Author: Amelia Hoskins

04 Nov

Dock Seeds Dye

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Bath Processes, Dye Plants, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

Dock Seeds Dye - good source of beige

Dock seeds dyed habotai and Erin silk

Dock seed dyed Erin silk and Habotai silk

Russet Red Dock Seeds

Plant seeds collected in October, when crisp and dry red russet.  Quite a big dish full so the dye pan quantity made gave reasonable colour, but also will make weaker dye baths if continually brewed up.  Colours are quite strong, so well worth collecting as much as possible from my allotment plant.

Erin Silk samples in dye palette of variety of modifiers.  Shades can then be chosen for modifying silk piece and for mixing print pastes.  Erin silk, which looks a bit like linen, takes on a stronger or darker colour than the Habotai silk. The dock creamy beige is quite warm with slight variations created by the modifiers.

Workshop table has red-brown docks seeds in bowl after boiling up, the dye liquid in a plastic pot and also some eucalyptus leaves soaking in water.

Modifiers Test Palette

Samples are soaked 24hrs in modified dye. 2tsps of dye liquid + 2grms modifier powder. Slight variations are interesting. More larger samples coming....

  1. Top right - Aluminium Sulphate
  2. Centre right - Calcium Carbonate
  3. Bottom right - Citric Acid
  4. Bottom left - Sodium Bicarbonate
  5. Center left - Ferrous Sulphate (iron)

Modifier Silk Sample Results

Results on Erin silk (thicker weave) and Habotai silk (thinner, smoother)

Different silks will take dye differently, I discovered.  Some good colours here with modifiers, which helps me determine which modifiers to use.  I mix them into the final dye bath, after the tests.

Russet Red Dock Seeds

Workshop table has red-brown docks seeds in bowl after boiling up, the dye liquid in a plastic pot and also some eucalyptus leaves soaking in water.

28 Oct

Dahlia dyed Silks

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DAHLIA - Yellow Dyed Silk

I thought dahlias would give pink, but NO, golden yellow.  Petals are soaked firstly for days, then heated gently, before adding silk. The yellow flower centre gives the strong yellow dye on Erin Silk, and a duller warm yellow on Habotai Silk.

Pink dahlias to make a bath

Dahlias being press dried

Quite a lot of dahlia flowers saved, pressed: worth trying some in bundle dyes.  [To do...]

28 Oct

Blackberry dyed Silks

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Plants, Natural Plant Dyes, Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

Blackberries - Purples - Pinks

Berries are soaked overnight, then heated, simmered,  Samples with modifiers are first created in palette, to determine alternative colours.  Silks Erin (peace silk) and Habotai silk were soaked in blackberry dye bath when cooled to warm; with modifier. Silk is placed in dye bath then left for 24 - 48 hours.  Dye bath is saved in jar to use later; also to add to other colours to tip a shade.

Silk was pre mordanted in Alum Sulphate which would have given a more purple result, but just a few Slo Berries were also in the mix, which influenced the result to be more pink; in fact similar to neutral without modifiers.  (Subsequent Slo berry dyed silks showed how deep pink Slo dye is)

Range of colour tones with different modifiers.

  • Aluminium sulphate
  • Calcium Carbonate
  • Citric Acid
  • Cream of Tartar
  • Sodium Bicarbonate
  • Ferrous Sulphate

Erin Silk Result

Erin silk (peace silk, worm is not harmed) took the dye very well.

Slight variations in tone reflected by the slub nature of the weave.

 

Tie Dyed Blackberry dyed silk

This piece was tided with cord in places to produce the circular fan resist effect.  It was also bundle dyed with some purple flowers (Linaria) which only came out in spots.

TESTS TO DO...

Blackberry dye is stored to be re-tested with iron for lavender to violet and citric acid for brighter pink. TO CONTINUE...

