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.
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.
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].
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.
Mustard yellow, fairly strong after overnight soaking in dye bath.
Dye bath was boiled up with rosemary leaves and flowers, and few twigs. Simmered for an hour, then left overnight before using.
Rosemary water after boiling up and leaving overnight.
After dying Ahimsa silk yellow, iron was added to dyebath. About a tablespoon of ferrous sulphate powder and tablespoon of iron water (from rusty nails). Wool previously pale yellow from first dye bath, turned dark blue green; then dried greyed olive tone.
Left to Right:
Raspberry cane (soy wax resist white),
Rosemary simple, Rosemary + iron, (rosemary simple on silk is deeper mustard yellow).
Apple twigs (lemon bleached designs)
Fine wool scarf painted on and bleached. Tulips bleached with lemon juice. Dark leaves have soya milk painted on the shape area first; when dried, dark woad dye (from jar of original mix) is added. Leaves without soya milk base (brown) show bleeding over wool. Soya lines within tulip petals (second end) before painting dye over.
Experiment, unsteamed as yet. Piece will be finished and left for weeks before steaming. Wool is very open weave, fine, so colouring is experimental. If the soya base under design shapes produces a good fixed colour, with a clear defining outline, after steaming, it will be very useful for painting designs on other wool lengths already dyed with natural dyes.
Silk wrapped around wood or stick, with string and rubber bands. A second bundle was made with razor shells as a base. Silk pieces were quite small and folded over to trap petals. 2nd dyeing produced some feint brownish areas from the second dye with petals. Click to open gallery view
Crossing over string back along the piece results in twist impression on dyed fabric. If wrapped very tightly it might keep an interesting effect.
Silk in apple tree shows the brightness of the yellow in sunlight. The piece bundle dyed with razor shells shows slight browning from the petals.
6 avocado seeds smashed open and added to simmer. ( they are beige inside and may contribute to the warm gold)
Large bulldog clamps placed at strategic angles after folding silk from the centre.
ONE process only for this RESULT dyed in Avocado Skins dye bath.
Varied tones are due to how tightly folds were clamped and how much silk on outside of folded length was exposed to the dye bath. Grey areas and black marks are due to non-steel screws in bulldog clips which started rusting in the pan! However, the grey they create adds another dimension to the colour tones.
Cut and sawn into 3 - 4 inch pieces, soaked for a day or two, boiled and simmered, until submerging a small silk sample piece it is seen to absorb enough colour.
Premordanted with alum, silk has been folded in half, then quarter, then in triangles as concertina folds; then is clamped with large bulldog clips, which creates the final line shapes. Steeped in dye bath overnight.
Good result with white silk remaining. Clips are good length for square grid lines or hexagons. The apple bark dye bath produces a good 'old gold'.
First APPLE BARK CLAMPED result of silk piece. Darker areas were exposed to dye bath. No cardboard or wood pieces were clamped with silk, hence the exposed areas.
It helps keep rigid geometry if folds are gently ironed into place during clamping preparation. Pleased to see hexagons almost looking right.
Logwood fibres were soaked for 3-4 days, after initial boiling, and daily simmering. Firstly it turns red, then over the days turns violet-blue-black. Silk immediately takes on the colour. I left it in the cooled dye bath, clamped, about 6 hours, turning once. (Less time may have given a lilac, rather than such dark violet.)
Habotai silk stretched on frame ready to paint thickened dyes over. The quality of original clamp dyed result is somewhat spoiled by new additions by hand, but each silk piece is seen as a practice piece, a test bed.
DYE TESTING
Priority purpose of these silks is to experiment with success rate with dye baths; resist techniques; and painting onto silk with dye bath liquids. Markings are not a major design concept, simply a means to use the dye paste and check for colour impregnation success or failure.
Lemon juice discharge was not practiced in this piece.
Painting in approximation of marks and areas: nothing copied precisely, just roughly similar in variations of markings which resulted over the whole piece. Zigzags, blurred areas between 'star' boundaries. Dark grey is logwood (possibly dulled, not purple, due to alkanet background, or due to addition of guar gum binder).
This is my first attempt at using plant dyes (rather than commercial ones) on previously plant-dyed silk. Silk dyed with rosehips was rather pale, so I over-dyed silk Habotai 10 with sage. Previous triskele designs done in soya wax (as resist) were only dull yellow and darker after the sage bath, so I bleached out further, brushing lemon juice around in rough and larger manner to give vague paler guide.
Lemon juice was brushed around the linear borders of triskelles, and the tie dyed star-shapes in background. It seems to have removed the sage, but not the original peachy rosehip, which shows through. This is a very useful tool to use as design outlines or rough out areas. It needs testing on different plant dyes and see what colour results.
