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...