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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Trying Again With Natural Dyeing

     I was rattling around in a cupboard and I found a lovely blue enamel pot. I looked inside of it and not a speck of rust or chip inside of it. Perfect for bundles I thought to myself. I forgot I had bought it last year at a yard sale.  So, I scrounged around in one of my boxes I am packing up to send home and there was a perfect piece of white fabric. I chop it up into about six pieces-and went on a hunt.

    "She is looking for things to wrap up in fabric. She is going to boil it and it will smell,"says one daughter.

     "For real?" says the other daughter.

      "Yes, for real,"says the mom." It is called eco-dyeing. " Lots of eye-rolling.

      And after I wrapped and boiled some birch leaves, coreopsis, hydrangea leaves and flowers, onion skins and some alum, I ended up with this:









    I was really hoping for some brighter leaf imprints but, of course, couldn't find the book I needed. I think I already sent that home.

   I really have trouble remembering where I leave things. And which light switches turn on which lights. No wonder they think I am crazy. But I ended up with some pretty yellow fabric which they thought was pretty as well but involved too much work. Buying it at a store was mentioned....but then it wouldn't be mine, would it?



    I like the marks the coreopsis made-nice and gentle. I thought I was all done with dyeing but I guess it wasn't done with me.

    Be creative, my friends!

  

2 comments:

  1. I have India's book but find it very dense reading (as I'm learning as I go). In a month or two I hope to start some eco-dyeing myself - I'll have to make friends with our local florist!

    Neat to see your latest. :)

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  2. I think your results are lovely! I also have India's book, and last fall, or maybe it was winter, (I have trouble remembering things as well!) I made a bundle, too. But I left mine outside on the ground to brave the elements for a few months. It was hard to wait all that time, but the result was a great mixture of colors and some nice holes! However, I like your quicker method, and will have to give that a try as well. Thanks for sharing!

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