Foraging by a river for plants and trees that we can use in dye baths, with and without mordants (which make colours stronger); easily dye cotton, linen and silk.
Boiling and simmering leaves, twigs, and other dry stored dye plants after measuring out appropriate weight per fabric weight. Flora used same weight as fabric.
Ahimsa silk with Oak Gall dye, plus cotton lace.
Ahimsa silk with Madder 'fold and crunch'.
My own samples from the workshop: Dye resist method: Fold diagonally and clamp.
Oak gall gives a good deep old gold, for antiqued applications. The piece of cotton lace also dyes very well with oak galls. RIGHT: Scarlet result on Ahimsa silk; previously soaked in soya milk, folded and clamped in triangles along folded strips, to create 'resist' of penetration of madder dye. Smaller Habotai silk scrunched and rubber band tied, to create abstract, cosmic or marbled effect. This could be interesting over-dying again and again, to create a multi layered marbled effect.
Cream, bright yellow and ocre achieved with Alder plant matter, leaves and twigs. Centre brighter yellow linen piece was soaked in soya milk, as a pre process mordant. Its a little too bright for my taste so I would use without mordant. The pale cream lace is also with nettle dye bath, in reality a very subtle dark cream, with hint of yellow-green. Subsequent home dying with alder producex a light beige.
Madder pink stripes achieved by folding fabric and using rubber bands to keep tight, preventing dye penetrating fabric. Cotton lace rolled and 2 rubber bands used to achieve resist un-dyed stripes.
The silk, accurate colour: looks different in different lights; In the shade it is more dusky pink, in sunlight - more creamy gold. Dye absorption was very even. Excellent appearance.
Avocado pits prior to using, were soaked for 3 days first
Avocado pits after using, saved for future re-use
Rinsing out silk after dyebath.
Silk drying after washing out
Hardly any colour washed out. The take-up was good: this is because there is a natural mordant in the avocado pits.
Silk dried
Silk dried
This avocado dyed silk will blend well with creams, pinks, peaches and contrast with all other colours; jade greens, blues, blacks and greys.
Colour co-ordinations of new garments made with this silk and other patchwork fabrics will appear here when completed....
The bark falls off the trees ready for easy collection. I collected this bark from 2 trees; Eucalyptus Vminalis, Manna Gum, and Eucalyptus Archeri, Alpine Cider Gum (Tasmania), from Hillier Arboretum, Hampshire, UK. Bark unfurls, dried, off the trees' trunks.
Dye Bath Preparation
Break up bark and leave to soak for a day or overnight. I added 3 leaves to ensure a colour result (as dye instruction books use leaves for strong result). I heated to boil, then simmered for 1hr to 1hr 30mins. Remove bark and put silk in pot. (I pre-mordanted the silk by soaking in water with alum in a bowl overnight; although not necessary with Eucalyptus). It wasn't necessary to reboil and simmer the silk in the pan as it took up the dye well immediately, and quickly grew darker. (This quick take up would be good for fine woollen cloth dying, where boiling can damage fabric).
After about an hour of soaking, frequently moving around, I heated it for about 10 mins and again left it to cool soaking.Silk absorbs bark dye very well, and quickly. I left it in cold dye bath for 1 hr then simmered the pot for 10 mins.Lace fabric on fist placing in dye bath (content unknown; likely cotton/polyester mix.)It rapidly takes up the dye, although it was not pre-mordanted, like the silk was.
Final colour is a rich gold: silk looks very bright in sunlight; a deeper old gold tone indoors. Could be deeper if soaked longer
Seed designs steamed into dyed silk. Darker left silk was soaked in rusty nails to make more brownish.
Practice piece painting over eucalyptus dyed silk. Discharge (bleaching paste) did not work through eucalyptus dye - interesting! Seed heads to be repainted darker, for contrast. Outlines (blue lines) are drawn with acid dye mixed with gutta resist paste, using applicator bottle with nozzle. Background texture in maroon was created with collograph printing: Seeds flattened and glued to cardboard, then used as a print stamp underneath silk, pressed from upper surface. (Details to be added)
Adding iron
All dyebaths can give a darker secondary colour by addition of rusty nail water. (iron). I usually find a mixed fibre lace or cotton lace to soak up this remaining dye.
A jar of large nails can be topped up with water to give a regular supply of rust colour.
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How the dyed silk was used in two garments: As contrasting colour for collar, patches, and applique together with blue-white theme
Eucalyptus dyed silk with coordinating fabrics to make up
Lace dyed with same dyebath. Mixed fibres produces lighter gold.
Eucalyptus dyed lace and silk used in applique of Nigella Sativa seed pod.
Kimono dress 'TASMANIAN BLUES' - Eucalyptus dyed silk used for collar and appliques and in lower patches. Upper left seed pod applique is darker lace dyed with iron addition.
Loose frock top 'NIGELLA BLUES' with silk and lace applique top left shoulder. See them HERE
Silk soon absorbs the dye colour in the strong Tansy dye bath. As this silk can be matted slightly by over heating, and simmering, I only introduce it to a hand hot dye bath. I left it soaking overnight to achieve best strength of colour before rinsing out several times in warm water, until water runs clear.
