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Sunday, July 28, 2019

Botanical dyeing

Who knew?

I spent a week in Western Australia recently, surrounded by folk who eco-dye lots of stuff.  I have never felt drawn to wrap stuff and boil cauldrons of cloth, but a student brought her copy of Slow Stitch in, and I borrowed it.  Came home and bought it.

I was enjoying reading it for the stitching, when I had a light bulb moment - you could dye the thread you stitched with and I was off to the races!

In a slow way, but this is the bunch of flowers that started it - some violets I had picked for our guests through the week.


I went and checked if I had some threads I could use, and yes of course lots of cotton crochet threads, so I started there.


I read the book, bought another book, read the internet and began.


I soaked my threads. I used a variety of ply and style just to test out theories.


Trying to be good and keep a record.


I prepared my alum, and headed off into the garden.

I added to my violet stash, and picked comfrey and rosemary as well. I also picked rosemary flowers.


At Barry's suggestion I included red crucifix orchids to see what they might do.


I am doing the solar dye bath approach, and of course the day I was doing it there was less solar than the past week, but that's life.

I lined them up outside the kitchen window to remind me to shake them each day and to check when I think they are done.

The one on the far right is an iron mix from the fire pit in our back yard which we use as a bird bath. Again, who knew?


Late Friday afternoon some sun appeared.  They look nice together I think.



As you can imagine fingers are crossed...

12 comments:

  1. can't wait to see the results !

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  2. ...and one thing leads to the other - I'm waiting to see the results

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    1. The iterative way that art appears sometimes Jennifer is intriguing - and yes we wait with fingers crossed!

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  3. How beautiful they are, and how hopeful! Dyeing can be such a fun and interesting project. I, too, can't wait to see what comes out.

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    1. You are so right Dana - they do appear so hopeful! I am sure some will work and some will not and it will be nonetheless intriguing to see what magic happens.

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  4. F- this is such fun to watch - love having the bottles of colour on the retaining wall. B

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    1. It is really good fun isn't it?!?! Fingers are crossed...

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  5. Hi Fiona, I will be doing the same process for a textile piece on mining using threads in the background. India Flint has another useful book, a bit hard core. I'm trying for more blue so who knows. All the best. Virginia OK.

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    1. Thanks Virginia! The results are in on the blue from the violets and it worked pretty well. Have hunted high and low for my copy of India's book and do you think I can find it??? Oh well, plenty of rookie errors to make. Dipping in the iron would add wonderfully to a mining piece wouldn't it? Go well.

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