 

27 Oct

Sumac Flower Dye – Salmon Pink

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Bath Processes, Dye Plants, Plant Dye, Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

SUMAC Flower seeds silk dye Salmon Pink Terracotta

Modifier tests on Sumac dye

Good strong tones achieved with modifiers.  [See notebook image above.]  I chose to simply use alum sulphate as a pre-mordant (which matches my silk pieces, although no mordant at all (centre test sample), would be fine.  An interesting change from predominant salmon pink, is the pale straw sample, modified with Sodium Bicarbonate, (alkaline). This stops the pink coming through, but Sumac is more valuable for the stronger terracotta pinks.

Shetland wool was soaked in dye jar, but probably not mordanted, and has oils in (must be alkaline), which prevented the pink shades.  Shetland wool, dyed ginger was found in previous year's jar of Sumac dye!  Worth leaving wool in for longer after dyeing silk pieces.

Sumac flower spikes start deep red, but these were picked when turned russet, in October.  Soak flowers in water until dye appears. I left these for a few weeks before adding fabric.  Silks Habotai and Erin were soaked for a few days amongst the flower seeds. They took up dye quickly, but I wanted to make sure they got as strong as possible.

26 Oct

Amaranth Pink

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November Amaranth dye jar success!

This year, 2025, I grew amaranth from seed, and they thrived in west facing pots.  Tassels get quite long, if left through to August.

Bright Pink achieved with Apple skins 'vinegar

After adding more flowers to soak in August-October dye jar, together with apple vinegar from apple waste and skins, the advised Ph3 was achieved.  The habotai silk finally TOOK the colour - a bright magenta pink.  It held and did not wash out, also rose-magenta pink after drying.  CONCLUSION: Either longer soaking OR apple vinegar addition allowed for dye absorption.  More pond water added to jar and more apple vinegar for subsequent pinks; maybe paler...

Pink or magenta must be 'coaxed' carefully from the flowers.  The joy is that the 'fixer' apple vinegar is available from ripe apple peelings in October. If the seeds proliferate, there'll be plenty of pink dye next year.

Amaranth dye liquid separated

Adding modifier to Amaranth dye

I must have got the modifiers mixed up: using Bicarbonate of Soda, silk turned gold in the purple dye. More tests...

A 3rd soak jar behind in image shows the flowers brown, as they were changing from flower to seed, only partly pink. However water has gone purple, so in hope, some more pink stems were added. [the older the plant, the pinker the stems].  This pink seems quite strong.  Amaranth plants are over by November, but keep producing tassels of magenta from July/August to November.

Amaranth Flower dye - first attempt - Testing August

First sample tests were cream yellows.  By September more tassels picked and they are still good, but starting to 'seed'. I made a dye jar in August, left soaking for some weeks with some vinegar and pond water, but only resulted in cream/beige. I added more to it in October and also added some vinegar, which helped get a pink result on Shetland wool.

Amaranth dye jar

Silk in dye jar

Amaranth Coil bundle dyed

Using very long amaranth tassels, result looked promising as the pink went onto the silk, but it didn't fix well and the silk dried to a very pale patchy white-pink.   Maybe if silk was soaked in vinegar first, it would adhere better.  Silk would have been pre soaked in Aluminium Sulphate. [AFTERNOTE: if silk was soaked in apple cider vinegar it would have dyed pink]

Amaranth tassel spiral bundle dyed on Erin

Amaranth wet wool result The wool was tied in a loop for submersion in jar with both the initial August and the additional October Amaranth. Hard to tell if the browny patch was upper or lower, whether vinegar or water caused

Dyed result PINK! Plus Sumac dyed wool

 

Advice from blogs stated use vinegar. I added white wine vinegar to pond water, but yet to try only vinegar.

Two tones pink-mauve and straw in continuous yarn (see the two tones on removal from dye jar): is likely where the vinegar separated from the pond water...

LEFT sample Cream Gold colour is a Sumac flower dyed sample

Amaranth flowers form in July, and get longer and longer through August and by September are very long, when I picked most of mine.

