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Post by chookie2 on Sept 5, 2015 2:48:33 GMT
I am tomorrow to one day workshop with with Julia Billings of Woollenflower fame. Looking forward to learning more. The workshop is held at from the birthplace of the Polwarth sheep,Tarndwarncoort, Victoria, Australia a lovely 200 year old Bluestone- farmhouse and very old garden.We will begin with a walk around the gardens and farm looking at what plants could be suitable then onto the practicalities of dyeing with said plants. Can't wait. Will report back with pics on Monday. Our workshop is to be held in the old ciderhouse ...sounds fun.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Sept 5, 2015 13:31:19 GMT
Chookie, that really sounds like a great workshop. I will google Woolenflower and try to find her. You will probably have a wonderful world of plants to choose from. Enjoy!
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Post by chookie2 on Sept 7, 2015 4:43:11 GMT
Well it was a great day and I learned a lot. We did a total of 36 samples from local plants including a lovely electric yellow from Soursob ( a weed) and it took just 40 mins cooking to have the lovely clear yellow dye ready after picking the flowers.Eucalptus,Fennel,Nettle and Buddleja were the chosen plants. We tested samples with copper, iron and Alum with Cream of Tartar on each plus a truly big change in colour on the Soursob with the alkalinity of Washing Soda added. We then carded our samples and talked about a lot of other optional plants and methodologies. I must say that Julia Billings was a clear,concise and well informed teacher who did not miss a beat and had great notes for us to take home with a lot more hints and ideas for plant dyes included.Lunch ,morning and afternoon teas were included at a very reasonable cost.I will be going back to Tarndie for more classes when they advertise them. Sorry no pics as I left my camera and phone in the car by mistake.
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Post by halay on Sept 7, 2015 5:03:44 GMT
Chookie2, that must have been a very exciting workshop. Pitty you forgot your camera to take photos. I have one question: did you use fennel seeds only as a dye or the whole plant? Fennel seems to yield a nice colour - greyish sage. This is the colour I like.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2015 11:09:22 GMT
Hello Chookie2, it sounds like a super great workshop...Does Tardie, have a website where she may show her students work from her classes???
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Post by MTRuth on Sept 7, 2015 17:46:07 GMT
Sounds like a fun, well organized class. Looks like the instructor has a website but I couldn't get it to load. www.woollenflower.com
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Sept 7, 2015 22:20:25 GMT
Ruth, I just tried the same link and it did load for me, although a bit slowly.
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Post by MTRuth on Sept 7, 2015 22:30:12 GMT
Yes, I did get it to load now.
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Post by chookie2 on Sept 8, 2015 1:14:34 GMT
Halay, we used the fennel leaves not the seeds(wrong time of year here in Australia, for a lovely sage green with alum, in iron gave us a lovely warm brown, and in copper a clear green. I took a friend with me and will ask her for images as I noticed her using her phone to take pics.
Julie has promised to come back to Tarndie to run a workshop with Madder next time she visits Australia, so I am already down for that one.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2015 17:48:35 GMT
Hello Chookie, did you learn what constitutes iron water and copper water for dying... If so can you share how you create or make iron water and copper water... My thoughts are you put iron things like bolts and screws in "Water" and let it set for a few weeks... For copper water you just add copper bits like copper wire and or Copper pennies before 1982 and let them set on water for. Few weeks.. I understand that NO Vinegar is added to these jar of copper or iron... Does anyone know if I am right or wrong? Smile.. I would greatly appreciate any thoughts on this.. Thanks..
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Post by Shepherdess on Sept 10, 2015 22:52:04 GMT
If you can find an iron pot or a copper pot you can use the pot as mordant. Iron reacts very fast changing (saddening) acid dyes from the smallest chip in an enamel pot.
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Post by koffipot on Sept 11, 2015 6:02:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2015 13:48:21 GMT
Hello Judith, I wished I lived near you so we could be mad chemist together.. I do have some enamel pots that do have chips in them so I reckon I Need to beware of what that will do.. I love how your copper water turned blue neat... Yesterday I started an copper/water jar with several copper wires and copper pennies before 1982. Before 1982 is when pennies they had the most copper in them.... Today I check them and they had a bluish tint. So I put a wee bit of this copper water into another jar and added vinegar and not reaction yet... Maybe there was not enough copper in the water yet.. Here is a photo of my experiment with: (1) jar is ammonia and water with avocado skins and pit. It has been soaking for only a day. I hope it will be a pink dye on cotton and linen.. (2) Jar is iron bits with just water. (3) 3rd And 4th Jar is rusty bits with vinegar water. (5) Jar is the copper water with copper pennies and copper wire... I will take a photo of copper water with vinegar if it turns... Smile.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Sept 11, 2015 14:09:08 GMT
Will be interested to learn more about your experiments, Judy. I have never tried the copper or iron/rust water.
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Post by halay on Sept 11, 2015 15:11:57 GMT
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