Category: Plant dye processes

14 Nov

Apple Skins dye

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

APPLES - 2025 crop - using red skins for dye after apples are processed

I only found out this year that the red skins when soaked produce a pale pink.  The apple cider vinegar produced is also very helpful in gaining a pink with Amaranth dye  as it gives a Ph3.  A few Amaranth flowers are visible behind the apples.

Habotai silk in pot of apple skin dye

Habotai pale pink result when dry

Silk dyed samples Erin and Habotai

Modified small Erin squares

 

  • Alum Sulphate -  Pale Grey
  • Calcium Carbonate - Grey
  • Citric Acid - Light Pink
  • Cream of Tartar - Dull light Pink
  • Sodium Bicarbonate - Cream
  • Ferrous Sulphate (iron) - mid Grey

Smallest Erin dyed sample shows marbled effects when silk is scrunched up beneath a small pot of skins.

13 Nov

Sloe Berry dyed silks

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

Sloe berries dark blue: first I've ever foraged

Soaked for a few days, boiled and simmered. Left to rest overnight.  Boiled up again and left to cool before straining plant material, and adding silk to the dye bath.

Sloe berry dye silk samples modified.  From these tests, I chose to use aluminium sulphate for Erin and Habotai silk

From TOP clockwise:

  • Aluminium Sulphate     -  Pink
  • Calcium Carbonate       -  Dull Brown
  • Citric Acid                        - Red
  • Cream of Tartar             -  Salmon
  • Sodium Bicarbonate     -  Russet Brown
  • Ferrous Sulphate           -  Charcoal

Sloe berries removed - Silk and lace dyed. Cotton lace was mordanted in Alum Acetate

Died results of Sloe dyed silk and cotton

All similar, though silks modified in aluminium sulphate and antique cotton lace modified in aluminium acetate.  Cotton lace is more pinky.  I often make a resist circle by using rubber bands of tying with cotton twine.

09 Nov

Sunflower Dyed Silk

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

Brightest Yellow Sunflowers

My son brought me some sunflowers from a girl seller in the street. They weren't large, but they were very bright deep yellow.

Sunflower Modifier Tests

Sunflower dye bath with Erin Silk and palette with dye for modifying

Erin silk dyed with Sunflowers

Sunflower yellow dyed Silk

TO DO...

A dark olive to be made for print paste... TO BE CONTINUED 

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.

12 Nov

Sumac Leaves and Flowers

Amelia Hoskins / Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

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.

05 Nov

Crimson Vine Leaves Eco Prints Silk and Wool

Amelia Hoskins / Eco Prints, Plant dye processes, Wool / / 0 Comments

Catalpa Bignoniodes Tree - Crimson Vine type - Several experiments on Habotai silk and fine wool

The correct name for this vine tree was advised by head gardener at Overbeck Gardens, Salcombe, Devon during visit November 2024. They have a huge spread of it over wooden trellis. Large leaves turn red and deeper red/black in October/November.

Habotai (1):   Tests to add more leaf prints to previously dyed habotai silk samples. Crimson vine dye bath gave pink silk in 2023, then oxidized to silver!  This year testing red leaves with eco printing, rather than immersion dyeing, for better result of colour preservation.

Using Catalpa to enhance previously dyed silks: Steamed Red Catalpa leaves, Eucalyptus leaves, with sprinkled Amaranth flowers and Black Knight Scabious flower petals.

Silk folded up from bottom and over top layout - for a mirrored print result.  Leaves area sponged with urine as experiment to retain red pigment. (previously dyed and eco printed silk has already been alum mordanted, which may help new prints)  Bundle prepared for steaming.

Secondary additional bundle steam with Red leaves Catalpa Bignoniodes on Hab (1) areas without strong colour.

Crimson leaves Catalpa Bignoniodes on Habotai (2)

Another two previously dyed gold silks with failed eco prints to be enhanced.  Red leaves with some eucalyptus and coreopsis.  Two pieces of habotai silk 8 sandwiched.

Crimson leaves experiment - (no added urine sponging).  Fresh red Sumac leaves dipped in a solution before placed with silk: Bucket solution: (water with used alum + dollop of rusty nail iron water + dollop of urine).  Hoped to give a stronger tone to Sumac leaves, due to previous prints being pale.

SECONDARY ADDITIONAL bundle steam with red Catalpa Biognoniodes leaves on Hab. (2)

Extra Sumac leaves dipped in mordant liquid [alum water + rusty nail iron water + 2 dst sp urine].  Coreopsis Gazebo Red laced between leaves.

ADDITIONAL LEAF AND COREOPSIS STEAMING - Pre-dyed gold silk Hab. (3) test

Another gold dyed sample with secondary purple-lilac leaf prints and grey Sumac leaf prints needs MORE enhanced colour...  One Catalpa crimson leaf and several Coreopsis Gazebo Red added.  Clingfilm laid and rollered over folded silk.  Bundle tied.  Steam 20 mins. [Note: Gazebo Red stated to produce sage green; but produced purple after alum + water mordant sprinkling, combined with tannins already in the previous dye colour.] 

