Cranesbill - Linaria - Vetch
Experimental bundle dye to see what 'takes'. Foraged purple flowers. Linaria flowers were almost seasonally finished; so tried purple vetch also, still massing into flower.
Habotai light gold silk was pre-soaked in Alum mordant. Hawthorne dyed thicker Ahimsa silk was pre-soaked in 10mls of red acid dye, (used for silk painting) to change the gold slightly. Both silks to be steamed together.
Flowers arranged on Ahimsa and Habotai covering
Flowers between two silks before folding in three
Two types of silk: Habotai light, Ahimsa darker
Dark gold Ahimsa as 'blanket' around Habotai silk sandwiched. Silk 'sandwich' was folded over itself into thirds, before winding around a thick stick. Tightly tied with string, but uncovered, before steaming over an open saucepan.
While folding over, area was sprinkled with vinegar/water weak mix. (too strong vinegar can causer yellow-browning). Queen Anne's lace was sponged with rust water.
Silks rolled around branch
Two silks wrapped around branch with string
Wrapped bundle over steam pan
Steaming pot
Improvised steaming stick; rose tree root rests across pan. Sits, or can be tied on. Length enables handles to turn around. Bundle was steamed for 5 hours simmered, turning part time, then left in position overnight and opened after 24hrs.
This method, with a 'blanket silk layer' has given cleaner prints than other methods with lid down and long steaming. Conclusion: open dye pan avoids bleeding of flower colour which happens during closed steams. [or do shorter steams].
STEAMING RESULTS
Linaria (semi wild) produces a very good dark blue, in places 'Prussian' blue shining turquoise, in blurred shapes from the tops of Linaria flowers. Speckles can be seen where I broke and scattered linaria flower heads, giving dark blue-black dots. Shapes created by blue dye are in places mirrored due to the folding of the Habotai silk into three, together with a 'blanket' of Ahimsa silk.
Mirror prints appear on darker gold Ahimza silk, but feinter. (Ahimsa was not soaked in Alum, but was briefly soaked in a weak magenta acid dye. (A tip from another dyer that a pre soak in an acid dye will increase density of floral 'prints'; especially if iron modifier used).
Red clover also made purple prints of the small tiny petals. [They may have shown more purple dots if they had been flattened out first. These tiny petals could have been sprinkled over]. No evidence of purple vetch giving a dye result, nor blue cranesbill.
Queen Anne's lace produced a good yellow, though just blurred areas, where they were placed in centre of silk scarf lengths. They were sponged with rusty-nail 'iron' water modifying mixture.