Wet rinsed silk - drying. Do not squeeze out too hard, or twist creases may occur which don't completely iron out. In summer silk dries fairly quickly and can be ironed smooth while still slightly damp before any creases set in.
A few dark 'spots' are splashes from another dye bath with iron I was doing simultaneously. Only do ONE dye bath at a time.
Ahimsa silk used here, has a different texture to Habotai smooth silk; has thickness of a cotton shirt, but hangs very loose and soft, similarly to viscose. I use offcuts from a fashion company. Its easy to sew and embroider on; as well as silk painting.
This lime yellow is very vivid (see comparisons with other gold colours), so I will overpaint with silk dyes or bundle leaf prints. However, it could be useful to over-dye with madder to give a good orange, or with woad for a turquoise blue. The future life of this piece will be posted here....
See more and others' dye procedures on my Natural Plant Dye Pinterest Board.
Post script.../ This lime yellow was over-dyed in November, used for another test with sycamore leaves bundle-dyeing; I didn't think I would use a bright lime yellow, but must replace as a sample.
Bedstraw is found in waste ground and near the coast. The reddish roots are used for dyeing; family is Madder (Rubiaceae) a well known red dye. The plant I found is growing along the Tarka Trail cycle path (ex rail track) opposite the small town of Bideford, N. Devon. Not easy to pull out the roots, and many were left for next year's growth. This seemed a particularly large and well established plant. Bedstraw has many herbal uses.
The roots have a strong pigment towards red-brown. As the dye bath reduced, I noticed a good pinky red forming on the sides of the pan; possibly due to being aluminium; it may have absorbed the pink element of 'red', giving way to a more browny-peachy colour, even so a very bright peach from the strongest 1st soaking.
Ladies Bedstraw - Amazingly bright ruddy peach silk after removal from dye bath and rinsing
1st Bedstraw dyed silk sample has been pre-mordanted in Alum for a day before putting to soak in hand hot dye bath. Although the roots were boiled up to release dye, boiling Ahimsa silk roughens it, so it was immersed in only a 'hot' bath. Plant dye is often absorbed with no heating.
2nd Bedstraw dyed silk sample in cooled dye bath which was reheated with bedstraw to obtain more dyestuff. Red dye liquid is drained off into glass bowl to soak silk. Steam iron while still damp to help smooth out creases, or don't squeeze out all water. Paler colours can be obtained by adding to remaining dye bath while some pigment remains unabsorbed.
These samples will be matched with recycled fabric prints, and painted on before becoming part of a new garment; which will be added to this post in due course....
See more and others' dye procedures on my Natural Plant Dye Pinterest Board.
Delightful summery patchwork fun tea party dress in pink, plum, lilac and pansy prints.
Pink silk top from a blouse has a bias cut across the weave grain so stretches across variety of bust shapes without other shaping.
Side zip under arm enables dressing. Shot-taffeta changes from plum pink to lilac in light.
Author's unique Ahimsa silk painted front panel has butterflies and pansies, with centre design of Nigella seed pod and added embroidery. Old rose lace is appliqued over corners which covers greener palm leaves on silk beneath. Background of silk painting is logwood dyed batik.
A long pink silk sash same silk as front bodice, was added to dress to fit smaller sizes at the waist: Dress ideally fits a size larger than model.
Fabric Inspirations
Pink/purple shot taffeta and pink silk were the starting inspirations.
Back centre panel is plum silk. Brown/beige cotton print adds contrast; also multi coloured cotton pansy print.
The old rose lace lightens the effect over the long pink/lilac shot taffeta panels, and links with lace applique on front panel.
Sleeves were an added after thought from fine bundle-dyed silk sample. Lower frills are from a blouse.
Dress side panels show red/orange/black on white ground, and red/orange/white on black ground.
The vogue pattern facilitated side extended pieces which hang well in silk. Red linen bodice is made from a skirt. Polyester red/orange print used for upper and center panel. Model is slim, and dress would suit small bust, wider hips.
I've always been intrigued by Native American culture and found images of abstract bird designs of the Hopi Indians applied to pottery. They reached a height of decorative abstraction, adapting bird designs to fit over any curved pottery surface; a brilliant applied design, in natural pigmented black, terracotta and cream colours.
Red Hopi long dress with short capped sleeves, in linen, viscose and silk. Red linen skirt used as main body pieces. Polyester decorative front piece. Habotai silk panels white/black. Viscose orange dots on black bottom.
Red Hopi front view
RED HOPI LINEN DRESS side view. Lower contrast pieces are as the Vogue pattern. Dress is shaped wide at lower hips, then tied to fit hip size. Black sleeves are model's own garment.
RED HOPI LINEN DRESS back view. Beige cotton back piece, with black spotted viscose lower panels.
Available: Awaiting online shop. £95 direct from maker.
Images copyright Amelia Jane Hoskins Please email for use permission.
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