I have become more and more interested in trying out plant dyes, particularly as I have so many possibilities growing in the garden. There were a couple of old red cabbages that had bolted, so having researched the web and found references to making bundles (thanks especially to Wendy Feldberg), this is how I decided to proceed. All bundles were first soaked in a 20-25 % vinegar solution, then steamed for a couple of hours. turning the bundle over half way through. I unwrapped them the following day. I know some people leave them for much longer – I should experiment, but am impatient by nature!
Bundle one: Red cabbage leaves, including green ones up the stem, 2 calendula flowers, loose black tea leaves around rusted tongs.
4 pieces of fabric, from inner to outer: medium weight silk:
thin old sheeting: (the red marks bottom right are from a previous bit of printing)
silk organza:
silk, with some matted pieces of wire wool (already rusted) between these two last layers:
I used some knobbly wool and cotton string to bind the bundles, which you can really see in this last piece. I neutralised the rust with baking soda solution, but there is quite a patina on this last piece, so I am not sure what will happen. I think the almost black colours come from the combination of rust and tea.
Bundle two : cabbage leaves, spent daffodil flowers, pinch of black tea rolled and bound around a copper pipe.
Inner layer, silk. The effect is much more subtle, but the colours are beautiful:
Outer layer was a thick curtain cotton that didn’t work very well.
Bundle three: red cabbage, spent daffodils, pinch of black tea, pomegranate skins, around copper pipe:
Inner layer silk:
I did think the pomegranate skins might need to be soaked, but they have left their mark, as well as the subtle blue from the cabbage.
Outer layer thin cotton sheeting:
Bundle four : I decided to over-dye some previously rusted fabrics, eucalyptus leaves on stem, pomegranate skins around copper pipe:
Inner layer small piece of cotton with faint rust marks:
silk organza:
Outer layer, muslin. This is a part of it only:
Wools used for tying bundles: top round the iron tongs, bottom for the copper bundles.