31 May

Jade Moss Voile Diamonds Dress

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Mainly a green moss and jade 'story' dress, but has lilac and turquoise in one of the voile prints; making a charming picture with lilac clematis in my garden.

Jade Moss Voile Diamonds dress

Lightweight pretty patchwork summer dress

Diamond patches in fine polyester voiles at front:  Jade Green, Moss Green, Charcoal, Cream, Turquoise, Lilac.

Two part at back: same fabrics but not patchwork.  Bias cut skirt gives loose fit and flare.

Lace Neck Yoke:  Cotton green tinged cream.  Front and back. Back lace yoke is deeper.

Patchwork is cut on bias, like back, so will flare.  Unlined for coolness.

Length: shoulder to hem 36 inches approximately to knee.  Bust suitable 34 inch: (32 inch to 36 inch due to bias cut stretch).

Diamonds are cut on bias so dress will drop, or stretch to fit wearer's shape.  Model images below is smaller slim size.

Jade Moss Voile Diamonds dress

Summer voile dress back view

 

Top back bodice print has butterfly design in lime green, turquoise and lilac.

Back view has no diamond patches, but uses same fabrics as front. As fabrics available get less, its a resolution to have enough to complete the dress, as patches take up a lot more material, due to their positioning 'on the grain', as well as the detailed sewing needed.

Lower skirt in charcoal/jade green voile, lime green flower and leaf prints, is cut on the bias (diagonal weave grain) which produces a good flare at back.  Waistline suitable taller figure.

Available £125.00 on my Shamanic Nights FOLKSY Page Celtic Rose (to be added)

There is also a sister dress (SOLD) 'Butterfly Moss'  with silk painted butterfly silk frontispiece and similar lace yoke.

07 Apr

Raspberry Rose Celtic Kimono Dress

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Sumptuous and totally unique kimono dress.  Mixed fabrics: including magenta pink-red velvet devore at back and a variety of silk dyed pieces at front.  Experiments with eco dyeing using plants to dye Ahimsa and Habotai silks.

 

LEFT SIDE SILK LOWER

 

Lower dress side: Habotai silk dyed in golds and purples; created by bundle dyeing [link] - Many layers of over dyeing. Definition added with logwood, lemon juice and woad.  With bundle dyed silks, after steaming, outlines can be added to create 'design' shapes, like flowers.  Useful when the dyed effects merge together with no design definition.

This has come out quite well; using just one piece, cut diagonally to add to each side of garment.

Additional blackberry dyed Ahimsa silk is used bottom front next to it.

LEFT SIDE SILK UPPER

Sleeve section in Ahimsa silk, bundle dyed with various flowers and leaves, and blackberries [background eco print session see Session 4 'To get some colour'.  A blotchy result led to being over-embroidered.

Embroidered Celtic Triskele design of 'rounds' added to silk with overplay of abstracted chain stitch embroidered 'roses'.  Added embroidered 'leaves' extend from circles down sleeve.

Black/pink cotton jersey is seen as 'cuff' below sleeve and is partial lining inside sleeves.  Together with the jersey and the Ahimsa silk, the main 'body' is very warm.

Celtic Raspberry Rose Kimono right side and back

SILK SLEEVES

View shows differences between front and back kimono dress.

Sleeves have a join following down from shoulder.  Different silk bundle dyed outcomes front and back sleeve sides.  Front Ahimsa silk embroidered; back Habotai silk eco steamed tones.

Black and pink patched fabrics seen through crimson red lace.

Black and magenta pink cotton jersey sleeve cuff is an extension of the inner sleeve lining, echoing the pinks used on dress back.  Its always a matter of what fabrics I have in stock to coordinate with.

Model 'Rose' is quite tall. shorter people would find the dress sits on or just above knee.

 

Vivid Magenta velvet devore and crimson cotton lace add a sumptuous tone to the lighter mottled front silks

LINING

Garment is built around an existing black/pink roses polyester printed lining which provides the collar and front buttoning section; i.e. the original front welt is used for front welt on kimono dress, and one side of the sash belt, which threads around waist and having back part elasticated.  New buttons and bound button holes added.  Pink silks either side of front are blackberry dyed.

