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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Aug 16, 2015 16:36:00 GMT
Recently I have been experimenting with using garden plants to create images on muslin and cotton sheeting scraps. What held me back was the fact that I am an American city dweller and do not have access to exotic plants, such as eucalyptus. Even my local florist has to place a bulk order before she can offer any to the public, and she does not have access to the “juicy” eucalyptus which creates those lovely shades of red. In any case, I decided to roll up my sleeves and begin with what I have: deck garden variety of plants and two small perennials that I planted in the ground two years ago. One is so-called Japanese indigo and the other is a golden yellow small leafy bush whose name I have forgotten. Here are two of the three samples I made yesterday: Natural Dyeng by catwycliff, on Flickr
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Aug 16, 2015 16:40:18 GMT
Natural Dyeing by catwycliff, on Flickr I am generally pleased with my first attempt at natural dyeing using plants as images. Very different from simmering wool in beet juice! Have any of you tried natural dyeing with plants on fabric or wool?
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Post by aphee on Aug 16, 2015 19:18:35 GMT
I dye with plants from my garden or from commercial website (today with indigo for the 1st time !!! it's quite magical) I would like to experiment on fabric, as you did, and maybe on felted fabric, but I need more time ;-) Dyeing simmering I prefer madder and cochineal I got some eucalyptus leaves but they are crushed. My garden is full of tanin trees, so I think I will have a try with them (and maybe with my camelias)
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Post by Pandagirl on Aug 16, 2015 19:57:15 GMT
Nice results Cathy! The only natural dyeing I've done was with you with indigo.
Aphee, please share your dyeing results!
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Aug 16, 2015 19:59:15 GMT
I have used madder, logwood and alkanet but never cochineal. I have a very small deck garden with a few bushes outside planted in the ground of my townhouse. Not much space but I try to make the best of what I have. The photo shows the small yellow/green leaves from a perennial bush. Does anyone recognize this plant that I used to dye on cotton? Guess I must have discarded the nursery tag.
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Post by penguin on Aug 16, 2015 20:45:33 GMT
No idea on the plant I'm afraid but sympathise re the eucalyptus. Many years ago we had one in the garden and some years after that I lived up the road from a whole load of them, while at uni ... But back then I knew nothing about its use in dying and eco printing. There's none about where I am now.
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Post by MTRuth on Aug 16, 2015 21:32:59 GMT
I have tried this before. I didn't get all that exciting results and don't have access to eucalyptus either. It was a fun experiment but wasn't something I wanted to spend a lot of time on.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Aug 16, 2015 21:55:21 GMT
Of course, Penguin and Ruth…where are the eucalyptus when you need them?
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Post by Shepherdess on Aug 16, 2015 22:11:39 GMT
You got great results. I have done indigo and onions skins and a few others. I eve tried my hair in the indigo but it didn't work.
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Post by zed on Aug 17, 2015 9:20:32 GMT
I think I'd have a go if I followed a tutorial, but otherwise it all seems to hard to follow, there's lingo I don't know and it almost seems like a guarded secret no one wants to share.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Aug 17, 2015 12:50:07 GMT
Zed, it’s just a matter of taking time to read the varied advice, peruse some of the books you can borrow from your library, then experiment! Most folks use the local varieties of plants, which means you may not get the vibrant colors achieved from plants like eucalyptus. There are many variances in water, boiling pots, mordants, etc. It’s really no different from felting if you try samples and experiment. Not all achieve the same results. But that’s ok.
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Post by elizabeth on Aug 17, 2015 16:55:36 GMT
Cathy, that may be a type of barberry. It looks quite prickly. Does it turn colors in the fall and lose it leaves? Thanks for posting your efforts. I'll have to haul myself up and give it a try, too.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Aug 18, 2015 0:13:48 GMT
You are correct, Elizabeth. There are apparently various colors of barberry, but I discovered mine is “golden” barberry. I found out the hard way that it is prickly when I ran my fingers over the folded cloth with barberry leaves inside! At least we know the name now!
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Post by jwugg on Aug 18, 2015 5:53:51 GMT
I've had a couple of experiments with eco printing. I do have access to eucalyptus, although our greek one doesn't give the reds. It's something I'm planning on spending more effort on in the autumn, as there's a kind of alchemy regarding mordanting, metals etc etc. Without some elements of these, at the 'right' proportions (whatever they may be!) the colours aren't light-fast apparently. But too much rust will cause degredation of the fabric, as I'm working on silk, mistakes aren't cheap! I want to play more to try to get some of the lovely colours I've seen, my first tries were very dark, although I did love the natural prints.
Please do share your findings, Cathy,, I'll let you know as I get round to it!
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Post by koffipot on Aug 18, 2015 10:44:37 GMT
View AttachmentI have used madder, logwood and alkanet but never cochineal. I have a very small deck garden with a few bushes outside planted in the ground of my townhouse. Not much space but I try to make the best of what I have. The photo shows the small yellow/green leaves from a perennial bush. Does anyone recognize this plant that I used to dye on cotton? Guess I must have discarded the nursery tag. Could be Berberis with those thorns. does it have winter berries?
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