Lemon juice bleaching looked yellow when wet (sage dye dissolving?). It produced only slightly paler areas, about 30% less of the ground colour, but gives an outline to follow later. Triskeles were followed by placing tracing of design underneath silk, and sketching over on the silk with water soluble pens (available in blue and purple). To emphasize paleness, the de-colourant paste (thinned 50/50) was used to give light outlines: to see the whole design, and to allow for colour to be added over. I iron steamed the de-colourant areas to dissolve.
A new shape - a torus in line form was added. Light star shapes were originally tie dyed resist at original dying so they are pale in the torus two centres.
Next, water based gutta was applied by both pipette and brush over the lines around and within the triskeles and the torus. Gutta plain, and gutta with added dye Madder, Woad and Mimosa Brown thinned, were used for thin and thicker lines around outside of triskeles. Madder, woad and mimosa dyes were painted with brush within the outlined design areas.
Lemon juice successfully faded out some triskele colours painted too bright behind the 'torus' area. A 'ghost effect' is produced. Angels were placed within the torus ovals, utilising the pale tie-died star forms. De colourant had also been used beforehand to lighten the 'angel wings' area. (After steaming wings went rather yellow, so de colourant needed again).
Experimental result from 2 hrs steaming. About 70% of natural pigment seemed to stay in tact with a faded overall 'aged' effect. This could work well used in abstract designs, where clear outlines not needed. The gutta steamed out completely, leaving the dyes behind. The lines within the torus are quite a good effect. Madder stayed fairly well, woad quite paler, and gold-brown colours used in the gutta line application seem to have infused the whole areas. Turmeric was painted in some areas around designs, which may have spread out adding an unwanted yellow overall.
Strength of colour was lost; faded effect is interesting and can be utilised for 'antique' designs.
The many different lines of gutta outlines, and infill dyed lines create a subtle interesting effect, even though the brighter contrasting colour outlines are lost.
Madder turned duller, ruddy brownish, and other gold and brown outlines merged into each other. Woad blue faded to pale. (woad without additive)
Actually a good background for embroidery.
[Photographed in evening lamp light]
Due to the loss of colour contrast, I used chemical decolourant discharge paste over some main circle lines and the angels. I forgot to use it weaker strength and got a yellowish result. The first result was aesthetically better.
Coloured details can be added again over top, possibly with synthetic dyes due to the detailed colour needed for angels, bird and lion. Other discharge pastes may be tried over for this experimental piece. Eventually I hope the piece will be usable as centre piece to a patchwork quilt.
Gutta outlines (to prevent dye spread) were coloured with natural dye, which mostly faded out after steaming. Their wobbly outlines (created by gutta pipette and nib application), gives an interest better than exact lines.
Lines as feature colour were faded. MADDER kept colour best in the outlines, and will be useful for silk design outlines.
Coloured brush strokes can be overlaid for intermixed tones.
Sage-dyed silk sample square showing the difference between sage ochre colour and Indian Bean Tree/raspberry cane dyed silk behind. The sage twigs and leaves were added to the pigment weakened dye bath.
TRISKEL DESIGNS: Soya wax used to create resist areas of triskels, prior to dyeing in a previous dye bath which had resulted too pale. The two design areas traced through with brush of hot soya wax. The original wax imprint is seen in the final result below, after raspberry cane dyepot. Wax may have been too hot, as it left a dark mark; see lemon bleaching below. [Triskel design taken from Celtic Spirals book, enlarged]
Soya wax circular outlines (used as resist) had left a darker mark (grease?) or darker dyed? I used lemon juice to brush around the triskel design circles, which after drying and washing out, left a lighter outline, like a weak bleach. A good experiment, which may bleach better on different dye stuffs. The lemon itself was used as a 'bleach pot' with an end cut off to dip in.
Silk design will be used as a centrepiece in patchwork quilt, (pinned here to cotton background). New added details of silk painting will echo the colours in the patchwork prints. Quilt design development will be linked to as a new post.
Tree has large heart shaped leaves which turn cerise, and dark red. Found fallen on the path in early November. The dye pigment is released by slow soaking in rain water, but changes to brown if boiled. (produces similar brown colour as sycamore leaves produce). Pink is released into fabric in cold water.
Silk soaked in alum for mordanting: then soaked overnight in red leaf water. Pigment was rapidly absorbed immediately, and turned deep pink overnight. Washed out in rain water. When hanging in air, starting to dry, it turned silver grey. Finished result is a very good silver, good to coordinate with other grey fabrics.
DISCOVERY: Red Indian Bean tree leaves soaked COLD with fabric produces silver on alum mordanted silk, green on wool pre-dyed with hawthorn, and if used HOT steamed, gives brown textures onto Tutsan dyed silk.
Fine wool was previously dyed in Hawthorn bath (second soak): with splodgy rust marks needing disguise. A good opportunity to experiment with resist techniques.
SOYA WAX AND FERNS EXPERIMENT RESULT - MOVES TO GREEN
Feint imprint of fern in centre-right, from soya resist after washing out. Ferns also produce dye showing russet fern shapes in places. It would work with a darker overdye and suit silk better, as wax is more difficult to remove from wool. Final colour was grey green, (now become lime green after various washings to remove wax.) More techniques are needed as the wool piece is still obviously patchy, needing disguise. (see over-designs below).