Crimson Catalpa leaves - Experiment on Fine Wool scarf (1). Fine wool previously dyed in comfrey.  Red leaves and small petals from Coreopsis Roulette (result violet-black).

RESULT - Red leaves turn purple on silk and wool after washing out.   Acceptable - as in 2023 these leaves made silk a similar deep pink, then oxidized to silver.  At least they produced a print.   Some leaves partly faded lilac prints which gives an interesting 'ghostly' effect. (to be tried without background dye).  The iron and possibly the urine mordanting helped to give a stronger tone.  Coreopsis Roulette (dark violet spot) prints are darker than expected, as dried flower packet states 'Olive Green'.

If silk looks a bit dry when folding into bundle, leafs are used to dab liquid over.  This aids ghostly effects where dampness is unevenly spread.  When cling film is wrapped around folded silk, air is squeezed out with rolling pin either end of folded bundle.  Folding lengths to a 4inch-6inch flat bundle, enables wrapping around stick, or swiss-rolling into itself, secured with string/piping cord.

2nd Steam with extra oak leaves (dipped in soya wax resist) - No iron modifyer.  Oak leaves as resist didn't show any difference. Steaming will have melted out the wax.  Bundle was placed in jar of red water made from soaking the Catalpa leaves several days. The wool appeared to dye red, but on washing out after 24 hours, no colour.  Wool was slightly duller, needed to change the bright yellow from 1st steam.

Crimson Catalpa leaves - Experiment on Fine Wool scarf (2)

Eco print steaming 1hr 30mins.  More leaves were positioned on scarf, close together, than previous scarf 1. Amaranthe was included in spaces between leaves, but no result seen apart from more blurred purple.

MODIFYING the eco printed wool, to change the darkness of the dull aubergine prints.  PINK by painting on lemon juice and GREEN by painting on bicarbonate of soda.

28 Oct

Eucalpytus leaves

Amelia Hoskins / Eco Prints, Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

EUCALYPTUS ON FINE WOOL

First eucalyptus print results!

Long leaves down length of scarf.

Previously rose hip dyed wool (warm banana background).  Most long leaves steamed orange-brown; a few smaller leaves produced scarlet.   Centre of dahlia prints - dipped in iron water appeared slightly mauve.  Purple ends are a purple salvia.

EUCALYPTUS

Subtle leaves and background result on the gold Ahimsa silk

 

EUCALYPTUS

Eucalyptus leaves laid on grey silk - folded over for steam printing.

EUCALYPTUS + GERANIUM Experiment

Geranium leaves dipped in slight iron water, placed sky side down over eucalyptus leaves: all over previously golden dyed habotai silk, and splashed with water  that the eucalyptus leaves had been soaked in for two days; (jar with brown liquid).   I must have put another grey piece over this (half the base piece size) for the result below.  [Important to NOTE each step!]. Result on the larger gold habotai silk 'blanket' was hardly noticeable.  Ahimsa seems to take the dyestuff better.

 

EUCALYPTUS

Eucalyptus leaves laid on grey silk - folded over with gold silk - smoothed and rollered, for steam printing. Brown colour was spread by the action of rollering where silk had been splashed.

 

With folded piece, eucalyptus leaves design runs both OVER the geranium leaves and BEHIND them.  An idea to exploit again. Photo record above shows this is the earth side of the leaves; and gives a good detailed print.

28 Oct

Natural Dye Samples Autumn 2024

Amelia Hoskins / Plant dye processes / / 0 Comments

Autumn 2024 - some small silk samples with current plant stuffs.

Mullein leaves dyed Habotai silk

Dyestuff collected from allotment Autumn 2024:

Soak dyestuff 24 - 48 hrs.  Boil up, simmer for an hour.  Add silk pieces when hand hot and leave for 2-4 days, checking for strength of colour.  Heat up the slow cooker or pot each day to below boiling point, then leave silk to soak further.  Silk will dye in cool liquid.  Mullein took 4 days to reach golden. These samples were dyed with the dyestuff in the pots, which I don't normally do; to obtain ongoing release of pigment.

Extra samples tested with iron: either rusty nail 'iron water' or powder ferrous sulphate.  Colours can be mixed by adding any dye+iron water to any plant/bark dye bath.

This year the rosehip dye result was not very strong, (previously has been peach or salmon pink); but did enable a faux 'alkanet' colour with a little iron added.

A further soak in  rosehip with a good measure of iron water from dark rosemary+iron dye bath (which appeared black), produced a dull gold; the rosemary yellow being much stronger than the rosehip peach.

Blue-mauve originally dyed with Hesperanthe (lavender tone):  made stronger tone with additional 2 day soaking in discarded flowers of magenta Amaranthe. (from failed eco print)

Images copyright Amelia Jane Hoskins Please email for use permission.