoc
Wisconsin
August 29, 2023
It hasn't rained much and has been pretty hot here. The book is definitely more stiff and fragile. I am going to replant it in the ground and leave it there to fully decompose now!





Patricia
8 weeks
Minneapolis
Minnesota
August 28, 2023
Dry dry dry. No rain since last digging up of my book 2 weeks ago. Not much life in the dried out soil. Both front & back covers separated from the book, and in tatters. The rest is pretty well intact, with interesting patterns from plant material I tucked inside and from deterioration of fabric. The threads themselves held up well, and the indigo-dyed fabric is most intact.

Michelle
8 weeks
Eastlake
Ohio
August 27, 2023
Completely gone but for the small piece I found. Lots of worms in the area, rain the last few days as well.

Barbara
8 weeks
Thornton
Colorado
August 26, 2023
As I suspected - all fibers and threads have disintegrated. Happily I was able to locate the stick that was used as my locator.






Sheila
8 weeks
Sandy Hook
Connecticut
August 12, 2023
Quite fragile binding almost totally disintegrated. Brittle covers inside pages have beautiful coloration and remain intact. Overall I’m surprised at how well it held up.

Barb
8 weeks
Aromas
California
August 24, 2023
I tried to rinse the dirt off my book, which only made the fabric fall apart faster. This is what my wet, muddy book looks like. I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like when if dries, but it's so fragile that I just have to wait for it to air dry!

Barb
8 weeks
Aromas
California
August 24, 2023
I've been watering my garden daily, but with sandy soil, it dries out quickly. I had trouble finding my meditation book today, since it was really dissolving! I gathered all the pieces which were covered in soil.....








Janet
6 weeks
Houston
Texas
August 19, 2023
Still no rail. Cracks are 7” deep in the ground. Slight bit of decomposition/worn spots on some pages. Haven’t had rain in weeks.








Beverly
4 weeks
Granby
Connecticut
August 18, 2023
It has continued to be quite rainy. I dug the book up two days later than scheduled and was surprised by how many holes it now has- most seem to be in the area where I sewed the sea shell, even many pages away. I also noticed a spot on the blue fabric where the color is now gone.

Tina
8 weeks
Palmyra
Pennsylvania
August 17, 2023
This is all that is left. In the subsequent 2 unearthings, the book structure had fallen apart, so I attempted to rebundle and bury.
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