Saturday, April 20, 2013

hammer in hand

top to bottom: forsythia, daffodils, tulips
violets folded and hammered into fabric 

un-dyed yarn, daffodil yarn, holly nostepinne, bookbinding hammer

It's a bright and windy spring day here.
I put some more yarn in the mordant bath this morning
and then made for the local park, hammer in hand.

The book I've been referencing for some of my dyeing experiments,
Harvesting Color, by Rebecca Burgess, has a section on direct dyeing.

I presoaked my muslin in soda ash and then placed fresh violets on
one half of the cloth, folded the other side over, sprayed with a 
solution of soda ash/water then gently hammered the flowers
to release their dye.

A woman and her dog wandered my way to ask what I was doing
while others stayed close by and tried not to stare!

Tonight I will cook up a dye bath of red onion skins.
The top photo shows the blooms I am collecting and drying 
to use in a mixed dye bath.


3 comments:

  1. ;^))
    i have been reading
    about this way of dying
    and loved it!
    it's already looking
    beautiful
    as is the sunshine!

    x

    ReplyDelete
  2. i have been enjoying your recent
    activity. thank you for sharing
    fun way of dyeing and playing
    in the nature.
    love it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. yummy!
    Spring is sooo exciting!!

    ReplyDelete