Celtic Raspberry Rose Kimono Silks

Original source for Celtic Triskele design was formalised geometric plant forms within a sphere.  On this silk they are not geometrically exact; the spheres have more loose design, left so to enable simplified embroidery areas.  Shapes within Triskeles have been modified with lemon juice to discharge some of the left over dye colour, and to create definition in the design.

Embroidery Designs Over Eco -Dyeing

Silks Ahimsa - Chain stitch follows the outlines of the discharged Triskeles.  Original development of colour on the Ahimsa silk at bottom of this page.  Freestyle 'roses' are created within the Triskele design.  Silk Habotai bundle dyed and modified to create appearance of roses, but no embroidery.

Celtic Triskele shapes are seen painted on with lemon juice to discharge through the blackberry and multi plant eco-dyed and steamed Ahimsa silk

This is the start of ideas to design specific coloured shapes over eco prints, to be afterwards modified to change dyed colours, and embroidered over with details.  I created the 'rose' shapes where there would have been more circular triskele designs within the larger triskele.  i.e. I have modified the design taken from Celtic designs: also used in wool scarf. (below)

13 Jan

Nigella Blues Smock

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NIGELLA BLUES Smock Top Dress

Enough patches prepared from 'Tasmanian Blues', for a smaller garment.  Size and shape was dictated by the blouse used as an underlining, the colours of which were a perfect match, being cream brown and pale blue.  Short sleeves made in dark blue lace.  Coconut buttons with bound buttonholes [how to below].  Applique patches giant seed designs again created with eucalyptus dyed lace and bundle dyed silk.  Back hem is drooped lower.

AVAILABLE :  £85.00 - Direct from maker

Nigella Blues button up short sleeved smock dress - £90.00. [Shop coming SOON! and FOLKSY to add]

Nigella Blues Smock – Bound buttonhole sewing – Click to enlarge

Nigella Blues Smock – Applique making – Click to enlarge

Nigella Blues Smock – Making – Click to enlarge

12 Nov

Sumac Leaves and Flowers

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Sumac leaves (Autumn red)  -  Three samples steamed together

TOP: Ahimsa silk: Previously gold dyed produced Sumac light brown eco-print - 'Earth' side.  Small deep purple salvias steamed out very pale.  TWO ABOVE: Hesperanthe purple flowers printed on the habotai silk 'Sun' side.   BELOW: No print hardly. The silk was previously dyed blue with Hesperanthe, but it steamed out completely, leaving a 'shadow' of pink.

SUMAC jar of flower-seeds

Habotai silk soaked for a week produced strong deep gold (like eucalyptus bark). Sumac jar resulted in a deep orangey brown dye in jar in sunny window.  Silk and wool strands in amaranthe jar turned pale yellow. [needs correct modifier].  [AFTERNOTE: wool found a year later result deep ginger! See 2025 Sumac Dye]

Wool scarf, knotted to get a variegated effect, soaking in Sumac flower seed dye liquid.

Fine Wool soaked in Sumac 48 hours.  Took on a peachy gold colour.  Knots made no difference to colour saturation when opened and washed. In Nov 2025 I found a ball of shetland wool left in the Sumac 2024 yr jar.  It had turned strong ginger.

Sumac dyed fine wool scarf was over eco-printed with large red Catalpa Bignonionides leaves.   A stronger violet-brown leaf result than Catalpa wool scarf 1; so Sumac tannin must have helped the leaf colour deepen; more so than previously over-dyed Comfrey wool scarf which stayed yellowish background.  [Both Sumac flowers and Catalpa Bignoniodes leaves are both ready in November, so a good choice to try again in 2025]

Lemon juice brings out the PINK-CRIMSON of Catalpa leaves.  It remains to be seen if it fades or not.

Catalpa Wool Scarf 2 continues HERE.

Images copyright Amelia Jane Hoskins Please email for use permission.