Grey green wool developed to a brighter lime green after further washing in laundry liquid. Blotchy green coverage suitable for designs overpainted. Triskele design adapted from Adrian Meehan's 'Spiral Patterns', 12 fold division of circle - 'The Hitching hanging Bowl' item c.650 AD. Centre Nigella seed pods from own drawings adapted from own photographs.
Dye powders mixed in pond water and simmered to dissolve. Half a jar of water, level Tblsp or less dye powder, level Tbsp soda ash. The soda ash likely made the colours tend towards brown, e.g. Mimosa, Logwood. Madder turned darker red rather than orange-red.
Madder + soda ash. Logwood + soda ash. Turmeric. Mimosa (1) + soda ash + oak gall = warm brown. Mimosa (2) + soda ash + woad = warm beige (not the lilac possible with Mimosa). Woad (1) pure. Woad (2) + soda ash = greeny blue.
ANTIFUSANTS
Logwood and Woad dye jars were mixed with 'No Flow' to prevent colour bleeding. I also had dabbed the whole fabric with 'no flow' with a natural sponge. Madder was mixed with Epaississant gum ('Se melangea la couleur pour lui enlever son fusant') also to prevent dye spreading out of desired shapes, which worked well, as all red is contained. Blue lines were able to be applied finely, as was the logwood; both with an antifusant added. Mimosa had no antifusant added and bled out of design area; seen around the seed pods in centre. Brown bleed-out areas were bleached with lemon juice afterwards see in above image. Conclusion: half a tsp of antifusant can be added to half full dye jar to prevent bleeding.
Lemon juice was brushed around centre circles to bleach lighter where the Mimosa brown had spread too much.
UNSUCCESSFUL - Colours were not steamed, so washing out removed most of the colour. (Wool must be steamed to fix the dyes, just as silk is. I normally paint with steam fix dyes and wanted to try the natural dyes without steaming. Iron steaming might have half worked). Mimosa and logwood colours still remain embedded though feinter. The feint pastel colours are attractive in their own right, but will be merged into the fresh painting.
Discharge paste 'De Clourant' was mixed with warm water, about 50% water/30% discharge paste. (Weaker solution due to a test showing full strength goes yellow on the green dyed wool!). The weaker strength works fine when steamed, and does not leave any thickness on the wool surface. Design shapes of Celtic Triskeles are roughly traced with water soluble pen, then bleached out by applying mix with rough brush marks as the basic outlines of triskeles. (quickest way to re-establish the areas).
Fine wool held still with masking tape, over a lightbox perspex sheet before applying gutta-dye lines and infill-dye with brush.
Slightly disappointing result, but was expected. Background original green (Indian Bean Tree) turned slightly more gold (olive); also changeable in different lights. The aspect of appearing brighter gold-green, or duller olive-green is interesting. Previous painted errors were disguised well.
Madder dye - A ruddy red remained well, but paler. Logwood dye - Aubergine brown paler. Mimosa - brown paler.
Woad dye - first mix very pale blue; second woad mix with soda ash added, looked green in jar, but stayed darker blue after steaming.
Comparisons below of wet cloths: Tutsan dyed silk (left), and Hawthorne dyed fine wool (right)
Result from 2023 rosehip dye were quite pale. A peachy light bright pastel, but not as pink as previous years. [Add samples of dyed silk and wool.]
The wool is a fair colour to paint designs over. The Silk was subsequently over-dyed: with continued experiments using resist techniques. Overdyed with sage giving light yellow-gold; first dye bath strong ochre gold, second dye bath lighter ocre gold. See Sage dyed silk Triskele designs.
Soak berries and simmer as Hawthorn (1). Two silk samples were added to dye liquid when cooled and soaked in a wide copper pot for a day and a night. One was cream. The other was dull pale grey (failed woad dyed piece) which resulted in a browner result. (Colour mixing: grey + hawthorn = brown)
Fascinating variations obtained by use of mordants, or washing out methods, or how fresh or old/exhausted the dye bath becomes.
Large long piece of silk soaked a few hours in pre-mordanting Alum beforehand.
Good Mauve result. Washed out in tap water, with added soap. Turned GREY, then gradually GREEN! (Far left)
Was it the tap water? Was it the soap?
Two dress top shapes. NO premordant alum.
Steeped 24hrs in remainder dye bath pink sludgy liquid.
Washed out in tap water - stayed a medium MAUVE. (presume due to no alum).
One long silk piece with a hem.
Placed in previous dye bath (1. and 2.)
Turned mauvish, but dried out SILVER! (Right)
Silk pre-mordanted with Alum and Cream of Tartar.
Cider vinegar from pre-soaked apple peels added to dye bath.
Placed liquid and fabric in copper pot.
Result overnight - pale peach.
