Tag: silk dye

21 Aug

Mullein Dyed Silk

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

Mullein gold colour is not from the flowers, but the LEAVES.

Soak before, and simmer mullein leaves to release colour

Boiled leaves removed. Silk added to brown dye.

Ahimsa Silk absorbs mullein leaf dye well. It dries much lighter than it first appears.

The longer silk is left in a strong dye bath the more colour it may absorb, for a stronger and deeper colour.  This looked dark, and I washed it out, but it could have been darker if left over night.  A small piece of silk will not be able to absorb all the dye, so a secondary piece can be added later.

I may not have used a mordant (such as alum), as colour dried light gold beige.  A good neutral background for painting on.

Many plants produce a dye for cream, beige, or gold;  which is very useful background for silk painting on, rather than stark white. Intensity varies.  More antique tone can be achieved by adding ferrous water to the dye bath. (iron - made from rusty nail water). Other metals could be experimented with.  Copper will have an effect.  Making the dye bath in copper pan has an effect.

22 May

Bundle Dyeing Seeds and Flowers Workshop

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Workshop, Dyes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

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.

22 May

Flora’s Plant dye foraging workshop

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Workshop, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

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.

Flora's workshops can be booked at her website:

22 May

Avocado Pits Dyed Silk

Amelia Hoskins / Dyes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

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....
22 May

Eucalyptus bark dyed silk

Amelia Hoskins / Dyes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

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

Available in UK: Contact amelia-jane-hoskins@protonmail.com for details, as is not yet in online shop

22 May

Tansy dyed silk

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Plant Collection, Dyes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

Images to add from dye baths. (missing error)

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.

22 May

Ladies bedstraw Dyed Silk

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Plant Collection, Dyes, Plant Dye / / 0 Comments

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.

Lady's Bedstraw Ahimsa silk results: 1st soak strong peach - 2nd soak 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.

22 May

Hopi Bird Silk Designs Dresses

Amelia Hoskins / Dress, Silk Painting / / 0 Comments

Hopi Bird Silk Designs - Three Dresses

Dresses Available

Dresses with silk painting of stylized Hopi birds

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.

    Native American Quotations embroidered on silk: 

"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 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)

Images copyright Amelia Jane Hoskins Please email for use permission.