22 May 2010

more dyeing successesss

Ive had some really good dye results this week, I used Cow Parsley & Gourse flowers from local hedgerows, Avocado skins Ive been saving for a while and more eucalyptus leaves because I really love the greys I got last time.

 
These photos are a bit bright (taken in the amazing sunshine today!) they dont show how rich the colors are (I will take more pics as i use the samples)
I was hoping to get some dark brown and grey silks for the bird collages Ive been creating and I have,
both avocado  and eucalyptus have given really lovely dark grey browny greens! perfect of the birds!
My favorite part of all the dyeing Ive done so far is that it all ( except the madder roots) has come from my garden or the local areas hedges ! it feels very special. 


7 comments

  1. I have never seen this technique before! It seems so fitting with the dolls you make, I don't know how to express it but it's perfect. Thanks Jenny!

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  2. Lovely. Such a peaceful way to colour fabrics.

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  3. It is so lovely to see the whole process here from raw ingredients to finished article!

    Hope the sun doesn't fade anything!

    Kath
    x

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  4. Jenny,
    Are you using a mordant with these dyes? If not, comfrey is worth a try as it supposedly gives a green without a mordant (although that's on wool not cotton or linen) I think it's a bit hit and miss. I've seen great results with buddleia leaves and later, the flowers of dahlias, tagetes or coreopsis if you have them. Really interesting to see how these develop. Lesley

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  5. thanks guys
    kaye I love your comment about it being a peaceful way to color fabric!!! that sums it up for me, thank you I shall use that line if you dont mind!
    lesley, I have been mordanting the yarns and fabrics i use, half in Alum and half in Iron I foolishly have not put in un mordantaded samples!! silly me. I had heard about comfrey & buddliea but not the others thank you I shall see if i can get hold of any. xxxx

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  6. Wow that looks lovely, even in the jars! I would love to see more of it and how the colours turned out!

    Dorien

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  7. Thanks dorien, If you take a look at my flickr page you can see loads more pics of how things turn out xxxx http://www.flickr.com/photos/39318704@N06/sets/72157623806822403/

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Thanks for stopping by xx