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…
Sandra
Simple Science
4 weeks
Savannah
Georgia
Sep 24, 2023
I couldn't find even a scrap left after only 4 weeks. I dug around the entire quadrant but nada.Our weather has been unseasonably cool (but welcome) with some rainfall.
buried meditation books
Pam
8 weeks
Panama City
Florida
May 19, 2024
Dug up 5/19/24 wet sandy soil, and sunny at 10:00am. More rain over the 2 weeks than usual. Cloth linen book was wet, and darker but not much difference than 2 weeks ago.
Pam
6 weeks
Panama City
Florida
May 5, 2024
Dug up 9:50 am - Sunny, dry and 78 degrees. No visible bugs. Looks about the same maybe a little darker and holes a little larger.
Pam
6 weeks
Panama City
Florida
May 5, 2024
Dug up 9:50am 5/5/24 sunny 78 degrees. It’s been dry weather for a week or so. Dry sandy soil with no visible bugs, and it looks about the same- maybe a little darker with some holes a little larger.
Pam
4 weeks
Panama City
Florida
April 21, 2024
Dug up 4/21/24 3pm a cloudy day with rain earlier in the morning. 70 degrees with damp sandy soil. No bugs just darker linen, and edges with holes and few holes on the back cover page.
Pam
2 weeks
Panama City
Florida
April 7, 2024
The soil was dry, sandy under a cedar fir tree. Dug up this afternoon sunny out 70 degrees. There were tiny worm like bugs (my husband says termite larvae) on mostly the front and back cover of the book, and fewer on the inside pages. I can see holes eaten in the back cover, and eaten edges of the front flap and some page edges too. Mostly the inside pages look almost same color as when it was made.
Pam
Just made/sewn
Panama City
Florida
March 24, 2024
Pam
Just buried
Panama City
Florida
March 24, 2024
5pm 3/24/2024 Cloudy, temperature 70 degrees, buried 4” deep under outer west facing branches of our big cedar fur tree in backyard.
Pam
Just made/sewn
Panama City
Florida
March 24, 2024
Sunny today, 74 degrees, rain yesterday and we have a sandy soil mix here.
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.
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