Bundle dyed silk samples were created at Flora's Bundle Dye Workshop in Forde Abbey Gardens
Bundle Dyed Silk Samples
Silk and cottons are covered in seeds, petals and powdered roots; then sprayed with vinegar, then folded up into angular folds, before tying up into stringed bundles. Bundles are hung over the side of a large boiling pot of water.
Bright pigment result from steaming seeds (such as Hopi sunflower), petals (such as dahlia) and dried root (such as madder or logwood).
Drying out unwrapped silk bundles
Authors Samples – I chose mostly pink and lilac dyestuffs which I tried to arrange in circular patterns, but this process is completely unpredictable. Next time it would be interesting to make dyestuff arrangements in circular tied bundles or with elastic, similar to tie dye techniques, form snowflake type designs.
Rinsing out silk after the dye bath. Hardly any colour washed out. The take-up was good: this is because there is a natural mordant in the avocado pits.
The silk – accurate colour, which looks different in different lights. In the shade it is more dusky pink, in sunlight – more creamy gold. Dye absorption was very even.
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 viminalis, Manna Gum, and Eucalyptus Archeri, Alpine cider gum (Tasmania) in Hillier Arboretum, Hampshire, UK.
Eucalyptus bark soaking in dye pan.
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. 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.
Adding rusty water (iron) deepens the colour of silk and lace in two more samples.
Mixed fibre lace fabric dyed with eucalyptus dye pot, after the silk. Top grey-brown was modified after dyeing, with iron using rusty water from rusty nails.
To follow up… a new garment using both silk samples with silk painting is in the making. Colour combinations of blues with deep gold highlights, picking out colours in the prints. The design will be used in kimono-dress, with the added lace pieces; also dyed with the eucalyptus bark
Two tones dyed with initial painting idea
Seed designs steamed into dyed silk. A new discharge paste brushed on to the seed head areas did not work on the natural eucalyptus bark dye! To be re painted with contrasts.
Eucalyptus dyed silk, modified darker with iron rust, over painted, steamed.
Large poppy seed heads: (discharge paste did not work to bleach the eucalyptus dye from those areas). Test piece for general design idea, to be repainted with darker seed heads.
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 are drawn with acid dye into gutta resist (blue lines). Background texture in maroon are created with collagraph printing:- Seeds flattened and glued to cardboard, then used as a print stamp underneath silk, pressed from upper surface. (Details to be added)
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.
2nd silk sample Rinsed. Result when dry is a light peach.
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.
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1st silk sample has been pre-mordanted in Alum for a day before putting to soak in hand hot dye bath. Rinse away plant debris and extra dye: result after rinsing and drying is a strong salmon hued peach colour.
1st silk sample Rinsed. Has been already soaked in dye bath one day. 2nd 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.
1st silk sample: Strong peach result after washing out. Steam iron while still damp to help smooth out creases, or don’t squeeze out water.
2nd silk sample Rinsed. Result when dry is a light peach.
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.
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1st silk sample has been pre-mordanted in Alum for a day before putting to soak in hand hot dye bath. Rinse away plant debris and extra dye: result after rinsing and drying is a strong salmon hued peach colour.
1st silk sample Rinsed. Has been already soaked in dye bath one day. 2nd 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.
1st silk sample: Strong peach result after washing out. Steam iron while still damp to help smooth out creases, or don’t squeeze out water.
2nd silk sample Rinsed. Result when dry is a light peach.
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.
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1st silk sample has been pre-mordanted in Alum for a day before putting to soak in hand hot dye bath. Rinse away plant debris and extra dye: result after rinsing and drying is a strong salmon hued peach colour.
1st silk sample Rinsed. Has been already soaked in dye bath one day. 2nd 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.
1st silk sample: Strong peach result after washing out. Steam iron while still damp to help smooth out creases, or don’t squeeze out water.
2nd silk sample Rinsed. Result when dry is a light peach.
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.
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1600047481380-465ce7cf-9d3f-4″ include=”347,344″][vc_column_text]Lady’s 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.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_media_grid item=”mediaGrid_SlideInTitle” grid_id=”vc_gid:1600047481381-4c12a926-21cf-2″ include=”353,345,354″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_media_grid item=”mediaGrid_SlideInTitle” grid_id=”vc_gid:1600047481382-cc844ffc-a475-10″ include=”351,343,342″][vc_column_text]
1st silk sample has been pre-mordanted in Alum for a day before putting to soak in hand hot dye bath. Rinse away plant debris and extra dye: result after rinsing and drying is a strong salmon hued peach colour.
1st silk sample Rinsed. Has been already soaked in dye bath one day. 2nd 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.
1st silk sample: Strong peach result after washing out. Steam iron while still damp to help smooth out creases, or don’t squeeze out water.
2nd silk sample Rinsed. Result when dry is a light peach.
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.
Opaline Rose dress has tier of grey silk painting with Hopi birds and embroidered Native American quotations
Red Hopi dress has two front silk panels with stylized Hopi birds - black/red on white, and red/white on black. Patchworks uses a red linen skirt and black viscose print in long red dress design. Vogue pattern used: V1234 by Sandra Betzina.
Grey Hopi pinafore has front silk panel of Hopi Birds with feathers and native American sayings combined with grey cotton panels from a Per Una skirt. Winter thickness. Slim fit: (UK size 8 bust, UK size 10 hips)
All dresses modelled by visiting Spanish teacher guest Marian
Grey Hop Pinafore - Design Motifs
Bird designs are 'curved' exactly as the originals on Hopi pottery, but applied to a two dimensional surface of Habotai silk. Feathers were added around the birds together with a selection of embroidered Native American quotations.
Printing Experiment: Texture of gold on grey is made using cardboard print block. Dried corn cob leaves which have fine narrow ridges were glued onto a cereal packet cardboard, varnished (acrylic water based) 3 layers. The maze leaves fibre formation has quite pronounced ridges, which resulted, when printed, in natural looking printed lines. I used epaissisant thickener with gutta as a printing paste applied to the cardboard printing block, then pressed on to the silk, and dried before adding the grey dye. The end result after steaming was mostly a blur, but still provides an interesting painterly background texture, which could be developed with different colour overlays, where overlapping lines would create extra colours.
"Walk lightly in the spring: mother Earth is pregnant" ~ Kiowa
"Plants are our brothers and sisters; they talk to us and if we listen we can hear them" ~ Apache
"After dark all cats are leopards" ~ Zumi
"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave ~
Red Hopi Bird silk painting
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.
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. Modelled by Marian at Exeter Quay warehouse area..
Red Hopi front view
Red Hopi front view 2
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.
Hopi Bird silk painted design in russets, orange, pinks with embroidered Native American sayings
Autumn colours pinafore. - Brown, russet and pinks of silk painted stylized Hopi bird sections.
Coordinating with brown fabrics. Pattern taken from a dress bought in France. (Sold)
SEARCH: Garment Type: Plant Dye
Contact Amelia
Images copyright Amelia Jane Hoskins Please email for use permission.
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